FAMtasy Third Base Rankings

1. Adrian BeltreBeltre’s first MLB season was the 1998 Sosa/McGwire Home Run race season. Fast forward 16 years and Beltre is still an elite 3rd baseman.

Beltre turns 37 in April, so his reign as the top 3rd baseman may be coming to an end. For 2015, it’s safe to expect another .310+, 20 HR, 80+ RBI season.

1999-2014 Average SeasonBatting Ave Doubles Home Runs RBI

.286 32 24 85

2. Anthony RendonRendon will be the everyday third baseman for the Nationals in 2015. Zimmerman will move across the diamond to 1st to try and protect his health.

Rendon has quickly become one of the best young hitters in the game. We don’t see him slowing down in 2015. The gap between Rendon and Beltre for the 1 and 2 spots isn’t very wide.

Stats 2013-2014Games Batting Ave Home Runs RBI Steals

2013 98 .265 7 35 12014 153 .285 21 83 17

3. Josh DonaldsonDonaldson might be one of the best players in baseball that you know very little about. The guy quietly turned into one of the most productive 3rd basemen in the game in Oakland.

In 2015, Donaldson will find himself in the middle of one of the most potent lineups in the game. Expect Donaldson to match or exceed his 2014 numbers in the Blue Jays powerful batting order.

2013-2014 StatsBatting

Ave.Doubles HR RBI

2013 .301 37 24 932014 .255 31 29 98

4. Evan LongoriaLongoria didn’t have his best statistical year in 2014, but it was still a very productive season.

The Rays lineup doesn’t appear to be as strong on paper in 2015, but we don’t expect Longoria’s numbers to suffer too much. Longoria should still be a top 5 fantasy baseball option and be a cornerstone for many fantasy lineups for many years to come.

Average Season 2008-2014

Games Batting Ave

Doubles Home Runs

RBI

137 .271 32 26 91

5. Kyle SeagerIf you haven’t paid close attention over the last 3 seasons you might not realize how good Kyle Seager really is.

The 27 year old has strung together some very impressive seasons at one of the tougher ballparks for hitters in baseball. Don’t expect Seager to slow down any as he begins to enter his prime. I look for something around ~.265, ~25 HR, and 80+ RBI from him in 2015.

2012-2014 StatsBatting Ave HR RBI

2012 .259 20 86

2013 .260 22 69

2014 .268 25 96

6. Nolan ArenadoArenado is a very exciting young 3rd baseman for the Rockies. In a short amount of time, Nolan has shown very strong offensive skills for a 23 year old.

Like many before him, Arenado takes advantage of the best hitter’s part on the planet (Coors Field). If he is able to stay healthy in 2015, expect his numbers to eclipse his injury-shortened 2014 season. This might be the last year you can get Arenado after the 5th round in fantasy drafts. Keep an eye on him on draft day.

2014 Home/Road Splits

At Bats Batting Ave Home Runs RBI

Home 231 .303 16 45

Road 201 .269 2 16

7. Todd FrazierFrazier’s outstanding 2014 season was one of the lone offensive bright spots for the Reds.

The 20 steals out of Frazier were a pleasant surprise in 2014. It might be unwise to expect another 20-20 season. However, his other statistics seem to be very repeatable. There’s almost no way the Reds offense can get worse in 2015, and if Votto and Bruce get back on track I’d look for Frazier to have another very strong season at the hot corner.

2012-2014 StatsBatting Ave Home Runs RBI Steals

2012 .273 19 67 32013 .234 19 73 62014 .273 29 80 20

8. Pablo SandovalSandoval switched coasts in the offseason and will be manning the hot corner for the Red Sox in 2015.

“Panda” should see plenty of RBI opportunities in a very potent Red Sox lineup. Pedroia-Ortiz-HanRam-Panda-Napoli will not be a fun gauntlet for opposing pitchers in 2015. Expect Pablo to at least match his “usual” numbers (.275+, 15+ HR, ~75 RBI) this season.

Average Season 2009-2014

Batting Ave Doubles HR RBI.292 30 17 73

9. David WrightWright has missed at least 28 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons. He is still a very productive 3rd baseman when he’s healthy, but he’s now on the wrong side of 30. It’s fair to keep a close eye on his health going forward.

As far as 2015 goes, a healthy Wright should hit near .300 with 15+ HRs and 15+ steals. He’s definitely worth a roll of the dice if you need a 3rd baseman in the 9th or 10th round.

Average Season 2005-2014

Games Batting Ave

Doubles HR RBI Steals

144 .298 36 22 90 18

10. Matt CarpenterCarpenter’s 2014 season was a bit of a disappointment after a monster 2013 campaign. Carp lead the NL in walks, but his average, doubles, HRs, and RBIs all declined in 2014.

I believe Carpenter would be better suited hitting further down the lineup where he can be more aggressive with his at bats, but he should still put up a very respectable stat line in 2015. I expect Carp’s numbers to fall somewhere in between his 2013 and 2014 stat lines this season.

2013 & 2014 Stats

Batting Ave

Doubles HRs RBIs .OBP

2013 .318 55 11 78 .392

2014 .272 33 8 59 .375