Baseball - Position Rankings

The hot corner is one of the shallowest positions in fantasy baseball, as evidenced by the top two players in our rankings being eligible at other positions most prominently. That said, some young players further down the rankings offer some upside potential. All in all, it may come down to finding a player that can help you in one or two categories and will not hamper you too much in other categories when searching for a suitable starting third baseman.

Note: The age listed for each player is their age as of April 1, 2012.

Tier 1

1. Miguel Cabrera- Age:28

Cabrera had a drop-off in home runs and RBI last season, but still reached 30 and 100 respectively for the fifth straight season. He won the American League batting title, and will now move to third base with Tigers’ offseason signing of Prince Fielder. Cabrera is not currently eligible at third base, but stands to be eligible there fairly early in the season regardless of the position eligibility requirements in your league. In any case, he will turn 29 in mid-April and is a sure-first first round pick in all fantasy drafts.

2. Jose Bautista- Age:31

Bautista did not quite repeat his out of nowhere power numbers from 2010, but the increase in batting average is notable as his BABIP (.312) rebounded to closer to his career normal. He remains eligible in the outfield (116 games last season) and third base (25 games), which only enhances his already lofty fantasy value. Fantasy owners know what they will get with “Joey Bats” after two straight nice seasons, and that may be the most valuable thing he brings to the table.

3. Evan Longoria- Age:26

Longoria missed time in April with an oblique strain, but still wound up posting solid HR and RBI totals. His career-low batting average was driven by a very poor BABIP (.239), so a rebound looks to be in order there. Longoria is still just 26 years old, so he may even had more upside than he has shown. Similar power numbers to last year plus an expected batting average improvement makes Longoria a fantasy stud at a position largely devoid of them.

4. David Wright- Age:29

Wright missed time with a back injury in 2011, helping him post disappointing numbers for the second time in the past three seasons. The fences have been moved in and shortened at Citi Field, so that stands to benefit Wright some as long as he can be healthy. The potential for a 20-20 season makes Wright stand out here, and he is a nice potential buy-low  candidate on draft day.

Tier 2

5. Adrian Beltre- Age: 32

Beltre has a second straight productive season in his first season in Texas in 2011, though he did miss significant time with a hamstring injury. He is at an age (33 on April 7) where injuries can begin to become a factor, but he has not had significant injury problems through most of his career. Fantasy owners should not expect last year’s numbers, but somewhere close to 2010 is possible as part of a prolific Rangers lineup.

6. Ryan Zimmerman- Age:27 (Upside)

Zimmerman’s 2011 season was quickly derailed by an abdominal strain in April. The reduced time on the field along with an elevated groundball rate (50 percent) led to a power drop, but a return to health and elevating closer to the way he had previously stands to lead to improvement. Zimmerman is entering his prime, so there is some room for upside in these projections.

7. Pablo Sandoval-Age:25 (Upside)

Sandoval lost 40 pounds heading into last season after a disappointing 2010, and responded with a very productive campaign despite missing six weeks with a broken bone in his hand. Reports have suggested he has added 25 pounds of muscle this offseason, but it will be interesting to see what his physique looks like when spring training starts. As long his fitness is not an issue, Sandoval is a very solid second-tier fantasy option and a nice three-category producer.

8. Kevin Youkilis- Age:33

Youkilis missed time due to injury for a second straight season in 2011, and eventually had surgery to repair a sports hernia in October. At age 33 by the time the season starts, that injury risk is unlikely to go away this season. That said, he is still part of a good Red Sox lineup and should continue to produce as long as he’s on the field. Losing first base eligibility after playing just six games there last season hurts Youkilis’ fantasy value some, but he still belongs among the top fantasy third baseman even with the health risk.

9. Brett Lawrie-Age:22 (Upside)

Lawrie did not make his major league debut until August, as he started the season at Triple-A and a broken hand further delayed his debut. He missed the last part of September with a fractured finger, but showed enough when he did play to become the Blue Jays’ third baseman heading into the season. Lawrie is probably the top keeper league option at this position, and with improved health this year could begin to prove it.

10. Aramis Ramirez- Age:33 (Proceed With Caution)

Ramirez had a productive final season with the Chicago Cubs, with his highest RBI total since 2008. He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason, and will attempt to replace the production Prince Fielder left behind in the middle of the Brewers’ lineup. Moving away from Wrigley Field may hurt him some, but Miller Park is fairly hitter-friendly. Health has become a bigger concern as Ramirez has gotten older and presents some risk, but he has hit between 25 and 27 home runs in four of the last five seasons. That kind of consistency should not be overlooked, particularly at a position as shallow as third base.

11. Alex Rodriguez- Age:36 (Proceed With Caution)

A-Rod again missed time with various injuries in 2011, as age continues to contribute to his decline. That said, he is still part of a good Yankees’ lineup and even a partial return to health could yield a rebound. His days as a stolen base threat look to be over, but otherwise there is a lot to like with Rodriguez as long as fantasy owners don’t expect him to produce like he did five years ago and are willing to bank on better health.

12. Mark Reynolds-Age:28

Reynolds continued to be a power threat in his first American League season, though his batting average still labored as he struck out 196 times. He is likely to steal a few bases, though 2009 qualifies as an outlier since he ran more often than he has in the past two seasons combined. Anyone that drafts Reynolds as will obviously need to bolster their batting average elsewhere on their roster. He is also eligible at first base (44 games in 2011) and may move there on a more permanent basis in 2012 given his shortcomings defensively.

13. David Freese-Age:28

Freese’s run to World Series MVP may lead to him being overrate in a lot of fantasy drafts, and it is notable that he has missed significant time due to injury in each of the last two seasons. He had a .358 BABIP last season, so his batting average may be in line for a correction. All in all, there is still a fair amount to like here as long as Freese can avoid the injury bug.

14. Ryan Roberts-Age:31

Roberts had never had more than 305 at-bats in a major league season prior to last season, and he put up surprising numbers with increased opportunity. He will head into spring training as Arizona’s starting third baseman, and should be eligible at second base in the vast majority of fantasy leagues (28 games in 2011). Don’t expect a repeat of last season’s numbers, but the potential for solid home run and stolen base totals gives Robert some appeal at this shallow position.

15. Pedro Alvarez-Age:25 (Upside)

A quad injury and a demotion to Triple-A made for a disappointing 2011 for Alvarez, and he struck out 80 times during his time in the big leagues to further limit his production. The Pirates brought in competition this offseason with the signing of Casey McGehee, but Alvarez should get every opportunity to secure the starting job and he still has nice upside potential at age 25.

16. Mike Moustakas-Age:23 (Upside)

Moustakas earned a big league promotion last summer, but the power he displayed in the minors (36 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2010) was largely absent during his time with the Royals. A full season in the big leagues stands to only benefit him, and a strong September (.352, 4 HR, 12 RBI) shows his potential. Moustakas may not grab as much notoriety as teammate Eric Hosmer, but he has nice upside and could reach 20 home runs in 2012.

17. Chase Headley-Age:27

Headley continues to see his power numbers sapped by playing his home games at PETCO Park, but still posted career-bests in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (.399) despite missing time with various injuries (pinkie, calf, shoulder). Last year’s .372 BABIP means his batting average will likely come down some, and he still strikes out a lot (92 times last season), but he has had only been caught stealing 10 times in the last four seasons and double-digit stolen bases are unlikely to go away.

18. Scott Sizemore-Age:27

Sizemore seems to have found new life in Oakland after coming over from the Detroit Tigers around midseason. Getting regular playing time looks to be a big factor, and he should be the starting third baseman for the A’s this season. A high strikeout total, 93 in 305 at-bats with Oakland last season, limits his ability to hit for a high average but Sizemore’s power potential alone puts him on the radar of AL-only owners and even those in deeper mixed leagues. He may be eligible at second base in some leagues as well, as he played 18 games there in 2011.

19. Ian Stewart- Age:26 (Upside)

2011 was definitely a lost season for Stewart, as he battled knee and hamstring issues during spring training then later battled a wrist issue after returning to the big leagues. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs this offseason, and with the departure of Aramis Ramirez may have the inside track to be the team’s starting third baseman. Stewart did hit 14 home runs over 171 at-bats in Triple-A last season, and he also hit 25 home runs in 2009 with the Rockies. A return to health and the possibility of a starting job makes Stewart a potential sleeper and worth keeping an eye on during spring training.

20. Brent Morel- Age:24 (Upside)

Morel did not do much offensively for the majority of 2011, but finished strongly with eight home runs and 19 RBI over 85 at-bats in September. That pace is not sustainable, but does lend some hope for 2012 and excellent defense will keep him in the lineup as it did last year. Hitting fairly far down in the White Sox batting order may limit Morel’s RBI opportunities, but there is still some upside here depending on how you want to view his power surge at the end of last season.

21. Lonnie Chisenhall- Age:23

Chisenhall arrived in the big leagues in June, and he may not have been quite ready to make the leap. His inability to draw walks (just eight in his time with the Indians) is a concern, but he should enter the spring as Cleveland’s every day third baseman. Jack Hannahan could take away some playing time if he struggles out of the gate, but Chisenhall still has time to reach his full potential and could be a valuable commodity in AL-only and keeper leagues.

22. Danny Valencia- Age:27

Valencia failed to build on his solid 2010 major league debut last season, though he was one of few Twins to be in the lineup virtually every day. His struggles against right-handers (.224 in 2011) could lead to a platoon, but Minnesota does not have an obvious threat to his playing time at this point. Valencia is not much more than a AL-only league option at this point.

23. Edwin Encarnacion-Age:29

Encarnacion had just one home run through the first two months on 2011, but hit 14 combined in June-August before a shoulder issue hampered him in September. Brett Lawrie is likely to see the majority of the playing time at third base in Toronto, but Encarnacion is in line to see significant time at DH and has spent time working in left field this winter. His lack of defensive prowess may limit his at-bats at times, but Encarnacion is eligible at third base (36 games in 2011) as well as first base (25 games last season) and could peak a cheap power source on draft day.

24. Chipper Jones-Age:39 (Proceed With Caution)

Jones will turn 40 soon after the season starts, so the lingering myriad of leg injuries he has battled in recent years are almost certain to not go away. Martin Prado may eat into some of his playing time again this season, but all things considered the venerable veteran still has something to offer fantasy owners even in what could be his final season. Just be aware of the health risk, and be sure to pair him with another solid option.

25. Alberto Callaspo-Age:28

Callaspo did not perform well after coming to the Angels from the Kansas City Royals in 2010, but he showed improvement last season and set a career-high in on-base percentage along the way. Given the glut of first base/DH types now on the Angels’ roster, Mark Trumbo may take playing time away from Callaspo at times and that obviously stands to hurt his fantasy value. But Trumbo is coming back from a foot injury and just how healthy first baseman Kendrys Morales (ankle) is after missing all of 2011 is still in question. With those questions, Callaspo may still find himself in the lineup regularly and can help fantasy owners with his batting average at least.

26. Kyle Seager-Age:24

Seager hit .333 between Double-A and Triple-A last season, including a 1.029 OPS at Triple-A, before replacing Chone Figgins as the Mariners’ third baseman. He was not incredibly impressive in his first big league action, but he did hit .342 in 79 August at-bats and should enter the season as the starting third baseman. He also played 10 games at shortstop last season, and may be eligible there in some leagues. All in all, Seager does not have a lot of upside but could be useful in AL-only leagues.

Other Notables

Chris Davis-Age:26
Juan Uribe-Age:32
Chone Figgins-Age:34
Jack Hannahan- Age:32
Casey McGehee- Age:29
Placido Polanco- Age:36
Jimmy Paredes- Age:23
Scott Rolen- Age:36
Casey Blake- Age:38