All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

Savvy fantasy drafters realize that the pool for third basemen this year isn’t as shallow as catchers and shortstops, but it isn’t as deep as second basemen either (which may sound surprising to some owners).

What does that mean to you? Well, if you don’t grab one of the top seven or eight third basemen in your draft, then good luck trying to figure out which player after that will exceed expectations.

Drafting third basemen is pretty cut and dry. If you don’t land one of the top 3 (Alex Rodriguez, Evan Longoria or David Wright), then focus on drafting one of the next five 3B’s available or you better hope that Gordon Beckham or Ian Stewart are the ultimate sleepers this season. We don’t need to sell you on why you should take A-Rod, Longoria or Wright, so we’re going to concentrate on the next five rated players on our list, which we’ve highlighted for you below.

Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
There’s a good chance that Zimmerman will plateau at around 30 home runs (which is nothing to scoff at), but it’s hard to argue with what he’ll bring to the table in terms of production across the board. He should hit around .300 (or maybe a little south of that number), with 100-plus runs and RBI, all while stealing 5-10 bases and hitting the aforementioned 25-30 home runs. That’s solid production for your third base position if you happen to miss out on one of the top three guys.

Pablo Sandoval, Giants
There are some experts that are worried that Sandoval’s average will eventually fall off a cliff after he hit .330 in 2009. But we actually think the fun loving Panda can hit upwards of .320 again and finish with roughly the same amount of home runs (25) and RBI (90) as he did last season. Don’t confuse him with a true home run hitter, because he’ll probably top out at 25-30. But also don’t fall into the trap that some are in thinking that Sandoval was just a one-year wonder. We think he’s the real deal and his fantasy production will be there in the end.

Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks
Reynolds’ breakout 2009 campaign brought a smile to fantasy owners’ faces that snagged him late in their drafts last season. He finished with 44 home runs, 102 RBI, 98 runs scored and even swiped 24 bases. The problem is that Reynolds will probably come off the board sooner then he should. And it’s important to remember that he only hit .187 in September last year and stuck out a whopping 223 times. If he goes in the first four rounds, don’t fret because it’s clear that Reynolds was overrated by whoever drafted him. But if he falls to the middle of your draft, then snag him and reap the rewards of his power production.

Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
Youkilis is about as reliable as they come in terms of predicting what you’ll get from him. He finished with similar numbers the past two years, so it’s safe to say that you can bank on another .305/28/95/100/5 season out of Youk. And assuming he stays healthy, there’s a possibility that he could even improve on some of those areas, especially average, home runs and RBI. He also carries some extra value because he’s eligible at both corner positions in the infield.

Chone Figgins, Mariners
If you wind up with Figgins, hopefully you drafted power in the earlier rounds because you won’t get it here. He’ll hit for average, score 95-100 runs and steal 35-plus bases, but don’t expect anything in the home run or RBI department.

Below is our official ranking of third basemen. As we previously mentioned, we highly recommend snagging one of the top 8 players as your starter. But if you aren’t able to, there are a couple of players ranked lower that have upside, namely Beckham and Stewart. (If he can stay healthy, Aramis Ramirez wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize either.)

1. Alex Rodriguez, NYY
2. Evan Longoria, TB
3. David Wright, NYM
4. Ryan Zimmerman, WAS
5. Pablo Sandoval, SF
6. Mark Reynolds, ARZ
7. Kevin Youkilis, BOS
8. Chone Figgins, SEA
9. Aramis Ramirez, CHC
10. Gordan Beckham, CHW
11. Michael Young, TEX
12. Ian Stewart, COL
13. Chipper Jones, ATL
14. Adrian Beltre, BOS
15. Jorge Cantu, FLA
16. Chris Davis, TEX (May not be eligible for 3B in some leagues)
17. Jake Fox, OAK
18. Alex Gordon, KC (Out a month with a broken thumb)
19. Brandon Wood, LAA
20. Casey Blake, LAD

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Ryan Zimmerman, the best thing to ever happen to the Washington Nationals, has ended his hitting streak at 30 games. He tried to continue it earlier today against Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Zito, who’s surprisingly been pitching like a major-leaguer, still gave up 8 hits. None, however, were to Zimmerman.

I know it’s quite an accomplishment, but as Zimmerman’s streak ends at 30, it really puts it in perspective how amazing Joe DiMaggio’s streak of 56 games really was. Zimmerman accomplished this feat in the same fashion he has always performed, quietly, quite possibly because he’s in Washington and playing for the worst team in baseball. The guy is awesome and sees pitches much in the same way Rollins was when his hit streak went to 38 games (even if it spanned over 2 seasons). Oh, well — cheers, Zimmy. At least you’re a shoe-in for the All-Star team.

There isn’t much positive news coming out of Washington these days when it comes to the Nationals…outside of Ryan Zimmerman’s now 29-game hit streak, that is.

Zimmerman went 4 for 5 with two homers for the Nationals, including a solo shot in the sixth off Johnson and a three-run shot in the ninth. He wasted no time extending the longest hitting streak in the Nationals’ brief history and the longest by a third baseman in a quarter-century when he slapped a first-inning single.

“He’s a big man. I’ve got legs and arms and everything coming at me,” Zimmerman said of Johnson. “His slider looks pretty good, just like it does on TV. I can see why he’s been so good.”
With his ninth-inning shot off the tin covering on the right-field arcade, Zimmerman improved to 48 for 126 (.381) since the streak began.

What’s rather impressive about Zimmerman is that he stands away from the plate, which leaves the outside corner exposed (or one would think). But Zimmerman is anticipating pitchers trying to work the outside corner and he’s just going with the pitch. He’s not trying to do too much with the pitch and he’s not trying to pull the ball like so many batters (on all levels) do. He’s seeing the ball incredibly well right now and the 3-run dinger he hit last night at AT&T Park was impressive given how high the ball must travel over the wall at that stadium.

He’s got a long way to go to catch Joe DiMaggio’s 56 games, but it’ll be fun to watch Zimmerman try to extend his streak on a nightly basis.

Click Here to see Previews of all 30 MLB Teams

Offseason Movement: Perhaps the Nats’ biggest addition was 1B/OF Adam Dunn, who will add some pop to the lineup, as well as a fair amount of strikeouts. Washington also acquired OF Josh Willingham and LHP Scott Olsen in a trade with the Marlins and signed free agents Daniel Cabrera, Alex Cintron and Javier Valentin. In the deal to land Willingham and Olsen, the Nationals agreed to send 2B Emilio Bonifaci, INF Jake Smolinski and RHP P.J. Dean to Florida.

Top Prospect: Jordan Zimmerman, RHP
Zimmermann is a serious Rookie of the Year candidate and is turning in a fantastic spring. As of this writing, he has allowed only six hits, two walks and has struck out 16 batters over 12 1/3 scoreless innings. He seems to be over shadowed on a national level, but that’s mostly because the Nationals have yet to officially hand him a spot in the starting rotation. But that should change soon and as long as he doesn’t let the bright lights of the Big Leagues eat him alive, the 22-year old could be a future star.

The Big Question: How bad will the bullpen be?
Take a gander at these names: Joel Hanrahan, Saul Rivera, Steven Shell, Garrett Mock, Jason Bergmann, Julian Taverez and Mike Hinckley. None really strike the fear of God into any hitter do they? Hanrahan, Rivera and Shell are average at best and Taverez is better at delivering quotes than he is on the hill these days. If the Nats get anything out of former starters Mock and Bergmann, maybe this unit can survive the season. But that’s a huge “if”.

Outlook: This club is actually filled with potential, but that’s about it at this point. Shortstop Cristian Guzman raked last year, hitting .316 with nine home runs and six stolen bases at the leadoff position. Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes have a ton of talent, but they can’t seem to keep their heads on straight. Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman should complement each other well hitting 3-4 in the lineup, but there are some major question marks at the bottom of the order. Can Nick Johnson stay healthy? The starting pitching isn’t terrible, with John Lannan, Scott Olson and Daniel Cabrera leading the way at the top of the rotation. And if Jordan Zimmermann develops like everyone expects, Washington could have an above average starting five. But the pullben is a major weakness and there just seems to be too many question marks surrounding this club. It’s safe to expect some improvement out of the Nats, but it probably won’t be anything earth shattering.

Projection: 5th NL East

All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

Here is everything you need to know about the depth at the third base position these days: On CBS Sports’ cheat sheet for the top players at each position, they list 41 starting pitchers, 25 relief pitchers, 67 outfielders, 25 first basemen, 25 second basemen, 25 shortstops, 30 catchers…and 15 third basemen. Fif, teen. But wait, it actually gets worse: of those 15 third basemen, two are full-time first basemen (Kevin Youkilis, Miguel Cabrera) one is a full-time catcher (Russell Martin), and one played nearly 100 games at DH (Aubrey Huff). In other words, just over a third of all the teams in Major League Baseball have a third baseman worth drafting. And they include Ryan Zimmerman and Edwin Encarnacion as two of those 11 players, meaning even that number is padded.

What this means for you, gentle reader, is that assuming Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez and Albert Pujols are no longer on the board, you are a stone cold fool if you don’t draft either David Wright or Alex Rodriguez at your earliest opportunity, and you could even be excused for drafting Wright or A-Rod ahead of the other three. (Don’t let this whole ‘steroids pariah’ hoopla scare you; A-Rod’s gonna put up crazy numbers this year.) Almost overnight, third base has become a fantasy wasteland, so you’d be wise to snag a stud third baseman if you can, especially now that Ryan Braun has lost his 3B eligibility and Troy Glaus decided to go under the knife at the 11th hour. But even when the big names are off the board, don’t panic; there are some players that can keep your fantasy team from having a smoking hole in the ground where third base used to be.

Mark Reynolds, Arizona
Meet the new Richie Sexson, same as the old Richie Sexson. Reynolds is death in head-to-head leagues thanks to his obscene strikeout numbers – he ranked 24th in points among third basemen in one of our leagues last year, and to put that into perspective, Marco Scutaro finished 19th – but if you can live with a subpar batting average, he’s capable of giving you 100 runs, 30 homers, and 100 RBI, with 10 stolen bases as a bonus. Not bad for a guy currently ranked #244 in our draft room. A bargain pick if ever there was one, but be prepared to take the very good with the very bad.

Alex Gordon, Kansas City
Is this the year that Gordon finally lives up to his potential? For his first two seasons in the majors, Gordon has been Lucy with the football, sending his owners hurtling to the ground while they shout “Augh!” in exasperation. There is evidence to suggest that Gordon is ready to break out, though; his walks, runs scored, home runs and batting average all increased from 2007 to 2008, and in fewer at-bats (he was one RBI shy of tying his 2007 total), which means the strike zone is starting to come into focus. The typically anemic Kansas City offense is also significantly upgraded from last year, thanks to the additions of Coco Crisp and Mike Jacobs. Lastly, Gordon is projected to bat seventh, which should take some of the pressure off. Definitely worth a late flier.

Chris Davis, Texas
Another player that loses his 3B eligibility at season’s end – he’ll be a full-time first baseman this year – the secret on Davis is officially out after he posted an incredible half-season that projected to 102-34-110-2 had he played the entire year in the bigs. Granted, Davis likely would have fallen short in all of those categories (well, except stolen bases), but this should give you an idea of what kind of mashing potential the young slugger possesses. He’s projected to be drafted around the 11th or 12th round, but don’t be surprised if he flies off the board earlier than that.

Chipper Jones, Atlanta
He may have lost his fantasy stud status a few years ago, thanks to his frequent trips to the disabled list – he had five separate injuries last year alone –but even in an injury-shortened season, Larry Jones Jr. still managed to knock in 75 runs, belt 22 homers, and win a batting title. If you do draft him, you’d be wise to pick another third baseman a few rounds later as insurance, but if Jones can manage to stay healthy, he could put up Youkilis-type numbers at a bargain price.

Jorge Cantu, Florida
It may have taken three years, but Cantu finally followed through on his breakout season from 2005 with a .277-92-29-95-6 stat line. The only question this year is whether the frugal Marlins will look to their deep pool of minor league talent and ship Cantu to a contender at the trade deadline in order to save a couple bucks. Cantu’s job would seem to be secure now that Mike Jacobs is in Kansas City and the Marlins have Dallas McPherson (!) penciled in at third base, but these are the Marlins we’re talking about here. No one holds better fire sales than they do. Still, Cantu is definitely worth a middle-round pick for the home run numbers alone.

Here is our official ranking of third basemen. We left out middle infielders and catchers that were also eligible at third base because, seriously, why would you play a guy eligible for middle infield or catcher at a position other than middle infield or catcher?

NOTE: This piece was written before the news about Rodriguez’s cyst and the subsequent tug-of-war over whether he’ll have surgery to fix the problem. For the moment, the Yankees say that A-Rod will fix it through rehab, which takes away roughly one sixth of his season. We have adjusted our rankings accordingly. (For those seeing this list for the first time, we originally had Rodriguez second.)

1. David Wright, NYM
2. Miguel Cabrera, DET
3. Kevin Youkilis, BOS
4. Evan Longoria, TB
5. Alex Rodriguez, NYY
6. Aramis Ramirez, CHC
7. Aubrey Huff, BAL
8. Garrett Atkins, COL
9. Chipper Jones, ATL
10. Chris Davis, TEX
11. Jorge Cantu, FLA
12. Ryan Zimmerman, WAS
13. Edwin Encarnacion, CIN
14. Mark Reynolds, ARZ
15. Adrian Beltre, SEA
16. Mike Lowell, BOS
17. Alex Gordon, KC
18. Kevin Kouzmanoff, SD
19. Casey Blake, LAD
20. Chone Figgins, LAA