Third base looks like a position you should attack early in your fantasy baseball drafts.
There’s a pretty clear quintet of relatively safe players who will give you outstanding production, but legitimate concerns about health, age, playing time and overall skill set really start coming as you reach the back end of the top 10. If you wait longer than that to grab your third baseman, try to find someone whom you are comfortable with taking a chance on, because the range of outcomes for the players ranked beyond is vast.
This is what makes Cleveland Guardians 3B Jose Ramirez so valuable. If you want a dependable, five-category stat stuffer at the hot corner, he is in a class by himself. His average took a dip last year (.266), but he was a little unlucky. He should be in the .270s while continuing to contribute 30-plus homers, 20-plus steals and around 100 runs and RBIs each.
Rafael Devers and Manny Machado are great, but they won’t give you as many stolen bases. Adalberto Mondesi could pop 20 homers with 40-50 steals, but can he stay healthy for even 100 games? He’s the ultimate risk-reward player at this position.
Ramirez’s combination of stats and safety — he’s played in at least 152 games in four of the past five full seasons — is what makes the 29-year-old a great pick near the top of the first round.
Here are my top-25 third baseman rankings for 2022 fantasy baseball leagues.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 25 3B
Top 25 Third basemen
Rank | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Rank | Player | Team |
1 | Jose Ramirez | Cleveland Guardians |
2 | Rafael Devers | Boston Red Sox |
3 | Manny Machado | San Diego Padres |
4 | Austin Riley | Atlanta Braves |
5 | Alex Bregman | Houston Astros |
6 | Nolan Arenado | St. Louis Cardinals |
7 | Kris Bryant | Colorado Rockies |
8 | Adalberto Mondesi | Kansas City Royals |
9 | Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels |
10 | DJ LeMahieu | New York Yankees |
11 | Yoan Moncada | Chicago White Sox |
12 | Matt Chapman | Toronto Blue Jays |
13 | Ke'Bryan Hayes | Pittsburgh Pirates |
14 | Justin Turner | Los Angeles Dodgers |
15 | Josh Donaldson | New York Yankees |
16 | Ryan McMahon | Colorado Rockies |
17 | Luis Urias | Milwaukee Brewers |
18 | Jeimer Candelario | Detroit Tigers |
19 | Eugenio Suarez | Seattle Mariners |
20 | Gio Urshela | Milwaukee Brewers |
21 | Alec Bohm | Philadelphia Phillies |
22 | Eduardo Escobar | New York Mets |
23 | Patrick Wisdom | Chicago Cubs |
24 | Abraham Toro | Seattle Mariners |
25 | Evan Longoria | San Francisco Giants |