2008 Top 10 Fantasy Third Basemen
A-Rod Leads the Best MLB Baseball Men at the Hot Corner
Feb 8, 2008
1. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (2007 Statistics: .314 BA, 54 HR, 156 RBI, 143 R, 24 SB). He is the best player in baseball. He may be the best player of all time. Even if A-Rod has one of his “bad” seasons, he is still going to hit .290 with 40 homers and 120 RBI. Don’t expect him to do that, though. Rodriguez is in for another huge season because in that lineup, pitchers have to throw to him.
2. David Wright, New York Mets (.325 BA, 30 HR, 107 RBI, 113 R, 34 SB). After A-Rod, the battle for the best player at the hot corner comes down to Wright vs. Miguel Cabrera. Wright gets the nod because he will steal at least 30 bases, while Cabrera will only swipe about two.
3. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (.320 BA, 34 HR, 119 RBI, 91 R, 2 SB). Cabrera’s first four full seasons have been nothing short of remarkable. Now that he will be hitting between Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez, he could have his best offensive season yet. The only problem with Cabrera is that he’s chubby, and he keeps getting chubbier. It hasn’t hurt his game yet, but it will if he doesn't keep it under control. So long as he stays below 300 pounds, he will keep hitting over .300.
4. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers (.324 BA, 34 HR, 97 RBI, 91 R, 15 SB). Keep in mind that Braun wasn’t called up to the big league club until May and played just 113 games last year. Stretch those numbers out over 162 games and you’ve almost got A-Rod statistics. By 2009, Braun could be number two among third baseman, and he looks like a future top 10 pick overall, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Braun still needs to prove that last year wasn’t some kind of fluke, and he will need to adjust to the book that pitching coaches have been writing about him for the past six months. Bet on him to have a good season, but don’t expect 50 homers and 140 RBI. But then again, don’t rule it out.
5. Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs (.310 BA, 26 HR, 101 RBI, 72 R, 0 SB). Ramirez had a very good 2007 season despite battling a nagging wrist injury for more than half of the year. It didn’t hurt his batting average, but it did affect his power until he started feeling better and whacked eight homers in September. The Cubs lineup should also be better than it was last year, and Ramirez will be the main beneficiary.
6. Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies (.301 BA, 25 HR, 111 RBI, 83 R, 3 SB). A good hitter on a good team in a good hitter's park. Any questions?
7. Mike Lowell, Boston Red Sox (.324 BA, 24 HR, 120 RBI, 79 R, 3 SB). A lot of people are expecting a down season after Lowell’s career year in 2007. Don’t bet on it. Sure, Lowell may not hit like he did last year, but look at this guy’s career stats: he’s been one of the five most productive third baseman between 2000 and 2007, and he really had only one bad season during that run (in 2005). He’s also playing in the hitter-friendly Fenway Park in the middle of a great lineup. Lowell’s a good pick at this level.
8. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (.337, 29 HR, 102 RBI, 108 R, 5 SB). The biggest issue with Larry “Chipper” Jones is whether or not he can stay healthy. Because when this guy is in good shape, he hits. Period. Gone are the days of drafting Jones in the top 10 or 15 players, but he is still a productive third baseman.
9. Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners (.276, 26 HR, 99 RBI, 87 R, 14 SB). Beltre has driven many a fantasy owner crazy over the years. But that may be the fault of those who keep looking for the Adrian Beltre of 2004 to re-emerge. Owners just need to accept that Beltre is a good hitter; he's not a great hitter. And his average numbers over the past three years, during his so-called slide, are good enough to draft him in the seventh, eighth or ninth round.
10. Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals (.247, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 14 SB). Gordon is better than he played in his rookie season, and he will prove it in 2008.
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