2009 Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Third Basemen
With Alex Rodriguez Hurt, David Wright is Now the First Pick
Mar 24, 2009
Depending upon the eligibility rules in your league, third base is either a very shallow or reasonably deep fantasy position. If your league allows Miguel Cabrera, Kevin Youkilis, Aubrey Huff or Chris Davis to qualify at third base (they all played at least 30 games at third in 2008), then by all means consider them for this position. (These players are all reviewed and ranked in the Top 20 First Baseman article).
As for the players who will qualify in any league, here are the Top 10 Fantasy Third Basemen for 2009.
1. David Wright - New York Mets
Alex Rodriguez would occupy this spot, but he is injured and will not be back until approximately May 1st. So David Wright, who is a proven fantasy baseball stud, is going to be the top producing fantasy third baseman in 2009. Wright's three-year averages are tremendous (.312 BA, 30 HR, 116 RBI, 108 R, 23 SB), and 2008 was his best season, suggesting an uptrend that is still climbing.
Even if Wright has hit his peak, any fantasy owner in his right mind would take his 2008 numbers of .302 with 33 home runs, 124 RBI, 115 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.
2. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
The only issue with A-Rod is his health. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip last month, and doctors project that he will be back on the field at some point between May 1 and May 15. Assuming it’s the latter, Rodriguez will miss about 35 games, which will obviously hurt his overall production for the year. But even in a 125 game season, a healthy A-Rod can still give you a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI. He’s also likely to score 90 runs and steal 15-20 bases. That's pretty good for most guys in a full season.
3. Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs
Ramirez doesn’t have the capacity to produce the type of stats as the two players above him, but he is a very good fantasy hitter, and perhaps even more importantly, he’s a consistent hitter. In his eight full seasons, Ramirez has averaged 30 home runs, 102 RBI, and 80 runs to go along with a .289 average.
With the exception of one bad season in 2002, Ramirez has never hit less than 26 home runs or driven in less than 92 runs. Last year, he hit .289 with 27 home runs, 111 RBI and 97 runs. Plus, he’s only 31 years old, so he is right smack dab in the middle of his prime.
4. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Longoria had a memorable rookie season, hitting .272 with 27 homers, 85 RBI and 67 runs scored in just 122 games. He also stole 7 bases without getting caught once. Unless he falls prey to the sophomore jinx, expect Longoria to hit at least .280 with 30 home runs, 100 RBI, 90 runs scored and 10-15 steals.
5. Garrett Atkins - Colorado Rockies
Atkins fantasy stats dipped a bit last year from his strong showings in 2006-07, and he still ended up hitting .286 with 21 home runs and 99 RBI. Those numbers ranked Atkins fifth in RBI among major league third basemen, fifth in batting average (minimum 350 at-bats), and sixth in runs scored. He was, however, only ranked fourteenth in home runs (although he ranked much higher in '06 and '07, when he hit 28 and 25, respectively).
6. Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
Injuries hurt Zimmerman last year. If he stays healthy this year, look for him to exceed his 2006-2007 averages of .275, 22 HR, 100 RBI and 91 runs scored. Having Adam Dunn hit behind him can't hurt either.
7. Chipper Jones- Atlanta Braves
Jones can still hit, as he proved last year with an MLB-best .364 batting average. But injuries limited him to just 128 games, which cut into his other fantasy numbers (22 HR, 75 RBI, 82 runs). Considering that Jones turns 37 next month, and that he hasn't played in more than 137 games since 2003, anyone who drafts Chipper should have a decent backup plan.
8. Mike Lowell, Boston Red Sox
Lowell missed fifty games to injuries in 2008. Off-season hip surgery makes him even more risky. But keep in mind that in 113 games, Lowell had 17 home runs, 73 RBI and 58 runs scored. And in 2007, he was MVP caliber. Keep an eye on news about his health every day until your draft. If there's even a peep of bad news, shy away from Lowell. But if it looks like he is going to be healthy this year, you can bet that he will produce.
9. Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners
Beltre never came close to the 2004 season that made him a wealthy man, but he is a solid and dependable fantasy hitter. Beltre's three-year averages are a .270 batting average, 25 home runs, 89 RBI, 83 runs scored and 11 steals.
10. Melvin Mora, Baltimore Orioles
Mora is coming off a season where he hit .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBI. Those numbers were far better than his 2006-07 numbers, and with Mora now 37 years old, you will have to decide whether 2008 was Melvin's last hurrah or a sign of things to come.
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