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After checking in on the top shortstops in the league, the B/R MLB 300 now moves on to its final stop in the infield: third base.

Like the other three infield positions, this ranking consists of 25 out of the overall 300 players. As for how this list of 25 came to be, we subjected each player to a scoring system that adds up to a total of 100 possible points.

First, there are 30 points for hitting. Our focus is on how well each player is equipped to hit for average and get on base. This means looking not only at how they hit the ball, but also at how consistently they make contact and whether they have the discipline to draw walks.

Then, there are 30 points for power. We concentrated on how well each player collects extra-base hits, which means looking at how often they put the ball in the air—ground balls don't tend to go for extra-base hits, after all—how hard they hit it and how much of the field they can use for power.

Next, there are 15 points for baserunning. It's not a huge priority for third basemen, but they're at least expected to be better on the basepaths than catchers and first basemen. We'll look at whether they can steal bases as well as whether they're capable of running the bases aggressively.

Lastly, there are 25 points for defense. Third base is about as important a defensive position as second base. We'll use defensive metrics as a guiding star and judge third basemen on things like their range, arm strength and sure-handedness.

As for how the scoring works, a score in the middle is meant to denote average, not failing. For example, a 15 out of 30 for power means the player has merely average power, whereas 10 out of 30 is clearly below average and 20 out of 30 is above average. It's also important to note that if two or more players end up with the same final score, the priority goes to our preference.



Before we begin, here's an important reminder that while we're using what's happened in 2015 as a foundation for the scores, this list projects performance for the 2016 season. Players are evaluated based on the staying power of each category with progression, decline and past luck in mind—creating a different ranking system than simply judging where each player stands today.

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