Welcome to my positional previews for the 2020 fantasy baseball season. You can find links to the other positions at the end of this article, but for today we’re zoning in on third base, one of the deepest positions in fantasy baseball.

I will break down my top 30 third base rankings as they now stand. I will also provide tiers and discuss players individually. Lastly, I included the 2020 steamer projections as well! Let’s dive on in.

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2020 Positional Preview: Third Base

Tier 1: The Elite

This tier highlights the clear-cut, elite options at the position. Third base as a whole offers a lot of solid options. It has talent at all levels of the position and it’s also stronger than most positions. With as deep and strong as the position may be as we enter into 2020, these two names stand out above the rest.

I have seen both Nolan Arenado and Alex Bregman taken at various points in the first round of early drafts. Now we see them both fall to the second round. This is due to the speculation of trade for Arenado and the p cheating scandal for Bregman. I personally believe they are being discounted a bit much and are becoming tremendous draft-day values.

I can understand if you prefer Bregman, but I don’t see enough difference in their potential stats to put Bregman ahead of Arenado. Arenado is as safe as they come and although Bregman has the upside for a few more steals, it is not enough to sway me from putting Arenado in the number one spot at the position. At the end of the day, both have first-round pick return potential and both are fantastic building blocks to build a fantasy team around.

Tier 2: The Next Best Thing

This tier offers three names that provide a great floor but also still provide a high ceiling for the third base position. I view these players very similar in value, but they are all typically taken in the second round.

We have seen the downside and floor of Jose Ramirez. Even during the slump he still stole bases and that carried his value. We saw him finally come out of the slump around the midseason mark of 2019. He finished the year hurt but he flashed enough to make people still feel comfortable taking him in the second round of fantasy drafts. I am willing to bet he will be closer to what we expect than that slumping version we saw. Not to mention, the steals really carry value in the early rounds and it is why he edges out Rafael Devers and Anthony Rendon in my ranks.

Anthony Rendon is just a safe player and he’s just like Arenado but doesn’t offer the same ceiling. The floor is high and the production is steady. He is just the type of player you draft and know what you are getting.

Rafael Devers broke out in 2019 and all the Devers truthers rejoiced while making a huge profit on his draft-day price. He raised his chase rate BUT he also raised his O-Contact rate in the process. My concern is if that contact rate dips, so could the batting average a bit. It is a minor concern but a concern nonetheless and it is why I have him 5th in the ranks. I feel more confident in the names I placed ahead of him.

Tier 3: Pick Your Poison

There are just so many ways you could go in this tier. This is where third base really separates itself from other positions. This tier could have multiple players outperform their ADP and, at the same time, be great cornerstones to any team. It is a win/win situation. I love this tier and aim for at least one of these players on every roster.

Kris Bryant will just forever live in the shadow of his MVP season it seems. He is solid, safe, has a high floor and it always feels he just comes up short of the upside. You are paying for the floor here and there is a ton of profit potential.

A player I am a bit higher on than most is Yoan Moncada. He was in the middle of the long-awaited breakout season. It was derailed slightly by injury, but ultimately offered a look into what’s to come. The metrics seem to back it up as well. There is five-category production to be had here and not to mention he is also a part of an improving team. With added lineup strength and protection comes added opportunity. I think he will end up on a lot of my teams this season.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is just so tough for me to gauge. I faded him at his draft price last season and I think I am still lower than consensus on him. I need to see tangible change before buying in. He has mentioned committing to bettering his fitness in the offseason, which is a great first step. I’d rather be a year late than a year early on Vlad. The potential and pedigree is there but in order to gamble on it, you typically have to take him a bit higher than the more proven players still in their prime. I just am not there on him yet, but I am coming around.

Manny Machado’s splits at and away from Camden are well known at this point. There is a chance this is who he is. Middling batting average with plus power. I believe he will still improve on last year. Another year in the system, the pressure slightly reduced after being a year removed from the mega-deal and a team getting better around him. This all lines up just right to vault him into a bounce-back year. Although I laid out the narrative, I still have my reservations. Ranking him 9th at the position is hedging the bet of a full-on bounce-back. This rank is not too high but not too low. It feels just right.

Josh Donaldson absolutely killed it last year and is projected to do very well again. Sure, he remained healthy for the whole season and did so while in the NL at that. I still have a hard time buying in that he’s completely beyond the injury concerns. It does not help he is entering his age-34 season and will likely be with a new team. The good thing is he is going back to the AL where he can DH to lighten to potential for injury as well as being surrounded by one of the best lineups in baseball. I expect another big year out of Donaldson in 2020.

I was a big Matt Chapman guy last year. We saw him come into his own. He fell off at one point a bit but ultimately was a solid fantasy producer. He offers high enough ceiling to be in this tier, but the floor is lower than some of these players.

DJ LeMahieu flashed a level of production we never saw from him even in Colorado. I have a hard time completely buying into a 31-year-old breaking out in this fashion. I really cannot get over how LeMahieu spent most of his career at Coors and after leaving is when he decides to break out. That is unheard of.

With that said, I anticipate he will be hitting at the top of the lineup and still be a solid producer for runs and batting average. He may still hit 20 home runs but the high RBI total seems unlikely to repeat. Again, not bad at all and a great option to get as a roster stabilizer if you have a lot of high variance players on your roster already.

This is the farthest down I have had Max Muncy outside of the top 10 at any given position he is eligible at. The power potential is there and he can easily be a 30-plus home run threat every season. The multi-positional eligibility is also a big bonus. The batting average can be a concern but hitting between .240 and .250 is not as bad as it once was.

Mike Moustakas is annually under-appreciated. He is basically good for 30 or so home runs with a .250 to .260 batting average. Landing in Cincinnati was just perfect for him. They also improved the lineup around him and he should settle right in the middle of it. This is a great fit for Moustakas and he is in for a great season.

As far as Jeff McNeil goes, he is just a solid and stable piece to any lineup. He is not exciting but not every pick for a team needs to be exciting. Sometimes the “boring” players are the reason behind a winning fantasy team.

Regardless, if you need or favor the high floor types over the high ceiling guys I ranked just ahead of them I wouldn’t fault you. When you’re drafting players within this tier, it is typically need-based anyway.

I was initially high on Eugenio Suarez. He has just been such a solid power producer over the last couple of seasons. Now he sustained an offseason shoulder injury. This has caused a lot of questions and it’s currently unknown when exactly he will be back or if he will even be ready for opening day. This is a situation to monitor but due to all the concerns and questions, I’ve had to drop him down a bit in my ranks.

Tier 4: Corner Infield or Fallback Options

Solid and safe says it all. There is a lot to like here and all these players you can grab on draft day, set in your lineup and forget them.

Yuli Gurriel is just so solid and safe. The hit tool is never a concern. If the ball does lose some juice, his profile and history suggest he may be affected more than the average player. He lacks the upside of others ahead of him. I’m aware I may be too low on him but until playing time and roles for a few guys ahead of him are figured out, I will continue to favor the upside of said players ahead of the known commodity at this portion of drafts.

Miguel Sano flashed just the type of upside he has last season. The power is very real and he can be a true difference-maker in that stat. My only concern is the batting average and health. If he stays healthy, 40-plus home runs are easily within reach. He is better in points and OBP formats.

Eduardo Escobar is my biggest regression candidate for the 2020 season. He overachieved in most categories and I expect him to come back down to earth. Even if he sustains part of the growth in production, he offers similar home run and batting average output to Moustakas. I keep going back and forth on him or Edman this draft season. I feel it is truly need-based and it is why they are in the same tier. As far as a season goes I do not expect him to be able to repeat last year’s stat line. I’d expect something like 25 home runs and .250 or so batting. Steamer seems to agree.

Justin Turner is just, well… Justin Turner. You know you are getting a great hitter in the middle of a great lineup. He belongs in this tier, but I would not argue if he is lower in it for you. The health is always going to be a question but the production when he is healthy is not.

My love for J.D. Davis has been well documented by now. I believe he will be starting for the Mets come opening day. The bat plays anywhere and we saw a lot of growth last year. He improved verse right-handed pitchers, he changed his batting stance a bit, changed the launch angle and overall had the breakout some have expected to be possible. I am all-in on Davis for 2020. I just hope the Mets don’t let me down. But it is the Mets, so being let down is a real possibility.

There are a lot of mouths to feed in St. Louis. If Tommy Edman earns full-time playing time, there is some real value to be had. The speed is very real and so are the contact skills. Take him where he is going and if the playing time concerns alleviate, reap the rewards.

Tier 5: Late Round Targets

This is where third base shows its depth and showcases just how great of a position it is from top to bottom.

Hunter a Dozier quietly had himself a little breakout in 2019. Now he is returning for what I hope to be the encore. He should slot into the middle of the order and the top half if said order is actually not bad. There is sneaky upside for power and RBI here.

Giovanny Urshela was a waiver wire darling last season. He was a great find for fantasy owners and helped a lot of teams through injuries or just gave the boost to struggling teams in general. I am a bit skeptical of older breakouts, but it appears he has a spot in the lineup as of now and the lineup and home park are reason enough to roster anyone starting for the Yankees.

As the roster currently stands, Scott Kingery is in line to be a starter. The Phillies have not made any signings to block Kingery from playing time. However, they still have Alec Bohm who could force his way up and cause playing time issues for Kingery. Until or if that even happens, there is power and speed upside to be had. That comes with the batting average being the only real concern for now.

Ryan McMahon is caught up in a mess for playing time over in Colorado. That may true but as of now, he is a projected starter per Roster Resource. It is February so a lot can still change. McMahon did have a strong finish to the 2019 season. He also has Coors to call home and a real chance to start again. I think there’s good value here and he’s worth a late-round pick in most leagues. It also doesn’t hurt that he is multi-positional eligible.

I really like Nick Solak as a sleeper this year. There is a bit of power and speed upside to be had here. Solak flashed it in the minors and it wouldn’t surprise me to see some growth this year after his short stint in the majors in 2019. A few signings and moves have made it a murky situation there but I always bet on the crime rising to the top.

I have come down on my optimism of Yandy Diaz since all these moves the Rays have made. Yes, he is a projected starter but he has playing time questions entering 2020. The ceiling appears to be pretty high and I do like his value in early drafts. If he secured everyday playing time or reports start suggesting as much I will likely move him up my ranks.

Miguel Andujar is coming off a completely lost season. I am not sure where exactly he will play. There are reports suggesting he may be utilized in a utility role. Obviously the health is a concern but there is enough upside to target him late. It also does not hurt to be in that potent lineup and favorable home park.

Lastly, Brian Anderson rounds off the top 30. This is the first time he will be in a half-decent lineup. Anderson is not flashy. Actually, he is far from it. However, there could be some hidden counting stat potential to be found here as well as just steady production as a whole. As I’ve said before, there’s nothing wrong with grabbing a boring player.

Conclusion and Positional Outlook

That is going to do it for the early third base preview. Third base is incredibly deep with talent and it shows throughout the tiers. Right in tier 3 it just gets into a glob if need-based, high upside players. Even beyond the first few tiers there’s just so much to like at the third base position in 2020. Most of the time you will end up with two or even three of these players on a given roster. That alone speaks volumes to the depth of the position.

That is going to wrap it up for third base. Check out the previous positional breakdowns and stick around for more coming out soon!

More 2020 Positional Previews: | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP |

Fantrax 2020 Consensus Rankings: | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP |

For all the rankings, strategy, and analysis you could ever want, check out the 2020 FantraxHQ Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. We’ll be adding more content from now right up until Opening Day!

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