Fantasy Baseball 2025: Third Base Rankings
The hot corner includes both safe and risky plays depending on your strategy. Let's check out the top third basemen in fantasy baseball for the upcoming season.
The third base position includes both safe and risky plays depending on your strategy.
Many fantasy owners were left searching for options to fill their third base slot in 2024. Those same managers have a choice for next season; keep it simple or push the upside button.
Fantasy Baseball Third Base Rankings
10. Alec Bohm
If not for a torrid April, Bohm probably wouldn’t be a part of these rankings. I am simply not a fan of his player profile. He’ll provide good batting average, sure. Yet, I have preached for a long time that the home run is the single greatest measuring stick when it comes to factoring in who will be on my fantasy team. And Bohm doesn’t hit homers in large quantity.
To put it simply, no power equals less opportunity for healthy counting stats. He has also never reached an .800 OPS in any qualified season, which is cause for concern. Even though the bat speed and barrel rates aren’t great, his other underlying metrics are strong which forces my hand to place him at #10. If you feel confident in the Phillies lineup, take Bohm. At the same time if you chose Max Muncy or Eugenio Suarez at third base instead, I wouldn’t hold anything against you.
9. Alex Bregman
This option comes with the “Boring Tax” – a sure thing when it comes to fantasy baseball. Though boring can win championships if you know who to trust. While Bregman’s play style isn’t “sexy”, he often gets the job done.
His last three seasons have been almost identical in every way. We know his pitch recognition is elite and will take his walks. We know the power will be somewhere in the form of 25 long balls. We know all of this about the proven veteran. There isn’t necessarily a question remaining about him; it’s whether you want a safe play or to grab something riskier in an attempt for more upside.
8. Junior Caminero
Even though we haven’t seen the big-time numbers which we all crave from this young cat, his time is coming. The bat speed is encouraging while he was whacking the ball with significant impact in 2024. It remains to be seen exactly what this Rays team will look like come Opening Day. However, we know that Caminero is going to be their centerpiece.
He’s a former No. 1 overall prospect and I believe we will start to see some of that light shine through in 2025. In 117 minor league games back in 2023, Caminero hit 31 homers with a .976 OPS. It’s hard to say he will put up that type of production in his first full season but at the same time, there is potential for a breakout.
7. Mark Vientos
Boy, oh boy, was this man a league winner! Several fantasy owners are thanking their lucky stars for Vientos. After the initial decision to send him down for more development at the beginning of the season, Vientos appeared to have enough of the Syracuse Mets. Once he got called up, there was no looking back.
In just 111 games, Vientos brought 27 home runs and 71 RBI to the table. Anyone who was quick enough to grab him off waivers was extremely happy. Credit the Mets organization for their patience and development because it’s not often that a 24 year-old is handled so cautiously.
He is now here to stay and will be a vital piece to the Mets for years to come. Plus early indications point to Vientos being drafted relatively low in terms of ADP price, fantastic news in terms of his value heading into 2025 drafts.
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr.
A newcomer to the third base position after he was acquired by the Yankees, Jazz showcased some athletic ability. Although raw talent got him through as a fielder and wasn’t anything special defensively, the bat was solid while the speed was even better.
Chisholm zoomed to 40 thefts along with 24 home runs. Did we all miss this because of Yankee fans being too critical? To be honest, I’m not sure, because I was shocked at his final stat line. He has always been talked about as having the potential to put up such numbers but hadn’t really done so until now.
So if you’re stuck in drafts next season and the heavy-half portion of the third base position has been taken, keep an eye on Jazz. The 27 year-old is just now entering his prime with matchup-changing prowess.
5. Manny Machado
Machado is the only player on this list who owns seven seasons of 30+ long balls and frankly it’s not even close. He is the most stable option at the hot corner who also plays in a lineup with ample opportunity. One of Machado’s underrated characteristics; his health.
Go ahead and look at his number of games played each season, he hasn’t missed significant time in any year throughout his career except for way back in 2014. His career .826 OPS is all the more reason to believe in him and his bat. And how about those surprising 11 steals this past season? Manny being Manny? More like Manny being accountable.
4. Royce Lewis
Rankings lunacy! You mean to tell me the guy who had that horrible ending to 2024 is the fourth-best third baseman? Yes, and I stand by it. The fact still remains what we saw from Lewis in 58 games during 2023 was special. The same goes for his start to the 2024 season.
Lewis then stated that he never goes into slumps and then proceeded to slump in a big way. While he may have a thing or two to learn on the media side, his skills give him the ability to do damage in a big way. His bat speed and ability to pull balls into the left field bleachers remains high. This is not a guy who will play 162 games but if he plays even just 140, the sky is the limit.
3. Austin Riley
In a year that was lost for the Braves offense, Riley was a key missing piece for a large chunk of time. Throwing 2024 aside, take a gander at what he is capable of based off 2021-2023. He’s a four category contributor who remains one of the more vanilla selections at the third base position. Yet, boring is good if boring gets you numbers. His floor is safe and Atlanta’s lineup provides ample opportunities to cash in.
2. Rafael Devers
The only struggle for Devers this season was catching up to velocity in the second half of the season. The shoulder inflammation caught up to his bat speed but I fully expect him to be ready to go come spring training. There are few arguments to be said against Devers considering his career line sits at .279/.345/.511 while averaging 33 home runs and 105 RBI over a 162 game pace. I also fully expect the Red Sox to have a top five offense in 2025. Invest with confidence.
1. Jose Ramirez
Anyone not ranking Jose Ramirez as their top option at third base, what are you doing? I would like to hear some reasoning behind it because this guy does nothing but perform. In 2024, Ramirez had himself yet another quietly amazing season, He fell one home run short of a 40/40 campaign. Nobody else at the position has shown this type of play, solidifying him at #1.