Fantasy Baseball 2025: Third Base Sleepers

When it comes to fantasy baseball, and fantasy sports in general, everyone is always trying to find the next potential star player who nobody else is aware of. It’s a fair goal. Fantasy managers will try to find value wherever they can. 

I will be providing as many draft tips as possible now that we’ve hit February, and getting started with sleepers is a phenomenal way to do so. My definition of ‘sleeper’ includes any player being taken outside the top 180 NFBC rankings. This means guys to focus on after the 15th round of a 12-team format. 

Not many people know their names. That will soon change. 

After kicking off the series with first and second base, let’s take a look at these silent advantages at the hot corner! 

Coby Mayo Has Dominated the Minor Leagues – #374

The definition of sleeper holds very true for Mayo, especially since he may not even be in Baltimore’s Opening Day lineup. Most of their prospects have graduated and are in the majors, leaving Mayo in a bit of a standstill. However do not fret, this is what gives him such a cheap ADP at 374th overall. 

Mayo has simply dominated at the minor league level. As I’ve touched on a bit before, Triple-A is really where a hitter will show signs of future success at the major league level. And he has simply dominated in his time with Norfolk. In 89 games at said level in 2024, Mayo put up 22 home runs with a .926 OPS. 

And before all the haters say something about his 17-game major league debut in 2024, yes we all know it didn’t go well. However, Mayo was not in an everyday role, which can impact a young player’s timing and confidence because it’s a different routine and life in general.

We saw what Mayo looked like in the minors when he was in a rhythm. I just believe we need to be patient with his role and playing time in Baltimore because once that everyday opportunity opens up, he won’t look back. 

The one thing Mayo won’t provide is steals. Fine. Not many other third basemen besides José Ramírez take bags anyway.

One tool he does bring to the table is positional flexibility. When it comes to lineup construction, Mayo is eligible at first base as well. Filling out both corner infield and middle infield slots on your teams can be complex, especially with weak depth at the top of each position. Mayo fills in nicely.

So…374th overall huh? Most drafts won’t even get to this point. If you are satisfied with your squad, there’s no shame in taking him with your final pick and stashing until he gets the call to Baltimore. Once the volume of plate appearances is there, watch out for this kid.

Matt Shaw Has Incredible Offensive Upside – #305

Out of everyone on this list, Shaw is the guy who has the most offensive upside. The power/speed combo bodes well for his fantasy value.

He’s also one of the smartest players on the field at all times. At least that’s what Shaw displayed in his time at the University of Maryland. The friendly confines will love cheering for this kid. He’s a bulldog who knows how to compete.

We know he’s got the ability, but what about opportunity?

After the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes and top prospect Cam Smith to the Houston Astros, it essentiality left third base wide open for the taking.

So far, Jed Hoyer and company have not signed any everyday possibilities at the hot corner, which shows the confidence Chicago has in their top prospect. And if you give this guy a rookie season of 140 games played, a 20/20 performance is a very real possibility. 

Shaw has performed about as well as any other prospect out there. In 121 games last season between Double-A and Triple-A, he put up 21 round-trippers with 31 thefts on the base paths while totaling an .867 OPS. Believe it or not, his numbers actually got better once he was promoted to Triple-A. 

Shaw is regarded as a guy who doesn’t have a single offensive weakness in his profile. If anything, you could complain about his size. Though we all know you can be great on the diamond with an overall small stature; we have seen it time and time again.

He also brings positional flexibility since he’s eligible at second, third, and shortstop in most formats. There’s a reason he’s receiving comparisons to Dustin Pedroia. At this price point, I’m all in on investing in such high upside.

Don’t Overlook the Consistent Max Muncy – #229

You may be thinking…how is this 34-year-old veteran considered a sleeper? Well let me put it simply: His consistent stats will be much better than those of any other third base option in this range.

When it comes to the Los Angeles Dodgers, good players get swallowed up in the greatness that is Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, the starting staff, the hot dog vendor…maybe not the last one so much, but you get the point.

When it comes to Max Muncy, however, he has quietly been one of the most important pieces of this Dodgers franchise. 

Per 162 games, Muncy averages 96 runs, 34 home runs, and 95 RBI. Why is this not talked about more often? Maybe it’s because Muncy is often pulled out of the lineup against lefties. Or perhaps because he provides zero speed?

I don’t think it’s that simple. I believe the “Boring Tax” is in full effect here. 

Normally when we hear about taxes, they come with negative connotations. Not this time. The boring tax means drafters are subconsciously overlooking Muncy earlier in drafts because his production is so stable and consistent that it doesn’t get much attention.

It’s not sexy, therefore drafters go and look for something more exciting. One characteristic of all boring tax players is the fact that statistically, they should be going much earlier in drafts than their average ADP. 

Boy, is this guy disrespected or what? While Muncy isn’t the prototypical deep sleeper that everyone loves, people are still not giving him the love he deserves. So, whether you like his team or not, I say invest as much as possible…that vanilla play style could earn you a fantasy trophy.