Fantasy Baseball Ranking: Third Base

Time to move on to the 3rd base rankings... One note, guys like Chone Figgins, Tory Glaus, and Bill Hall would possibly be on this list, but I already used them for previous positions, disqualifying them here. Hey, those are my rules, so they're the law. Or something like that.

(1) Alex Rodriguez - Rodriguez edges out Cabrera by the slightest of margins to remain #1 on this list. He had a down year (for him) last season, and he still wound up with 35 HR, 113 R, and 121 RBI. His 2005 was spectacular. Some Yankees fan might not like him that much (which is decidedly stupid), but I can guarantee fantasy owners with him on their team like him a lot.

(2) Miguel Cabrera - Simply put, Cabrera was awesome last year. I had him at #5 in my MVP Rankings last year, but I get the sneaking suspicion that a lot of people don't know how good he is. Disregarding the fantasy numbers for a minute, he might be one of the 5 best hitters in the MLB. He hits for a high average, he has a good eye at the plate (.430 was 4th in the MLB) and his .568 SLG was #11 in the MLB. And he plays 3B and he's not quite 24 years old. He is awesome, but he plays in Florida, so no one knows it. That's a shame.

(3) Garrett Atkins - The man is a doubles machine, which helps that he's playing in Coors. In his first full year, he hit 48 doubles, hit .329, and knocked in 120 runs. He's a big part of the talented crop of young 3B in the NL. Another thing to like... after the All-Star Break he batted .354 with 18 HR and 62 RBI in 73 games. If he can keep that up, Cabrera and A-Rod have lots of competition for the top spot.

(4) David Wright - Wright is another good young hitter in a superb lineup. It's hard to find much fault with a .311 BA, 26 HR, and 116 RBI, especially when it's coming from a 3B that's closer to 20 than 30. You can't go wrong with Wright (wow, I'm even ashamed of myself after writing that).

(5) Aramis Ramirez - Ramirez isn't flashy, but he did hit 38 HR last year. He gets overshadowed a little bit because there really are a lot of good 3B in the NL, but don't make the mistake of overlooking him. As long as he's healthy, you can almost pencil him him for a .290+ AVG, 35 HR, and 100 RBI.

(6) Scott Rolen - Rolen is a good hitter than benefits by having guys like Pujols and Edmonds hit near him in the lineup. That means there are usually guys on base when he comes to the plate, which makes for a lot of RBI opportunities. He's had some injury problems, which is a concern, but he's always a solid contributor when healthy.

(7) Ryan Zimmerman - Zimmerman put up good numbers last year, and combined with the fact that he's only 23 years old makes him an attractive option. He showed good power with 20 HR and a very good 47 doubles, and of course as you get closer to your prime and bulk up, those doubles tend to turn into HRs. Playing in Washington hurts him, but he might be the best 3B in the MLB over the next 5 years.

(8) Chipper Jones - I originally had Chipper at #7, but concerns about his healthy make me put him here. Regardless, when he played last year, he was really good. 28 2B, 26 HR, and 86 RBI in only 110 RBI. He nearly slugged .600. The problem, of course, is that he's missed 50+ games in each of the last 2 years, so buyer beware. And get a good backup.

(9) Joe Crede - Crede was very solid last year, quietly hitting over .280 with 30 HR. He's been getting better every year and should be right about in the middle of his prime. He's a real solid 3B.

(10) Eric Chavez - Chavez was awful last year, which is a little hard to understand. The good thing is that he still hit 22 HR and showed an improved eye at the plate. There's the possibility that he's simply regressing right now, but I'm betting on a .270/25 HR/100 RBI line. Which is nice.