Top 10 Right Now – Third Basemen

Even with right field still to come, this is probably the deepest position in the game.

A new list will be published each Monday leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting in February. The lists will highlight the Top 10 players at each position, managers and executives, finishing up with the Ultimate Top 10 list, a ranking of each of the position’s number one player.

Here’s a list of what’s to come and already been published:
Nov. 13 – Executives
Nov. 20 – Managers
Nov. 27 – Second Basemen
Dec. 4 – Relief Pitchers
Dec. 11 – Center Fielders
Dec. 18 – Shortstops
Dec. 25 – Designated Hitters
Jan. 1 – Left Fielders
Jan. 8 – First Basemen
Jan. 15 – Starting Pitchers
Jan. 22 – Catchers
Jan. 29 – Third Basemen
Feb. 5 – Right Fielders
Feb. 12 – Ultimate Top 10

Below are two lists, one (“Statistical”) shows players ranked per a combination of their 2017 stats and where they ranked in those stats per their respective position. Offensive, defensive, baserunning and all-inclusive stats are included in the calculations.  The second (“Adjusted”) list is based on stats but then given adjustments based on track record, injuries and projections and reflects our ranking of the players as they head into 2018.

The list in which the players appear depends mostly on where they played the most games (or innings) in 2017 but also where they project to play this coming year if substantially different than last (i.e. role player getting a more permanent position).

2017 Statistical Top 10
10. Alex Bregman
9. Manny Machado
8. Eugenio Suarez
7. Travis Shaw
6. Josh Donaldson
5. Justin Turner
4. Kris Bryant
3. Jose Ramirez
2. Anthony Rendon
1. Nolan Arenado

Adjusted Top 10
10. Matt Chapman
9. Kyle Seager
8. Alex Bregman
7. Justin Turner
6. Jose Ramirez
5. Anthony Rendon
4. Manny Machado
3. Josh Donaldson
2. Kris Bryant
1. Nolan Arenado

In consideration (with their rank from last year’s list): Adrian Beltre (7), Miguel Sano (10), Shaw, Suarez, Todd Frazier, Jake Lamb, Evan Longoria, Eduardo Nunez, Mike Moustakas, Jedd Gyorko, Maikel Franco, Rafael Devers

Notes: Even before we did the statistical analysis, Arenado was our top guy… Machado needs a bounce back whether he stays at third or moves to shortstop… don’t believe that it’s a deep position?  The third base WAR leader is 5th and AL MVP candidate 6th (Rendon gets the ever so slight nod over Ramirez for his defense) with the most consistent hitter in MLB coming in 9th… looking for Bregman to continue getting better… speaking of getting better, Chapman already ranks among the best defensively and it looks like his bat can be potent, too, even if the Coliseum hampers his stats a bit… the 9 and 10 spots could have gone to any number of the “in consideration” guys as many are worthy but I like to try and get at least one breakout candidate on each list (Chapman in this case)… Lamb is interesting in that he seems to put up solid seasons yet doesn’t break into the statistical top 10… for all the power he provided in 2017, Moustakas’ overall season falls well below even Nunez and Longoria