The Thirdbasemen

[Bloody Nipples]

Time to rank the top 20 3rd basemen. As before, I will have my rankings ready in a bit.

[Tavish]

I think 3B is going to be a dangerous draft position this season. Half of my top 10 has the chance to absolutely explode and be overall top 10 scorers or the chance to disintegrate and be simply average.

A-Rod
Chavez
Beltre
Rolen
Blalock
Mora
Huff
A. Ramirez
Glaus
Lowell

C. Jones
Wright
Blake
Freel
Figgins
D. Young
Castilla
Batista
Burroughs

[Mookie4ever]

Wow Tavish, that's really high for Chavez. I haven't done mine yet but I don't think that he'll be in my top five.

[kentx12]

Wow Tavish, that's really high for Chavez. I haven't done mine yet but I don't think that he'll be in my top five.

I wont have Chavez in my top 5 either and I still believe Beltre will be overrated this year. I am still not a believer.

[wrveres]

Just a couple of quick observations ..

No way I am putting Chavez or Beltre over Rolen

Huff should be ahead of Mora, and Lowell and Chipper are way to low ..
Figgins too, if he gets a starting gig.

Way to high for Freel ..

[wkelly91]

D.Young doesn't qualify

[SaintsOfTheDiamond]

Rodriguez
Blalock
Rolen
Chavez
Beltre

Ramirez
Jones (ATL)
Huff
Mora
Glaus

Lowell
Blake
Koskie
Figgins
Mueller

Alfonzo
Batista
Bell
Castilla
Hinske

I originally had Chavez number two, and I think he could easily get there by the end of the year if he can stay in the lineup. Just look at the numbers he did put up when he played last year.

[dleoboyd]

Here's my take:

1 Alex Rodriguez
2 Scott Rolen
3 Eric Chavez
4 Adrian Beltre
5 Aramis Ramirez
6 Hank Blalock
7 Aubrey Huff
8 Chipper Jones
9 Mike Lowell
10 Troy Glaus
11 Melvin Mora
12 David Wright
13 Juan Uribe
14 Dallas McPherson
15 Corie Koskie
16 Tony Batista
17 Casey Blake
18 Vinny Castilla
19 Chone Figgins
20 Brandon Inge


Chavez, IMO, could end up being #1 or #2, easily.....he has really improved his plate discipline and his performance against lefties.

[Mookie4ever]

Not a lot of respect for Beltre out there.

Looking at these lists, I think that my UT spot next year is going to feature a third baseman.

[Tavish]

Wow Tavish, that's really high for Chavez. I haven't done mine yet but I don't think that he'll be in my top five.

It might be high, but I think there is a very good chance for a Beltre-type breakout year for Chavez in 2005. I hate the stadium he hits in which makes it a difficult projection, but he should have a legitimate shot at 40+ HR and an average hovering around if not above .300. Both Rolen and Beltre I think will come back closer to their career numbers especially in the BA department.

Huff should be ahead of Mora, and Lowell and Chipper are way to low..
Figgins too, if he gets a starting gig.

Huff and Mora I have about even. Huff's extra eligibilty is handy, and on base statistics (BA/OPS) I would say the two would produce very similar numbers. I'm not at all sold on the D-Ray's lineup and I believe Mora will get the advantage in RBI/R. Mora should also snag a few more SB than Huff will.

As for Lowell and Chipper being too low, I would be interested to see who you would put them ahead of. I don't see any way they break into the top 5 (maybe Lowell if you use him only for the first half and trade away for value). If Glaus is healthy he would be the player I would consider undervalued but I guess if you aren't sold on him playing a full season (I wouldn't argue that a bit) then Chipper and Lowell would be more valuable. Those two moving up one or two spots when most of the 3B I have 6-10 will probably all go around the same spot in the draft doesn't seem like being way too low though.

I have Figgins that low for basically the reason you stated. I'm not at all sold on him having a spot all season long. Guillen and Glaus moving out is a great sign that he will get time somewhere. Even when he is playing he simply doesn't steal enough (where a majority of his value comes from) to make a major jump into the second tier of 3B. The same basically goes for Freel.

I would have been better off leaving the rest of the group off since I wouldn't want to touch anyone ranked below Figgins, but the thread asked for 20 and I threw some random 3B I thought of onto the list (that'll teach me not to check Dmitri's games played).