Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Consensus Third Base Rankings - Part 2

We published part 1 of our Consensus Third Base rankings for 2015 on Monday. Today, we bring you part 2 of our rankings. We used a points system for each of the 30 third baseman ranked by each of the Fake Teams writers who participated in the consensus rankings series.

The writers who participated in this series are:

Ray Guilfoyle

Jason Hunt

Rob Parker

Brian Creagh

Timmy Kennedy

Daniel Kelley

Jack Cecil

Nick Doran

Alex Kantecki

Timothy Finnegan

We feel that providing you our consensus position rankings, you get an average ranking from the Fake Teams writers, rather than one writers' opinion, which inherently includes some biases. You will see some players ranked higher by one Fake Teams writer than the others, so this helps the reader see both sides of the argument for/against a certain player who might be getting too much love this offseason.

Each of the position rankings will be split into two parts, rankings and player profiles for third baseman ranked 1 - 15 in part 1, and rankings and player profiles for third baseman ranked 16 - 30 in part 2 to be published on Wednesday morning. Consensus rankings should bring about discussion amongst you, our readers, and the Fake Teams writers who participated in this series.

Now onto our Consensus Third Base Rankings for 2015.

Consensus Fantasy Third Base Rankings for 2015

Rank	Player	Team	Ranking Points	Ray	Jason	Rob	Brian	Timmy	Daniel	Jack	Alex	Nick	Timothy
16	Chase Headley	NYY	142	15	14	23	11	10	18	20	17	23	17
17	Xander Bogaerts	BOS	128	17	19	22	13	30	16	12	16	21	16
18	Aramis Ramirez	MIL	122	20	18	20	23	18	15	17	21	16	20
19	Kris Bryant	CHC	115	21	15	18		22	27	19	14	7	21
20	Yasmany Tomas	ARI	111	17	25	14	19	25	20	15		15	18
21	Pedro Alvarez	PIT	105	16	26	15	24	20	13	22	25	22	22
22	Brett Lawrie	OAK	103	25	20	19	17	23	19	25	20	20	19
23	Nick Castellanos	DET	81	22	21	26	18		22	23	23	19	24
24	Martin Prado	MIA	79	26	28	21		24	21	14	19	24	23
25	Trevor Plouffe	MIN	70	29	23	24	21	15	23	26	27	27	25
26	Lonnie Chisenhall	CLE	52	30	24		12	26		24	29	25	26
27	Marcus Semien	OAK	45	23	29	25	20		29		22	28	27
28	David Freese	LAA	36		30	27		19	24		26	26	29
28	Mike Moustakas	KCR	36	28	22	28	27	29	30	27	24	31	28
30	Juan Uribe	LAD	24	27			28	17			28

	# 16. Chase Headley (NYY)
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.243	55	13	49	7
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
531	0.328	0.372	9.60%	22.98%

Headley signed a 4 year deal with the Yankees in the offseason, so he will be their third baseman for the next four season, pushing Alex Rodriguez to DH or retirement. Last season, he hit .243-.328-.372 with 13 home runs, 55 runs scored, 49 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 531 plate appearances. In San Diego, he hit just .229-.295-.355 with 7 home runs, 27 runs scored, and 32 RBI in 307 plate appearances, but fared much better at the plate in the American League where he hit .262-.371-.398 with 6 home runs, 28 runs scored and 17 RBI in 224 plate appearances.

The move to Yankee Stadium should help his power production somewhat, but he doesn't hit enough fly balls to hit 20 home runs, but should be good for 15-18. Headley owns a career on base percentage of .347, so he offers value for those in OBP leagues. I can see Headley putting up double figures in home runs and stolen bases with a solid .265-.275 batting average in 2015. In his career, Headley hit 40 points higher on the road than at home (.285 on the road vs .245 at home), so I am confident the batting average will rise now that he is out of Petco.

	# 17. Xander Bogaerts (BOS)
Photo Credit: David Manning - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.240	60	12	46	2
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
594	0.297	0.362	6.57%	23.23%

I wrote about Bogaerts in part 1 of our Consensus Shortstop Rankings last week, and below is an excerpt from my player capsule:

Last season, he hit just .240-.297-.362 with 12 home runs, 60 runs scored, and 46 RBI in 594 plate appearances. After walking at a double digit rate in the minors, his walk rate fell to 6.6%, while striking out at a 23.2% rate, so he will need to shore up his plate discipline to begin reaching his potential. He hit fly balls in 41% of his plate appearances, but only 7.1% of those fly balls landed over the outfield fence. Should he continue to hit fly balls at a 40%+ rate, we could see his home run output approach 20 as he matures at the plate and hits for more power.

There is a belief that Xander didn't like the fact that he was moved from shortstop to third base last season, affecting his performance at the plate. Maybe so, but now that Pablo Sandoval has signed to man third base for the Red Sox, Bogaerts will not be moved off of shortstop in 2015. Hopefully for Red Sox fans and his owners the signing will keep him happy and he will have a better season at the plate.

	# 18. Aramis Ramirez (MIL)
Photo Credit: Lance Iversen - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.285	47	15	66	3
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
531	0.330	0.427	3.95%	14.12%

Ramirez is one of the former top 5 fantasy third baseman who is now in the decline phase of his career. Last season, Ramirez hit .285-.330-.427 with 15 home runs, 47 runs scored and 66 RBI in 531 plate appearances, so while he isn't the same power hitter we are used to, he is still productive at the plate, hitting for a high average and driving in runs in the middle of the Brewers solid lineup.

Heading into the 2015 season, we should plan for more decline from Ramirez performance at the plate, as he turns 37 years of age in June, and he has dealt with knee issues over the last few seasons. If he can stay healthy, he should still be productive for his owners, but expectation should be kept in check due to age and injury risk.

	# 19. Kris Bryant (CHC)
Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS (Minors)
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
.325	118	43	110	15
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
594	.438	.661	14.5%	27.7%

Jason Hunt wrote a player profile on Bryant on Tuesday, and David Spracale also wrote about him in the Cubs Top 10 Fantasy Prospects article back in

Since signing with the Cubs, Kris Bryant has done nothing but crush baseballs. His 2014 season split time between AA and AAA and neither level provided much of a challenge. A combined .325/.438/.661 line with 43 HRs and 15 SBs. The only negative part of his stat line is the 85/43 K/BB ratio in only 70 games at AAA. That's a lot of swing and miss, and something that will need to be cleaned up for Bryant to reach his full potential. The beautiful thing with Bryant is that even if the strikeouts continue to be a hinderance, he's a league-average corner infielder with big power numbers, and a starter in any format. If he can find a way to remedy the strikeouts, he's a perennial all-star and 1st round selection for fantasy owners.

It appears Bryant will start the season in AAA, but will receive an early call up, probably in late April, like we saw with how the Astros handled George Springer's call up last season. He should be drafted in all re-draft leagues and am sure he is already owned in all keeper leagues.

Actually, he is not owned in one of my NL only keeper leagues, as we don't have a farm draft in that league, so I will be bidding on him in this year's draft. But, if he goes for anywhere near $35 like Billy Hamilton did last season, I will be out of the bidding around the $25 range.

	# 20. Yasmany Tomas (ARI)
Photo Credit: Koji Watanabe - Getty Images

The Diamondbacks signed Tomas this offseason, and immediately thereafter there was talk that the team would give him a shot to play third base this season, as their outfield is already spoken for. I am sure the Diamondbacks will give him a shot to play third, but whether he plays there or in the outfield, Tomas will be in their lineup everyday.

Tomas' calling card is his power, but I think he will have trouble hitting for a high average this season. He might be Mark Trumbo-lite, in that regard, so I wouldn't buy projections indicating he will provide a batting average higher than .250. That said, he should hit for power, especially playing half of his games in the hitters environment that is Chase Field, so I expect at least 20 home runs, with a decent shot at 24-27. ZiPS projects him to hit .267 with 21 home runs and 60 RBI with a strikeout rate around 18% and comped him to Kevin Kouzmanoff, a AAAA player.

	# 21. Pedro Alvarez (PIT)
Photo Credit: Kim Klement - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.231	46	18	56	8
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
445	0.312	0.405	10.11%	25.39%

Alvarez will be moving across the diamond this season, as he will start the season as the Pirates first baseman, but he will have to bounce back from a down year in 2014. After two consecutive 30+ home run seasons in 2012 and 2013, Alvarez hit just 18 home runs last season, while hitting .231-.312-.405 with 46 runs scored, 56 RBI and 8 stolen bases. The stolen bases were nice, but his ISO, SLG and HR/FB% dropped to career lows, so fantasy owners will be left to decide if he can rebound from the disappointing 2014 season.

Any time a player moves to a new position, I worry that the move will affect the player at the plate, and Alvarez is no different. Granted, he had his share of issues at third base last season, prompting the move to first, but I still worry that he may need a few months to settle in at his new spot on the diamond. if he can get comfortable in spring training, Alvarez has the power to hit 30+ home runs once again in 2015, so he could be a decent value on draft day.

	# 22. Brett Lawrie (OAK)
Photo Credit: Kim Klement - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.247	27	12	38	0
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
282	0.301	0.421	5.67%	17.38%

We ranked Lawrie as our 16th ranked second baseman and 22nd ranked third baseman in our consensus rankings thus far. I wrote about Lawrie in part 2 of our Consensus Second Base rankings a few weeks ago, and here is an excerpt:

Lawrie moves from the Blue Jays to the A's in 2015, and he is one hitter who has yet to reach his full potential in the major leagues. And, that is exactly why A's GM Billy Beane traded All Star third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays for Lawrie and others.

Lawrie is coming off a season where he played just 70 games, hitting .247-.301-.421 with 12 home runs, 27 runs scored, and 38 RBI in 282 plate appearances. Lawrie hit more fly balls last year for the second consecutive season, and his ISO and SLG% were his highest since his 2011 call up. Assuming he can stay healthy, a BIG IF, and he can maintain a double digit HR/FB%, he is a candidate to hit 20 home runs and drive in 70 runs in 2015.

I would never bet against A's GM Billy Beane, so don't be surprised if 2015 is a breakout year for Lawrie.

	# 23. Nick Castellanos (DET)
Photo Credit: Kim Klement - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.259	50	11	66	2
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
579	0.306	0.394	6.22%	24.18%

Last season, his first in the big leagues, Castellanos hit .259-.306-.394 with 11 home runs, 50 runs scored and 66 RBI in 579 plate appearances. Like many other rookie hitters, he struggled in his first full season, hitting .250 or lower in five of the season's six months. Yeah, so there was some struggling.

Every year someone comes out of nowhere with a breakout season. Sometimes it is a player who has been in the big leagues for several seasons. Other times, it is a young hitter in his "post-hype" season. Castellanos is one hitter that I think could have a breakout season, similar to Indians outfielder Michael Brantley's breakout last season. Maybe it is just a gut feel for this prediction, but it isn't like he wasn't a top hitting prospect a few seasons ago. ESPN's Keith Law always said he has more power than he showed in the minors, and maybe that finally appears in 2015. He should come cheap on draft day, so you won't have to risk much to bet on a breakout.

	# 24. Martin Prado (MIA)
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.282	62	12	58	3
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
573	0.321	0.412	4.54%	13.96%

We ranked Prado as our 20th ranked second baseman in our Consensus Second Base Rankings a few weeks ago, and here is an excerpt on what I wrote about him:

If you want to go safe at the second base position rather than reach for one of Javier Baez or Rougned Odor, Prado is your guy. But, let it be said that he won't hurt you in any category. He doesn't offer any upside, but he provided his owners with solid numbers across the board in 2014, hitting .282-.321-.412 with 12 home runs, 62 runs scored and 58 RBI.

Prado started the 2014 season in Arizona, but was traded to the Yankees around the trade deadline. This offseason, he was dealt again, this time to the Marlins in the deal that sent Nathan Eovaldi to the Yankees. Prado will probably slide into the either the two spot or the 7th spot in the Marlins new lineup, which now includes Dee Gordon and Michael Morse.

He profiles better at second base than third base for fantasy purposes, but he has some value at third base if you play in NL only leagues.

	# 25. Trevor Plouffe (MIN)
Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.258	69	14	80	2
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
582	0.328	0.423	9.11%	18.73%

Plouffe is the Twins starting third baseman....for now. He is keeping the hot corner warm for power hitting third base prospect Miguel Sano, who is coming off Tommy John surgery. Last season, Plouffe quietly had a solid year at the plate, hitting .258-.328-.423 with 14 home runs, 69 runs scored and 80 RBI in 582 plate appearances.

Plouffe was one of 40 hitters, and one of only SIX third baseman, who knocked in 80 runs last season. He hit 24 home runs back in 2012, mainly due to his hot June where he hit 11 home runs, but since he has hit 14 home runs in each of the last two seasons. You can do worse than Plouffe at the hot corner in 2015.

	# 26. Lonnie Chisenhall (CLE)
Photo Credit: Lance Iversen - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.280	62	13	59	3
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
533	0.343	0.427	7.32%	18.57%

Chisenhall struggled in his first few seasons in the big leagues, making trips back and forth to AAA, but last season, he was given a longer leash and he performed well at the plate. Last season, Chisenhall hit .280-.343-.427 with 13 home runs, 62 runs scored and 59 RBI in 533 plate appearances. His fly ball rate dropped and his line drive rate increased, resulting in the bump in batting average of balls in play and his batting average.

His HR/FB% dropped below 10% for the first time in his big league career, but all he needs is a small increase in fly balls and a return to a HR/FB% over 10% and we could see him approach the 20 home run club. He is not strong on the defensive side of the ball, so he will have to continue to grow as a hitter to stay in the Indians lineup.

	# 27. Marcus Semien (OAK)
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.234	30	6	28	3
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
255	0.300	0.372	8.24%	27.45%

I wrote about Semien in our Consensus Shortstop and Second Base Rankings, and in our Shortstops to Target in 2015, and here is an excerpt from that piece:

Semien showed us, in a small sample size, in his 74 September plate appearances last year what kind of hitter he can be, hitting .273-.333-.485 with 3 home runs, 22 runs scored, 18 RBI and 3 stolen bases. Obviously, he won't repeat this every month, but if he can hit 3 home runs and steal 3 bases per month in a full season of plate appearances, he could put up a 15 home run and 15 stolen base season in 2015. Only three shortstops accomplished that feat in 2014 - Ian Desmond, Alexei Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins.

I think he can put up double digit home runs and stolen bases in 2015, with the hope that the plate discipline he showed in the minors makes an appearance in his first full time duty in the big leagues.

	# 28. David Freese (LAA)
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.260	53	10	55	1
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
511	0.321	0.383	7.44%	24.27%

Freese had a career year in the Cardinals magical 2012 season, and then was traded to the Angels in the offseason. The Cardinals traded him and let their best player, Albert Pujols, leave via free agency after winning the World Series. How ballsy was that? Just goes to show, don't make deals with the Cardinals, because you won't win the deal.

Last season, Freese hit .260-.321-.383 with 10 home runs, 53 runs scored and 55 RBI in 511 plate appearances. Since joining the Angels, Freese has hit just 19 home runs in over 1,000 plate appearances. He hit 20 home runs in less than 570 plate appearances in 2012. He is nothing more than a deep mixed league or AL-only league option at third base.

	# 28. Mike Moustakas (KCR)
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.212	45	15	54	1
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
500	0.271	0.361	7.00%	14.80%

Some are calling for a breakout in 2015 for Moustakas, but I am not sure I am buying that. For a guy who hit 36 home runs in the minors in 2010, he has had just one 20 home run season in the big leagues, and his HR/FB% has yet to break 10%. He doesn't strike out a lot, his walk rate is improving, but he doesn't hit, and owns a below average batting average of balls in play. His BABIP has never exceeded .274 in his three full seasons in the majors.

Like Freese, Moustakas is nothing more than a deep mixed league or AL only league option at the hot corner.

	# 30. Juan Uribe (LAD)
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB
0.311	36	9	54	0
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA	OBP%	SLG%	BB%	K%
404	0.337	0.440	3.71%	19.06%

Uribe is a better real life baseball player than a fantasy player, as he has put up an fWAR of 3.8 or higher in each of the last two seasons. I think the Dodgers resigned him to be a father figure for Yasiel Puig, thus the reason I call him "Puig's Papi".

I will never forget the 3 run home run he hit against the Braves in the NLDS two years ago, after failing to get a bunt (??) down. Like a few of the guys ranked ahead of him, he is nothing more than a deep mixed league or mono league option in 2015.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for fantasy football, baseball or basketball rankings, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown, your one stop on the internet for all things fantasy.