2020 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 30 Third Basemen (Updated)

We’ve made a few changes lately, refreshing every hitting position except for outfield. Check back later this week for that one.

As for the hot corner, honestly it’s pretty fixed from our first pass. Some guys moved up a single spot, while a couple of guys moved up two spots.

The biggest piece of news since the last pass is probably Eugenio Suarez, who is reported to be 100% healthy after injuring his shoulder during a swimming pool incident. Suarez tore cartilage in his right shoulder, but had surgery on January 28th and was considered to be “100% healthy” by GM Dick Williams in early June. Full disclosure on my part: I trust that Suarez is healthy, but I also have a hard time moving him farther up my own rankings. Third base truly is beefy in 2020. I labored over Suarez vs. Donaldson for a long time. So for giggles, I scoped out updated Steamer projections on those two:

Josh Donaldson: 35 R, 13 HR, 38 RBI, .268 AVG, 1 SB
Eugenio Suarez: 31 R, 13 HR, 35 RBI, .253 AVG, 1 SB

Pretty darn close. Batting average would seem to be the deciding factor, but Suarez has logged marks of .283 and .271 in the last two seasons. Meanwhile, in his healthy rebound last year, Donaldson batted .259 but posted a healthier .269 xBA. A career .273 hitter, Donaldson has given us some plus years in batting average before. Add it all up and I am torn. For the sake of rankings, I’ll give the 28-year-old Suarez the nod, trusting the clean bill of health. But if I was drafting today, you can have Suarez at his recent NFBC ADP of 68-70. I’ll be happy to wait on Donaldson some 20 picks later. These guys are just too close for me to burn an earlier pick on Suarez...and I have loved the ADP of that Matt Chapman/Josh Donaldson pairing all draft season.

Miguel Sano seems like a great short season pick to me. He’s now tied with Mike Moustakas per our average rankings, and I gave him the nod over “Moose” due to the fact that I’m the editor and that’s how I ranked them myself. Perks of the job. It’s a tight race, and even our own rankings reflect the wider range of outcomes from a slugger like Sano. But Sano’s also dripping with upside, as evidenced by topping the FB/LD average exit velocity leaderboard last year, at 99.6 MPH on average. He was followed by guys like Aaron Judge, Nelson Cruz, Franmil Reyes, and Josh Donaldson (there’s that name again). Anyway, Sano also topped the majors in overall hard hit rate at 57.2%, even besting noted crusher of baseballs, one Aaron Judge (57.1%). Sano was fourth in barrels per plate apperance, trailing only Nelson Cruz, Gary Sanchez, and some guy named Mike Trout. And he was first in barrels per batted ball event. “Moose” is a fine player in his own right, but if I have my preference I’m waiting 15 picks later to acquire the services of Miguel Sano. Steamer projects Sano for 12 homers, but would it surprise anyone if he leads the league in a short season? For reference, Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, and Pete Alonso are all projected for 16 atop that leaderboard.

Tommy Edman and Justin Turner are tied in our ranks, but separated by 30 or 35 picks per NFBC ADP. That’s not a real decision you’ll need to make in a draft, other than deciding if you want to pay for Edman’s services in 2020. I think you should, as the on-base skills are legit and Edman has speed to burn. It’s fine to like both of these guys, in my opinion.

The other guys here at Fake Teams are more bullish on Ryan McMahon than I, so you’ll see that he jumped up two spots. For my part, I’d much rather have Hunter Dozier. And I’ll step out on my limb and say that I don’t think it’s close, either. NFBC ADP data has those two being drafted at 168 on average, with McMahon having the slightest of edges. I just don’t want to buy Colorado trusting anyone not named Story, Arenado, or Blackmon. And with Dozier’s ADP the same as McMahon, I don’t have to do so.

No way I’m taking Yandy Diaz over Brian Anderson. Garrett, what is wrong with you?

I also think Starlin Castro is a safer buy than Jon Berti and Gio Urshela. I think Castro’s playing time in Washington was safe anyway, but add in the DH rule and Ryan Zimmerman opting out and he’s just a total given as a really safe MI option in 2020. Sure, the DH helps Berti’s chances, but he’s still a bench bat for Miami, beginning the year in a platoon. I don’t want any part of a part-time player like that in a shortened season...not unless it’s a pure speculation play farther down my bench. Berti’s ADP isn’t that, as he’s still being drafted ahead of guys like Ian Happ and Austin Hays, both guys I like much better. Heck, Nick Solak is going about 30 picks after Berti, and I think he offers far more upside. People are just too enamored by speed sometimes. This is one of those times.

What say you all? Who did we miss? Full disclosure, right after Castro there was a cluster of boring veteran types in our rankings, so don’t come screaming about where Tommy La Stella is ranked. Also Kyle Seager. Sure, both could be sneaky veteran production—but it’s tough to get excited by either. If you’re really trying, though, I suppose you should lean towards La Stella, in the hopes that me may actually bat leadoff ahead of Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Me, I’d rather just bat Mike Trout leadoff, but no one asked.