Third base has become a position of extremes in the majors, offering about half a dozen MVP contenders but virtually nothing in the way of a middle class. By the looks of this list, it figures to stay that way.
Sure, there are some quality prospects here, including arguably the best in baseball (Gunnar Henderson) and another consensus top-10 guy (Jordan Walker). But when you consider how many are likely to move off third base (only 2-3 seem like sure bets to stay), you can't just presume you have the position covered in Dynasty.
What would improve the situation is if the Dodgers' Miguel Vargas shifts back to third base. He played mostly first base in his brief major-league look, and so I've listed him among those prospects, but it's safe to say he's not overtaking Freddie Freeman. He would rank third in this group.
Note: This list is intended for a variety of Fantasy formats and thus weighs short-term role against long-term value. Not all of these players will contribute in 2023 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they're the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know.
1. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .297 BA (407 AB), 19 HR, 22 SB, .946 OPS, 79 BB, 116 K
Major-league stats: .259 BA (116 AB), 4 HR, 1 SB, .788 OPS, 16 BB, 34 K
Improved plate discipline took Henderson from quality prospect to maybe the best in all of baseball, and his late-season audition did little to deflate the hype. He's a shortstop by nature and may yet regain eligibility at that position, but a power/speed threat with top-of-the-lineup on-base skills is an even more welcome addition at third base.
2. Jordan Walker, Cardinals
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: Double-A
Minor-league stats: .306 BA (461 AB), 19 HR, 22 SB, .898 OPS, 58 BB, 116 K
Walker was never going to stick at third base but now seems destined to break in as an outfielder with Nolan Arenado committed long term. No matter. His bat would profile anywhere, having generated elite velocities even when he was still a teenager. He projects to be a thunderous force in the heart of a first-division lineup, perhaps as soon as this year given how easily he handled Double-A.
3. Josh Jung, Rangers
Age (on opening day): 25
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .266 BA (124 AB), 9 HR, .866 OPS, 7 BB, 35 K
Major-league stats: .204 BA (98 AB), 5 HR, .654 OPS, 4 BB, 39 K
A fractured foot ruined Jung's claim to the opening day third base job, and, perhaps feeling a need to make up for last time, he was overly aggressive when he returned -- an issue that marred his stint in the majors as well. Strikeouts had never been an issue previously, though, with his hit tool standing out most of all, so let's not bury a guy who hit .326 with a .990 OPS just one year earlier.
4. Brett Baty, Mets
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .315 BA (362 AB), 19 HR, .943 OPS, 49 BB, 104 K
Major-league stats: .184 BA (38 AB), 2 HR, .586 OPS, 2 BB, 8 K
A torn thumb ligament ended Baty's big debut early, and a subsequent return to form for Eduardo Escobar likely leaves the 23-year-old to twiddle that thumb. But his quality of contact in his brief major-league stint was excellent, even against left-handers, and he didn't let strikeouts get the better of him. He impressed beyond the production, in other words, and a new path could just as easily open for him in the outfield.
5. Curtis Mead, Rays
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .298 BA (282 AB), 13 HR, 27 2B, .922 OPS, 36 BB, 62 K
Mead doesn't have the arm to play third base and doesn't have the range to play second, and such defensive limitations, particularly for a right-handed hitter, are often a deal-breaker. The Aussie can really hit, though, profiling as a batting title contender with more power yet to come, such that even the Rays will probably be willing to take their lumps defensively.
6. Jacob Berry, Marlins
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Low-A
Minor-league stats: .248 BA (141 AB), 3 HR, 7 2B, .705 OPS, 14 BB, 29 K
Berry doesn't have much hope of sticking at third base, and finding a suitable defensive home for him could be a challenge. Though his exit velocities leave something to be desired, the scouting reports actually give him a pretty good chance of hitting for power, but it's his hit tool and on-base skills that stand out most, making him a better fit for points leagues.
7. Cam Collier, Reds
Age (on opening day): 18
Where he played in 2022: Rookie
Minor-league stats: .370 BA (27 AB), 2 HR, 1 2B, 7 BB, 6 K
Remember Lou Collier? Of course you don't, but his son just got drafted as a 17-year-old, showing terrific polish for his age with advanced pitch recognition and a mature approach. He could climb the ladder quickly, in spite of his youth, before settling in at the majors' most homer-friendly ballpark. And unlike many of the players featured here, he's actually a good bet to stick at third base.
8. Spencer Steer, Reds
Age (on opening day): 25
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .274 BA (427 AB), 23 HR, 30 2B, .879 OPS, 51 BB, 89 K
Major-league stats: .211 BA (95 AB), 2 HR, 5 2B, .632 OPS, 11 BB, 26 K
How hard a player impacts the ball matters all the more with the juiced ball out the door, and Steer doesn't measure up in that regard. He still managed to put the ball in the bleachers, though, by hitting fly balls to his pull side. That's a trick that should play well at Great American Ball Park, where he could inherit the super utility role vacated by Brandon Drury.
9. Mark Vientos, Mets
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .280 BA (378 AB), 24 HR, .877 OPS, 44 BB, 122 K
Major-league stats: .167 BA (36 AB), 1 HR, 1 2B, 5 BB, 12 K
Vientos offers more promise than the typical all-or-nothing bat, generating big power at a young age, and you could see him maybe going the Pete Alonso route if the Mets didn't already have one of those. He's likely blocked by Baty at third base and doesn't have the defensive chops for the position anyway, so it's hard to make out exactly what Vientos' path is.
10. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Reds
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .304 BA (484 AB), 32 HR, .955 OPS, 40 BB, 137 K
You see all the Reds on this list? Yeah, that's a problem for Encarnacion-Strand, who's in the same boat as Vientos as a right-hitter with defensive limitations and only one standout tool: power. Those types generally need to be in the right place at the right time, which probably doesn't describe the 2023 Reds, though with Joey Votto nearing retirement, a path may present itself.
