3rd baseman Tier Rankings 2009

Every year in fantasy baseball the 3rd base position has been extremely deep. Not this year. This year 3rd base is one of those positions that position scarcity enthusiasts pay a lot of attention too. If you don't get somebody in the 1st tier then the drop off to tier 2 is quite extreme. Fantasy baseball managers have always been able to wait till the middle rounds to draft a 3rd baseman, however this year if you use this strategy you will end up with a weak player at that position. Here are my 3rd baseman rankings using a tier ranking system. I will rank these players using a basic 5x5 h2h league. Projected fantasy stats will be show like: (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB)

Tier 1.
This is the best of them. These three fantasy all stars will all be gone before the end of the first round of your fantasy baseball draft. This tier of 3rd baseman are 5 category contributors. If you end up with one of these 3 players you will have a great chance of winning your league.

1. Alex Rodriguez. (44/140/110/.310/20)
Steroids or not this guy is a fantasy stud. Even though he has just been charged with using steroids this guy is the best player to ever play the game. Everyone is protecting him to have a down fantasy season however i am predicting the opposite. Now even A-Rod has something to prove, he needs to prove that he is the best, he needs to show them he is still the best even off the juice. Look for him to be an obvious AL MVP candidate. He could be in a tier all of his own. Ohh yeah and all this is coming from a Red Sox fan, yes that hurts to admit he is the best, but lies wont get you anywhere.

2. David Wright. (30/115/120/.300/17)
The sky is the limit for this kid. He puts up great numbers every year. He is only 26 years off age. Look for him to be gone in the first 5 picks. Yet another 5 category contributor at the hot corner. David wright definitely belongs in the first tier of third baseman.

3. Miguel Cabrera. (42/117/95/.303/2)
Miggy will also have 1st base eligibility making him a great tool for your fantasy baseball team. The last of the "big 3" of third baseman. He has quite a ceiling and could easily top 140 RBI's in the Detroit offense. He is also young making him great in a keeper league.

That's the end of tier 1 for third baseman. This year in fantasy baseball after the first tier there are very few options at 3rd base. Try and use your first pick to get one of these guys or don't even bother. These 3 will carry your offense in many weeks.

Tier 2.
Remember when i said there was an immense drop off, i was not kidding. These guys are scary to draft and a few of them go quite early in the draft. if you must draft one of these guys wait for one that has a history of putting up consistent numbers.

4. Evan Longoria. (30/105/95/.280/10)
This kid tore it up in 2008. He carried the Rays throughout the year. Look for a slight sophomore slump. However he will still be a solid contributor throughout the season. His average is significantly lower than the third baseman in the first tier.

5. Aramis Ramirez. (25/115/100/.295/3)
He seems to be in his prime. Look for him to put up a consistent 25-30 home runs each year. He plays for the cubs so there should be plenty of players on base for him to drive in. look for this kid to go in the 4th round, if he is still there take him and you wont regret it.

6. Chipper Jones. (20/85/90/.320/0)
These number will be put up in about 450 at bats. Look for a back up 3rd baseman to get the other 150 at bats you would get. However this guys when he does play will put up some great numbers. Look out for injuries as they could quickly end his season.

7. Garrett Atkins. (22/95/87/.290/0)
His numbers continue to fall as time goes on. Draft him and expect about these numbers, definitely wont be any higher. If you want a 3rd baseman with no upside than go for it, but i suggest waiting for someone else.


Tier 3.
These guys are better to wait for than wasting an early pick for someone in the second tier. The drop off from tier 2 to tier 3 is not as big. Look for most of these guys to go past the 6th round.

8. Kevin Youkilis. (25/110/100/.285/2)
Kevin is a great fantasy player. He plays every day and plays in a great lineup where mean on base is a site he often sees. Look for him to lower his HR and AVG however he will still get those 100+ RBI's. This guy is great to wait for.

9. Ryan Zimmerman. (25/90/80/.275/1)
He now has another big swinger in Adam Dunn. Look for these two to put up some respectable numbers.


Tier 4.

10. Edwin Encarnacion. (25/75/70/.265/1)
The Reds are good this year? They could be. They have a lot of young talent. Hitting can be contagious and if those young studs around him begin to hit he could as well. Look for my projections to be the floor for him with a lot of upside.

11. Chris Davies. (25/100/75/.270/0)
This is a great sleeper candidate at the 3rd base position. Even though he falls all the way to the 4th tier of third baseman he has a lot of upside. Again this guy like Edwin has quite the ceiling, lets see what they can do!

12. Mark Reynolds. (30/90/80/.245/0)
The Adam Dunn of third baseman. He has amazing RBI potential however his average, well SUCKS. If you draft this guy make sure you have a few guys that can carry you in the average category.

13. Kevin Kouzmanoff. (22/90/70/.255/0)
if you need 25 home runs, then here you go, but don't expect any more than that from him.

14. Alex Gordon. (27/83/80/.275/10)
Still has limitless potential. Look for this to be the year he begins to break out. If you can get this guy after the 15th round, take him and wait and see what happens.

15. Adrian Beltre. (20/80/75/.280/5)
The model consistency. These are the numbers you will get, no more no less. Take him and pencil in the above numbers and move on to your next pick.

That is the end of my third baseman tier rankings for 2009. As you can see the drop off after the first tier is quite substantial. Try to get someone in the first tier, otherwise wait till the later rounds to fill the hot corner position on your roster.