Top Fantasy Baseball Third Basemen for 2024: Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers, Austin Riley, Manny Machado, Alex Bregman and More

The 2024 MLB season is closing in quickly, so it’s time to start putting together your rankings for every position to make sure you’re lined up for your fantasy baseball draft.

The third base position has plenty of talent to go around, and you can get a productive fantasy player pretty much anywhere in the draft. Let’s discuss where some of the better options are being drafted and then determine if that’s a good spot to take them at.

We already covered some of the top starting pitchers, catchers, first basemen and second basemen, so be sure to check those out. We’ll cover other positions in stories to come, so check back for those.

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The Best of the Best

There’s typically five third basemen going inside the top 40 picks in fantasy drafts.

Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez is widely regarded as the top 3B in baseball, but Boston Red Soxs’ Rafael Devers and Atlanta Braves’ Austin Riley also have an argument. Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson and Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz are a couple of multi-position players that you could plug in at third base that are going inside the top 40 picks.

Ramirez had a .282 batting average and .356 on-base percentage a season ago. He had 65 extra-base hits (including 24 home runs), 80 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, 172 total hits and scored 87 runs.

His RBI numbers and power numbers were down a bit from the past couple seasons, so his draft ranking and ADP are suffering a bit as a result. This is still a guy that placed inside the top-10 fantasy hitters.

Ramirez usually starts going in drafts/rankings around pick 14. I’m actually OK taking him over a couple guys that are going ahead of him, and think if you can get him past pick 15 that it’s a steal.

Riley and Devers typically start going around pick 18 or so, and are usually off the board by pick 22.

A season ago, Riley had a .281 average, .345 on-base percentage, 72 extra-base hits (37 homers), 97 RBIs, 179 total hits and 117 runs scored.

You can see that many of Riley’s numbers are above those Ramirez posts. The big difference is in strikeouts (Riley had 172 last year, while Ramirez finished with only 73). Riley also isn’t a big steal threat, with only three a season ago. So while the power and runs scored/driven in are great, Ramirez is a bit safer to play because he puts the ball in play more often.

Devers had a .271 average, .351 on-base percentage, 67 extra-base hits (33 homers), 100 RBIs, 157 total hits and 90 runs scored a season ago.

Devers struck out 126 times, so he’s in the middle of Riley and Ramirez in that department. Devers also isn’t a big base-stealing threat, with just five a season ago.

I’ve seen rankings/drafts where Devers goes above Riley, but I’m one who prefers Riley. I’m actually OK taking Riley right after Ramirez, as I think Riley offers at least as much fantasy production as guys that typically go between him and Ramirez. 

Devers I like to take a bit closer to pick 20 simply because his average dipped to nearly .270 a season ago. If he reverts closer to his .280 average, getting him around pick 20 will be a pretty big steal.

Henderson put up solid numbers in his first full MLB season last year. He had a .255 average, .325 on-base percentage, 66 extra-base hits (28 home runs), 82 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 143 total hits and 100 runs.

He’s still 22 years old, so there’s reason to believe he can improve on some of his numbers as he matures and gets closer to his prime. He should hit atop the Orioles’ lineup, which is pretty loaded all the way through. That should mean plenty of chances to score, while also having plenty of RBI chances too.

Henderson goes around pick 30, which feels right seeing his batting average from last season. He could be a big steal at this point of the draft if his average jumps 15-20 points or if he hits for even more power. He’s also got shortstop eligibility, so I’m OK taking him a couple spots before 30 if you are without a 3B or SS to that point of the draft.

De La Cruz made plenty of headlines while getting his first MLB action a season ago. The 21-year-old finished with a .235 average, .300 on-base percentage, 35 extra-base hits (13 homers), 44 RBIs, 35 stolen bases, 91 total hits and 67 runs scored.

The low average is probably the biggest thing holding De La Cruz from being a much higher pick. I tend to see him between picks 35-40, which again feels about right given what we’ve seen from him so far. 

You never know when a young player will step into the limelight for good, and like Henderson, De La Cruz could make a ton of fantasy owners look like geniuses if he stars this season. I’m still most comfortable drafting De La Cruz in that 35-40 range, though.

Other Guys Worth Mentioning

If you miss out on those five guys, or are looking to add a couple of the top fantasy third basemen, here are a few of the next guys off the board typically.

Minnesota Twins’ Royce Lewis, San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, San Diego Padres’ Ha-Seong Kim and St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado.

Across 58 games a season ago, Lewis had a .309 average, .372 on-base percentage, 22 extra-base hits (15 homers), 52 RBIs, six stolen bases, 67 total hits and 36 runs scored.

A full season’s worth of production would likely have Lewis going much earlier in drafts. He should hit atop the Twins’ lineup, which isn’t quite as good as most of the other guys on this list. That means that Lewis might have to make up the difference with a high average again. I’ve seen Lewis going anywhere from pick 40-55, and I’d prefer him around pick 50 or so, otherwise I’d wait for one of these upcoming guys.

Machado had a down season in 2023, finishing with a .258 average, .319 on-base percentage, 51 extra-base hits (30 homers), 91 RBIs, 140 total hits and 75 runs scored.

He’s a career .279 hitter, so getting back closer to that average could make him a steal for where he’s usually going in drafts, which is around pick 45 or so. I like Machado and Lewis pretty equally, so it’s really your preference if you want more of a contact hitter (Lewis) or power threat (Machado).

Bregman is a player I view as a value pick. He had a .262 average, .363 on-base percentage, 57 extra-base hits (25 home runs), 98 RBIs, 163 hits and 103 runs scored across 161 games played last season.

In a loaded Astros’ lineup, Bregman should have plenty of RBI chances again this season. He’s got a decent average and plays nearly every day. I’m really not sure I understand him ranked/drafted as late as he’s going sometimes (around pick 100). I’m a fan of drafting him in the 70s, and think he is even a steal there. He was a top-10 fantasy hitter last season and could be even better this season if his average creeps back up toward his career mark of .274. Don’t pass on Bregman if you get the chance, even if you already have a 3B locked in.

Kim is a guy I’ve already covered in the 2B story. He also has shortstop eligibility, so you’ll see him again soon.

Kim had a .260 average, .351 on-base percentage, 40 extra-base hits (17 homers), 60 RBIs, 38 stolen bases, 140 total hits and 84 runs scored. Not many of those numbers pop off the page (maybe except the steals), but he’s just a solid all-around player. 

Kim usually goes between picks 85-100 and I like taking him in the late 80s or 90s, especially with some position versatility. He’s a player to target if you took a gamble on a 2B/SS/3B earlier in the draft.

Arenado had a down season in 2023, but still put up solid final numbers. Across 144 games played, Arenado had a .266 average, .315 on-base percentage, 54 extra-base hits (26 homers), 93 RBIs, 149 total hits and 71 runs scored. Not bad for a down season.

He’s still only 32 years old, so while he’s on the downswing of his career, he’s still one of the premier power hitting infielders in the game. He’ll bat in the heart of the Cardinals’ lineup again, and there should be enough talent to help Arenado put up more respectable numbers by the time the season is over.

Arenado’s ranking/draft slot is all over the place right now - I’ve seen him drafted early in the 60s to low 80s. I honestly think Arenado will outperform being drafted anywhere in that range. I’m fine taking him in the 50s even, and the later you get him, the better chance you have of assembling an incredible fantasy team.