Third base wasn't viewed as a strong position entering 2026, and it doesn't look much stronger. Sure, we had players like Sal Stewart, Miguel Vargas, and Kevin McGonigle breaking out and establishing themselves as the next generation of the position, perhaps, and that ain't nothing. But we also had deeply disappointing seasons from Jose Ramirez, Jazz Chisholm, Manny Machado, Austin Riley, Maikel Garcia, Bo Bichette, Eugenio Suarez, and Noelvi Marte, all of whom were drafted in the top 10 at the position.
It would not be an overstatement to say that eight of the top 10 at the position busted, and you can throw Matt Chapman (3B12 in ADP) and Addison Barger (3B14) in there, too, to round it out. So, yeah, we needed the breakouts. Because a lot of the old standbys let us down and it's not like the breakouts are without their flaws or concerns – any player who has only done it once is going to enter the next season with at least some question marks.
Looking ahead to 2027, Junior Caminero might be the only sure thing at the position. He's going to be a first-rounder no matter what, but if you're the type to play position scarcity games, you might need to make sure you reach for him no matter where you're picking. Because if not, you're going to be left with a big question mark at an important position.
There are those who will argue Ramirez is very easy to rank. Some will say you should take his decline at face value; when a 34-year-old starts to fall off, they don't generally get it back. Ramirez enters the final week of the season hitting .237, his worst mark since 2015, while his 12 homers are his fewest since 2016.
Sure, there was a mid-season hand surgery to blame it on, but to reiterate an earlier point: You probably shouldn't expect a 34-year-old to be healthier than he was in the past. Just take the numbers and the decline at face value. That's one approach you can take.
But I don't think it'll be mine. Because, despite the mediocre production, it doesn't actually look like Ramirez's skill set has declined much at all. His strikeout rate is up, but at 12.9%, it's still within a percentage point of his career mark, while his walk rate is actually his highest since 2021.
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