Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Third Basemen

Welcome back to another installment of Top Dynasty Keepers for 2025. We have made our trip around the infield as we highlight the third basemen this week.

This is an interesting position. There is some solid depth as you can land a good starter from the Tier 2 group or even Tier 3 if one of those players has a breakout year. But the top talent skews toward the older side as six of my top 20 players are 31 years old or older.

There are some solid players who are in their 20s, but there is no Bobby Witt Jr. or Gunnar Henderson in this group.

Overall, it is a position with one great player, a lot of above average players and then a gaggle of players who have the potential to be above average but are not there yet.

Just Missed the Cut

Gio Urshela played in 128 games with Detroit and Atlanta in 2024 and saw time at first and third base. So if you need a utility player with some power, Urshela could come in handy, even at the age of 33 next year.

A younger fill-in with some value is Edmundo Sosa of the Phillies. Decent slash line last season and he has some power, hitting seven homers in 249 at-bats. He can play multiple positions, so that helps his value.

After these two is a whole bunch of the same type of player – Nick Senzel, Anthony Rendon (assuming he actually is on the field), Jose Iglesias, Patrick Wisdom, etc. Plug them in if needed, but hope you don’t have to plug them in.

Top Prospects

• Charlie Condon, Colorado
• Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs
• Brayden Taylor, Tampa Bay
• Cam Collier, Cincinatti
• Cam Smith, Chicago Cubs
• Brady House, Washington

Tier 5

*Age as of April 1, 2025

RANK	PLAYER	2024 TEAM	AGE
50	Ramon Urias	BAL	30
49	Yoan Moncada	CWS	29
48	Ezequiel Duran	TEX	25
47	Lenyn Sosa	CWS	24
46	Curtis Mead	TB	30
45	Jared Triolo	PIT	27
44	Josh Rojas	SEA	30
43	Brett Baty	NYM	25
42	Jace Jung	DET	24
41	Brooks Lee	MIN	24

Just Another Backup

Yoan Moncada is never going to be the star player many expected him to be as he was one of the key players the White Sox got when they traded Chris Sale to the Red Sox. Since that trade Moncada has had only one good season and a host of mediocre to bad seasons to go along with a host of injuries. The White Sox smartly did not pick up his $25 million option and some team is going to sign Moncada and hope he stays healthy and figures things out at the plate.

But right now, I don’t expect much from him and you shouldn’t either as his “breakout” 2019 season is five years in the rearview mirror.

Players with Upside

What to do with Brett Baty? He is a former first round draft pick and former top 100 prospect who has succeeded in the minors with a career .283/.382/.507 slash line with 64 homers and 225 RBI in 325 games. But with the Mets he has struggled to the tune of .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers and 55 RBI in 169 games with 159 strikeouts. Mark Vientos has surpassed him at third base, but Baty got time in at second base in the minors this past year and he can play left field. His future may not be at third, but the ceiling is too tantalizing to not take a chance on Baty as a buy-low candidate.

Jace Jung is still known as the little brother of Josh Jung. Perhaps one day he will just be known as the brother of Josh Jung. He has above average power and is likely headed for a job at third base with Colt Keith setting up shop at second base. He did not have a great debut with the Tigers this year as he slashed .241/.362/.304 with no homers and three RBI. He also had a 31% strikeout rate but countered that with a 16% walk rate.

Brooks Lee can play third base, second base and shortstop, but his future is likely at second base, which is one reason why he is ranked in Tier 5. A switch-hitter, Lee has excellent contact skills as he had more walks than strikeouts during his college career and had a 15.3% strikeout rate in the minors and a solid 14.6% strikeout rate during his 50-game stint with the Twins last year. He also can drive the ball and has a solid upside, though at what position is the real question.

Tier 4

RANK	PLAYER	2024 TEAM	AGE
40	Enrique Hernandez	LAD	33
39	Ke’Bryan Hayes	PIT	28
38	Oswaldo Cabrera	NYY	26
37	Addison Barger	TOR	25
36	Max Schuemann	OAK	27
35	Maikel Garcia	KC	25
34	Josh Smith	TEX	27
33	Ernie Clement	TOR	29
32	Paul DeJong	KC	31
31	Christopher Morel	TB	25

What to do With Hayes and Cabrera?

Ke’Bryan Hayes is a former top 10 prospect who burst onto the scene in 2020 by hitting .377/.442/.682 with five homers and 11 RBI in 24 games. Since then, however, Hayes has struggled to live up to his prospect hype. Since 2021, he has a .252/.306/.370 slash line with a 162-game average of 11 homers and 59 RBI while struggling to stay on the field thanks to injuries. The best thing about Hayes right now is the speed he provides as he recorded double-digit steals in each of the last three seasons.

Oswaldo Cabrera was never a top 10 prospect, much less a top 100 prospect, but always seemed to have a lot of hype surrounding him due to playing for the Yankees. The hype built for him in 2021 when he hit 29 homers, drove in 89 runs and stole 21 bases at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. But his production in the majors has never matched what he did in the minors.

In 108 games this past season, he set career highs with eight home runs and 36 RBI while slashing .247/.296/.352 and his 162-game average is only 12 homers and 51 RBI. The saving grace for Cabera is the fact he can play all four infield positions as well as left and right field, though he likely only qualifies as a first, second and third baseman in most leagues.

Are Hayes and Cabrera worth a roster spot? As depth options, yes. As starters, no.

Depth Options

If you believe Ernie Clement can hold off Addison Barger for the starting job at third and if you believe that Clement’s 2024 season wasn’t an anomaly, then go ahead and snag him to be a depth player at third base and shortstop and possibly second base. Clement played in a career high 139 games for the Blue Jays and slashed .263/.284/.408 with 12 homers, 51 RBI and 12 steals. His career slash line is .249/.282/.361), so I would not count on him replicating his 2024 season in 2025. But he can provide decent depth.

Paul DeJong can play multiple positions and hit 24 homers this season, but that is the extent of where he really helps on offense as he had a .227/.276/.427 slash line and he has not hit better than .233 since the 2020 season. But cheap power is good power, so as a depth player he has value.

Speaking of Barger, if you think he will beat out Clement at third, then he is a player that could surprise a little. He has power as he hit seven homers in 69 games for the Blue Jays. But he also had a .197/.250/.351 slash line with a 27% strikeout rate. If you are keen on his power potential, then he is worth a shot to stash on your team.

The One-Dimensional Player

This is what I said about Christopher Morel in my second baseman rankings and it applies here as well: Morel can hit the ball a long way. But that is really all he can do. He has a career home run rate of 4.3%, which is way above the 3% average. But he also has a .223 career batting average and a 29% strikeout rate. If you care only about power who can play third base and left field as well, Morel is great to have. But that is basically all he will provide.

Tier 3

RANK	PLAYER	2024 TEAM	AGE
30	Willi Castro	MIN	27
29	Dylan Moore	SEA	32
28	Luis Rengifo	LAA	28
27	Jose Caballero	TB	28
26	Jose Miranda	MIN	26
25	Max Muncy	LAD	34
24	Joey Ortiz	MIL	26
23	Jeimer Candelario	CIN	31
22	Ryan McMahon	COL	30
21	Matt Vierling	DET	28

The Versatile Group

If you want players who can play multiple positions who provide depth in deep leagues and offer some decent stats – either in the slash line, homers, speed or a combination – then players such as Willi Castro, Dylan Moore, Luis Rengifo and Jose Caballero are great players to have on your team. Castro and Moore reached double digits in homers and steals this season while Rengifo had six homers in 78 games but hit 16 and 17 the previous two seasons while Caballero 44 bases and had nine homers.

These aren’t star players, but in deep leagues they are the type who provide great depth and at least help in one category if not more.

Can Ortiz do More?

I like Joey Ortiz. I like the fact he can hit with some power and help with steals. In his first full season he had 11 homers and 11 steals to go with 60 RBI. He also had a walk rate of 11% with a 20% strikeout rate, so he has a good understanding of the plate.

But I’m not sure how much more power he is going to develop. He did hit 19 homers in 2022 while in the minors, but 15 of those came at Double-A as a 23-year-old. I think he can add more power, but saying he will be a consistent 20-homer player would be a reach.

A Lot Better Than You Think

Matt Vierling may be somewhat surprising to be in this tier, but he has a lot of value in deep leagues. He can be slotted as a third baseman, left fielder (depending on league rules), right fielder and center fielder.

At the plate, as he has received more and more playing time, his stats have improved as well. This season he hit a career high 16 homers and drove in a career high 57 runs while slashing .257/.312/.423. His SLG has improved each season since 2022, when he slugged .351 for the Phillies in 117 games. It rose to .388 in 2023 and then reached .423 this year.

Tier 2

RANK	PLAYER	2024 TEAM	AGE
20	Nolan Arenado	STL	33
19	Noelvi Marte	CIN	23
18	Connor Norby	MIA	24
17	Coby Mayo	BAL	23
16	Jake Burger	MIA	28
15	Eugenio Suarez	ARI	33
14	Isaac Paredes	CHC	26
13	Alec Bohm	PHI	27
12	Josh Jung	TEX	27
11	Matt Chapman	SF	31

Respect to the Elders

Of the 10 players in this tier, seven of them are 28 years old or younger. The three elder players are Nolan Arenado, Eugenio Suarez and Matt Chapman.

Arenado is no longer the slugging third baseman he once was. After slugging .533 in 2022, that number fell to .459 in 2023 and .394 this past season. The 16 homers he hit were the fewest since he hit 10 in 2013 (his rookie season) and his home run totals the last four years have been 34, 30, 26 and 16. In most leagues, Arenado is not a starter. In deep leagues, he is a fringe starter. If you prefer a younger player from Tier 4 or have a prospect that you prefer to play at third base, I can’t argue with you.

Eugenio Suarez slugged 30 homers and drove in 101 runs in his first season in the desert. His 162-game average is 30 homers and 92 RBI with a .248/.331/.457 slash line. So why is Suarez ranked only 15th? Because he is 33 years old and he basically helps only in the homer/RBI categories. If I am not getting one of the more well-rounded older third basemen who are in Tier 1, then I prefer to build around a younger player at the hot corner. If you’re only looking two or three years ahead, then bump Suarez up as he will continue to hit home runs and drive in runs for Arizona.

Matt Chapman gets ranked ahead of Suarez mostly because he is two years younger. At the plate his stats are close to what Suarez produces. His 162-game average is 29 homers and 80 RBI, while the slash line is .241/.328/.463. The same note about Suarez applies here – a short view can keep Chapman ranked here or higher.

Unproven Talent

Noelvi Marte, Connor Norby and Coby Mayo fall into Tier 2 mostly due to their expected value compared to current value. Marte entered the 2024 season as a Top 25 prospect according to Baseball America, MLB and Baseball Prospectus. He has an intriguing combination of power and speed. He showed his ability in 2023 when he played in 35 games and slashed .316/.366/.456. But he struggled in 2024 with a .210/.248/.301 slash line and only four homers and 18 RBI in 66 games though he did have nine steals.

If the Reds trade Jonathan India, it will clear a spot for Jeimer Candelario to get more time at DH and for Marte to take over fulltime at third.

Connor Norby was behind too many top prospects in Baltimore, so the trade to Miami in July was a perfect place for him to land. After slashing .188/.188/.406 in nine games with the Orioles, Norby slashed .247/.315/.445 with seven home runs and 17 RBI in 36 games. That is a 162-game pace of 32 homers and 72 RBI. And the power is real. In college at East Carolina he had a career SLG of .596 and in the minors it was .494.

The cheer you heard when the Orioles announced they will be moving the left field fence in for 2025 was from Coby Mayo and every other right-handed power hitter who play for Baltimore. Mayo did not leave a good first impression this past season after slashing .098/.196/.098 in 17 games and 41 at-bats. Don’t let that showing keep you from going after Mayo. He hit 25 homers in the minors this past season with a .592 SLG and his career SLG in 390 minor league games is .541.

I expect Jackson Holliday to play second base, Gunnar Henderson to remain at short and Jordan Westburg to hold down the fort at third (or Westburg can play second, Henderson play third and Holliday be at short or any combination involving those three players at those three positions). If that is the case, Mayo will likely get time at third, first and DH. But for now he is a third baseman and one you should want.

Just Stay Healthy

Texas Rangers fans would love to see what Josh Jung could do over 162 games. So far they have seen him play in 26 games in 2022, 122 in 2023 and only 46 last season. In 2023 he slashed .266/.315/.467 with 23 homers and 70 RBI and his 162-game average is .257/.301/.450 with 29 homers and 84 RBI. His career HR% is 4.4% and his strikeout rate has dropped every season since his debut.

In his one “full” season, his Average EV ranked in the 87th percentile and his Launch Angle Sweet-Spot% ranked in the 98th percentile. Those who have Jung on their roster have likely been frustrated by him, but now is not the time to give up on him.

Tier 1

RANK	PLAYER	2024 TEAM	AGE
10	Alex Bregman	HOU	31
9	Royce Lewis	MIN	25
8	Jordan Westburg	BAL	26
7	Mark Vientos	NYM	25
6B	Jazz Chisholm	NYY	27
6A	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	26
5	Junior Caminero	TB	21
4	Manny Machado	SD	32
3	Austin Riley	ATL	27
2	Rafael Devers	BOS	28
1	Jose Ramirez	CLE	32

Down Year, or New Trend?

Ranking Alex Bregman at No. 10 comes with an asterisk mark: was 2024 the start of a trend, or just a blip in an otherwise very consistent career? Bregman is not going to match what he did in 2018 and 2019 as he has not come close to those numbers since. But over the last three years he has been very consistent, hitting 23, 25 and 26 homers with batting averages of .259, .262, .260 and SLG percentages of .454, .441, .453.

What is concerning about Bregman is the massive drop in his walk percentage. His career walk rate is 11.9%. But in 2024, it dropped to 6.9% – his lowest percentage since his rookie season in 2016. Why the huge drop? One reason can be traced to the fact that the Astros were missing Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker for huge chunks of the season, leading Bregman to expand his zone in order to try to drive in runs.

If he continues to have a walk rate in the 7% range, then his OBP drops and his runs scored drop, making him a less valuable third baseman, though a third baseman with an OPS+ of 118 this season and one who has never been lower than 112. For now I will consider this a blip on the radar.

Just Stay Healthy, Part II

Take what I said about Texas Rangers fans and Josh Jung and insert Minnesota Fans and Royce Lewis here. Lewis has done nothing but mash the ball when he is on the field. In 152 career games with the Twins, he has 33 home runs and 104 RBI to go with a .268/.327/.497 slash line and a 126 OPS+. The problem with Lewis is he can’t stay on the field. He was limited to 58 games in 2023 and 82 games last season. His strikeout and walk rates are on par with the MLB average and his career ISO is .230 compared to the MLB average of .158.

Young but Unproven

Jordan Westburg and Mark Vientos do not have a long track record of MLB experience, but what they have done during their brief careers and what I expect them to keep doing places them in my top 10.

In 107 games in 2024, Westburg slugged .481 thanks to 18 homers, 26 doubles and five triples. His xBA and xSLG ranked in the 92nd percentile this past season while his AEV, Barrel% and LA Sweet-Spot% all ranked in the 80th to 88th percentile. The Orioles are moving the left field fences in for 2025, and that is good news for right-handers, but Westburg actually hit eight of his homers to the right side of center field as his power plays in any park.

The Mets gave Mark Vientos a chance to prove himself in 2024 and the young slugger took advantage of it by hitting 27 homers and driving in 71 runs in 111 games while slashing .266/.322/.516. His 162-game average is 31 homers and 81 RBI. The power is real – in parts of seven minor league seasons, Vientos has a .500 SLG. It would be nice if he cuts down on his career 30% strikeout rate, but his career AEV is 91.7 mph and his Hard Hit% is 48.1% (MLB average is 39%).

Cheating a Bit

I have ranked both Jazz Chisholm and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sixth because I don’t think they remain eligible at third base beyond the 2025 season. Chisholm stepped in at third base for the Yankees and did a fine job, but I think he moves back to second base/center field next season, especially if Juan Soto is playing in Queens or wherever next season. Chisholm isn’t your traditional third baseman. While he can hit for power, he also has great speed and that gives him a huge scoring advantage at this position.

This is what I said about Guerrero in my first base rankings: “Guerrero had a breakout season in 2021, when at the tender age of 22, he hit 48 homers, drove in 111 runs and slashed .311/.401/.601 to finish second in the MVP voting. Those are some pretty lofty numbers to try to match every year, and Guerrero hasn’t. But all he has done since then is hit 88 home runs and drive in 294 runs while slashing .287/.360/.489. His “worst” season since 2021 was last year when he hit 26 homers and had 94 RBI while slashing .264/.345/.444.

Guerrero found his mojo at the plate this past season as he slashed .323/.396/.544. That is a top-10 finish across the board in the slash categories as the averaged ranked second in MLB while the OBP ranked third and the SLG ranked ninth. That is pretty solid for a player who hasn’t even reached his prime yet.”

Guerrero is a stud, and at third base he will provide great numbers. I just think it is for only one season.

A Surprise at Five

Putting Junior Caminero here will be considered a reach by some and crazy by others. But sometimes the eye test knows when a talented player is on the field and should be a top target in dynasty leagues. Caminero is one of those players. At the age of 20 last season, he appeared in 43 games for the Rays and slashed .248/.299/.724 with six homers and 18 RBI. Those aren’t great numbers, but he had only a 21.5% strikeout rate and a 46% Hard-Hit% compared to the MLB average of 39.3%.

He has a lot to learn and he may go through some prolonged slumps in 2025, but his upside is too good to pass up.

The Final Four

Manny Machado is four years older than Austin Riley, and that is why he is ranked behind him. From 2021 to 2023 Machado averaged 30 homers and 100 RBI in 147 games with a .278/.345/.495 and finished 18th in the MVP voting in 2022 and second in 2023. This past season he slashed .275/.325/.472 with 29 homers and 105 RBI while also swiping 11 bases.

Injuries hurt Austin Riley’s production this past season (19 homers, 56 RBI in 110 games). But from 2021 through 2023 (to compare him to Machado) Riley’s average season was 36 homers and 99 RBI with a .286/.354/.525 slash line while averaging 159 games. During those three years he finished seventh, sixth and seventh in the MVP voting. There is no reason to think Riley is not going to return to that level of production next year and beyond.

Like Machado and Riley, Devers is just a consistent force at the plate. His career slash line is .279/.345/.511 with a 126 OPS+. From 2021-2023 he averaged 150 games per season with 33 homers, 100 RBI and a .282/.354/.520 slash line and a 133 OPS+. This past season wasn’t Dever’s best, yet he still hit 28 homers and drove in 83 runs in 138 games.

Jose Ramirez is going to be 32 years old on Opening Day in 2025. And I say who cares, at least when it comes to Ramirez. All the switch-hitter does is produce year after year. This season he slashed .279/.335/.537 with 39 homers and 118 RBI, the third time in four years he has topped 100 RBI. What separates Ramirez from the rest of the third basemen is the fact he also has speed. He stole 41 bases this year and has not had fewer than 20 steals in any full season since 2017. Over the last four seasons his OPS+ has been 142, 148, 128 and 143.

Age is often a factor when deciding between two similar players, but in the case of Ramirez, throw that out of the window.

Come Back Next Week

Thanks for reading and come back next week for the top 50 third basemen.

Previous Rankings

Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Relievers
Top 100 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Starting Pitchers
Top 40 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Catchers
Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – First Basemen
Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Second Basemen
Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Shortstops