Top 10 Third Baseman Entering the 2026 MLB Season

Welcome to the latest series here at Baseball Scoops! We will be breaking down the top ten players each position heading into the 2026 MLB season! Every position has its reasons for the rankings, so let’s dive into it! Today we breakdown the top ten third baseman entering the 2026 Season!

Top 10 Third Baseman Entering the 2026 MLB Season

Photo Credit: MLB.com

1. José Ramírez: Cleveland Guardians

He is the definition of consistency. The future Hall of Famer is the best third baseman in the league and by a wide mile. He does everything right, as he is a stellar power bat that has the ability to cause chaos on the base paths.

Ramírez has hit 30+ home runs in three of the last five seasons and now has had back to back 30/40 seasons. He didn’t lead third baseman in home runs this season (30), but his 44 stolen bases led the group. Also, he led the group in OPS (.863) and wRC+ (133).

His approach at the plate is undeniably good. Ramírez had the third lowest strikeout rate of all qualified third baseman and also the fourth highest walk rate. He is also an elite defender at the hot corner, ranking in the 93rd percentile for outs above average. He does it all?

2. Junior Caminero: Tampa Bay Rays

Caminero is not the strongest defensively. However, he is one of the best bats amongst this group and is coming off a monstrous season for the Rays.

Caminero slashed .264/.311/.535 with a .846 OPS and 129 wRC+. His .535 slugging percentage led all third baseman. Caminero has elite bat speed (100th percentile), while ranking in the 92nd percentile for hard hit rate and average exit velocity. All that raw power led to hitting 45 runs, setting a career high for himself and was two shy of setting the franchise record.

Caminero did benefit from playing at Steinbrenner Field, slashing .313/.358/.595 with a .954 OPS. 22 of his 45 home runs came there. On the road, he hit .218 with an OPS below .800. Regardless, he had elite production and was one of the best at the position in 2025.

3. Manny Machado: San Diego Padres

The defense took a step back for Machado in 2025, ranking in the 8th percentile for outs above average. Although, with one of the prettiest swings in the sport, Machado was still a very prominent bat and arguably the best bat the Padres had in 2025.

Related Article: Top 10 Second Baseman Entering the 2026 MLB Season

Machado is still prominent with making hard contact and barreling the baseball. The bat speed is still at an elite level and his exit velocities are among the best of the best. He still hit 20+ home runs and for a team that struggled in that regard it stands out.

Machado slashed .275/.335/.460 with a .795 OPS and the third highest wRC+ among the group (125). Still one of the best in the sport going in year 15.

Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

4. Maikel Garcia: Kansas City Royals

Fitting the bill is one of the big breakout players from the 2025 season. Very few bright spots came offensively for the Royals, but Garcia was very valuable to the club.

Garcia slashed .286/.351/.449 with an .800 OPS and 121 wRC+. He had the fourth highest walk rate of the entire group, while also having the fourth lowest strikeout rate. In addition, he ate a career high in home runs (16) and stole 23 bases. His approach at the plate is unbelievable, ranking in the 92nd percentile for whiff rate and 91st for chase rate.

He was also a very elite defender, ranking in the 98th percentile for outs above average and 97th percentile for fielding run value. Garcia is a fantastic player and worthy of being in the top five.

5. Alex Bregman: Chicago Cubs

It was a tale of two seasons for Alex Bregman. At the start of the season, Bregman was playing at an MVP level for the Red Sox, as he hit .299 with a .938 OPS. He was on pace for a strong season and very well setting a career high in doubles. Fenway Park was friendly to him. He came back from injury earlier than anticipated and he hit under .250 with an OPS below .800.

Bregman is still a fantastic player, who still hit 18 home runs and finished the year with a .822 OPS. Bregman has great plate disprove, as he ranks in the 95th percentile for chase rate, 92nd percentile for whiff rate, and does a great job of generating his walks. Also, he’s an adequate defender.

Wrigley Field will be very interesting from a park factor standpoint, but Bregman is still a top third base option in the league.

6. Matt Chapman: San Francisco Giants

Bregman was slightly better offensively, as he had 125 wRC+ compared to Chapman’s 118. Although, Chapman did hit three more home runs, but drove in one fewer run than Bregman. Truthfully, it’s a very close race.

Chapman slashed .231/.340/.430 with a .770 OPS, which was slightly below what Bregman posted. The strikeout rates were alarming for Chapman (23.6%), but he had the highest walk rate among qualified third baseman in 2025 with 13.3%.

Chapman is still a solid defensive third baseman and continues to solidify what’s a strong left side of the infield in San Francisco.

Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

7. Bo Bichette: New York Mets

It remains to be seen how the defense will factor when playing third base. The former short stop will now man the hot corner. -13 outs above average and defensive runs saved doesn’t inspire much confidence. However, his bat is a very elite one and he was instrumental to the success that the Blue Jays did have.

Bichette is a phenomenal contact bat and utilizes the entire field when spraying the ball around. He bounced back in a major way, hitting .311 with an .840 OPS. He won’t blow you away with blazing speed, but he will get on base.

Bichette finds the sweet spot and generates hard contact. Furthermore, he does not whiff nor does he strikeout. A major weapon for the Mets offense who needs a reliable bat.

8. Eugenio Suarez: Free Agent

Defense has been a regression for him. It was evident this season with the Diamondbacks and you saw how much the Diamondbacks improved after the trade deadline in that regard. Not a slight against him, just change of direction.

What Suarez lacked in the defensive department he made up for with his play at the plate. His batting profile is t the greatest, as he was top ten in strikeout rate and total strikeouts in 2025. There is a lot of swing and miss in his game and he chases outside the zone. Sounds negative right? Well, the results he had were nothing short of amazing and a reason he finds himself on this list.

Suarez led all third baseman in home runs (49) and he drove in 118 runs between the Diamondbacks and Mariners. Suarez had the third highest OPS (.824) and wRC+ (125) and was an offensive machine. Also, he was one of three players to have a four home run game in 2025. Designated hitter duties could be a thing for him in the near future, but he’s also a player who could play first base.

9. Austin Riley: Atlanta Braves

This is the man with the highest contract given out by the Braves franchise. He’s now two seasons removed from a stellar 37 home run season, where he also finished with an .861 OPS and was a pure machine for the Braves.

There are still tools you like and believe that he can bounce back. Riley has tremendous bat speed (93rd percentile) and still makes hard contact and has great barrel rates. However, he does need to improve on his strikeout rates and his ability to generate walks.

Riley is slightly below average defensively and dealt with numerous injuries. There is a chance where the 28 year old gets back to being the 30 home run power hitter we’ve grown to see in Atlanta.

Photo Credit: John Fisher/GettyImages

10. Caleb Durbin: Milwaukee Brewers

I truly do love the tools and the elements that McKinstry brings to the table. Originally, I had him penciled in, but with the addition of Bichette, tough decisions were made. Durbin brings similar elements and despite McKinstry being higher amongst the fWAR leaders (3.4) compared to Durbin (2.7), Durbin does make the cut.

Durbin hit .256 with a .721 OPS. He hit as many home runs as McKinstry (11) and stole 18 bases, which placed him in the 78th percentile for base running value. Durbin is a better defender and plays the position fundamentally well. Also, he has better approaches at the plate.

Durbin does not chase and ranked in the 96th percentile for swing and miss. Also, he doesn’t strikeout. Could he do some things better? Absolutely. But he was a rookie and is going into his sophomore season.