Top 10 MLB 3B of 2020: Projecting This Year’s Best

At this time last year, Machado would have been a lock to be in the top five on this list, and he probably would have been closer to No. 1 than No. 5. That doesn't speak especially well in regards to how he performed in his first season with the Padres.

After signing a 10-year/$300 million deal with San Diego in free agency, Machado struggled in his first season playing his home games at Petco Park. In 283 at-bats in his new home park, Machado hit just .219 and posted an on-base percentage below .300.

If you're looking for a silver lining, Machado still was an excellent player on the road last year, slashing .289/.369/.513 in 304 at-bats away from Petco Park. Of course, for the next nine seasons, Machado will play 81 regular season games at Petco Park. The Padres desperately need the 27-year-old to improve at home this season.

Bryant sometimes feels like a forgotten man in these discussions, perhaps because in his age-24 season, he posted a staggering 7.9 fWAR, won the National League MVP and helped the Cubs snap a 108-year World Series drought.

However, even if Bryant is unlikely to ever top his historic 2016 season, he's still only 28, and is coming off of a 2019 season where he slashed .282/.382/.521 with 31 home runs, 74 walks and a .903 OPS.

Even if his future in Chicago is uncertain, Bryant remains a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat, one any team would be lucky to have over the long run if the Cubs don't ultimately lock him up.

Chris Sale helped the Boston Red Sox to win a World Series, but as his future looks increasingly murky, Moncada is part of a budding core in Chicago that has the White Sox thinking they could become the most interesting team in the Windy City over the next few seasons.

All Moncada did in his age-24 season was hit .315 with 25 home runs, 79 RBIs, a .915 OPS and a 5.7 fWAR. His early-career success led to the White Sox inking him to a five-year/$70 million deal in March, one that features a club option for a sixth season.

The White Sox may be a season away from being able to legitimately challenge the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians in the American League Central, but with Moncada, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jiminez and Lucas Giolito, they are set up to be one of baseball's most successful teams this decade.

In a post Mookie Betts world, one where the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees each look like they could win over 100 games, there isn't a ton to be excited about in Boston right now.

That acknowledged, Boston should feel ecstatic about Devers, who exploded for 32 home runs and 115 RBIs in his age-22 season. For good measure, Devers slashed .311/.361/.555 with a 5.9 fWAR in 2019.

With uncertainty about Chris Sale's status, it's hard to feel excited about the prospects of the Red Sox starting rotation in 2020. However, even after trading Betts, Devers, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez and Andrew Benintendi should keep the Red Sox competitive from an offensive sense.

After an injury-riddled 2018 season that he split with the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, Donaldson bounced back in a major way in Atlanta in 2019, re-emerging as one of the game's most valuable third basemen.

Donaldson's time in Atlanta proved to be brief, but it sure was memorable. In 2019, Donaldson slashed .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs, 94 RBIs, 100 walks and a 4.9 fWAR. What's more, he had his best defensive season since his time in Oakland, as he posted 15 defensive runs saved.

Donaldson has become something of a mercenary, as he agreed to a four-year/$92 million deal with the Twins this offseason. There are worse places to be a mercenary, though, as the Twins won 101 regular season games last year and may have the best offense in the sport in 2020.

After an extremely disappointing first half, Ramirez finished the 2019 season on a torrid pace, slashing .327/.365/.739 with 16 home runs, 48 RBIs and a 1.105 OPS in 44 games after the All-Star Break.

Perhaps he'll never top the historic production that he put up in 2018, but the Indians would probably be content if Ramirez had a full season similar to what he did in 2017, when he posted a 6.5 fWAR and finished third in American League MVP voting.

When you consider that both Ramirez and Francisco Lindor had relative down seasons in 2019, it's pretty amazing that the Indians still managed to win 93 games last year. That also makes you think that Cleveland has a pretty good chance to return to the playoffs in 2020, whether that means winning the American League Central or one of the two American League Wild Card spots.

Rendon stepped out of the shadows of the league's other elite third baseman in 2019, which was just in time for him to help lead the Washington Nationals to their first World Series title and land a seven-year/$245 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in free agency.

He's not on pace with some of the other defenders at the top of this list, but since the start of the 2016 season, FanGraphs says that Rendon has been the most valuable offensive third baseman in baseball. A season ago, en route to finishing third in National League MVP voting, Rendon slashed .319/.412/.598 with 34 home runs, 126 RBIs and a 1.010 OPS.

For an encore, Rendon will get to hit in a lineup that includes Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, which isn't a bad place to be. The Angels will have an uphill battle to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, but you can bet Joe Maddon's lineup will hit.

Simply put, Arenado is one of the greatest fielders that baseball has ever seen at any position, as evidenced by the fact that he's already won seven Gold Glove Awards before his 29th birthday.

Oh, and for good measure, he's hit 35 or more home runs in five consecutive seasons, topping the 40-home run mark in three of those campaigns. Arenado has his career on a Hall of Fame track.

It is indisputable that Arenado has benefited from playing 81 games a season at Coors Field, as his batting average in home games in his career is 59 points higher. As long as he remains employed by the Rockies, though, Arenado will be one of the sport's most complete players.

For as much attention as Nolan Arenado rightfully gets, Chapman has arguably been as good or better over the past two seasons, he just hasn't had the benefit of playing his home games at Coors Field.

Over the past two seasons, FanGraphs says that Chapman has been the third most valuable offensive third baseman in baseball, one spot above Arenado. While Arenado is one of the greatest defenders that the sport has ever seen, Chapman has 39 more defensive runs saved over the past two seasons, and has also won two consecutive Platinum Glove Awards.

Chapman, who will turn 27 in April, has helped the A's to win 97 games and one of the American League Wild Card spots in each of the last two seasons. With all that's gone on in Houston this offseason, you can bet he has larger aspirations in 2020.

There's plenty to criticize about Bregman's involvement and seeming lack of remorse for the Astros' sign stealing scandal, but there's no evidence he's going to fall off a cliff. In 2017, he was a better hitter on the road, and he's become a significantly better player since then.

In 2019 - while hitting 37 points better away from Minute Maid Park - Bregman finished second in American League MVP voting. The 25-year-old's numbers were staggering a season ago, as he slashed .296/.423/.592 with 41 home runs, 112 RBIs, 119 walks and a staggering 8.5 fWAR.

While he's not the fielder at third base that Nolan Arenado and Matt Chapman are, he still posted eight defensive runs saved at the hot corner and played quite a bit at shortstop as well.