If you have been reading or listening to my content, you have likely heard me reference fScores (named fScores for “fantasy scores”) or use them to compare players. This is a custom fantasy stat I created that aggregates other stats into core skills, weighted against the average player where 100 is average, similar to wRC+ or OPS+.

Drafting based on core skills, rather than attempting a “one size fits all” ranking allows for more customization in team building and team design to target the weak points of your team and allows for more balance.

Please read the article “What is fScore?” for a better understanding before going through the below rankings. The third basemen listed at the top of each tier are where the tier starts and ends.

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2025 Third Basemen fScores (Fantasy Baseball)

You will find a complete set of third basemen rankings at the end of this article.

Additional Positions and fScores

• C fScores
• 1B fScores
• 2B fScores
• SS fScores
• 3B fScores
• OF fScores
• SP fScores
• RP fScores

Tier 1 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Jose Ramirez (3B, DH – CLE)
• Tier Ender: Jose Ramirez (3B, DH – CLE)

Jose Ramirez rates to be more than 20% better than the guys in the next tier, so he has earned a tier of his own. He was one bomb away from a 40/40 season last year. While I don’t think we will necessarily see that season again from him, I would expect a minimum 25/25 season on the way.

Tier 2 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Rafael Devers (3B – BOS)
• Tier Ender: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (3B, OF – NYY), Manny Machado (3B, DH – SD)

Rafael Devers has 40-homer potential but hasn’t reached that marker yet. I think if he moves off third to focus more on hitting we could see an uptick in offensive production.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was an absolute beast once he put on a Yankees jersey — a major ballpark and lineup upgrade if you’ve ever seen one. I was waiting for this type of season from him, but injuries had always slowed him down. Chisholm had a 132 wRC+ with 11 homers and 18 steals in only 46 games as a Yankee. I think he rates ahead of Devers if he plays a full 162-game season.

Manny Machado had a nice bounceback season after a down 2023. The main difference in the metrics seemed to just be better play and health from the teammates around him.

Tier 3 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Austin Riley (3B – ATL)
• Tier Ender: Matt Chapman (3B – SF)/Eugenio Suarez (3B – ARI)

This is the first year in the history of fScores where Austin Riley and Devers are not in the same tier and not right next to each other. Generally, with Riley on top. He had some bad injury luck in 2024 that may have led to tapered production in the hit tool and a slight decline in plate approach. Turning 28 in April, he’s still too young for a natural decline in skills.

Matt Chapman finally had the season we thought we would see regularly back when he was with the Athletics. Maybe he just didn’t like Toronto very much. He also developed some wheels out of nowhere (a career-high 14 stolen bases). It will be interesting to see if that sticks for a couple more years or if it was just an aberration.

I was big on a Eugenio Suarez rebound last year and had him in pretty much every league, but did not predict things would go that well. Seattle’s stadium saps power and moving out of there ends up being good for pretty much every hitter and vice-versa. It’s kind of crazy to think Suarez could end his career with over 400 bombs, but it’s in the cards.

Tier 4 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Alex Bregman (3B – FA)
• Tier Ender: Jake Burger (1B, 3B, DH – TEX)

Alex Bregman has not signed as of the time of this writing. Where he ends up could have a potential uptick or downtick on his value, but from what I have seen, the park and lineup factors will at most only have a 1-2% increase or decrease in total & future fScores in any direction. Keep in mind with Bregman that if you are in a points league, he should be up a tier. Depending on the points system, he might be ahead of a guy like Machado.

Royce Lewis at this point is just becoming a poster card of all Twins players (Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and former Twin Alex Kirilloff say hello) as he just can’t seem to stay healthy, which holds him back. A healthy Lewis could be a 40/10 player with a good batting average, which would bump him up into the Devers/Machado tier.

Jordan Westburg broke out last year, which is pretty good on my prospecting, as I was one of the highest prospect guys on him before his ascension. Westburg doesn’t have some of the max exit velocities many of the top power guys at the position have and doesn’t walk as much as you might like in a points or on-base percentage (OPB) league, but he does have multi-position eligibility. Read the second basemen fScores article for more. 

Mark Vientos might be moving off third to first base. My fScores liked him last year despite a terrible showing in 2023 primarily because of the power potential and excellent minor league stats. He’s going to be a strikeout guy, but I would like to see some of the walks and patience start playing over from the Minors in 2025.

To eliminate confusion off the bat, I believe Junior Caminero is going to be a much better player throughout his career than some of the other guys ahead of him on this list. However, he’s going to only be 21 this year and the fScores are based solely on expected 2025 production. I think he starts a little slow (hit tool-wise), but the power sticks around and he builds into a big second half. If he starts this season a little slow, that’s the time to buy in dynasty leagues.

Jake Burger was picked up by the Rangers and should likely get primary reps at first base or designated hitter pending the health of Josh Jung. It will be interesting to see how they move him around the diamond, but I would expect some nice counting stats and a power uptick moving out of Miami to a more neutral ballpark with a way better team around him.

Tier 5 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Max Muncy (3B – LAD)
• Tier Ender: Connor Norby (2B, 3B, OF – MIA)

Max Muncy is all power and OBP. If the Dodgers trade for Nolan Arenado then Muncy becomes a second baseman against righties only and doesn’t play against lefties. Otherwise, he’s likely starting at third base every day because who else will cover him there?

Matt Shaw could start the season as the starting third baseman for the Cubs pending an Alex Bregman signing. He projects for a pretty smooth transition into the Majors with some strikeout issues likely looming. However, he could provide some excitement on the basepaths if manager Craig Counsell lets him run, which is nice to have from the third base position ala a lighter David Wright.

Isaac Paredes could be a 30-homer bat in Houston and outperform his fScore metrics. I have not found a good way to quantify pull power in a way that eliminates the negatives of this type of profile to plug into fScores, so any pull-heavy power guys that have regular success will not fully show in the fScores.

Check out the second basemen fScores article for more on Brendan Donovan and Connor Norby.

Tier 6 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Ryan McMahon (2B, 3B – COL)
• Tier Ender: Alec Bohm (1B, 3B – PHI)/Nolan Arenado (3B – STL)

This tier is boring guys that still produce counting stats. If Ryan McMahon could reign in the strikeouts he could be a 25/8 player with a .270 average. He has not been able to maximize his potential, though, while just being a league-average fantasy contributor throughout his career.

Alec Bohm has produced via his hit tool throughout his career, but now there are rumors of a trade. Depending on where he ends up, it could impact his power and counting stats. He already has only 15-20 homer power. A move to Seattle, for example, would sap his potential power output.

Nolan Arenado is another guy who will almost definitely be traded. It appears the two most likely destinations are the Dodgers and Yankees after his buddy Paul Goldschmidt signed up for pinstripes. Either destination would be a significant upgrade over St. Louis as far as ballpark and lineup. Arenado is an interesting name to watch for a nice bounce-back season in 2025. I could see myself bouncing him up around Paredes with a positive move. Note: Arenado is another massive pull hitter that fScores doesn’t read correctly.

Tier 7 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Josh Jung (3B – TEX)
• Tier Ender: Coby Mayo (1B, 3B – BAL)

There are a ton of players in this tier that depending on league depth may or may not be drafted, so I’m only highlighting a few interesting names.

Josh Jung has suffered a number of injuries since coming up that have really messed with his ability to be consistent. I would be higher on him in categories leagues than in points leagues, but with some health and a strong spring, he could solidify a higher spot in my rankings and join the “boring” McMahon/Bohm tier above.

Noelvi Marte had a horrible comeback off his steroid suspension and the plate skills he showed have not been there at the Major League level. This is a name where I would almost recommend ignoring the stats and fScores if he has a killer spring training.

Coby Mayo has big-time power, but also some swing-and-miss issues the fScores predict will relate to a slower transition into the Majors. I see some Austin Riley upside here with Mayo. With the number of bats the Orioles have blocking him, however, he could be up and down like Jackson Holliday last year if he struggles.

Tier 8 & Notes

• Tier Starter: Josh H. Smith (3B, DH, OF, SS – TEX)
• Tier Ender: Brock Wilken (3B – MIL)

Like Tier 7, I’m only going over a few of the more interesting names here.

Jeimer Candelario was a major disappointment in 2024 after expecting a Great American Ball Park bump. Seems like this one might just be a bad move by the Reds.

Thomas Saggese will likely move into the super sub Brendan Donovan/Tommy Edman role with the Cardinals with Nolan Gorman moving to third base permanently and Donovan likely starting at second. He showed much better plate discipline in the Arizona Fall League than he did at AAA, so this may be a skill we see grow.

Orelvis Martinez could get a decent amount of playing time this year for the Blue Jays depending on how he looks this post-steroid suspension this spring. The hit tool is pretty terrible, but there is 25-30 homer potential if he connects enough.

2025 fScores Third Basemen Rankings

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