Rotoprofessor

It’s time to go through the Top 20 Third Baseman for 2009, a surprisingly deep list.  Some names that have previously been fixtures like Carlos Guillen and Scott Rolen fell short.  You have new names shooting up draft boards, like Evan Longoria and Chris Davis.  What about all the players with questions looming over their heads?  Will Alex Gordon or Kevin Kouzmanoff break out?  Will Mike Lowell or Hank Blalock rebound from injury?  Can Jorge Cantu repeat his miraculous 2008?

Let’s take a look at how it all played out:

1. Alex Rodriguez - New York Yankees
2. David Wright - New York Mets
3. Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers
4. Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays
5. Aramis Ramirez - Chicago Cubs
6. Kevin Youkilis - Boston Red Sox
7. Chipper Jones - Atlanta Braves
8. Chris Davis - Texas Rangers
9. Garrett Atkins - Colorado Rockies
10. Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
11. Adrian Beltre - Seattle Mariners
12. Aubrey Huff - Baltimore Orioles
13. Chone Figgins - Los Angeles Angels
14. Edwin Encarnacion - Cincinnati Reds
15. Troy Glaus - St. Louis Cardinals
16. Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals
17. Hank Blalock - Texas Rangers
18. Mike Lowell - Boston Red Sox
19. Kevin Kouzmanoff - San Diego Padres
20. Jorge Cantu - Florida Marlins

Just Missed: Carlos Guillen, Detroit Tigers; Melvin Mora, Baltimore Orioles; Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks; Casey Blake, Los Angeles Dodgers; Ty Wigginton, Free Agent; Dallas McPherson, Florida Marlins; Scott Rolen, Toronto Blue Jays; Joe Crede, Free Agent

• The only debate surrounding Alex Rodriguez is if he’s the top pick in fantasy leagues, which is something we will be analyzing shortly.  There’s no doubt that he’s among the Top 2 players in the game right now.
• I know, Miguel Cabrera is going to primarily be a 1B this season, but he’s eligible for 3B as we head into fantasy drafts and therefore he belongs here.    We talked about him in the 1B rankings, so I won’t say much more, besides he’s one of the best pure hitters in the game.
• Kevin Youkilis was the #9 ranked 1B, but he’s much better when compared to the second tier of 3B.  Is he going to become a 30 HR hitter?  I doubt it, as the jump from 16 to 29 was a major surprise.  Still, hitting in the middle of the Red Sox line-up, he seems like a shoe-in for 23-26 HR, an average around .300 and close to 100 RBI.
• If healthy, Chipper Jones is likely to be one of the Top 5 3B, but how often is he ever really healthy?  He was unbelievable last season, but once again had under 450 AB (he had 439).  He hasn’t had over 550 AB in a season since 2003.  That has to be a huge concern, considering you’d have to draft him early, which pushes him down on my list a bit.
• Garrett Atkins had a disappointing season, failing to drive in 100 runs and to hit .300.  Still, with Matt Holliday now playing in Oakland, it is likely that Atkins is going to be the man in the middle of the line-up, which should help him return to prominence.  The only caveat, however, is if Colorado ultimately decides to completely dismantle the team and trade him away.  His line away from Coors Field last season was .233, 12 HR and 44 RBI.  Is he simply a product of his home environment?  Perhaps, and if he was traded he would fall a few spots lower on this list.
• Back in mid-December I took a look at Ryan Zimmerman and determined that he was a very good bounce back candidate, assuming he can stay healthy.  I projected him at .281, 26 HR and 92 RBI, certainly making him a great buy if you miss out on the top tier of players.  To read my full thoughts on Zimmerman, click here.
• Adrian Beltre is another player I’ve already discussed in detail, putting his numbers right at the same line as Zimmerman as he enters his contract year.  To read my thoughts, click here.  He’s going to be the big bat in the Mariners line-up, albeit a weaker one.  Still, with Ichiro getting on base in front of him, he should get plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.
• Mike Lowell & Hank Blalock are two injury risks, which is why they are ranked where they are.  If healthy, both could easily perform as a Top 10 option so keep that in mind when you are looking for a late round gamble for your bench.
• It seems like forever ago that I tackled the idea of Alex Gordon finally breaking out in 2009 (you can read the article here), but the short version is that yes, I think he will finally become fantasy relevant and worth the gamble where you can get him.  Is he going to emerge among the elite?  Nope, I don’t see it, but he should be every bit the player Ryan Zimmerman and Adrian Beltre are.  The only reason he’s ranked so far below them is that he is a much bigger gamble.
• I know some people are high on Mark Reynolds, but I just can’t do it.  He’s shown that he’s not going to hit for a great average and I’m not sold that he’s going to be a 30 HR guy.  If he doesn’t reach that level, he just doesn’t have enough value for me to pick.

Where do you disagree?  Do you like the gambles towards the end of my list more?  Are you higher on Chris Davis?  What about the names that fell short?  Let your views on the Top 20 Third Baseman be known!

Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.