2026 MLB Power Rankings: The Top 10 Third Basemen

We’ll start with Jordan Westburg, the Orioles’ starting third baseman, who had a very good year when he was on the field.

Westburg slashed .265/.313/.457 with 17 home runs and 28 extra-base hits across 85 contests. Injuries significantly limited his time available last season, and that will indeed be the case again heading into 2026. A partially torn UCL will keep Westburg out through at least the first month of the 2026 season.

A home run threat who can also play well defensively (he had a +2 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2025), Westburg has developed nicely as a valuable infielder for the O’s. Now, the question is how much he can stay on the field.

9. Carlos Correa

A shortstop for virtually all of his career, Carlos Correa got a taste of a different position in 2025 after the Astros re-acquired him in the summer. Correa yielded to Jeremy Pena and moved to third base, a position he was set to play several years ago when he had a deal with the Mets before a failed physical axed it.

Correa did just fine defensively, as he posted a +2 OAA at the hot corner after the move. And his bat was very good in Space City, as the 31-year-old slashed .290/.355/.430 with six home runs and 16 extra-base hits over the final two months.

Health has been a concern for Correa over the years. That is thanks to heel injuries and an omnipresent ankle concern that dates back to a fracture he suffered over a decade ago in the Minors. However, when Correa is right, he’ll make consistent contact and hit for power.

8. Maikel Garcia

It was a golden year for Maikel Garcia in 2025 — literally.

Garcia won the AL Gold Glove at third base last season, a year that saw him finish second in Outs Above Average (+18), behind only NL Gold Glove winner Ke’Bryan Hayes. However, Garcia is much more of an offensive threat than Hayes. The veteran infielder set career-highs in several categories, including home runs (16) and extra-base hits (60). Garcia finished in the top 25% of the Majors in wOBA (.347).

The 26-year-old went from a valuable utilityman to, now, a key piece of the Royals’ core, thanks to his total package. He helped solidify a strong left side of the infield, already great thanks to the man at short.

7. Austin Riley

Based on past performance, Austin Riley should be on this list. However, where Riley fits is a bit of a question mark.

Riley hit 37 home runs during the 2023 campaign, one ahead of Max Muncy for the most at the position. But since then, Riley has failed to crack 20, largely a byproduct of the fact that he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. A right-hand fracture in the summer of 2024 ended his regular season. Last year, he required season-ending core surgery thanks to an abdominal injury suffered at the Speedway Classic.

There are very few hitters in the league like Riley. Yes, he will swing and miss often, like many other power hitters in the game. However, it’s prodigious power.

6. Matt Chapman

Giants third baseman Matt Chapman has earned a reputation for being one of the best defenders in all of Major League Baseball.

A five-time Gold Glove winner, Chapman had yet another strong season at third base. His +4 Outs Above Average was good for a top ten finish in that category among players at the hot corner. Good arm and range are what help make Chapman one of the best defensively.

Offensively, Chapman can do damage in several years. He can hit for power, as Chapman hit at least 20 home runs in four of his last five seasons. His BB% of 13.3% last year was second among third basemen with at least 350 plate appearances. And, he can swipe bases now and then. Chapman stole nine in 2025 and a career-best 15 in 2024.

5. Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman‘s lone season with Boston went very well for him.

Bregman, now with the Cubs, finished last season in the top 40 of the league in terms of wOBA (.356) last season and fourth in wRC+ (125) among players with 400+ plate appearances. And while Bregman was expected to do very well in Boston thanks to the short porch in left, he actually hit better on the road than at Fenway Park.

A smooth hitter with power and short swing length, Bregman can do it all at the plate. However, he’s also proven to be an agile defender at third, as well. The former AL Gold Glove winner ranked in the top 11 in OAA (+3).

4. Bo Bichette

Where to put a player like Bo Bichette on this list?

Bichette has never played a regular-season game at third base. But he will in 2026, as the Mets signed him to shore up a new-look infield for the team from Queens. It’ll be a new look for Bichette himself, who played almost exclusively at short in his MLB career. However, with a good arm and instincts at short, Bichette may very well fit nicely at the hot corner.

The new Met rebounded very well at the plate after an injury-shortened 2024 season. Bichette finished tied for second in the Majors (181) in hits last season. And had he qualified at the position, his .361 wOBA would have been the best among third basemen with 400+ plate appearances. He’s a consistent contact hitter, just like Garcia and Bregman, and that 14.5% K% last season is an indication of that.

3. Manny Machado

Manny Machado remained a highly consistent hitter last season.

Machado hit 27 home runs last season, continuing his tradition of hitting at least 20 home runs in a single season. The 33-year-old was a key cog of the Padres’ offense last season, much like he has since he joined the team in 2019. His 123 wRC+ was sixth-best among third basemen in 2025.

Defensively, Manny Machado has long been considered one of the best defenders at third. However, that reputation has lost some luster. Machado’s -6 OAA was actually one of the worst in the game last season.

2. Junior Caminero

Junior Caminero went from a promising young player to a superstar slugger very quickly.

Caminero, who made his MLB debut late in the 2023 campaign, was one of baseball’s elite boppers in 2025. The Rays infielder finished with 45 home runs and 73 extra-base hits, second-most among third basemen in 2025. Caminero showcased that plus-plus power he showed for some time in the Minors.

Yes, there is a lot of swing-and-miss, not a shock given that Caminero has one of the longest swings in the game. Nonetheless, he proved that he can be a cornerstone for Tampa over the next few years.

1. Jose Ramirez

Among a group of strong talent at the hot corner, Jose Ramirez stands tall among the rest.

Ramirez remains the premier offensive threat among third basemen. The Guardians star finished first in wRC+ (133) and wOBA (.359) among third basemen with 400 or more plate appearances. Thirty home runs, 67 extra-base hits, and 44 stolen bases, the latter of which was tops among third basemen, were among the statistical highlights from Ramirez’s 2025 campaign.

A five-tool player who can hold his own at the plate & on the diamond. Ramirez is among the elite of the elite.