Top 20 Fantasy Baseball Third Basemen Rankings 2026

4. Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves

He has had the past two seasons marred by injury, and now he comes with concerns of being able to stay on the field and if his skills are starting to diminish. But his hard-hit rate, barrel rate and bat speed all still remain well above average, so he should be able to return to at least 25+ home runs if he can stay on the field and is a very solid option at third base for fantasy.

Tier 3: Solid Mid-Tier & Value Picks

5. Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs

He was off to a great start before a quad injury cost him a good chunk of time and he lost that early momentum. That being said, he still finished around the same area of where he has been the previous three seasons if he played a full season. Bregman doesn’t run and you’d like to see him score a few more runs, but his batting average isn’t a drain on you, he should hit 25 home runs or so and is a rock-solid option to be your starting third baseman. Moving from Boston to Chicago, you have a good chance to get similar production.

6. Eugenio Suarez, Free Agent

He had a monster season with a career high tying 49 home runs and 118 RBI which was so far ahead of what he had done in the last five years. His batting average is always bad, but it was epically bad in Seattle the last 53 games as he was well below the Mendoza line. You definitely have to address the batting average problem if you draft Suarez with other players on your team, but he has elite power at the position and no wonder where he ends up, he is going to put baseballs in the stands.

Tier 4: Upside & Risk Plays

7. Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants

A hand injury cost him some time during the season, but it also probably cost him some production afterwards as we don’t know how this impacted his ability to grip a bat. He still topped 20 home runs despite playing only 128 games and his strikeout to walk ration remains strong which is weird for a guy with a batting average in the .230s. He will turn 33 in April so we have that Father Time worry start to creep in, but Chapman is a professional home run hitter, and you should expect him to be in the high 20s again in 2026.

8. Carlos Correa, Houston Astros

His return to Houston was a big success as he hit .290 with six home runs in just 51 games with the Astros. It would be wrong to think that he can get back to the numbers that he had when he was with Houston the first time, but Correa still has some value as a guy who tends to hit for a pretty strong batting average and in the mid-to-high teens in home runs. He isn’t going to run or drive in more than 70 runs but getting back to that very favorable ballpark should help rejuvenate his production some.

9. Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals

He’s a nice player. He isn’t great, but he has his value. Garcia continued to make more and better contact in 2025 which led to a good bump in power and also drove in a career high in RBI all while hitting .286. Is this something we can assume will continue? That remains to be seen which makes trusting him a bit of a sticky situation. The metrics tell you that the power is sustainable, but where does it end up? The Royals moving the fences in gives him even a better chance to succeed, but he more than doubled his career high in long balls, so expecting a bit of regression seems smart. The stolen bases are very nice, and that added perk helps put him at this ranking.

10. Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

Health seems to be the biggest detractor for Westburg as he only played half a season in 2025 and has never played than 107 games in the Majors. The skills are there and he has the ability to be a guy who hits 25+ home runs in a full year. The Orioles lineup got even better this offseason which should allow for more run scoring and producing opportunities. He doesn’t run at all, but not many do at third base. He is a high risk, high reward type player.

11. Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds

An oblique strain cost him a large chunk of time and when he was on the field he displayed slightly above average skills. He needs to improve his plate discipline, and he loses some value in OBP leagues as he seems to be allergic to walking with just 16 in 360 plate appearances in 2025. But, assuming health, he will give you at least 15 home runs and 15 steals with a decent enough batting average, and at third base this year that isn’t bad value at all.

12. Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins

Could we possibly ever get a healthy season from Lewis? He has shown tantalizing power over his career, but the injury bug bites every year, and he doesn’t get small injuries that he can come back from in ten days, his always seem to take months. But he was good when on the field again in 2025 and even threw a dozen stolen bases into the mix. His batting average has been bad the past two years, but the potential is so good. I’m willing to get hurt by him again this season but be sure to do it with a backup plan for what seems like inevitable health issues.

13. Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros

He absolutely gets a bump from his home park as Paredes is known to pull the ball right to those cheap seats in Houston. Could he hit 30 home runs for the Astros? It is definitely possible, heck he did it in Tampa once. But he needs to stay on the field. He won’t bring you any stolen bases to speak of and the batting average has bounced around in his career, but he will give you among the best power at the position, and in that Houston lineup he should have opportunities for success.

14. Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies

He missed 40 games last season, but generally he has been fairly healthy and consistent throughout his career. Bohm isn’t a league winner by any stretch, but he is solid and gives you ample production in most categories. His batting eye is extremely good and his hard-hit rate suggests there could be more home runs for him, especially in his home park. In a position with a lot of question marks, Bohm is a nice safe pick.

15. Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers

He is no spring chicken at 35 years old and he is coming off back-to-back injury ravaged seasons, but Muncy’s ability to hit the long ball just makes us keep coming back for more. He started out like a house of fire in 2025 before two injuries cost him a month each and he didn’t finish the regular season well. The batting average is also a concern, but Muncy still has the pop to have fantasy value. He could platoon some, which also hurts his value a little but he is on the cusp of a starting third baseman or a great corner infielder.

16. Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs

I think much more was expected from Shaw when he came to the Majors, but he was so much better in the second half of the year that there is plenty of room for improvement. Actually, taking a couple pitches would be a good start as he walked just 38 times in 437 plate appearances making him a drain on OBP. But he has the capability to have a 15/15 season at the worst and could definitely see 20/20. It is absolutely worth taking a shot on youth than some of the old retreads at the position.

17. Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox

He could play first base for the White Sox, but we are going to put him in the third base rankings as he played there more in Japan. Murakami put up legendary numbers in his Japanese career, but after his off-the-charts 2022, some of his numbers waned, while his strikeout rate started to spike. He missed some time last season with an oblique injury, but ended the season strong, particularly in the power department. There are some question marks how his plate approach will translate to the majors, but Murakami does have legit upside, especially for a lineup that is finally starting to improve in Chicago.

18. Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto Blue Jays

He missed time last season with an elbow injury, but Okamoto continued his assault on Japanese pitching after. He has a great batting eye and has a run of six straight 30-home run seasons in his career from 2018-2023. It will remain to see how that power translates to Major League Baseball, but outside of Shohei Ohtani, usually we see a little downturn in power numbers with Japanese players coming to the United States. He won’t steal many if any bases at all, but he appears to be a pretty decent corner infielder for your fantasy teams.

19. Brett Baty, New York Mets

After looking like he was one of the dreaded Quadruple A players, Baty looked like he finally put it together last season with 18 home runs and 50 RBI. With Pete Alonso out of town that should move Mark Vientos to first and give Baty another crack at the starting third base job. He hit .291 in the second half of the year and was consistent across both halves of the year with home run production. I would be surprised if he took another big jump forward next year, but if he can do what he did in 2025 again, he has fantasy value as a corner infielder.

20. Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks

He was actually having a pretty decent first half with ten homers and 42 RBI before a strained shoulder kept him out a while and then he was terrible after that. Now, at age 36, Arenado was traded to the Diamondbacks which likely will be disastrous for his already diminishing fantasy value. He could have a little rejuvenation landing in a new organization, but it would be wiser to expect the decline to continue again this year, even if it isn’t sharp. At this point he is nothing more than a middle of the road corner infielder.

Conclusion

The position is not super deep, but there are definitely pockets of potential in a lot of places you look. If you still need more there are veterans like Ryan McMahon, Josh Smith and Jordan Lawlar that can help you for a period during the season. The big bat of Josh Jung is always looming, but usually for him so is a trip to the IL. Does the trade of Nolan Arenado open a faster path to the majors for JJ Wetherholt in St. Louis? Third base comes with some potential heroes, but there are a lot of potholes along the way.

People Also Ask

Who is the top fantasy third baseman for 2026?
Jose Ramirez leads with elite power, 40+ SB, and all-category reliability.

Where does Junior Caminero rank in 2026 fantasy 3B?
No. 2 for his 40+ HR breakout and massive upside at age 22.

Is Manny Machado still elite in 2026 fantasy?
Yes, his consistent production and reliability keep him top-tier.

How deep is third base in 2026 fantasy baseball?
Strong top tier but thins quickly-draft early to avoid risks.

Should I prioritize health at third base?
Yes, many have injury concerns; a full season from several could yield huge value.