Ranking the Top 25 Third Basemen of the 2024 MLB Season

It's time to put a bow on the 2024 MLB season with Bleacher Report's final positional rankings of the year. Throughout the 2024 campaign, we released monthly updates to our position-by-position rankings, selecting the top 10 players at each spot. Now it's time to finalize that exercise while expanding the list to the 25 best at each position.

Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order—this is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2024. There were no specific qualifications for inclusion, though each player was only eligible to appear in these rankings at one position. Now let's dive into the top 25 third basemen of the 2024 season.



Catch up on the Top 25 in 2024 series: First Basemen , Second Basemen , Shortstops These third basemen received preliminary consideration but fell short of earning a spot in the Top 25: Oswaldo Cabrera, NYY Junior Caminero, TB Ke'Bryan Hayes, PIT Josh Jung, TEX Connor Norby, BAL/MIA Abraham Toro, OAK Gio Urshela, DET/ATL 25. Jared Triolo, Pittsburgh Pirates Triolo did not provide much offensively, posting a 71 OPS+ with 20 extra-base hits in 446 plate appearances. However, he provided strong defense at third base (527.

0 INN, 2 DRS, 6.5 UZR/150 ) and second base (374.2 INN, 6 DRS, 7.

7 UZR/150) en route to a 1.3-WAR season and utility player Gold Glove honors. 24.

Kiké Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers Hernández rejoined the Dodgers on a one-year, $4 million deal and provided his usual mix of defensive versatility, sneaky power and postseason production. The 33-year-old saw the bulk of his action at third base in place of an injured Max Muncy and hit .229/.

281/.373 with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 42 RBI in 393 plate appearances. He then went 15-for-51 with two home runs and six RBI in the playoffs.

23. José Miranda, Minnesota Twins Miranda posted a 114 OPS+ with 15 home runs and 66 RBI as a rookie in 2022, but he was a non-factor the following year, playing just 40 games in the big leagues and hitting .211 with a 55 OPS+ in 152 plate appearances.

The 26-year-old resurfaced this year, hitting .284/.322/.

441 with 28 doubles, nine home runs, 49 RBI and 1.6 WAR in 121 games. 22.

Ramón Urías, Baltimore Orioles Urías has quietly racked up 9.1 WAR over the past five seasons with the Orioles, and he played well in a part-time role in 2024. The 30-year-old hit .

254/.322/.423 with a 117 OPS+ with 11 home runs and 37 RBI, and he also provided solid defense as a former Gold Glove winner at the hot corner.

21. Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels Injuries brought Rengifo's season to a premature end when he underwent wrist surgery in early August, but he still hit .300/.

347/.417 for a 116 OPS+ with 20 extra-base hits and 24 steals in 78 games. The 27-year-old will be a free agent after the 2025 season, so he could be a trade candidate this winter.

20. Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals After a solid rookie season in 2023, Garcia again provided a useful mix of speed and defense. The 24-year-old hit .

231/.281/.332 with 39 extra-base hits and 37 steals in 39 attempts, and after being developed as a shortstop, he has settled in as a plus defender at third base with strong defensive metrics ( 3 DRS, 2.

6 UZR/150 ). 19. Josh Rojas, Seattle Mariners Rojas was a 2.

2-WAR player for the Mariners, hitting .225/.304/.

336 for a 91 OPS+ with 29 extra-base hits and 10 steals in 142 games while providing strong defense ( 7 DRS ) at third base. The 30-year-old won the starting third base job over Luis Urías during spring training, but could end up back in a utility role if the M's upgrade at the hot corner this winter. 18.

Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins Lewis has posted a 126 OPS+ while averaging 35 home runs, 111 RBI and 3.6 WAR per 162 games during his time in the big leagues, but he continues to have a tough time staying on the field. The 25-year-old had a 107 OPS+ with 16 doubles, 16 home runs and 47 RBI in 82 games in 2024, and he could shift to second base next season after seeing some sporadic action there this year.

17. Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays Clement was a pleasant surprise in a largely disappointing season for the Blue Jays, playing his way into the starting third base job while also seeing time at shortstop when Bo Bichette was sidelined. He hit .

263/.284/.408 with 21 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI and 12 steals in 139 games, and was an AL Gold Glove finalist at third base.

16. Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers Ortiz was the prospect centerpiece of the blockbuster deal that sent Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles last offseason, and while he is viewed as the shortstop of the future with Willy Adames set to depart in free agency, he spent his rookie season at the hot corner. The 26-year-old hit .

239/.329/.398 for a 101 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBI and 11 steals in 142 games while tallying 2.

6 WAR. 15. Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers Muncy was sidelined from May 16 until Aug.

19 with an oblique strain, missing 80 games during that span, but he was his usual productive self when healthy. The 34-year-old posted a 141 OPS+ with 17 doubles, 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 293 plate appearances, and he continues to be a better-than-expected defender at third base. 14.

Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves After averaging 36 home runs, 99 RBI and 6.2 WAR over the past three seasons, Riley had a down year by his standards before missing the final month and a half of the season with a broken right hand. He still posted a 115 OPS+ with 26 doubles, 19 home runs, 56 RBI and 2.

9 WAR in 110 games, and he should be a top-five player at the position again in 2025 with a clean bill of health. 13. Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles Westburg was one baseball's biggest breakout players during the first half of the season, but he missed significant time with a fractured right hand after the All-Star break: The 25-year-old can solidify his status as a foundational piece of the Orioles' future with a strong start to the 2025 season.

12. Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies McMahon hit .272/.

350/.447 with 21 doubles, 14 home runs and 45 RBI during the first half of the season to earn his first All-Star selection, but his production dipped significantly after the break as he hit .188 with a .

592 OPS during the second half. The 29-year-old still finished with 2.5 WAR in 153 games, marking the fourth year in a row he has played at least 150 games.

11. Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals At 33 years old, Arenado is not the same superstar he was in the prime of his career, but he was still a 2.

5-WAR player in 2024. He hit .272/.

325/.394 for a 101 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 16 home runs and 71 RBI, and he was a Gold Glove finalist, though he is still stuck on 10 career wins. Stats: 110 OPS+, .

258/.337/.394, 44 XBH (13 HR), 62 RBI, 11 SB, 3.

2 WAR With Josh Jung sidelined for much of the season, utility man Josh Smith got a chance to see regular playing time at third base for the Texas Rangers, and he made the most of the opportunity. The 27-year-old hit .191/.

306/.287 for a 68 OPS+ in 485 plate appearances during his first two seasons in the big leagues, and he didn't even record an at-bat during the team's run to a World Series title last October. However, Smith was a key piece of the offense this year, and his ability to also play second base, shortstop and left field makes him an extremely valuable utility piece when the lineup is at full strength.

Stats: 112 OPS+, .238/.346/.

393, 45 XBH (19 HR), 80 RBI, 1 SB, 2.7 WAR After launching 31 home runs and finishing 18th in AL MVP balloting in 2023, Isaac Paredes earned his first All-Star selection this year when he posted an .823 OPS with 15 home runs and 50 RBI during the first half.

His production dipped after the break and he was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline, bringing with him three more years of club control and a proven middle-of-the-order bat. With top prospect Matt Shaw knocking on the door as an option at third base, it will be interesting to see how the Cubs use him in the coming years, but Paredes has proved capable of being an impact bat. Stats: 117 OPS+, .

280/.332/.448, 61 XBH (15 HR), 97 RBI, 5 SB, 3.

0 WAR Alec Bohm has never quite lived up to the expectations that came with being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, especially from a power standpoint, but it looked like everything was finally clicking during the first half of the 2024 season: Despite starting the All-Star Game and having two years of club control remaining, Bohm is reportedly on the trade block this offseason as the Phillies look to shake things up following an early playoff exit. Stats: 116 OPS+, .

256/.319/.469, 60 XBH (30 HR), 101 RBI, 2 SB, 3.

1 WAR Several players on this list had a strong first half, only to see their production fall off a cliff after the break, including Alec Bohm, Isaac Paredes and Ryan McMahon who were all first-time All-Star selections. Eugenio Suárez saw his season trend in the opposite direction. The 33-year-old struggled to the point of looking like a candidate to be released early in the season, but he eventually rounded into form, finishing with his fifth career 30-homer season.

Suárez hit .316/.349/.

609 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI over his final 55 games, and that convinced the D-backs to exercise his $15 million club option for 2025. Stats: 135 OPS+, .266/.

322/.516, 49 XBH (27 HR), 71 RBI, 0 SB, 3.2 WAR Mark Vientos was not even on the Opening Day roster for the New York Mets, with Joey Wendle and Brett Baty slated to split time at third base when the season began.

The 24-year-old hit just .211/.253/.

367 with a 30.5 percent strikeout rate over 233 plate appearances in his first extended MLB action in 2023, but beneath the surface of those solid numbers was some intriguing batted-ball data . Vientos was recalled from the minors on April 27 and never looked back, turning in a breakout season that culminated in a fantastic playoff performance.

In 13 postseason games, he hit .327/.362/.

636 with five home runs and 14 RBI. Stats: 120 OPS+, .275/.

325/.472, 59 XBH (29 HR), 105 RBI, 11 SB, 3.2 WAR It was another year of peak-level production for Manny Machado as he continues to build the foundation of a compelling Hall of Fame case.

The 32-year-old now has 1,900 hits, 363 doubles, 342 home runs, 1,049 RBI, 991 runs scored and 57.8 WAR over 13 seasons in the majors, and he turned in the fourth 100-RBI season of his career in 2024. Machado hit .

311/.361/.547 over 180 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, and the San Diego Padres will be counting on plenty more peak seasons with nine years remaining on his 11-year, $350 million extension.

Stats: 118 OPS+, .260/.315/.

453, 58 XBH (26 HR), 75 RBI, 3 SB, 4.1 WAR Have we seen Alex Bregman in a Houston Astros uniform for the final time? The 30-year-old has spent the first nine seasons of his career with the team after it selected him No. 2 overall in the 2015 draft.

And after turning in the sixth 4-WAR season of his career in 2024, he is now set to hit the open market. On top of his usual solid offensive production, Bregman also won his first career Gold Glove this year while turning in strong defensive metrics ( 6 DRS, 2.6 UZR/150 ).

He underwent right elbow surgery to remove a bone chip, and while he is expected to be ready for Opening Day, his agent, Scott Boras, told reporters he is willing to move to second base if needed. Stats: 139 OPS+, .272/.

354/.516, 67 XBH (28 HR), 83 RBI, 3 SB, 3.7 WAR Rafael Devers has proved year-in, year-out that he can flat-out hit, and the 2024 season was no exception.

His 139 OPS+ was the second-highest single-season mark of his career, and he earned his third All-Star selection while again racking up extra-base hits and providing a solid batting average and strong on-base numbers. Devers remains a below-average defender ( -9 DRS, -5.0 UZR/150 ) and that takes a bite out of his overall value, but he is one of baseball's elite offensive players and is still in the prime of his career at 28 years old.

Stats: 125 OPS+, .247/.328/.

463, 68 XBH (27 HR), 78 RBI, 15 SB, 7.1 WAR Matt Chapman had the third 7-WAR season of his career in 2024, and his first since 2019 when he was still a member of the Oakland Athletics. He won his fifth career Gold Glove and was the most consistent hitter in the San Francisco Giants lineup, racking up 68 extra-base hits and trimming his strikeout rate from 28.

4 to 24.4 percent without sacrificing any of his power production. The 31-year-old had the opportunity to opt out of his contract and test the open market again this offseason, but the Giants instead locked him up with a new six-year, $151 million deal that could prove to be a great value with more seasons like he had in 2024.

Stats: 143 OPS+, .279/.335/.

537, 80 XBH (39 HR), 118 RBI, 41 SB, 6.8 WAR José Ramírez was one home run away from quietly joining the exclusive 40/40 club this past season, and he is almost certainly headed for his seventh top-10 finish in AL MVP voting in the last eight years. The six-time All-Star has averaged 38 doubles, 32 home runs, 107 RBI, 29 steals and 6.

2 WAR over the past four seasons, making him unquestionably one of the most productive players in the sport, yet he still rarely receives the recognition he deserves on a national level. At 32 years old, Ramírez is showing no signs of slowing down, and he was an easy choice for the No. 1 spot among third basemen in 2024.

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