2026 Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 Third Basemen Rankings
Top 10 Third Basemen in 2026
Here are the third basemen ranked 6 to 10 in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship over the first half of January (DC format due to them drafting 750 players over 50 rounds:
6 – Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs (NFBC ADP – 125)
Despite not bringing a difference-maker bat since 2019, the Cubs ponied up $175 million to sign Bregman for five seasons in January. Over his last 708 games, he hit .263 with 412 runs, 110 home runs, 405 RBIs, and nine steals over 2,685 at-bats, which breaks down to an 84/23/83/1 player with 550 at-bats. He remains challenging to strike out (14.1%) while posting a favorable walk rate (10.3%). Earlier in his career, Bregman was one of the few hitters in baseball to take more walks than strikeouts.
Last season, a quad injury knocked him out of action for 44 games. Bregman hit for average (.319) against left-handed pitching, but below-par production (17 runs, three home runs, 10 RBIs over 113 at-bats). He opened 2025 with a high level of success over his first 175 at-bats (.314/31/11/33/1), putting him on pace for a 100/30/100 season. Unfortunately, his bat failed to regain its form after returning from injury (.244/33/7/29 over 258 at-bats), despite a better approach (33 walks and 33 strikeouts).
His exit velocity (90.1) and hard-hit rate (44.4%) were career-highs last season, but Bregman continues to rank poorly in his barrel rate (6.6% - 6.1 %) in his career. His power comes from pulling the ball (47.4% - 45.2% in his career), paired with a flyball swing path (44.1%) and high launch angle (17.7). On the downside, he tends to make more easy outs via infield flies (16.1% - 13.0% in his career).
Fantasy Outlook: The Cubs should hit Bregman second in the batting order this season, giving him a chance at more runs and fewer RBI chances. In 2022 and 2023, he came to the plate with 454 and 450 runners on base, helping his RBI outputs (93 and 98). With a pocket full of money, I don’t see more JUICE coming in his power production. Think steady player (.270/95/25/75) who hasn’t run since 2018.
7 – Eugenio Suarez, Free Agent (NFBC ADP – 127)
Starting in 2019, Suarez made a swing path decision to “go for the fences.” He’s led the league in strikeouts three times (189, 196, and 214) while grading poorly again last year (196). His quest for power is highlighted by his rising flyball rate (50.4% - highest of his career) and launch angle (21.9).
Suarez posted an HR/FB rate (24.4%) in the range of 2019 to 2021 seasons (23.4%, 29.5%, and 24.2%), when he started to become an extreme pull hitter (50.4% last year). His exit velocity (90.2) came in above his career average (90.2) last season, with a slight uptick in his barrel rate (14.3%).
His strikeout rate (29.8%) has been a significant liability over the past seven seasons. Suarez has lost momentum with his walk rate over the past two years (7.7% and 7.0%). He also had boom or bust outcomes against left-handed pitching (.164/25/13/23 with 57 strikeouts over 159 at-bats). His batting average was also poor in his two home parks (.207 with 51 runs, 30 home runs, 68 RBIs, and three steals over 300 at-bats).
Saurez had double-digit home runs and productive RBIs in April (10/20), June (11/27), and July (10/18). He hit .188 over his final 197 at-bats with Seattle (26/13/31/3) while striking out 78 times (36.1%).
Fantasy Outlook: Over the past three seasons, Suarez came to the plate with over 400 runners on base (473, 433, and 411), allowing him to drive in more runs (315). He ranked 22nd in FPGscore (5.21) last season, driven by his value in home runs (3.85) and RBIs (2.48). At age 34, after his best success since 2019, Suarez is looking for a new home in 2026.
His power is a plus asset, but it comes with significant batting-average risk and potentially a quick decline if his strikeouts continue to rise. I’ll go with a .225 batting average with 75 runs, 30 home runs, and 85 RBIs until he signs. I also sense some JUICE in his bat last year, based on his jump in hard-hit rate (47.6% - 42.4% in 2024).
8 – Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles (NFBC ADP – 136)
Westburg gave the appearance of an improving power bat in 2025, but he missed 39 games between late April and June with a hamstring issue. Finger and ankle injuries also cost him playing time. His swing was quiet over his first 98 at-bats (.217/12/4/6). After returning from the injured list, he hit .304 over 191 at-bats with 41 runs, 11 home runs, 28 RBIs, and one steal. Westburg failed to regain his form after missing another month (.200/6/2/7 over 45 at-bats).
Over five seasons in the minors, he hit .281 with 239 runs, 65 home runs, 250 RBIs, and 35 steals over 1,285 at-bats. His bat was at its best at AAA (.287/133/41/139/15 over 679 at-bats). His walk rate (11.0%) was a plus in the minors, with a slightly below-par strikeout rate (23.5%).
His exit velocity (90.2) has been favorable in his time in the majors. Westburg upped his flyball rate (42.6%), HR/FB rate (16.0%), and launch angle (14.1) last season. He finished with about a league-average strikeout rate (22.7%), but barely took any walks (4.8%).
Baltimore gave him 76.5% of his at-bats in the first three slots in the batting order in 2025, which doesn’t look repeatable in 2026. Westburg had a peak of 21 and 23 starts in July and April, showcasing some sort of platoon role.
Fantasy Outlook: For one-third of last year, Westburg showed he belonged in the majors. His approach should naturally improve, but Jeremiah Jackson and Coby Mayo will nip at his heels for at-bats if his swing doesn’t hit the ground running. His average hit rate (1.724) and contact batting average (.351) put him on a path to hit over 25 home runs with some help in batting average.
Westburg’s counting stats hinge on his ability to lock down a full-time starting job for 150 games. The latter part of his equation suggests he overpriced in the early draft season based on potential opportunity, not talent.
9 – Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds (NFBC ADP – 137)
Over his six seasons in the minors, Marte hit .280 with 305 runs, 58 home runs, 256 RBIs, and 86 steals over 1,623 at-bats. His walk rate (10.8%) was an asset every year, while his strikeout rate (20.0%) has been better than league average. He has had only 239 at-bats of experience at AAA (.259/42/4/32/12).
His 2024 season was cut short due to an 80-game suspension for taking PEDs. As a result, Marte turned in empty stats over 229 at-bats (.210/24/4/18/9) with the Reds. He was a forgotten man in the 2025 draft season, leading to him starting the year in the minors. Cincinnati called him up on April 9th after losing Matt McClain to an injury.
Marte flashed over eight games late in April (16-for-34 with six runs, three home runs, 16 RBIs, and three stolen bases), but the Reds lost him for two months, seven days later, due to an oblique injury. Over his final 71 games, he hit .255 over 271 at-bats with 35 runs, 11 home runs, 34 RBIs, and six steals.
His exit velocity (88.5), hard-hit rate (36.3%), and barrel rate (36.3%) need work. Marte had a favorable HR/FB rate (15.4%), aided by his pull-swing path (46.9%). He upped his launch angle (12.7) and flyball rate (35.7%) slightly. His approach (strikeout rate – 23.6% and walk rate – 4.4%) trailed his minor league career. Marte had empty power vs. left-handed pitching (.232/8/1/14/1 over 95 at-bats).
Fantasy Outlook: Based on expected playing time and his balanced skill set, Marte probably should be drafted before Jordan Westburg. His minor league resume and improved success last year suggest his next step is a .270/75/25/20 player. On the downside, his approach did go south over the final two months of 2025 (eight walks and 58 strikeouts over 204 plate appearances).
Reds should give Marte every day at-bats in the outfield, with a reasonable chance to hit in a favorable part of the batting order. Not quite a slam dunk, but there is enough in his profile to put him in the breakout category in 2026. He must improve his approach and solve lefties to reach impact status.
10 – Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants (NFBC ADP – 174)
The Giants lost Chapman twice last summer (24 games and nine games) due to a right-hand injury. His 2025 stats projected over his 2024 at-bats (575) came to 96 runs, 27 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 11 steals, putting him in a reasonable range of his breakout four-category season. His average hit rate (1.857) supported 30+ home runs, but Chapman continues to be a below-par player with runners on base based on his RBI rate over the past four years (12.2%, 9.6%, 13.6%, and 12.4%).
He had further growth in his strikeout (23.6%) and walk (13.3%) rates. Chapman only has three home runs and nine RBIs over 107 at-bats against left-handed pitching (.224 BAA) despite a favorable approach (18 walks and 23 strikeouts). His batting average was weaker at home (.217/38/12/31/4 over 244 at-bats).
His exit velocity (92.2) aligned with his career average, but Chapman had a decline in his barrel rate (9.9% - 12.6% in 2024) and hard-hit rate (47.6%). For the second consecutive year, he lost some of his high flyball swing path (42.8% - 46.0% in his career), resulting in a six-year high in his groundball rate (40.1%).
Fantasy Outlook: Unfortunately, Chapman doesn’t belong hitting behind Rafael Devers, as it allows pitchers to pitch around him to get to a weaker RBI player. His 2024 uptick in speed gives him at least a helpful pulse in stolen bases this year.
Batting average risk remains in his foundation skill set, but Chapman has the tools to be a fantasy league average player in the four other categories. I’ll set his bar at .240 with 80 runs, 25 home runs, 75 RBIs, and seven steals, with a chance to beat three of those outcomes this year.