Third base is deep, there’s not much more I can say about it. I mean, you’ve got 2007 American League Most Valuable Player Alex Rodriguez, New York Mets third baseman David Wright, newly acquired Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera and my personal favorite in Colorado Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins all earning a living at the position.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I took the approach this season to draft high-powered bats early and settle for sleepers at the middle infield positions, well except for one league where I got Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins with my seventh pick and on the way back grabbed Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley with my second-round selection. It was amazing!

I want you to take a look at this:

Player A: 87 R, 26 HR, 99 RBIs, 14 SB, .276 AVG
Player B: 79 R, 21 HR, 120 RBIs, 3 SB, .324 AVG

One of these guys is in my top-10 and the other wishes he was. They are testament to the amount of value you can get at the end of your draft and with baseball being as unpredictable as New England’s weather, you just never know who is going to break from the pack and excel.

Here are the owners of the stat lines mentioned above:
Player A: Adrian Beltre (3B) Seattle Mariners
Player B: Mike Lowell (3B) Boston Red Sox

So, don’t get worried if you miss out on the top talent because you chose the route of drafting middle infielders early. Everyone has a strategy, some work and some don’t. But one thing is for sure in 2008, with young guns like San Diego Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chicago White Sox third baseman/outfielder Josh Fields and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria all in the mix, there just might be a hidden gem waiting patiently as your draft draws to a close. Good luck!

Top-10 Third Basemen

1.) Alex Rodriguez (3B) New York Yankees

The 2007 American League Most Valuable Player hit .314 with career highs in RBIs (156), runs scored (143), OBP (.422), slugging percentage (.645) and OPS (1.067) last season. He also hit 54 home runs, stole 24 bases and struck out 120 times, his lowest total since the 109 whiffs he amassed in 1999 with the Seattle Mariners. His career .308 average inside the hallowed foul poles of Yankee Stadium is disgusting and his lifetime .299 average and .963 OPS in the four hole, where he most likely will be in 2008, is truly sickening. As you probably already know by now, it’s safe to draft the career .306 hitter with the No. 1 overall pick. Enjoy watching him build on the 518 career bombs that he has already sent into orbit while he’s on your roster in 2008.

2.) David Wright (3B) New York Mets

In 2007, Wright set career highs in average (.325), hits (196) home runs  (30), runs scored (113), stolen bases (34), OBP (.416), slugging percentage (.546), OPS (.963) and at-bats (604). He also recorded 107 RBIs and tied a career-high with 42 doubles. After an April that saw him record a putrid .244 batting average with no home runs and six RBIs in 2007, Wright went on to destroy the competition, and many feel that he was the best player in all of fantasy from May until September. On draft day in 2008, Wright is being selected amongst the top-three players. His career .311 average makes me salivate and the fact that he rakes at a lifetime .325 clip off southpaws is illegal. If you wind up with Wright on your roster, you just might have the 2008 National League MVP. He is a special player.

3.) Miguel Cabrera (3B) Detroit Tigers

In Cabrera’s final campaign with the Marlins, he hit .320 with career highs in dingers (34) and RBIs (119). He also notched 91 runs scored, which was 21 less than the 112 he recorded in 2006 and registered a tasty .965 OPS. In 2008, I’ve seen the 6-foot-4, 240-pound machine go anywhere from pick No. 2 to pick No. 8. But I’ll tell you one thing, on a roster that contains outfielders Curtis Granderson and Magglio Ordonez, designated hitter Gary Sheffield, shortstop Edgar Renteria, second baseman Placido Polanco and catcher Ivan Rodriguez, the sky is the limit for the soon-to-be 25-year-old Cabrera. He boasts a .417 batting average and 1.128 OPS in 12 Comerica Park at-bats over his career. In addition, he sports a lifetime .316 average against left-handed pitchers and has a career .377 average and a 1.034 OPS batting fifth, which is where Detroit manager Jim Leyland has said Cabrera will hit. Third base is deep, but if you have the chance to grab Cabrera with your first-round pick, you must click your mouse with utter glee, because if he stays healthy, the AL MVP in 2008 is his to lose.

4.) Ryan Braun (3B/OF) Milwaukee Brewers

In 2007, Braun hit .324 with 34 long balls, 97 RBIs, 91 runs scored, 15 stolen bases and a 1.004 OPS in 451 at-bats. Oh, I almost forgot, he played in just 113 games! In 2008, Braun will occupy left field for the Brewers, which will result in dual-eligibility for the stellar second-year player. Although the 24-year-old phenom was unreal in his Major League Baseball debut, some weaknesses stain his game. For instance, he struck out a total of 112 times on the season and recorded a .282 batting average against right-handed hurlers. In addition, word out of Milwaukee is that the 6-foot-1, 201-pound slugger will hit fourth in the Brewers’ lineup, a spot where he recorded 44 at-bats in 2007 that led to a .227 average and a .777 OPS. Not to mention, his outfield experience is nonexistent. However, there is no denying his glaring talent, he’s a second-round  pick on draft day and if he somehow slips to the third-round and lands on your roster, you committed a ridiculous heist.

5.) Garrett Atkins (3B/1B) Colorado Rockies

Atkins took a step back in 2007 from his breakout 2006 season. In 2006, he hit .329 with 29 dingers, 120 RBIs, 117 runs scored and a .965 OPS in 602 at-bats. Last season, the 28-year-old hit .301 with 25 dingers, 111 RBIs, 83 runs scored and a .853 OPS in 605 at-bats. In addition, his 35 doubles in 2007 was 13 less than the 48 he spanked in 2006 and his strikeouts (96) in 2007 was an increase of 20 whiffs from the 76 he recorded in 2006. However, Atkins is a legit .302 lifetime hitter with a marvelous career .852 OPS. He sports a lifetime .336 average and a .927 OPS in the thin air of Coors Field. Plus, he is a career .292 hitter against southpaws and a career .304 hitter against right-handed hurlers. In most formats, Atkins is also eligible at first and is being grabbed around the fourth-round on draft day.

6.) Aramis Ramirez (3B) Chicago Cubs

In 2007, Ramirez hit .310 with 26 home runs, 101 RBIs, 72 runs scored and a .915 OPS in 506 at-bats. He was limited to 132 games in 2007 due to a laundry list of injuries. You can do what you want on draft day, but I just don’t trust a guy who has only registered 155-plus games played three times and 600-plus at-bats twice over his 10 years in the league. He has a career .336 OBP and is only a lifetime .280 hitter against right-handed pitching. In addition, his atrocious lifetime April batting average of .257 is scary and the career .279 average he has recorded before the All-Star break is alarming. However, Ramirez has notched 30-plus dingers four times and 100-plus RBIs five times over his career. Plus, he has a lifetime .294 average with a .891 OPS inside the ivy laden walls of Wrigley Field. It is safe to grab Ramirez in the fifth-round, just make sure you grab a decent backup.

7.) Chipper Jones (3B) Atlanta Braves

If this guy can ever put a season together where he plays in 150-plus games again, he could win the NL MVP; he hasn’t done so since the 153 games he played during the 2003 campaign with Atlanta. He only participated in 134 games last season. In 2007, Jones hit .337 with 29 home runs, 102 RBIs, 108 runs scored, five stolen bases and a 1.029 OPS in 513 at-bats. Obviously, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound slugger is a huge injury-risk, high-reward type of player. But it’s hard to avoid his 386 career dingers and lifetime .307 average. In addition, he sports a career .950 OPS and a sick lifetime .316 batting average inside the warm confines of Turner Field. He is a legit hitter who is a force from the start; he sports a .314 average and a .950 OPS in the month of April. However, he’s as durable as a plastic straw and provides owners with the constant thought of an inevitable breakdown. In addition, he’ll be 36 in April and as you know, levitating age is the equivalent to a pothole in a road race. If you feel like rolling the dice, expect Jones to be available later than usual on draft day. Also, make sure you draft a solid backup.

8.) Chone Figgins (3B) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

In 2007, Figgins hit a career-high .330 with three dingers, 58 RBIs, 81 runs scored, 41 stolen bases and a .825 OPS in 442 at-bats. Figgins was limited to 115 games last season due various hand injuries. In 2008, Figgins will be occupying the Angels’ leadoff position. Over his six-year career, he sports a .288 average with a .743 OPS filling the No. 1 slot in the lineup. However, if the career .293 hitter is going to excel in the leadoff role, he must improve upon his lifetime .271 average against left-handed hurlers, he took a huge step last season when he cranked a solid .326 off southpaws. He also boasts a nice career .292 average in the month of April and holds a lifetime .301 clip and a .756 OPS inside the sun drenched walls of Angel Stadium. You know what you’re getting with Figgins; he has no power and has averaged 34 stolen bases a season over his young career. Figgins is a fine grab if you’re approaching the point in your draft where you feel like you have enough power and are in the hunt for a speedy leadoff hitter in a very good lineup.

9.) Ryan Zimmerman (3B) Washington Nationals

After a breakout 2006 campaign where the 23-year-old Zimmerman hit .287 with 20 home runs, 110 RBIs, 84 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and a .822 OPS in 614 at-bats, his 2007 campaign where he hit a miserable .266 with 24 home runs, 91 RBIs, 99 runs scored, four stolen bases and a .788 OPS in 653 at-bats was considered by many to be a horrendous disappointment. With the hopes of many riding vigorously upon Zimmerman’s back, the pressure to perform up to his “David Wright-like” abilities will be at the forefront for the 6-foot-3, 210-pound moose. Zimmerman must vastly improve upon his lifetime .812 OPS and his ugly career .267 average against right-handed hurlers. He also boasts a child-like lifetime .239 average in the month of April and strikes out far too much with 245 combined whiffs over the last two seasons. Zimmerman is a late-round grab with the ability to rake, just be weary of his right hip; it’s bothering him a lot lately.

10.) Mike Lowell (3B) Boston Red Sox

After a 2007 season where Lowell set career highs in hits (191), triples (two), batting average (.324), RBIs (120) and OBP (.378), Lowell earned this spot. He also hit 21 home runs with 79 runs scored and a .879 OPS last season. Lowell’s value coincides with Fenway Park, where he has accumulated a career .316 batting average with 26 dingers and 122 RBIs in 611 at-bats. In addition, he sports a career .306 average in the month of April. But, he is 34 and not getting any younger. He has hit a measly .278 off right-handed hurlers over his career and has never scored more than 88 runs in a season. Some might say that last year was the peak of his career, but for some reason I don’t think the Sox would have resigned the veteran if they thought his tank was empty. It’s safe to expect most of the same from Lowell this season with a slight dip in RBIs and batting average. He is one of the safest picks when the top guys are off the board.

Rob McCarthy has played fantasy sports since the days of tediously transferring his daily points from the Boston Herald to a tattered notepad every morning. He has been featured on Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports and currently scribes for KFFL.com. In addition, Rob is an avid fan of all Boston sports.

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