100 Greatest Third Basemen of All-Time

ALL-TIME TOP 100 LISTS

Baseball's All-Time Greatest Third Basemen Ranked From 1 to 100

RANKNAMEFROMTOCAREERLONG PEAKSHORT PEAKPRIME
1Mike Schmidt19721989106.958.627.440.4
2Wade Boggs1982199991.456.125.842.2
3George Brett1973199388.653.226.338.5
4Eddie Mathews1952196896.254.224.436.7
5Adrian Beltre1998201893.649.324.633.0
6Ron Santo1960197470.553.927.641.9
7Chipper Jones1993201285.346.722.031.3
8Brooks Robinson1955197778.445.824.133.3
9Scott Rolen1996201270.143.522.230.4
10Buddy Bell1972198966.340.319.533.1
11Ken Boyer1955196962.946.422.433.8
12Nolan Arenado2013202354.444.621.931.4
13Paul Molitor1978199875.739.717.925.4
14Edgar Martinez1987200468.343.620.030.2
15Manny Machado2012202354.942.421.626.7
16Graig Nettles1967198868.042.221.128.7
17Evan Longoria2008202358.640.922.431.1
18Sal Bando1966198161.544.321.233.0
19Frank Baker1908192262.746.624.436.2
20Jose Ramirez2013202345.640.221.227.2
21David Wright2004201849.240.322.327.2
22Darrell Evans1969198958.837.121.124.6
23Josh Donaldson2010202346.841.621.533.1
24Robin Ventura1989200456.138.618.524.3
25Ron Cey1971198753.836.818.026.8
26Jud Wilson1923194563.043.622.832.8
27Toby Harrah1969198651.435.519.323.7
28Al Rosen1947195632.333.221.930.1
29Alex Bregman2016202335.434.321.724.1
30Matt Williams1987200346.633.916.322.8
31Ryan Zimmerman2005202140.031.618.223.9
32Anthony Rendon2013202333.232.519.722.3
33Bob Elliott1939195350.535.018.526.4
34Kyle Seager2011202136.831.918.423.7
35Justin Turner2009202336.530.715.323.3
36Stan Hack1932194754.835.217.023.4
37Doug DeCinces1973198741.731.318.823.6
38Eric Chavez1998201438.330.916.825.9
39Matt Chapman2017202331.231.219.823.6
40Heinie Groh1912192748.135.718.028.1
41Jimmy Collins1895190853.438.418.926.0
42Carney Lansford1978199240.428.413.917.8
43Ray Dandridge1933194451.533.016.923.5
44Tim Wallach1980199638.530.514.920.5
45Bill Madlock1973198738.228.315.919.8
46Kris Bryant2015202328.228.818.323.8
47Jeff Cirillo1994200734.530.516.024.0
48Harlond Clift1934194541.532.619.026.0
49Gary Gaetti1981200042.125.013.418.3
50Edwin Encarnacion2005202035.526.613.521.0
51Matt Carpenter2011202328.928.216.021.1
52Ken McMullen1962197734.030.015.221.2
53Don Money1968198336.527.514.920.6
54Bill Bradley1899191536.934.820.428.8
55Aramis Ramirez1998201532.429.315.119.7
56Travis Fryman1990200234.428.314.819.2
57Larry Gardner1908192448.231.415.020.1
58Edgardo Alfonzo1995200628.828.918.622.9
59Bobby Bonilla1986200130.327.414.020.8
60Eddie Yost1944196235.028.314.919.5
61Art Devlin1904191336.132.717.425.7
62Melvin Mora1999201128.326.015.021.8
63George Kell1943195737.627.713.819.7
64Martin Prado2006201928.126.414.317.1
65Buddy Lewis1935194928.324.612.921.5
66Jim Ray Hart1963197424.925.017.724.0
67Ken Keltner1937195033.228.616.419.6
68Chase Headley2007201825.924.213.719.8
69Troy Glaus1998201038.132.917.521.9
70Richie Hebner1968198533.023.412.817.1
71Todd Frazier2011202125.323.212.618.7
72Hank Thompson1947195625.124.114.521.4
73Kevin Seitzer1986199728.925.114.016.4
74Terry Pendleton1984199828.525.215.515.5
75Howard Easterling1937195430.528.215.022.8
76Red Smith1911191927.026.312.726.9
77Ed Charles1962196919.619.713.114.1
78Heinie Zimmerman1907191933.629.616.919.8
79Pie Traynor1920193737.326.412.717.7
80Bob Bailey1962197828.823.412.717.0
81Corey Koskie1998200624.623.814.520.0
82Ray Boone1948196025.822.112.519.4
83Willie Kamm1923193534.926.013.717.8
84Howard Johnson1982199522.222.914.820.7
85Red Rolfe1931194228.022.216.022.3
86Ken Caminiti1987200133.529.616.323.4
87Chone Figgins2002201422.022.515.018.5
88Freddie Lindstrom1924193627.526.317.120.9
89Ken Oberkfell1977199222.422.010.217.7
90Whitey Kurowski1941194924.524.115.622.0
91Harry Steinfeldt1898191130.626.415.719.2
92Mike Lowell1998201024.923.412.614.4
93Austin Riley2019202318.118.218.718.1
94Casey Blake1999201124.922.111.615.2
95Rafael Devers2017202318.818.813.517.7
96Pablo Sandoval2008202119.021.213.716.4
97Clete Boyer1955197127.723.612.413.9
98Judy Johnson1921193735.523.013.516.5
99Eugenio Suarez2014202320.319.611.514.2
100Bob Horner1978198821.918.910.515.1
EXPLANATION OF TABLE DATA
CAREER = Career Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
We use bWAR.
LONG PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons.
SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons.
PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons.

How Do We Rank The Players?

That's a Great Question. In short, it isn't Simple.

We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate.

Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: 

  • Career Value
  • Long Peak
  • Short Peak
  • Career Prime Value
  • Contribution to Championship Teams

We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player.

Generally, a player’s Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. That leaves half or just under half from his long peak (seven best seasons), short peak (three best seasons), and prime (five best consecutive seasons). The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases.

Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists.

We feel it’s important to acknowledge that baseball is harder to play today than it was 25 years ago, and 50 years ago, and so on. It doesn’t make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated.