"Spring training camps are underway, which means it is time to look at the state of baseball. As part of our 2026 MLB season preview, ESPN's Buster Olney surveyed those around the industry to help him rank the top 10 players at every position as part of his annual positional ranking series. Today, we rank the best of the best at third base."
"Jose Ramirez is now signed through the 2032 season, meaning he theoretically has seven more seasons to add to his amazing career. Sometime in the summer ahead, he'll hit his 300th career home run -- we can assume this because he's got 285 and he's hit at least 17 homers in nine straight seasons, including the 60-game COVID season. And sometime this summer, he'll pick up his 300th career stolen base, which we can assume he'll do because he has accumulated 287already -- 85 over the last two years."
Spring training camps are underway and MLB positional rankings for the 2026 season are being assembled, with a focus on identifying the best players specifically for 2026. ESPN surveyed industry figures to rank the top 10 players at every position, releasing third-base rankings now and scheduling other positions across the following days. Jose Ramirez is signed through 2032 and projects to reach both 300 career home runs and 300 stolen bases soon, given his recent production. Historical third-base standards include Brooks Robinson for defense and Eddie Mathews and Mike Schmidt for power. Ramirez has multiple MVP top-six finishes, six Silver Sluggers, and nearly 2,000 hits, placing him in all-time conversations.
Read at ESPN.com
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