Welcome back to another Humm Baby Baseball countdown and today we’re talking about the best 15 third basemen in modern MLB history. Third base, known as the hot corner, is one of the toughest position on the diamond, requiring elite reflexes and a powerful arm. They don’t typically have the agility and range of a shortstop, meaning third basemen are oftentimes larger and more physically imposing players who are expected to bring more power as a hitter, and so third basemen can typically hit the long ball with frequency. Players need to have played at least 1,200 games at the position to qualify, so look for players like Edgar Martinez and Paul Molitor on the DH video and Cal Ripken Jr. and A-Rod on the shortstop video, and also this list doesn’t include active players. Before getting to today’s main list, there are several honorable mentions I have so let’s run through a few great third basemen who just missed the Top 15.
Evan Longoria
One of my favorite players, Evan Longoria looked like a future Hall of Famer after making 3 straight All Star Games and winning 2 Gold Gloves with the Rays his first 3 seasons, but as it turned out, he never made another All Star team, although he did win a 3rd Gold Glove in 2017. Still, Longoria continued to be a consistent power hitter, playing elite defense year and year, and retired with 342 homers.
David Wright
After his first 6 full seasons, David Wright looked like a possible future Hall of Famer, making 5 straight All Star Teams, winning two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, while hitting for power and average. Sadly, his career was cut short due to a series of debilitating injuries and spinal stenosis, leading to an early retirement.
Ron Cey
Dodger Legend Ron Cey hit at least 22 home runs in 10 out of 11 seasons, driving in over 100 runs twice while making 6 All Star Teams during his 17-year career. He never won a Gold Glove but was always solid defensively and hit .350 with a home run in the ‘81 Fall Classic, taking home the World Series MVP Award.
Robin Ventura
Although he’s mostly remembered for getting beat up by Nolan Ryan, Robin Ventura was a great third basemen, winning 6 Gold Glove Awards while being a consistent hitter throughout his career. He hit 294 career homers with a .362 career on-base percentage and made two All Star teams.
Carney Lansford
Lansford was a complete player who didn’t have massive power but did hit 19 home runs in 3 separate seasons. He was extremely fast for a third baseman and stole 224 career bases, but his main skill was hit pure hitting ability. Lansford won a batting title in 1981 with a .336 average and ended his career with over 2,000 hits.
Gary Gaetti
Gaetti played for 20 years in the big leagues and brought elite defense with consistent power year after year. During the 80’s, he won four consecutive gold gloves, and smashed at least 20 home runs eight times, three times surpassing 30. Gaetti retired with 360 bombs.
Aramis Ramirez
A player who was probably better than most fans remember, Aramis Ramirez had over 2,300 hits in his career, more than many legendary Hall of Famers including Joe Dimaggio and Willie McCovey. He also hit .283 with a .341 on-base percentage and crushed 386 career home runs, driving 1,417 runs. He even finished in the Top 10 for MVP 3 times. Unfortunately, he was not known as a great defender and never won a Gold Glove. If he was a better defender, he might’ve had a shot at the Hall of Fame.
Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti, was an elite defender and extremely powerful hitter for years, playing mostly for the Astros and Padres. He won three straight Gold Gloves and averaged 30 homers per year during his peak from ‘95 to ‘98. After retiring, he admitted to using steroids during the 1996 season in which he crushed 40 homers and won the MVP. Caminiti struggled with drug abuse and tragically died from an overdose in 2004.
Bill Madlock
Hitting machine Bill Madlock consistently hit well over .300 year after year throughout his most of his career, winning a total of four batting titles, more than any player in MLB history who is not in the Hall of Fame. He hit .354 in 1975 with the Cubs, his second full season, and made his first of three All Star teams. Madlock ended his career with a .305 average and over 2,000 hits.
Tim Wallach
Wallach excelled defensively and offensively for the Montreal Expos in the 80’s and early 90’s, winning 3 Gold Glove Awards while being a consistent power threat at the plate. He led the league in doubles twice and hit at least 20 home runs 5 times in his career, including 23 homers in 1994 with the Dodgers. Wallach made 5 All Star teams and had over 2,000 career hits.
Sal Bando
For about decade, Sal Bando was one of the best third basemen in the game, smashing over 20 home runs almost every season while playing excellent defense. He almost never missed a game and made 3 straight All Star teams in the mid-70’s and a total of 4 in his career. Bando averaged 21 homers per year for an 11 year period and finished in the top 4 for MVP 3 times, finishing 2nd in 1971.
George Kell
Kell played in the 40’s and 50’s and made 10 All Star teams throughout his 15 year career. During his time, he was one of the best third basemen in the game, playing great defense with a consistent bat. He hit .306 for his career with 2,054 career hits and 870 RBIs, but did not have much home run power. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1983.
Home Run Baker
There was a time Hall of Famer Home Run Baker would’ve easily come in at #1, but that was about 100 years ago. In his time, he was one of the biggest home run threats in baseball – hence the nickname. He led the league for four consecutive seasons in homers, but that number was only about 10 per season, although his RBI numbers are still impressive, including 130 in 1912. He played for just 13 seasons, retired with a .307 average, over 1,800 hits, 96 homers, and a .363 World Series average. Compared to his peers, he was the best third baseman in the game at the time.
Now, let’s jump into the Top 15
15. Matt Williams
4-time Silver Slugger Award Winner and San Francisco Giants legend Matt Williams was an absolute superstar in the 80’s and 90’s, consistently hitting 30+ homers per season. He led the league with 122 RBIs in 1990 and in 1994 was on track to challenge Roger Maris’s single season record of 61 homers when the season ended due to the player strike. He led the league with 43 bombs that year and finished 2nd for the MVP. Williams was also an elite defender and won four Gold Gloves, playing for the Giants, Indians, and Diamondbacks. He went on the become a manager, won a Manager of the Year Award with the Nationals, and is now the third base coach for the Giants.
14. Graig Nettles
A master defender and clutch power hitter, Graig Nettles played for over 20 years and made hundreds of spectacular plays at the hot corner, winning two Gold Gloves in 1977 and 1978. He also consistently hit over 20 home runs per year, maxing out at a league leading 32 in 1976. He hit 376 total bombs in his career, made 6 All Star teams and hit .500 in the 1981 ALCS, taking home the ALCS MVP. Despite an amazing career, Nettles fell off the Hall of Fame ballot in 1997 with less than 5% of the vote, likely due to his relatively low .248 career batting average.
13. Ken Boyer
An elite offensive and defensive player, Ken Boyer won 5 Gold Gloves with 11 All Star Selections. He won the MVP in 1964 for hitting .295 with 24 bombs and an MLB-best 119 RBIs while leading the Cardinals to the World Series. He retired with over 2,000 hits, a .287 career average, an MVP and a career WAR higher than multiple Hall of Famers including Yogi Berra and Harmon Killebrew, but somehow he got completely overlooked on the Hall of Fame ballot.
12. Buddy Bell
One of the greatest defensive third basemen of all time, Buddy Bell won 6 consecutive Gold Gloves in the late 70’s and early 80’s. He was also no slouch at the plate, collecting 2,514 career hits, more hits than any third basemen not in the Hall of Fame. He also hit over 200 career homers during his 18 year career. Bell never made the postseason, which likely hurt his Hall of Fame chances, but based on his contributions offensively and defensively along with his total numbers, he should’ve gotten a lot more consideration.
11. Pie Traynor
Career Pittsburgh Pirate Pie Traynor was an offensive force in the big leagues for over a decade in the 20’s and 30’s. He drove in over 100 runs in seven separate seasons, hit over .300 10 times, and led the league in triples in 1923. He had some power, but played in the massive Forbes Field, which limited his home runs. Traynor played excellent defense and made the first two All Star games that existed in 1933 and 1934. He retired with over 2,400 hits and a career .320 batting average. He also got MVP votes in 9 separate seasons although he never won the award. Traynor retired as the greatest third basemen of all time, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948.
10. Darrell Evans
Moving into the Top 10, My #1 most underrated player in MLB history, Darrell Evans was a fantastic defender and excellent hitter who brought power and an elite eye to the plate for over 20 years in the big leagues. He made just two All Star teams but should’ve made many more. Evans would be much more valued today for his ability to work a walk, retiring with 1,605 walks and a .361 on-base percentage, but he also had big power, crushing over 400 career home runs, including at least 40 in two separate seasons. He was completely snubbed on the Hall of Fame ballot, falling off after one year.
9. Ron Santo
Ron Santo was a multi-talented player who could field like few others, but also had big power along with an incredible knack for getting on base. He was the best fielding third baseman in the National League during the 60’s and won 5 straight Gold Gloves, but also led the league in on-base percentage twice and led the league in walks 4 times. Santo smashed at least 20 home runs 11 times and retired with 342 round trippers and a career on-base percentage of .362. He also made 9 All Star Teams, but on the Hall of Fame ballot, he got a stunning 3.9% of the vote in 1980, falling off the ballot. Fortunately, the committee voted for him at a 93.8% rate, but unfortunately, he had already passed away.
8. Scott Rolen
Next up, we have a relatively new Hall of Famer, Scott Rolen, who was probably the best defensive third baseman of the 2000s. He won a Rookie of the Year award in 1997 then his first of 8 career Gold Gloves in 1998. He made so many sparkling plays throughout his career, but could also rake, smashing 316 career homers with a .281 average. Rolen hit over 20 home runs for 8 straight seasons, and retired as one of the best third basemen ever. He was still snubbed on the ballot for many years before finally getting elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023.
7. Adrian Beltre
At #7 it’s Adrian Beltre, who dominated offensively and defensively for well over a decade for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox, and Rangers. Beltre was a solid player during his first 5 seasons but didn’t look like a future Hall of Famer until 2004 when he smashed 48 bombs with a .334 average, winning a Silver Slugger and finishing second for the MVP. Although he never matched that season, from there on he became a star, consistently hitting for power and average while also playing elite defense. He won 5 Gold Gloves in his career and made four All Star teams, not making his first one until 2010 at age 31. But he kept playing well into his late thirties, retiring with 477 home runs and a .286 average. He had 3,166 hits, including an MLB record 2,987 as a third baseman.
6. Brooks Robinson
Now, we move to some of the absolute undeniable legends of the game, starting at #6 with Brooks Robinson, the Human Vacuum Cleaner, simply the greatest defensive third baseman to ever live. Many of the great American League third basemen on today’s list did not win many Gold Gloves during the 60’s and 70’s, because Brooks Robinson simply won them all. From 1960 to 1975, Brooks Robinson won the Gold Glove every single season, a total of 16 Gold Gloves. He also made 18 All Star teams and could hit, leading the league with 118 RBIs in his MVP year of 1964. He also crushed at least 20 homers 6 times, and retired with 2,848 hits. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.
5. Chipper Jones
A rare switch hitting third baseman, 8-time All Star Chipper Jones put up some of the best offensive numbers ever seen from a third baseman, combining power and average from both sides of the plate for nearly 20 years. He made 5 All Star teams in 6 years and the one he missed was from the year he won the MVP, 1999, when he hit .319 with 45 home runs. Jones consistently hit close to if not over 30 homers year after year and retired with 468 total homers and a .303 batting average. He had 5 seasons in which his OPS exceeded 1.000, an incredible feat at the MLB level. In 2008, he won a batting title with a .364 average. He was not known as the best defender, but he could make sparkling plays and had smooth hands which helped him make the classic barehanded grab and throw play as well as anybody. Overall, as of now, Chipper Jones comes in as a top 5 third baseman of all time.
4. George Brett
Moving on to #4, we have the Royals legend, Hall of Famer George Brett who finished his career with 3,154 hits, 317 home runs, a .315 batting average and even over 200 stolen bases. He made 13 consecutive All Star teams and won two batting titles, including in 1980 with he hit .390. That year, he also smashed 24 bombs and led the league in average, on-base, slugging, and OPS, taking home the MVP Award. He also hit .337 in the postseason, won an ALCS MVP and won a World Series ring in 1985. Brett continued to hit at an elite level and play spectacular defense at third base throughout his career and he won a Gold Glove in 1985, a year he finished in second for the MVP. He finished in the top 3 for the MVP four times. Brett was easily inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1999.
3. Wade Boggs
Then there’s a man born to swing a bat, Wade Boggs, who was not drafted until the 7th round out of High School, but hit over .300 every season in the minors, forcing a call up then immediately hit .349 with just 21 strikeouts in 381 plate appearances in 1982 with the Red Sox. From there, he never stopped hitting, with a league leading .361 average in ‘83, his first of 5 career batting titles, and .368 average in 1985, a year he collected 240 hits, the most hits in a season by an MLB player since 1930. On top of his incredible bat, Boggs could also defend, winning back to back Gold Gloves in the 90’s, and he likely would’ve won more if not for Buddy Bell and Gary Gaetti. Boggs retired with over 3,000 hits, a .328 career batting average, and a .415 on-base percentage. He was easily inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.
2. Eddie Mathews
Up next, barely above Boggs, I’m going with Eddie Mathews for his incredible power combined with an elite ability to bet on base and a fantastic glove on defense. His batting average won’t compare to Boggs, but he did smash 512 career home runs. He led the league in homers twice with 47 in 1953 and 46 in 1959, but he also led the league in walks four times. He retired with a .376 on-base percentage, 12 All Star Selections, and two World Series championships. He got MVP votes in 10 separate seasons, finishing second twice, and for a trivia question answer, Eddie Mathews was the only player to play for the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves. He was a feared power hitter who played excellent defense for about 15 years, and comes in as the second best third baseman of all time.
1. Mike Schmidt
But coming in at #1 to no one’s surprise hopefully is the legendary Mike Schmidt, the greatest third baseman in MLB history, who retired with 548 career home runs. He played for 18 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, and brought elite power to the plate every single season for 15 years, leading the league in round trippers 8 times between 1974 and 1986. He set an MLB record with 515 home runs as a third baseman, and also tied an MLB record with 4 home runs in a single game. He was also disciplined and worked plenty of walks, leading the league 4 times in the category and led the league in multiple seasons in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. Aside from the incredible bat, he was one of the best defenders of all time, winning 10 career Gold Gloves. Schmidt won back to back MVPs in 1980 and ‘81, then won a third MVP in 1986. He also had four career postseason bombs and helped the Phillies win it all in 1980 with a .381 average and 2 bombs in the World Series, and he did win the World Series MVP award. For me, it’s not even close, the greatest third baseman in the history of the game has to be Mike Schmidt and it’s a title he might just hold forever.