Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 1

Part 16 of 16

No. 1 Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Baseball's highest paid player continues to accumulate numbers and attention. The 12-time All-Star and 3-time MVP is not universally embraced around the baseball world, but Alex Rodriguez keeps turning in eye popping performances.

"A-Rod" missed substantial time the previous two seasons, but still reached the 30-HR and 100 RBI thresholds. In 2007, he amassed other worldly numbers— 54 HR's, 156 RBI's and a .314 batting average.

2,554 hits, 585 HR's, 1,721 RBI's, .304 BA, . 389 OBP, .574 SLG— the numbers border on ridiculous.

Of course, the slugger's statistics are a bit tainted due to his admission of performance enhancing drugs. Clearly, he has Hall of Fame numbers— but that's another debate for another time.

As long as every player he drives home or every time he crosses the dish himself counts as one run, past "PED" use has little bearing on his current ranking amongst his peers at the hot corner. A-Rod is still hanging onto the top spot, but Longoria and Wright are closing in fast.

The Final Word

As you can see, Major League Baseball boasts a fine array of talent at the hot corner. Some have been long recognized stars, while others are still in the process of establishing themselves as household names.

Although the biggest names such as Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Scott Rolen are advancing in age, the position will remain in good hands for many years to come. A highly talented cast of young players have a chance at gaining similar stature— led by David Wright, Evan Longoria, Ryan Zimmerman, Pablo Sandoval, Mark Reynolds, and Casey McGehee.

And, how long will it be before David Freese pushes his name into the new wave of stars?

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 2

Part 15 of 16

No. 2 Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays Evan Longoria burst onto the scene in 2008 and helped lead the team to a last place to World Series run. His remarkable talents allowed him to quickly overcome the relentless "Desperate Housewives" jokes and become known as one of baseball's top young stars.

After starting the year in the minors, Longoria clubbed 27 homers and drove in 85 runs in just 122 games. The effort earned him AL Rookie of the Year honors.

In 2009, he added to his hardware collection with Gold Glove and Silver Slugger trophies. In his first full season, Longoria hit .281 with 33 HR's and 113 RBI's.

The Rays and their slick fielding third baseman are off to a blistering start. Longoria has led them to an 18-7 record by hitting .347 with 6 HR's and 19 RBI's.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 3

Part 14 of 16

No. 3 David Wright, New York Mets

Just like on their AAU team in Virginia Beach, David Wright is slightly ahead of Ryan Zimmerman. He's a couple years older and has one more major league season under his belt— and a much more recognized player having played a starring role in the Big Apple.

Wright has been one of baseball's brightest stars since becoming a regular in 2005. Over seven seasons, he has accumulated a .308 BA, .390 OBP, and .519 SLG.

After averaging 29 HR's and 112 RBI's in his first four full seasons, Wright's power numbers dropped off drastically when the team moved into cavernous Citi Field in 2009. He managed just 10 homers and 72 RBI's, but appears to have made adjustments in 2010 as he already has five big flies.

Until Zimmerman took it away last year, Wright received the Gold Glove Award in successive seasons. He was also the recipient of the Silver Slugger those years as well.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 4

Part 13 of 16

No. 4 Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals

It had become clear to the Washington Nationals that Ryan Zimmerman was a keeper, so after three years they elected to sign him to a 5-year, $45 million extension before the 2009 season. He rewarded them with his best season yet and looks to be one of the key players they plan to build around.

Zimmerman recorded career bests in HR's (33) and batting average (.292) while also leading the team with 106 RBI's. For his efforts, he earned an NL Silver Slugger trophy.

His exploits went beyond the batter's box, though, as he also impressed in the field— so much so that he was given a Gold Glove to go along with his silver trophy.

The 25-year old third baseman has battled a hamstring injury in the early going, but is currently hitting .370 with 4 HR's in 59 plate appearances. With the Nationals improved club around him, Zimmerman has even more upside potential.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 5

Part 12 of 16

No. 5 Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants

The Kung Fu Panda has quickly established himself as one of the National League's top hitters and best third sackers despite a body that does not seem to fit the part. Pablo Sandoval displayed a potent bat since the time he joined the San Francisco Giants late in the 2008 season and has continued to wear out pitchers indiscriminately.

To his credit, the 23-year old player recognized that he needed to get into better shape if he hoped to withstand the rigors of long major league baseball seasons and stay out of the training room. This past winter he engaged in "Operation Panda" to drop ten pounds.

Regardless of his dimensions, Sandoval can flat out hit. After batting .345 in his cameo appearance in 2008, he batted .330 with 25 HR's and 90 RBI's in his first full season. This season he is hitting .337 with 3 HR's after 24 games.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 6

Part 11 of 16

No. 6 Michael Young, Texas Rangers

Michael Young begrudgingly made the switch to third base for the 2009 season to make room for top prospect Elvis Andrus. After initially wanting out of Texas, Young went on to have a fine season before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Young's apprehension is understandable considering that he was coming off five consecutive all-star game selections and a Gold Glove at shortstop. Apparently he shook it off enough to hit .322 with 22 HR's before going on the DL for the final five weeks of the season.

Once again, he was rewarded by being selected to the AL All-Star team at his new position. At the age of 33, the move could keep Young an All-Star for years to come.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 7

Part 10 of 16

No. 7 Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles

When Miguel Tejada rejoined Baltimore this offseason after spending two seasons in Houston, it came with strings. The plan was to slide the soon to be 36-year old shortstop over to the hot corner.

Although he had never played the position before, Tejada has a couple of Orioles Hall of Famers backing him and believing that he will do great in the transition. Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken, who made a similar shift, both see Tejada having the athleticism and arm to excel in the twilight years of his career.

"The Bus" is coming off a .313 season in 2009 with 86 RBI's. Since becoming a regular, Tejada has averaged 25 HR's, 103 RBI's and .293 over the past 11 years.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 8

Part 9 of 16

No. 8 Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks

Mark Reynolds often makes the news for what he doesn't do— namely, make a lot of contact. But when he does connect, Reynolds displays some of the most prodigious power in baseball.

In 2008, the Diamondbacks third baseman set a major league record by fanning 204 times. He followed that up by striking out an incredible 223 times a year ago— destroying his own record.

But strikeouts were not the only thing he increased. Reynolds lifted his home run total from 28 to 44 and raised his batting average to .260. He also jacked up his stolen base total to 24 and his fielding percentage from a dismal .904 to a respectable .945.

The 26-year old slugger still has a lot of room to refine his game, but has big upside. Imagine what he could do if he cut his whiffs down to, say, 180?

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 9

Part 8 of 16

No. 9 Aramis Ramirez , Chicago Cubs

There is a little bit of a theme here. The only thing that stands in the way of Aramis Ramirez and a higher ranking is health.

Injuries have always been a little part of the equation with Aramis, but he missed half the season in 2009 with a dislocated shoulder and has experienced some arm soreness in 2010. Rust and being less than 100% may explain why Ramirez is off to a terrible start this year, hitting just .155 with 25 strikeouts.

The Cubs are hoping for their best hitter to return to the form he displayed over nine years prior to going down last season. In that period, Ramirez averaged 28 HR's, 98 RBI's and .292 batting.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 10

Part 7 of 16

No. 10 Scott Rolen, Cincinnati Reds

Like Adrian Beltre, Scott Rolen's high water mark was 2004. And, like Chipper Jones, Rolen's play has been limited by injuries in recent years.

The seven-time Gold Glove winner hit for career highs in 2004 with 34 HR's, 124 RBI's and a .314 batting average. Since then, multiple shoulder and back injuries have kept him off the field one out of every three games.

When healthy, Rolen still flashes his trademark fielding range and line drive bat. In 2009, the 35-year old third baseman hit .305 and committed just 5 errors in 127 games.

Over his 15-year career, Rolen has batted .283 and amassed 288 HR's and 1,140 RBI's. Besides winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1997, he has also been a five-time all-star selection.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 11

Part 6 of 16

No. 11 Adrian Beltre, Boston Red Sox

Looking to beef up its defense, the Red Sox signed free agent Adrian Beltre to fill the hot corner. The team figured that the slick fielding third baseman will be an upgrade over a hobbled Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis.

Doing his best Big Papi imitation, Beltre has yet to hit a home run in the friendly confines of Fenway Park— or anywhere for that matter—but is batting .330 thus far in 2010. The power drought may not be an aberration, though, as the former slugger managed just 8 HR's a year ago.

Over 13 major league seasons, Beltre has clubbed 250 home runs while batting .271. In 2004, he finished second in the AL MVP voting when he batted .334 with 48 HR's and 121 RBI's, but has not come close to replicating those numbers since.

Although his production tailed off, his glove work remained a constant— winning the Gold Glove in back-to-back seasons. Perhaps feeling the pressure in Red Sox Nation, Beltre has been erratic in the early going amassing 5 errors in just 24 games.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 12

Part 5 of 16

No. 12 Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves

Just a couple seasons ago, Chipper Jones would have been near the top of the rankings. Injuries have limited his production and range, though, as he advances in age.

The 38-year old player is still a feared and dangerous hitter, but it appears the days of seeing him on the batting and home run leader board are gone. In 2008, Jones hit a career high .364, but plummeted 100 points to .264 last year.

The Braves expect him to rebound from this year's slow start that has him near the Mendoza line at .206 with just 2 HR's and 6 RBI's. Manager Bobby Cox has not sounded the panic alarm, but he must be watching the fuel tank of his aging slugger very closely these days.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 13

Part 4 of 16

No. 13 Jorge Cantu, Florida Marlins

Like many of his teammates, Jorge Cantu tends to fly under the radar. Last season, the Florida Marlins' player quietly racked up 100 RBI's along with a .289 batting average.

Cantu has spent his three seasons in Florida flip flopping back and forth between the infield corner positions. In 2010, he has started 22 of 25 games at the hot corner.

The 28-year old Texan is off to a fast start, looking to improve his power numbers from last year. While hitting .296, the third sacker has already banged out 6 home runs and driven in 25 runs. Having clubbed 28 big flies for Tampa Bay in '05 and 29 for the Marlins in '08, this could be the season he breaks the 30 mark.

Hottest of the Hot Corner: Ranking MLB's Top 16 Third Basemen—No. 14

Part 3 of 16

No. 14 Placido Polanco, Philadelphia Phillies

Like the Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies are asking Placido Polanco to make the switch across the diamond to man the hot corner. Already possessing baseball's best second basemen in Chase Utley, the club asked last year's American League Gold Glove second baseman to slide back to a position he had played sporadically in the past.

Interestingly, the Phillies traded him away in 2005 when they decided to commit to Utley and could not settle on a regular position for Polanco. This winter, when solid fielding Pedro Feliz's contract expired, GM Ruben Amaro decided that Polanco's additional offensive production was worth the risk of making the switch.

Over the past five years, the 34-year old player batted .311 for Detroit, including a .341 mark in 2007. He twice finished in the top 25 of the MVP voting while winning a Silver Slugger and two Gold Gloves for his work at second.

So far this season, Polanco looks comfortable at third, displaying the same sure hands and strong arm. The position change has not affected him at the plate, as he is batting .299 with 3 HR's and 14 RBI's in the early going.

Amaro has to be pleased with the early returns.