Top 5: AL East Third Basemen of 2015
Sep 11, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman
Pablo Sandoval(48) on deck to bat at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-4. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t this one a no-brainer? Having the favorite for the American League’s most valuable player award, Josh Donaldson, in this category does make it pretty difficult to see anyone else win the top spot. However, the 2015 season saw the hot corner become one of immense drama, for good or bad, for each of the clubs in the AL East division.
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The third base position is traditionally one where powerful offense meets solid defense. In the case of the five men chosen for this top 5 list, their ability to balance these two skill sets symbolized how each of their teams did in the win/loss column.
All statistics were taken from MLB.com, and were used to create an opinion for a well-rounded third basemen, both offensively and defensively as well as an ‘it factor’ that elevated or deflated each player’s success and accountability. This special factor was the qualitative element that often either spurred the player’s club to win games or depress the fans into utter despair, which is not something quantitative and yet still weighed heavily in this ranking.
Now, sit back and read up on how these five men stacked up against each other, this year: