Top 5: AL East Third Basemen of 2015

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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:

Sep 20, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) gets to first on a fielding error by Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brett Cecil (not pictured) in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Boston defeated Toronto 4-3. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

5) Pablo Sandoval – Boston Red Sox

Bio: 29 y/o, 5’11″, 255 lbs, bats left, & throws right

MLB Years: 8

Games Played in 2015: 126 (123 as 3B)

Offense:

.245 batting average
.292 on-base percentage
.366 slugging percentage
10 home runs & 47 RBIs
25 walks to 73 strikeouts

Defense:

2.26 range factor
.948 fielding percentage
15 errors, 200 assists, & 78 putouts

‘It’ Factor: Slow But Not Steady

Sandoval was dead last in every offensive category. Considering that his physique never gave anyone in Red Sox Nation much hope that the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ would be an incredible defensive specialist, the offensive dud of a season seriously cramped the fans’ style.

If the numbers didn’t say enough to prove his spot in this ranking, there was one incident that symbolized how hard it was for the Fenway faithful to watch the Red Sox, this season. While running from first base to home plate, Sandoval seemed to run out of gas and was stopped by the opposing catcher. Later on, Sandoval left the game for what was claimed by manager John Farrell as dehydration. Whether it was true or he was just too out of shape to continue, Sandoval didn’t take care of himself well enough to be an important factor in the Red Sox lineup or on the field. For $95 million, the average person would want to keep himself in good enough shape to at least try to be there for his team. Instead, the team didn’t even let him finish playing the rest of the season in late September.

Sep 28, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Chase Headley (12) hits a single during the first inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

4) Chase Headley – New York Yankees

Bio: 31 y/o, 6’2″, 210 lbs, switch-hitter, & throws right

MLB Years: 9

Games Played in 2015: 156 (155 as 3B)

Offense:

.259 batting average
.324 on-base percentage
.369 slugging percentage
11 home runs & 62 RBIs
51 walks to 135 strikeouts

Defense:

2.59 range factor
.946 fielding percentage
23 errors, 302 assists, & 99 putouts

‘It’ Factor: Panda Eclipsed

Headley seriously needs to kiss Sandoval for being an even bigger disappointment, this season.

The hope was that the change of scenery from the National League to the American League was going to help Headley rediscover the success that he had in the past for the San Diego Padres. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Headley couldn’t mount an offense worthy of that dream. While his RBIs were enough to help the Yankees win a few close games, the walks-to-strikeouts and batting average were only decent at best.

Having the most errors on this list didn’t help much, either.

While the numbers were a problem, their significance were overshadowed by the equally terrible numbers and floundering actions on the field by Headley’s Red Sox counterpart. Headley could have done better, but at least he didn’t seem to do so obviously worse.

Oct 4, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) tags out Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Ben Revere (7) as he attempted to steal during the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

3) Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays

Bio: 30 y/o, 6’2″, 210 lbs, bats right, & throws right

MLB Years: 8

Games Played in 2015: 160 (148 as 3B)

Offense:

.270 batting average
.328 on-base percentage
.435 slugging percentage
21 home runs & 73 RBIs
51 walks to 132 strikeouts

Defense:

2.49 range factor
.976 fielding percentage
9 errors, 259 assists, & 109 putouts

‘It’ Factor: Consistently Good

His numbers are not what they once were, but Longoria was still a solid player at third base for a less-than-stellar Rays team. Longoria still hit with power and got on base any way he could, but his walks and strikeouts still were not as good as the other two men ahead of him on this list.

Defensively, he had the fewest errors of the five, but Longoria also wasn’t putting himself on many occasions to screw up a play. He didn’t belly flop like Sandoval, trying to catch a popped bunt and crashing into failure, but it’s not like fans can remember that many big moments where his defense saved many ballgames, either. It could be age catching up with him; however, Longoria isn’t the oldest in this group and he’s only a year older than two of the others, yet they seem to be able to make some big plays.

Still, Longoria’s performance was middle of the pack, which explains where he landed on this list. Any team would still love to have the veteran on their team to stabilize the position. The Red Sox and the Yankees sure wouldn’t mind, as long as it was through free agency and not at a loss of big prospects in a trade. Since he’s signed through 2022 for $105.5 million, don’t expect anything happening any time soon. Longoria should retire as a Rays third baseman and continue to be a solid investment for at least a few more years.

Sep 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) turns a double play as Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) slides during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

2) Manny Machado – Baltimore Orioles

Bio: 23 y/o, 6’3″, 185 lbs, bats right, & throws right

MLB Years: 4

Games Played in 2015: 162 (156 as 3B)

Offense:

.286 batting average
.359 on-base percentage
.502 slugging percentage
35 home runs & 86 RBIs
70 walks to 111 strikeouts

Defense:

3.01 range factor
.961 fielding percentage
19 errors, 337 assists, & 132 putouts

‘It’ Factor: Youthful Vigor

Machado’s age should scare most teams, as the man-child can only get bigger and better from here.

His excellent power and keen eye for the ball make him a danger each time that Machado comes to the plate. He walked or found the ball to hit to get himself on base, helping his team any way he could. These numbers came after still recovering from injury. Imagine what will happen when he hits his prime at 100% health. The RBI total would have been even better if his teammates would have gotten on base more often. However, down the stretch, the Orioles couldn’t put enough hits, runs, or wins together to give Machado to show off his talents in the postseason.

Compared directly to Longoria, Machado’s defensive numbers may be questionable if you only looked at the figures. If you watched the games, Machado reached balls that most third basemen have no business tracking down, straining his body to try to make the out. Often it worked out for him, sometimes it didn’t, which explains his error total. His assists, however, show a different story, one of amazing range and effort. So much so, that the team called on him a few times to play shortstop when they needed help. It’s not like just anyone can play one of the toughest defensive positions in baseball, but Machado did it with relative ease.

Having a strong player who has hands and range of a shortstop playing third base would make any team drool and puts Machado above the aforementioned three men on this list because of it. The future looks very bright for him, as he can only go up from here. Any Orioles fans need a towel to wipe up the moisture forming on their floors?

Oct 31, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Josh Donaldson (left) sits with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred (right) at the Hank Aaron award press conference before game four of the World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

1) Josh Donaldson – Toronto Blue Jays

Bio: 29 y/o, 6’0″, 220 lbs, bats right, & throws right

MLB Years: 5

Games Played in 2015: 158 (150 as 3B)

Offense:

.297 batting average
.371 on-base percentage
.568 slugging percentage
41 home runs & 123 RBIs
73 walks to 133 strikeouts

Defense:

2.83 range factor
.959 fielding percentage
18 errors, 287 assists, & 137 putouts

‘It’ Factor: The Total Package

Who would argue with Hank Aaron? Certainly not this list.

Donaldson just won the Hank Aaron Award for being the top MLB hitter. His numbers have made him the top candidate for the American League MVP Award, drowning the competition in a sea of blue. The ‘Bringer of Rain’ washed away doubts of his game like a great flood that brought forth the founding soil for a great harvest of success, this fall. The city of Toronto smiled from ear to ear all through the summer and realized that his actions helped the club come within two wins of the World Series.

Does anyone even need to look at the defensive numbers after that?

If you do desire it, then it should be mentioned how the numbers, much like Machado, don’t do Donaldson justice. Blue Jays fans saw the odd mistake that Donaldson made, which drove down his fielding percentage lower than Machado’s and Longoria’s figures; however, the way that he sweated and bled to get balls that mortal men would have given up on ended up linking him to the fans in a very unique, Canadian way.

Donaldson’s dive into the stands to catch a fly ball, regardless of the fact that he caught it, made Canadians see the heart that he possessed. He busted his body to do what he could to help the club, showing his passion for the game, his teammates, the fans, as well as himself. Even famous hockey icon, and former Boston Bruins head coach, Don Cherry expressed his admiration for Donaldson, comparing him to other famous Canadian hockey icons for the way that he played the game. Cherry did this tribute during his program for the Stanley Cup playoffs, when he was supposed to be discussing the championship matchups. If you know anything about Canada, you know that hockey comes first over practically everything. For a baseball player to take the time away from the hockey worship, Donaldson has proven just how much he means not only to the Blue Jays but the entire country.

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