The state of the third base position ahead of 2027: Junior Caminero leads resurgence, Miguel Vargas rises

For a long time, third base was the middle ground position in the infield. The bats were never quite as strong as they were at first base, but they weren't quite as one-dimensional, either. You'd find more slugging at third base than at second (and often shortstop), but with worse batting averages and significantly less speed.

But 2024 and 2025 saw some changes in that regard. It was a real fallow period for the third base position, as the .305 and .307 wOBA produced in 2024 and 2025, respectively, represented the worst collective marks from third basemen since at least 2002. No other season saw production from the position dip below .310, and in 2026, we saw some regression to the mean, as the position managed a .316 mark.

That's not great, mind you. But where third basemen were collectively below average hitters in 2024 and 2025, they reverted to being right on the average line for the league. And you saw it reflected in Fantasy production, with 13 third basemen contributing at least $10 in value, per the FanGraphs Player Rater; it was only nine in 2024 and, somehow, only six in 2025.

And, unlike at second base, which…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/