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Welcome officially to the 2024 fantasy baseball season! Spring training is in full force, and fantasy managers are gearing up for another exciting season in the MLB. Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players who can provide a great return on value. You can start taking calculated risks on emerging prospects, overlooked veterans, players returning from injury, or even players with some playing time concerns out of the gate. The early rounds are critical, and the late rounds are where you can take your chances on dart-throw sleepers, but the middle rounds can make or break your roster.
Today, we're looking at some middle-round third base options for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority mid-round draft target? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2024 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more – available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.
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Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pittsburgh Pirates
2023 was something of a breakout for Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, as the slick-fielding 3B posted career highs in key categories such as batting average (.271), home runs (15), and wRC+ (101). There was some legitimate growth underneath the hood as well, with Hayes posting an impressive 92.1 MPH average exit velocity and a 13.2-degree launch angle, eight degrees higher than in 2022. Even with this breakout, Hayes's upside isn't that exciting. He'd be lucky to crack 20 home runs, and he plays for a Pittsburgh squad that affords little opportunity for runs and RBI.
Still, a .271 AVG is nothing to sneeze at in a year where the league average was .248. He also has double-digit steals in two consecutive seasons. Hayes's glove and youth should ensure he gets ample playing time, and he's a solid, if unexciting, option at corner infield in 2024. ATC projects Hayes to hit .271 with 15 home runs, 61 RBI, 65 runs, and 10 stolen bases over 494 at-bats. The 24-year-old has been red-hot this spring, hitting .421 (16-for-38) with three home runs and nine RBI across 38 at-bats. The 27-year-old does have 20/20 upside and could easily smash his current NFBC ADP of 167, making him a solid pick in the middle-rounds in 2024 fantasy baseball drafts.
-- Elliott Baas - RotoBaller
Jake Burger, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins third baseman Jake Burger entered the fantasy consciousness with a bang in 2023, slashing .250/.309/.518 with 34 HR in 540 PAs. The power was legit, as Burger's 97.8 mph average airborne exit velocity, 16.7% rate of Brls/BBE, and 118.2 max exit velocity all ranked sixth among qualified big league hitters. As such, he'll likely maintain his 25.4% HR/FB. Burger also projects as Miami's cleanup hitter, giving him as many RBI opportunities as the team can muster. Unfortunately, everything else in his profile is a red flag. Burger's plate discipline was atrocious last year, and he would be lucky to repeat his 5.9 BB% and 27.6 K% based on his 41.3% chase rate and 17.1 SwStr%.
Burger also posted an 18.4 LD% last season, likely making it difficult for his .284 BABIP to reach the major league average. Burger has above-average wheels with a Statcast Sprint Speed of 28 ft./sec but has never been a base thief in his professional career. Ultimately, drafting Burger comes down to roster construction. If you need power and have your batting average covered, Burger makes sense at his ADP of 166.60, making him a bargain for managers needing power on draft day.
-- Rick Lucks - RotoBaller
Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
Only two hitters in 2023 had more walks than strikeouts. One -New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto - is easy to guess. The other? Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, who walked 92 times compared to just 87 strikeouts. His ability to be ultra-selective at the plate has allowed Bregman to produce elite counting stats and on-base skills even as he rounds the corner of age 30 in 2024. Last year was perhaps the best season of his career, as he played in 161 games, hit 25 bombs, scored 103 times, and drove in 98 runs.
Gone are the days of 10 or more steals, but why would you run if you have Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker hitting behind you? Many of the top 12 third basemen in drafts (Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers, Royce Lewis, Josh Jung) have enticing upside and a level they may not have reached yet. Bregman, however, has one of the safest floors of anyone in the position. Fantasy managers can take 260-20-90-90-3 to the bank, which is great value at pick 84, where he is currently being drafted in NFBC leagues. ATC is on board with this assessment, projecting Bregman to slash .264/.365/.447 with 22 home runs, 86 RBI, 95 runs, and two stolen bases over 651 plate appearances in 2024.
-- Ryan Kirksey - RotoBaller
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung is coming off of a productive rookie season at the dish. A 2023 All-Star, Jung hit .266 with 23 home runs, 75 runs, 70 RBI, and a .782 OPS across 122 games. While not all was rosy with his subpar 5.8% BB% and elevated 29.3% K% in mind, a 110 wRC+ is a fine season for any big-league first-timer. It's worth noting that his counting stats were hindered by a broken thumb that required surgery and cost him almost six weeks of action late in the season.
Additionally, the gauntlet of a 162-game major league season appeared to get to the soon-to-be 26-year-old, who hit .280 with a .835 OPS and .356 wOBA in the first half before regressing to a .229 average alongside a .638 OPS and .277 wOBA following the All-Star break. Jung ranked in the 77th percentile or better in xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and sweet-spot rate as a rookie. With an ADP of 103.19 as the 11th third baseman off the board, Jung is a solid investment on the back of big-time power and superior counting stats with full health and a strong Rangers supporting cast in 2024. Update: Jung is dealing with a left calf strain but is expected to return for Opening Day.
-- Brenton Kemp - RotoBaller
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm continued to progress in 2023, putting up a career-high 20 home runs while cutting his strikeout rate to 15.4%. Bohm's biggest strength at the plate may be his ability to hit for average, with the third baseman posting a .274 AVG in a year where the league average was .248. There may even be room for growth with his average since Bohm had a .290 xBA and a career-low .296 BABIP (career .321 BABIP).
A .290 hitter is a rare thing in today's game, making Bohm a reliable, if boring, option at the hot corner for fantasy managers. He should be a solid source of batting average and RBI while throwing 15-20 home runs in the mix as well. ATC projections are on board with this assessment and predict Bohm to hit .274 with 20 home runs, 97 RBI, and four stolen bases over 558 at-bats in 2024. With a current ADP of 149, Bohm is a fairly priced fantasy asset and is a solid pick in the middle rounds heading into 2024 fantasy baseball drafts.
-- Elliott Baas - RotoBaller
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