The Third Basemen Who Actually Changed the Game

Last Updated: June 18th, 2026 by Jake Cain

Let’s face it.

It’s hard to compare a guy who played in the 1920’s to a current player playing the 2020’s.

That said, it’s fun to try.

We’ve reviewed all the stats, offensive and defensive, heard from people in our Facebook group and we’ve updated our list of the top 20 third baseman of all time.

We’re counting down from 20, so be sure to scroll to the bottom and see if you agree with our choice as the best of all-time.

#20 Evan Longoria

Evan Longoria, the third overall draft pick, came in with a lot of hype in 2006, ultimately debuted in 2008, and then proceeded to win Rookie of the Year. But the guy wasn’t just a flash in the pan. He ended up with three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and multiple All-Star selections.

Most people remember him with the Rays from 2008 to 2017, but over the course of 15 seasons he had a nice second stint with the Giants too. He blasted over 300 homers and 2,400 hits. If you’re into WAR, it’s solid, but it’s not all-time level.

He’s definitely behind the likes of Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt, who of course are going to appear later on our list. But the guy was really good for a really long time.

#19 Dick Allen

#19 Dick Allen

Dick Allen’s a guy a lot of people forgot about. He won the ’72 MVP with the White Sox, not with the Phillies. Seven-time All-Star. The guy could flat out play.

He ended up with 351 career homers, batting average just below .300. Really was a model of consistency. He finally got into the Hall of Fame, but for a long time he was definitely one of those guys on those lists of biggest Hall of Fame snubs.

Statistic	Value
Games Played	1,749
Home Runs	351
Slugging Percentage	.534
Batting Average	.292

#18 Sal Bando

Sal Bando is a guy you associate with the A’s dynasty of the early seventies, the ’72, ’73, and ’74 three-peat. Bando was an important part of that team, definitely a leader, a team captain type.

Career numbers overall are somewhat underwhelming on the surface. A .254 batting average, though by today’s standards that’s perfectly fine, and 242 homers. He was often overshadowed by bigger-name teammates like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Vida Blue. But the guy really was part of the glue that made that team go.

Career Highlights:

Statistics Overview:

#17 Buddy Bell

Buddy Bell could flat out flash the leather at third base. His defensive WAR was over 23, and the guy won six Gold Gloves over a span of 18 seasons. Diving plays, strong arm. He even drew some Brooks Robinson comparisons in terms of his ability in the field, which, as you know, is no small feat.

He was definitely a solid hitter too. He racked up over 2,500 career hits over the span of a long career, so he wasn’t just a guy who could flash the glove and couldn’t hit at all.

Of course, the Bells are a rare three-generation family: Gus Bell, then Buddy, then David and Mike. Sometimes he gets overlooked, but if you saw Buddy Bell in person, you know that guy could play.

Career Highlights:

Stat	Value
Games	2,405
Plate Appearances	10,009
Hits	2,514
Home Runs	201
RBI	1,106
BA	.279
OBP	.341
SLG	.406
dWAR	23.8
WAR	66.3

#16 Ken Boyer

Ken Boyer was the 1964 National League MVP for the Cardinals, who won the World Series that year. He famously hit a grand slam in game four off Al Downing. Weirdly, he often gets overshadowed by his brother Clete Boyer, who was also a standout defensive third baseman.

It’s kind of crazy to have two brothers be elite at the same position at the same time. But 282 homers in the era in which he played was a whole lot of homers. He kind of gets lost in the sauce a little bit after the steroid era, where some of those numbers got inflated. But the guy was known to be an exceptional defensive third baseman, was an 11-time All-Star, hit .287, which was nothing to sneeze at, and had plenty of power for the position.

#15 Home Run Baker

#15 Home Run Baker

Home Run Baker was part of the famous $100,000 infield that won three World Series with the A’s, but we’re talking about back in the Deadball era. At this time people would lead the league with 10 to 12 homers, and he led the AL four straight years in homers, peaking out with twelve in a season, which at the time was enough to earn you the nickname Home Run, apparently. He was sold to the Yankees in 1915 after a salary dispute, and then was quickly overshadowed by the legend of Babe Ruth, which was to come soon after. In his thirteen seasons he put up numbers that were elite for the time and got him into the Hall in 1955.

#14 Graig Nettles

Graig Nettles was a cornerstone of the Yankees during his time, known for elite defense and power. He ended up with a couple of Gold Gloves, 390 homers for his career, and if you’re into WAR, it was 67.9, which is pretty impressive. He led the American League in homers in ’76 and was definitely one of the premier power-hitting third basemen of his era.

Most people who saw him say that only winning two Gold Gloves is kind of a travesty, as he was considered one of the best defensive third basemen of the era. He also made a legendary play in game three of the 1978 World Series with a diving catch that’s often regarded as one of the best plays in World Series history.

#13 Edgar Martínez

#13 Edgar Martínez

You may not think of Edgar Martinez as a third baseman, and fair enough, but he definitely started his career there before moving over to become a DH thanks to injuries in the early 90s. Five times Silver Slugger and a seven-time All-Star, but he didn’t have a lot of time in the postseason, which leads some people to think down about his career.

But if you’re watching him play, the guy was a .312 career hitter with an on-base percentage of .418. Ultimately, he got into the Hall of Fame on his credentials primarily as a DH in 2019, which kind of opened the door and ended the debate of whether guys who serve primarily as a DH should be in the hall. We’ve got him on this list based on the fact he played third and his hitting prowess alone.

Statistic	Value
Batting Average (BA)	.312
On-Base Percentage (OBP)	.418
Slugging Percentage (SLG)	.515
On-base Plus Slugging (OPS)	.933

#12 Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen is one of the most decorated third basemen of all time in terms of his eight Gold Gloves. In the late 90s and early 2000s he was known as the best third baseman of a generation, particularly on the field. But that’s not all.

He could hit too. He got into the Hall of Fame in 2023 and ended up with 316 career homers and over 1,200 RBIs. Not monstrous offensive stats, but in his prime he was definitely one of the best all-around third basemen in the game. He had a really nice stamp with both the Phillies and the Cardinals.

	At Bats (AB)	Hits (H)	Home Runs (HR)	Runs Batted In (RBI)	Slugging Percentage (SLG)
Rolen	7398	2077	316	1287	.490

#11 Paul Molitor

Paul Molitor, often remembered for his remarkable hitting and versatility on the field, boasts a career that solidifies his place among the greatest third basemen of all time. Molitor excelled not only as a third baseman but also made significant contributions as a designated hitter, indicative of his adaptability and focus on offensive production.

Paul Molitor is another guy who plays multiple positions, but spent a good amount of time of his 21-year career at third base. Over 3,300 hits, 605 doubles. He won his World Series in 1993 with the Blue Jays and is top 10 all time on the hits list.

Later in his career he was kind of a DH utility guy, which makes him perhaps controversial to have on this list, but the guy could flat out hit. So we’ve got him right where he belongs.

Statistic	Value
Games Played	2,683
At Bats	10,835
Runs	1,782
Hits	3,319
Doubles	605
Triples	114
Home Runs	234
RBIs	1,307
Stolen Bases	504
Batting Average	.306
OBP	.369
SLG	.448
OPS	.817

#10 Ron Santo

Cubs fans love them some Ron Santo. Nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner. He didn’t get elected to the Hall of Fame until 2012 by the Veterans Committee, and unfortunately it was two years after he had passed away. If you’re into wins above replacement, his is a 70.5, which many would say makes him a top five third baseman of all time. Definitely if you were around in that era, he’s one of the best defensive third basemen to ever play the game.

	Games	Hits	Home Runs	Batting Average	All-Star Appearances	Gold Gloves
Santo	2,243	2,254	342	.277	9	5

#9 Pie Traynor

Pie Traynor takes us way back, and when you compare numbers you have to think about different eras. But the guy had a .320 career batting average, over 2,400 career hits, all with the Pirates across a 17-year career.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1948 and got listed on the all-time team in 1969. Traynor had a great defensive reputation for the time, though they didn’t have quite the modern stats we do today to give a fair comparison. But there’s no doubt that compared to his peers, Traynor was a standout.

Career Highlights:

#8 Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones started out at third base and ended up playing outfield at points in his career, but he was one of the best switch hitters of all time, no doubt about it. A .303 career average, 468 homers, and an eight-time All-Star across his 19-year career, all with the Atlanta Braves, which was even more rare in the free agent era. He literally hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game, which is absolutely unbelievable. He ended up being a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2018 with 97% of the votes. A solid defensive player when he played third base and an offensive juggernaut throughout.

#7 George Brett

George Brett hit .390 in 1980, the closest anybody’s come to Ted Williams hitting .406 back in 1941. Sure, it’s fun to think about him losing his mind on the pine tar incident. But when you look at the guy’s numbers, 21 years with the Royals, batting .305, over 3,100 hits, easy Hall of Fame selection, 13-time All-Star. And a fan favorite who was just a gritty, grinding style player that could hit any day of the week.

#6 Adrián Beltré

Adrián Beltré might be a little bit underrated in some circles. The guy ended up playing 21 seasons with teams like the Dodgers, Mariners, Rangers, and Red Sox, and ended up delivering 3,000 hits, five Gold Gloves, and brought plenty of power at the plate.

He had a plus arm, and his wins above replacement is an eye-popping 93.5. This guy had all the tools, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024 on the first ballot.

Career Statistics	Total
Games Played	2,933
At-Bats	11,068
Runs	1,524
Hits	3,166
Home Runs (HR)	477
Runs Batted In (RBI)	1,707
Stolen Bases (SB)	121
Batting Average (BA)	.286
On-base Percentage (OBP)	.339
Slugging Percentage (SLG)	.480
On-base Plus Slugging (OPS)	.819

#5 Pete Rose

#5 Pete Rose

Pete Rose was an all-star at five different positions: left field, right field, third base, second base, and first, so we could fit him on a lot of these lists. But Pete played quite a few games at the hot corner, and of course he was known as Charlie Hustle.

Pete’s the all-time hit leader with 4,256, breaking Ty Cobb’s record in 1985. It’s one of those records that may simply never be broken. He was a guy that you loved if he was your teammate based on how hard he played, and he was just a winner on so many great Reds and Phillies teams. Played for a long time, and was still knocking base hits well into his forties.

Career Highlights:

Notable Achievements:

#4 Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs is one of the purest contact on-base percentage guys in the history of baseball. A .415 on-base percentage is elite by any standard. He ended his career with a .328 batting average, which was absolutely insane, and just over 3,000 hits, including five batting titles. When he was playing with the Red Sox he wasn’t a power hitter by any standard, but he could get on base, was a smart player, and of course was famous for eating chicken before every game as part of his superstition.

He finally got a World Series ring with the Yankees in ’96 and then ended up with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, where he eclipsed 3,000 hits and ended his career.

Career Highlights:

#3 Brooks Robinson

#3 Brooks Robinson

I can already hear some of you taking objection with having Brooks Robinson third on this list. Most baseball fans would say he’s the greatest defensive third baseman of all time. Most Cincinnati Reds fans would say he was the primary reason the Orioles beat the Reds in the 1970 World Series, as you seemingly could not get a hit past the third baseman, also known as the human vacuum cleaner.

He played over 2,800 games at third base, which was the most ever at the time. And he could hit: .267 average, 268 homers, over 1,300 RBIs, which are solid, good numbers, but not elite. Obviously, given those numbers plus his defense, he certainly could make the case that he should be number one on this list. But I digress.

Statistical Snapshot:

#2 Eddie Mathews

#2 Eddie Mathews

Taking it all the way back to Eddie Mathews, 512 career homers. One of the few at this position to hit that mark, putting him in rarefied air. Looking at the advanced analytics, he’s got a 96 WAR (wins above replacement), which is elite, reflecting his base running, his defense, and his overall longevity.

Twelve All-Star appearances in 17 seasons means he wasn’t just a few years in his prime. The guy was at the top of his game and made one of the most feared tandems in history when he was teammates with Hank Aaron in Milwaukee.

In fact, Aaron’s greatness sometimes overshadows Mathews when talked about in Braves history of that era. But there’s no doubt he was a legendary player.

Career Highlights:

Notable Achievements:

Statistic	Value
WAR	96.0
oWAR	93.7
dWAR	5.6
Home Runs	512
Batting Average	.271
On-base Percentage	.376

#1 Mike Schmidt

#1 Mike Schmidt

Michael Jack Schmidt tops out our list and it’s hard to argue with. 12-time All-Star, 548 homers, 10 Gold Gloves. The guy could absolutely do it all. He won the MVP three times in the 80s, which not many position players have done.

Outside of Brooks Robinson, you could make the case that he’s the best defensive third baseman of all time, in addition to being one of the greatest power hitters ever, not just for a third baseman, but for anybody.