The top names should be plenty familiar, but overall, the third base prospect crop is lacking
With second base claiming a disproportionate share of prospect glory right now (as per my last article), third base comes up a little short. And to make matters worse, there’s a decent chance half of this list winds up at some other position, be it outfield, first base, or, yes, even second (looking at you, Matt Shaw).
But that doesn’t mean you can ignore it for prospect purposes. In fact, the top two names here are likely to rank among my top 10 prospects overall, and while the names further down the list are less interesting, there was a tight competition for that 10th spot, with the Rockies‘ Kyle Karros (son of former Dodgers slugger Eric Karros) and two Brewers, Luke Adams, and Eric Bitonti, all vying for it.
Overall, I’d rate that trio’s chances of becoming full-time major-leaguers as pretty low, but each one brings an interesting enough skill to the table to have a chance. In particular, Bitonti is still plenty pliable at age 19 and profiles well for power. Maybe by next year, he’ll have taken enough shape to make the cut here.
But that’s just a little bonus content for you right off the top. Here now are the 10 third base prospects who I like even more.
Note: These rankings are intended mainly for Dynasty use, emphasizing long-term value over a quick payoff, but to say proximity holds no weight wouldn’t be entirely accurate either. Not all of these players will contribute in 2025 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they’re the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know.
1. Matt Shaw, Cubs
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2024: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .284 BA (443 AB), 21 HR, 31 SB, .867 OPS, 62 BB, 95 K
Shaw struggled out of the gate this year, but his .318 with 18 homers, 21 steals, and .959 OPS over his final 80 games have planted him firmly among the game’s top prospects. For as obvious as his home run potential is, the majority of his batted balls go to the opposite field, which gives him a sturdy batting average base. By including Isaac Paredes in the Kyle Tucker deal, the Cubs basically freed up third base for Shaw, who may well make the opening day roster.
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2024: High-A, Triple-A majors
Minor-league stats: .293 BA (358 AB), 25 HR, .964 OPS, 42 BB, 102 K
Major-league stats: .098 BA (41 AB), 0 HR, 4 BB, 22 K
Though it comes with the usual sample size and learning curve caveats, I can’t help but ding Mayo for a miserable major-league debut in which he struck out nearly 50 percent of the time, bringing into focus the narrow margin for error for a right-hander slugger likely destined for first base long-term. I still think Mayo succeeds — the power is considerable, and with good on-base skills to boot — but the line between Pete Alonso and Ryan McMahon is thinner than it seems.
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2024: Low-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .258 BA (349 AB), 15 HR, .841 OPS, 71 BB, 95 K
Major-league stats: .241 B (79 AB), 0 HR, 5 2B, .666 OPS, 15 BB, 29 K
The younger brother of Josh Jung inserted himself into the Tigers’ third base picture during their surprising playoff run, and even though he didn’t exactly stake his claim there, he’ll enter 2025 as the likely starter. While a disciplined hitter, Jung’s power comes less from raw strength than his ability to yank the ball, which could limit his upside at cavernous Comerica Park. Still, he’s a safe bet to be of at least some Fantasy use moving forward.
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .313 BA (115 AB), 7 HR, 1.004 OPS, 15 BB, 24 K
A year after taking Matt Shaw with the 13th pick, the Cubs took Smith with the 14th pick and again saw immediate returns that ended with the player at Double-A. They then used that accumulated value to acquire Kyle Tucker from the Astros. Smith has a remarkably quiet setup — an adjustment made to quell a strikeout issue that cropped up in college — but makes loud contact to all fields, projecting as a plus in both batting average and home runs.
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .250 BA (424 AB), 20 HR, 29 SB, .858 OPS, 76 BB, 141 K
As Brandon Lowe nears the end of his Rays tenure, Taylor makes for a ready-made replacement. He’ll need to master the upper minors first (and saw a big increase in strikeout rate following his promotion to Double-A, making it less than certain), but the profile is similar with the added advantages of defensive versatility and an inclination to run. Taylor is dead set on elevating to his pull side, which maxes out his power potential but will condemn him to a modest batting average.
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2024: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .241 BA (498 AB), 19 HR, .699 OPS, 31 BB, 143 K
The former first-rounder’s production has followed an on-again, off-again pattern across four minor-league seasons, and unfortunately, his first extended look at upper-level pitching resulted in one of his “off” years. House struggled with velocity, was susceptible to breaking balls, and generally seemed overmatched, but he still earns high marks for power and has a wide-open path to the big leagues, inviting a glass-half-full approach.
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2024: High-A
Minor-league stats: .248 BA (427 AB), 20 HR, .798 OPS, 66 BB, 127 K
Part of the appeal for Collier is that he’s ahead of the curve developmentally, having graduated high school a year early and being set to begin Double-A as a 20-year-old. He’s hardly a finished product, but we’ve already seen him making measurable progress as a pro, having learned to elevate for more power in 2024. While the range of outcomes from here is wide, so is the ceiling.
Age (on opening day): 26
Where he played in 2024: Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .293 BA (413 AB), 25 HR, 26 SB, .909 OPS, 53 BB, 95 K
Major-league stats: .220 BA (41 AB), 0 HR, 3 2B, .597 OPS, 5 BB, 8 K
While Whitcomb has always impressed with his home run and stolen base numbers, the read on him was that he struck out too much for it to matter. So how do we reconcile him striking just 19.5 percent of the time between the majors and minors this year? His swing is built to take aim at the Crawford Boxes in left field, and though he’ll have to stick the landing soon at age 26, Alex Bregman‘s free agency might give him that opportunity.
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: Rookie, High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .281 BA (228 AB), 10 HR, .841 OPS, 30 BB, 36 K
A fractured wrist cut Groover’s first full professional season in half, but he still ended up performing as advertised following his return, batting .301 with a .932 OPS and as many walks (22) as strikeouts (22) in his final 44 games. The low strikeout rate is the big selling point, but he may have only average power for a corner infielder. Now that he’s reached Double-A, beware the upper levels of the Diamondbacks system inflating his numbers.
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .338 BA (293 AB), 6 HR, 15 2B, .886 OPS, 40 BB, 54 K
Boeve’s is appropriately selective and doesn’t miss when he swings, which makes for a hit tool that’s genuinely special, but it’s power that plays in the modern game. He may not be on a trajectory to start as presently constructed, but what gives me hope is that the exit velocities are high enough for him to approach or even exceed 20 homers annually if he figures out how to pull the ball in the air more.
