When you sit down and start your research for your fantasy baseball drafts, the first thing you’ll see are the fantasy baseball rankings for 2025.

Possibly more important than all the star power you draft are the late-round targets you find. Throughout this article, we’re going to specifically focus on value at third base and the late-round options you can find.

 

 

 

Fantasy Baseball 3B Rankings: Top Values At Third Base For 2025

One of the top fantasy baseball strategies of 2025 are, if you don’t land one of the top third baseman on the board, wait and look to find some of the diamonds in the rough.

Let’s dive into the top late-round third baseman in fantasy baseball this season.

 

 

 

Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros ADP – 211, Rank: 17

When looking at Isaac Paredes 2024 campaign, you can simply erase it from your mind. Pretend it doesn’t exist and move onto 2025. In 2025, Paredes was dealt to a Houston Astros offense that should be very productive. Paredes likely slots into the top-half of their lineup and should get back to the 2023 version, especially in the power department. 

There was a considerable drop-off in the power department, but the park shift should help big time. In 2024, Minute Maid Park, according to baseball savant, was the fifth best park in baseball when it comes to home runs. He hit 31 in ‘23 and 20 in ‘22 in just 111 games, posting a .230 ISO and .435 SLG% to go along with it. Those years were played in Tropicana Field, which ranks 18th in home runs over the last three seasons.

Being surrounded by the likes of Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz should elevate his floor for run production and run production as well. The one positive you can take away from his ‘24 campaign, which leads to the run scoring increase, was his ability to reach base. 

He had a career-high 11.9% BB rate and for a second straight year, had an OBP of at least .346. If you get anything similar to his 2023 campaign, which is firmly in the range of outcomes, he’ll greatly outperform his ranking as the 17th best third baseman on the board.

 

 

 

Josh Jung, Texas Rangers ADP – 212.15, Rank: 18

When approaching third base, you’re not drafting Josh Jung in many category-based formats because of his on-base percentage or you’ll be lagging behind there, but when it comes to power and run production, that’s where Jung hangs his hat. In his first and only season he topped 100 games – 122 to be exact – he belted 23 home runs and 70 runs batted in.

He showed off his power at every level thus far:

  • 2021 (AA/AAA): 342 PA, 19 HR, .266 ISO, .592 SLG%
  • 2022 (AAA): 135 PA, 9 HR, .274 ISO, .540 SLG%
  • 2023 (MLB): 515 PA, 23 HR, .201 ISO, .467 SLG%

The strikeouts are high and the walks are low, so we’d like that to trend in the opposite direction in both cases. Jung is going to hit in the midst of what should be a really good lineup and has real potential to be a 25-home run, 80 runs batted in, and 70 runs scored guy, and those numbers would likely put him within the top 10 amongst all third baseman by season’s end.

Health has been Jung’s biggest detriment, and this is the first spring he’s entered healthy in a couple of seasons. He had multiple wrist surgeries last year, had two different hand/finger issues in 2023 and a few others mixed in as well. 2025 is gearing up to be a different year.

 

 

 

Connor Norby, Miami Marlins ADP – 270.48, Rank: 22

Things were very congested in Baltimore for the former top-100 prospect so his fresh start in Miami went really well, putting Connor Norby on our radar moving forward.

In 36 games and 146 plate appearances with the Fins, he belted seven bombs with a .445 SLG%. That has been a normal occurrence for Norby at the minor league level. He had multiple 20-plus home runs campaigns and blasted 17 in just 94 last year.

The other stuff Norby can bring to someone’s fantasy roster is what lifts his ceiling even higher. Norby is in the 94th percentile in sprint speed according to baseball savant and has multiple double-digit stolen base seasons at the minor league level.

Also, looking at his projections for the year, he has legit 90 runs and 75 runs batted in upside hitting from the two-hole for the Marlins. He’ll have to cut down on the strikeout rate, however, that’s a big-time concern. He had a 33% K-rate at the major league level and that was also the case at the minor league level in ‘24.

Norby has lofty goals for himself in 2025: 30 home runs.

https://x.com/IsaacAzout/status/1887923664487592071

 

 

 

Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies ADP – 278.83, Rank: 24

It’s actually kind of bizarre when you look at the year Ryan McMahon had in 2024 and how disappointing it would seem from the surface and then, by standard 5x5 fantasy baseball scoring he was a – drumroll, please – top 10 fantasy scorer at third base. He finished eighth, to be exact, and was actually a little unlucky in ‘24.

McMahon has played 140 or more games in every year (minus Covid-19 season of 2020) since 2019 and in every one of those years he’s had at LEAST:

  • 20 home runs
  • 67 runs scored
  • 65 runs batted in

He’s now the 24th ranked third baseman in fantasy? He’s still only in his age-30 season and is in the best situation for offense in the entire league playing his home games at Coors Field. 

According to Baseball Savant’s park factors, over the last three seasons, Coors Field is the number one rated ballpark for offense. It’s not just a saying; it’s a fact. The consistency and the availability are two things we’ve been able to pencil in, but the improvement from last year could even be on the horizon. 

According to statcast, he has his best exit velocity of his career (92.1), third best barrel percentage (10.8%) and the 49% hard-hit was the best of his career. There’s a chance, with a little better luck and sustained good health, McMahon pushes towards the top five and he’s ranked 24th.

 

 

 

Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs ADP – 279.78, Rank: 25

Signing a 40-year-old Justin Turner doesn’t have me shying away. Neither does a minor oblique issue suffered at the beginning of camp. When you look at the Cubs minor league system and who’s coming up next at the position there’s one name and one name only; Matt Shaw. He’s not only next, he’s now. Shaw is determined to open the year as the Cubs starting third baseman.

When you look at various sportsbooks, DraftKings, FanDuel, and bet365, they all have Shaw as the third place finisher in NL Rookie of the Year. That, paired with who’s on the roster, has me really high on Shaw. What about the actual player?

Depending on where you look, Matt Shaw has been ranked between 15 and 54 on multiple prospect ranking platforms. He’s a quite balanced offensive player and potential to be a five-tool player overall.

Per Baseball Savant, his scouting grades are 55 power, 55 contact, and 60 speed and those are out of 60. He flashed that at the minor league level last year across 121 games as he hit .284 with 21 home runs, 78 runs, 71 more batted in, and had 31 stolen bases. You don’t often have that type of upside in the stolen base category at third, which is what makes him so valuable.

I’m not sure this is too bold of a take, but I believe ALL the rookies – positional players only – have the best chance at finishing in the top 10 at their respective positions in fantasy points by year's end.