Excuse the exposition and this clunky intro into the aforementioned exposition, but here’s the catchers to target, 1st basemen to target, 2nd basemen to target, and shortstops to target. These 3rd basemen to target are being drafted after 200 overall. Hopefully, you drafted Jose Ramirez or Austin Riley already, because, otherwise, you’re screwed. There are upcoming RCL drafts, if you wanna get rowdy and/or bawdy. Now, this is a (legal-in-all-countries-except-Indonesia) supplement to the top 20 3rd basemen for 2025 fantasy baseball. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2025 projections. Anyway, here’s some 3rd basemen to target for 2025 fantasy baseball:
PSYCHE! The first week’s Buy/Sell is already available for Patreon members. It will be released all year early for Patreons, so if people are getting a jump on you, it’s because they paid the $10. Anyway, the third basemen to target:
Josh Jung (ESPN 213, Yahoo 216, NFBC 212) It wasn’t that long ago Josh Jung was considered one of the top prospects in baseball. It was just “kinda long ago.” It was so “kinda long ago” I’m trying to think if I’m remembering it correctly. He was supposed to be good, right? Yes, I do believe so. He just had a little issue with staying healthy. Glad he’s nipped that in the bud! So, I’m not renaming my fantasy team, Forever Jung, just yet but if he can stay on the field, he has 25/7/.260 potential. There’s also Josh H. Smith in Texas if Jung can’t stay healthy. Or maybe they just go with combo, Josh H. Smung. Rap video girl saying, “Damn, that boy is Smung.”
Isaac Paredes (NFBC 213) This goes back to what I was saying the other day about ADP getting baked in and calloused over. Was Paredes’s ADP much lower because he was in a terrible park and now he’s in a great park but the ADP hasn’t adjusted enough? Yes, that is literally what’s going on here for just NFBC. I guess because money is involved they don’t want to go in and monkey with the ADP, but when a guy is clearly at the wrong ADP, he should be moved up manually. It shows you how much we’all (we’all?) are slaves to ADP. Paredes is around a top 150 pick not after 200.
Joey Ortiz (ESPN 258, Yahoo NR, NFBC 309) I had crazy love for Joey Ortiz last year, then began writing a sleeper post for Joey Ortiz this year, only to stop about 200 words in because I was struggling to stay excited. Can you imagine me not being able to fake 600 words about a player? That’s how bad things were, but, well, interjection, I kinda still like him. Last year was a sucky year for him, but he only has 157 games under his belt and he was once touted as having speed/power and average. In moderation, of course. Think 20/10/.275-ish.
Ryan McMahon (ESPN 265, Yahoo 289, NFBC 278) This is one of those “targets” that is uninteresting and only valuable in deep leagues, as a guy who has around top 200 overall fantasy value four years running and is being drafted after that point. Less said about him the better, so–moving on!
Matt Shaw (Yahoo 295, NFBC 284) ESPN has Shaw at 167 overall. Oh…[climbs to the top of the world’s largest ball of yarn]…kay. He seems very likely to be platooned with the addition of Toomgis. I’ll make this positive now. Shaw is a 60-grade power and speed guy who went 21/31/.284 in the minors last year. That was with a 18.2 K% and 11.9 BB%. I likey for the flyer, but 167 overall is high. Also, here’s my Matt Shaw fantasy.
Matt Vierling (ESPN NR, Yahoo 323, NFBC 336) He went 16/6/.257 last year. I can squint and see a 20/10/.270 season while hitting third. Granted, I’m starting to get a “squinting” headache, but it’ll be fine. Anyone have any Excedrin? Also, he’s currently dealing an injury, so you’re drafting a stashing for now.
Jose Tena (ESPN NR, Yahoo NR, NFBC 517) There’s two types of targets (not really, but go with it). One type is the guy who will be valuable for where he’s drafted (Ryan McMahon types), and the other guy is the guy who has upside (Matt Shaw types). Well, just when you thought there was only two types (that I just now made-up and declared). I give you a third type! The guy who likely doesn’t have upside who I like for some unknown reason. This was previously Joey Ortiz and now it’s Jose Tena!
Caleb Durbin (ESPN NR, Yahoo NR, NFBC 383) Was talking to a scout in New York, while at Tout Wars, and he seemed to think Durbin’s really not going to be very good, so there’s a caveat on this: He might suck. He does have speed though.
Cam Smith (ESPN NR, Yahoo 347, NFBC 471) Debating whether I wanna slot him into my rankings at 13 overall, where I removed Acuña (I just moved him, you can see in the top 20 outfielders) or if I want Cam Smith just before in the top 10 overall. Been screaming to draft Cam Smith in my head, but I realize a lot of you don’t live in there, so it’s about time I put some shine on him, externally. He’s been ripping up the ball in camp and the Astros have room for him after losing Alex Bregman. Oh, not to play 3rd. The Astros make sense as a team, but that would make too much sense. Smith has big power and makes great contact. His glove is mush, but the Astros are trying to make him work in the outfield and, unlike other teams, they’re smart enough to realize they could use the bat, even if the glove isn’t good. For further proof, see how they played Yordan in the outfield for years and are now randomly trying Altuve in the outfield — a 4′ 11″ guy with a 2nd baseman’s arm. Not 100% sure Smith breaks camp, but draft him everywhere, just in case. If the Astros announce he’ll break camp, I’ll slot him into the rankings around Dominguez and Crews in the top 500.
