No Pedro Alvarez, Josh Vitters or Mike Moustakas in the Yahoo or ESPN Player Pool, looks like you’ll have to wait another year. There are plenty of solid keeper options at third base though, especially of the young and unproven variety.

Whether or not they’ll stick at third base, is a whole different ballgame however.  Currently Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, Russell Martin, Mark DeRosa, Marco Scutaro, Felipe Lopez, Hank Blalock, Chase Headley and Jed Lowrie have third base eligibility in Yahoo Leagues, but they haven’t been included because I either don’t think they’ll stick or they’ll provide greater vlaue elsewhere.

Banking on Miguel Cabrera logging 15 Games at 3rd for the next 10 years is a bit iffy, and if you’re drafting Russell Martin — You’re playing him at catcher. A-Rod’s probably got a couple years at DH in him as well, which would warrant him a higher overall than positional rank.  He scoots ahead of Longoria in the overall ranks.

C- 1B – 2B – SS – 3B – OF - SP – RP

1. David Wright – NY Mets – 26 - I thought he had another year to wait, but with Rodriguez’s injury, Wright’s the best third base option, and should continue stealing 15+ bases for the next 4 years.

2. Evan Longoria – TB Rays – 23 - Longoria’s a talent, but I’d expect somewhat of a sophomore slump this year. Blasphemy, I know. In the long run, he should provide you with 10 years of top-3 third basemen play.  A few more SB would be nice.

3. Alex Rodriguez – NY Yankees – 33 - Loses a few months to injury, but he’ll play well into his late 30′s. I’ll take 4 years of first-round talent over 8 years of 5th round talent, any day.

4. Ryan Zimmerman – WAS Nationals – 24 - It’s a tough choice between Zimmerman and Gordon. Gordon ends up being the better player, but Washington surrounds Zimmerman with more talent.

5. Kevin Youkilis – BOS Red Sox – 30 - Re-upped with Boston, and should produce at a high level for at least 5 more years.  There’s the possibility that Youkilis gets moved back to third to make room for Lars Anderson.

6. Alex Gordon – KC Royals – 25 - If Gordon wants to cash in on all that talent and become a superstar, 2009′s the year.  KC’s putting together a squad that can mash, and they’ll at least be fun to watch.

7. Edwin Encarnacion – CIN Reds – 26 – 2009 is the year Encarnacionn puts it together. I dont think he has the talent of a Zimmerman or Gordon, but the ballpark’s definitely in his favour.  I’d have no problem ranking Edwin above both Zimmerman and Gordon.

8. Aramis Ramirez – CHI Cubs – 30 - Same boat as Youkilis.

9. Pablo Sandoval – SF Giants – 22 - I haven’t the slightest clue where Sandoval plays out his career, but his versatility can’t hurt.  There’s a good amount of risk associated with Sandoval, and I think you’ll probably have to overpay to get him in any keeper league.

10. Mark Reynolds – ARI Diamondbacks – 25 - Lots of power, not much average.  You’re getting what you pay for.

11. Chipper Jones – ATL Braves – 36 - Where to put Chipper? He can’t stay healthy, and he’s getting old.  He did post his best batting average ever as a 35 year old.  You’ve probably got two years of top-5 third basemen, and 1 year old top-10.  Adjust your rankings based on the depth of your league.

12. Garrett Atkins – COL Rockies – 29 - If Atkins stays in Colorado, he’s probably two spots higher.  Unfortunately, I can’t see him sticking around the mile-high city. Best case scenario: Atkins plays the year out at 3rd base, and eventually gets moved to first base — but he gets to stay in Colorado.  Worst Case: Atkins gets traded to a not-so-hitter-friendly park.

13. Jorge Cantu – FLA Marlins – 27 - His next five years could be 30HR, 25HR, 8HR, 17HR, 32HR.  It’s really two bad that he was such a terrible second basemen.  The Marlins are stacked with young talent, so he should continue to put up R & RBI numbers.  There’s also the chance that Florida cleans house again.

14. Adrian Beltre – SEA Mariners – 29 - I can’t believe he’s only 29. He’s been underachieving for almost 10 years now!  Taking a peek at Beltre’s numbers is quite enjoyable. In a purely baseball sense, a sense that takes into account his stellar defense, the Mariners really didn’t waste that massive wad of cash-money signing Beltre.  Now, if only someone could get on base for him.

15. Ian Stewart – COL Rockies – 23 - Who knows what he develops into. He’s ceilings probably 7th or 8th, and his basement is about Joe Crede.

16. Aubrey Huff – BAL Orioles – 32 – Eligibility is going to be a problem going forth.

17. Brandon Wood – LA Angels – 24 – Same boat as Stewart.  Wood’s massive power potential at the shortstop position is worth the risk, but at the third base position 30 HR isn’t all that uncommon.

18. Mat Gamel – MIL Brewers – 23 – His defense is getting better, and he’s almost a below average third baseman.  I don’t know if he’ll stick at third, but he’s got a whoooole lotta potential.

19. Josh Fields – CHI White Sox – 26 – This could be Gamel four years from now.  Fields has got a boatload of potential, and I’d be taking a chance on him.  All of the reports out of Spring Training are encouraging.

20. Chone Figgins – LA Angels – 31 – I probably screwed up this Figgins ranking, but it’s impossible to judge atypical performers in keeper leagues.  In a keeper league, you can’t really gameplan around Figgins by drafting a power-hitting MI to offset Figgins’ lack of power from a typical HR-hitting position. You just want to put together the best team without getting too cute.  With Figgins’ injury history, and almost all of his value coming from speed — I’d  avoid him as my third baseman.

21. Brett Wallace – STL Cardinals – 22 – Ooooh, Ahhhh! Baseball America has him only six spots lower than the mucho-hyped-upped-o, Mat Gamel.  Wallace comes in at the 40th best prospect, and a whole lotta power potential.  Glaus is getting old, and who knows how long Freese can hold Wallace off.  Well worth the risk at this point.

22. Kevin Kouzmanoff – SD Padres – 27 - I have an unhealthy hatred for San Diego third basemen.  I think it’s because I sat on Sean Burroughs for so long. Anyways, here’s a tidbit about Burroughs: After winning the league little world series, a team coached by his father and 1974 AL MVP, Jeff Burroughs; Sean was invited onto David Letterman.  When asked what his dream job was, instead of coming up with the obvious answer of:  “follow in my dad’s footsteps and become a ball player,” Burroughs told Letterman he wanted to be a gynecologist. Kids say the darndest things.  Anyways, I do not want the Kouz on my team.

23. Troy Glaus – STL Cardinals – 32 - Still has a few good years left in him, 2009 isn’t one of those years. He’s got Wallace breathing down his neck, too.

24. Carlos Guillen – DET Tigers – 33 – Detroit will find a spot for Guillen to play, and Guillen should produce for a couple more years.

25. Andy LaRoche – PIT Pirates – 25 - Now that he’s with his brother, and hopefully relaxed — LaRoche is probably a very profitable risk to take heading into 2009.

26. Joe Crede – MIN Twins – 30 – Signed a one-year deal with the Twins.

27. Dayan Viciedo – CHI White Sox – 20 – Cuba, Cuba.  Should be solid, if/when Josh Fields fails.  Even if Fields succeeds, Viciedo will probably snag a spot in the outfield.  At the very least, keep an eye on him.

28. Melvin Mora – BAL Orioles – 37 – I couldn’t believe that Mora was 37 Years old.  Maybe 1 or 2 seasons of 90+ RBI left in ‘em.

29. Bill Hall – MIL Brewers – 29 - Bill Hall should be in his prime, he’s not.  He’s having trouble making contact, let alone smash-killing.  With Gamel breathing down his neck, maybe this year’s the year.

30. Matt Tuiasosopo – SEA Mariners – Solid youngster, you might have to wait a couple years.  I dont see him being anything special though.

31. Mike Lowell – BOS Red Sox – 35

32. Wilson Betemit – CHI White Sox – 27

33. Ty Wigginton – BAL Orioles – 31

34. Jose Bautista – TOR Jays – 28

35. Jeff Keppinger – HOU Astros – 28

36. Brian Buscher – MIN Twins – 27

37. Conor Gillaspie – SF Giants – 21 – I think Gillaspie flops.  Maybe you want to move him above Tuiasosopo, but I dont.

38. Russell Branyan – SEA Mariners – 33

38. Jack Hannahan – OAK Athletics – 29

39. Eric Chavez – OAK Athletics – 31

40. Casey Blake – LA Dodgers – 35

41. Scott Rolen – TOR Blue Jays – 33

Unfortunately, I’m sick as a dog, and the regular season is only a few days ago — So if these seemed rushed, they are.

As I mentioned earlier, ESPN released their NEW AND IMPROVED fantasy baseball rankings for 2009 a couple days ago.  I’m not sure how improved they are, but they’re definitely new.

Let’s take a look at the first base rankings, and there are some notable exceptions:

What’s Missing?

Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: I know I’m higher on Morales than others, but to completely leave him off the list seems a bit goofy. I’m parking him somewhere in the range of former Angels’ first basemen, Casey Kotchman.

Micah Hoffpauir – Chicago Cubs of Chicago: Obviously the ESPN loves the Derrek Lee, but I think Hoffpauir manages to grab himself at least a couple hundy at-bats this year.  If Lee goes down, Hoffpauir has the tools to be a nice fill-in in deep leagues.

Nick Evans – New York Mets: He’s almost certainly going to start in Triple-A (maybe double-A, if they’re cautious), but he’s been killing the ball in spring training.  As I mentioned earlier, I’m not certain that Delgado stays healthy.  Evans may get an early audition and could stick if given the chance.

The Baltimore Orioles: Who knows who ESPN has playing first base for Baltimore, but considering the guys they list as “first basemen” you’d figure they’d include Aubrey Huff? Ty Wigginton? Someone has to play first base, and whoever does should excel.  Obviously it’s going to be Huff, who has greater value as a third basemen but that didn’t stop them from listing Atkins and Sandoval.

Ryan Shealy and Kila Ka’aihue – Kansas City Royals: Both are parked behind Billy Butler and Mike Jacobs in the 1st base / DH log-jam.  Shealy’s proven to be a resiliant hitter, and Ka’aihue was one of my favourite prospects coming into the year.  The odds favour Shealy and his ability to play the outfield, but if Kila keeps mashing — he’ll find himself some AB.

Top 3rd Basemen: The Chlamydia Corner, The Worm Burners.

One of these days Alex Rodriguez is going to be overtaken by David Wright, but not yet.  Alex Rodriguez brings value across the board, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. There’s no reason to think that his power numbers will decline anytime soon, and he should post an OPS around 1.000 each and every year.

The curious part is his stolen base numbers. Each and every year I assume that his SB numbers will dip below 15, and then he goes and hikes it up to around 20. He’s obviously never going to steal 46 bases again, but counting on somewhere between 15 and 20 is a safe assumption.

Wright has developed into one of the more consistant fantasy players out there, and he’s definitely 1b rather than 2nd overall in these rankings. Unlike Rodriguez, David Wright doesn’t have the potential to go and put up 45 home runs unless absolutely everything goes right.

Wright does have the potential to steal 30 bases, and is one of the few players who even has the potential to go 25/25, let alone 30/30.  Depending on who you’re targetting in the later rounds, the extra 10 SB Wright puts up may be worth the loss in HR between him and Rodriguez.

The Cubs are stacked and Ramirez is consistant, and consistancy is key in these early rounds.  You’re going to get what you pay for with Ramirez, 30 HR, 100+ RBI, 100+ Runs, and a .300 average.  There are other third baggers that could put up better numbers than Ramirez, but they come with a bit more risk.

The second tier of third basemen clearly ends with Wright and begins with the next couple of guys.  I’ll take consistancy on a great team over potential, any day of the week.

Oh the potential! Everything you look for in a third basemen, Longoria has. In only 448 AB last year, Longoria threw up amazing numbers.  With a year under his belt and a full time starting gig, Longoria should improve upon his numbers across the board.

Longoria plays on a young, and obviously talented, Tampa Bay Rays team.  There’s more than enough protection on either side of him in the line-up, and they’ve had a taste of success.

The one thing to watch with Longoria are his strikeouts and his lack of walks. Players can succeed with a BB:K ratio of .40, but it’s not something you’d like to see. This screams sophmore slump, so watch out.

Chipper has all the talent in the world, but his body is breaking down and asking for 500 AB is probably asking too much.  However, when I value a third basemen — I fill in the missing at bats with a replacement level player. Even in a 14 team league, there are still plenty of third basemen that you can throw in after Chipper has made his annual DL trip.

Third Base is probably the deepest position of them all this year, so drafting Chipper isn’t as risky as it seems.  He’ll probably bat .330+ and hit 20-25 Homers, with the possibility of .350 and 35 Homers.  Chipper is one of the few third basemen who actually have an eye, and has an above 1.00 B/KK ratio.

I didn’t think Youkilis would succeed last year, or at least put up the 29 home runs.  There was nothing out there that predicted 30 Homers from Youkilis, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.  You will get a solid average from Youkilis, along with a great On Base Percentage.

All of the prediction models have Youkilis around 20 Homers, but there’s no reason Youkilis can’t repeat his 29 HR season of last year.  He plays in a great line-up and will add mass amounts to either your R or RBI depending on where he’s batted in the line-up.

It hurts me to put Aubrey Huff here. I’m not a Huff fan, and he’s managed to put up spectacularly average numbers each and every year.

Last year was ridiculous though, absolutely ridiculous, and maybe he finally put everything together.  He clearly has the talent, and always has had it — it’s just putting it all together. Anyways, the potential for .300 and 30HR is hard to resist.  In a young, talented Orioles line-up, Huff should flourish.

It’s impossible to rank Chone Figgins properly against other third-basemen, as his skill-set is pretty much the opposite of every other third basemen.  He compares better to the second basemen, shortstops or centre-fielders. Anyways, I like to ignore Figgins unless you plan on ignoring stolen bases from other typical SB heavy positions.

If that is the case, Figgins is a must.  If your outfield, or middle infield has power guys — then why not get 30-40 SB from your third-bagger.  He’ll obviously improve on his 22 RBIs from last year, so long as he stays healthy.

I’m not certain how the Rockies play out this year, and I’m not sure what Garrett Atkins is going to show up.  With Ian Stewart waiting in the wings, who knows if Atkins stays in Colorado.  If he gets traded, his value drops immensely.

If he does play the entire year in Colorado, he should continue putting up damn good numbers at the hot-corner.  His average took a big hit last year, and he should hike it back past .300 in 2009.  Other than that, 30 Homers and 100+ RBI seem about right.

He’s not a young sexy sleeper, and Baltimore is over-shadowed by New York and Boston.  He produces though, and he puts up consistant numbers.  The average could be anywhere between .275 and .330.  The Homers should be on the nice side of 20, and the RBIs and Runs should pile up with such a solid Orioles offense.

While the next couple guys: Cantu, Davis, Reynolds and Gordon will  probably produce better than Mora — Mora is safe, real safe.  Maybe I’ll move Mora down, maybe not.

Good Ol’ Jorge. There was a time when Jorge Cantu played for the Devil Rays and was quite the second base dynasty prospect.  He’s not particularly defensive minded by any means, but he’s young and he can swing the stick.  Then, he dissappeared.

Anyways, it looks as though perennial Minor-League smasher, Dallas McPherson may have grabbed the third-base gig for 2009, with Jorge Cantu moving to first after the Mike Jacobs trade.  I’m sure this is a good thing for Cantu, but who knows.  Cantu still strikes out too much, walks too little, and has an awful OBP.  When he does make contact though, it goes a long way.  The Marlins offense appears to be coming along, and depending on where you get him — Cantu is either a steal with lots of upside, or a huge bust with lots of risk.

Davis is flying up draft-boards and is one of every magazines sleepers.  The kid can hit, and did so in his limited action in 2008.  However, one of these young third-basemen is going to flop.  The K numbers and plate discipline just aren’t there, and this is the case with many of the young corner-infielders.

Davis’ numbers are hard to resist though: In 295 AB last year, he damn nearly slugged .550 with 17 Home Runs.  Boy, can Davis hit.  He’s clearly worth the risk, but expectations need to be held in check considering his massive K rate.

Guillen was plagued by injuries last year, and only managed 420 AB. Guillen brings with him a different sort of risk than many of the younger third basemen listed both above, and below, him: Injury Risk.

If you think Guillen can keep his ass, literally his ass, healthy then he’s worth a pick earlier than this point. Depending on his position in the line-up, his R or RBI should be around 100 with the other at about 80 and Guillen actually manages to take a walk or two.  He’s a solid hitter, without great pop, and wont particularly contribute to the SB category — although you can expect 5-10, fairly.

Ryan Zimmerman is another young 3rd baseman, who’s been around long enough to start producing some dirty-ass numbers.  This should be the year that everything comes together, and Washington is starting to look like a half-decent team.

I genuinely have no clue where to actually rank Ryan Zimmerman, but just take a look at his stats and figure it out for yourself.  I suppose you either like him, or you dont. You either like Stud players on bad teams, or you dont.  On a good team, Zimmerman would actually see some pitches, but until someone steps up — teams will continue to pitch around the National best hitter.

Here we go again, all sorts of talent but strikes out way too damn much. His BB/K ratio isn’t awful because he doesn’t walk, he’s got a bit of Adam Dunn in him, and he’s got a 10% BB rate but he damn near strikes out 40 percent of the time.

Reynolds would be much more useful in an OBP over AVG league, as his .240 average at least becomes a respectable? .320 OBP.  Reynolds is going to steal some bases, hit some HR, and come close to 100 RBIs and Runs.  He’s a ridiculous talent, but his average will kill you.

Of course, if Reynolds improves his average it will certainly come at the loss of some power but he’d still be pretty attractive at 20-25 HR, 80 Runs, 90 RBI, and a .260 AVG.

If you’re not on crack like myself, go ahead and move Alex Gordon down 3-4 spots.  I adore crack-cocaine however, and Gordon’s staying here. I’m figuring Gordon puts up a great year, in a poor offense, and finally puts everything together.

Alex Gordon has just as much talent as Evan Longoria, and/or Ryan Braun, yet for some reason he hasn’t put the peices together.  This is the year he swats 35 Homers, and steals 15 bases.  Its gotta be. He’s on the right track, keeping his K% under 25 percent and I can’t help but believe that Alex Gordon and Zack Greinke put the Royals back in the spotlight, at least for 3 weeks.

He’s on the right track, and he’s just gotta keep that average up to maintain fantasy relevance.  He should be in for a break out year, and is just starting to come into his prime at age 26.

Go ahead and circle the hell out of Edwin Encarnancion on your draft card, becaue it genuinely looks like its break out year time.  He could finish as high as 3rd or 4th overall in the final rankings.  He could also be babied again, sent back down to the minors, and never heard from again. (Actually, i’m not sure about Edwins Contract Options — If he’s out of options, I suppose the Red’s wont baby him anymore.  Draft Edwin, if you’d like some risk)

I’m a Toronto Jays fan, and i tend to believe that Troy Glaus is a big-ol’ baby, who loves his steroids.

Glaus is bound to get hurt at some point, and when that massive injury occurs, I dont want to be the guy owning him.

Otherwise, Glaus has the potential to keep hitting 30 HR and 100RBI if he stays healthy.  An .850 OBP + SLG puts him in pretty elite company.  Stupid Glaus!

Glaus is already out and  is expected to miss 3 months of the season.  That took about 3 hours since the post.

I hate Adrian Beltre.  I hate that he’s got so much talent, and doesn’t play all-out. I hate that he had a good year in LA and got a massive contract from SEA.

Beltre is a great player, who’s younger than he seems, considering he’s been haunting fantasy squads for years.

The moment you forget about Beltre, he’ll go and put up 48HR and 120 RBI *cough cough* 2004.  He’s shown that he can knock out 30 a year while piling up a few SB, but I never want this man on my team.

How is Mike Lowell still on the Red Sox? Who knows. You probably dont want to draft Mike Lowell, as there’s more than a few guys with great upside at this point.  Mike could return to his 120RBI prowess of two years ago, but i doubt it.

Still good value in this extremely deep 2009 third base class, here.

Casey Blake is a safe pick here. He’s not a sexy prospect or an aging veteran, he’s simply a dude that produces and has a sparkling fucking beard.

Possibly the best beard in all of professional sports, ever.  Its thick and lusterous, and the dudes got a huge man-chin.  If he’s in Dodger-town LA all year, he’s got a good chance of hiking up those Run and RBI totals and playing a solid third base. While the know-it-all jerkoff may grab Ian Stewart or Kevin Kouzmanoff here, I’d stick with Casey Blake.

The Best Of The Rest Time:

• Ty Wigginton
• Dallas McPherson
• Joe Crede
• Kevin Kouzmanoff
• Ian Stewart
• Josh Fields
• Bill Hall
• Andy Laroche
• Pablo Sandoval
• Eric Chavez
• Brandon Inge
• Brandon Wood
• Travis Metcalf
• Brian Buscher
• Daniel Murphy
• Wilson Betemit
• Andy Marte
• Scott Rolen (I hate being a Blue Jays Fan)
• Jose Bautista (Truly Hate it, but Getting Bautista was a great call)

Third base is truly insane — from about tenth overall almost to the  bottom, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same numbers.  Pablo Sandoval is a huge sleeper that could easily put up better numbers than Edwin Encarnacion.

You pretty much have to take whomever falls into your lap.  I think the depth of this years 3rd base crop really devalues Alex Rodriguez and David Wright.