Who are MLB's best third basemen in 2023?

The All-MLB Team, created in 2019, has provided the answers to an oft-asked question following every season: Who were the best players at each position this year?

The All-MLB Team is split into a First and Second Team, with each team featuring one selection at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base and DH, as well as three outfielders (regardless of specific outfield position), five starting pitchers and two relievers. And before you ask, yes, Shohei Ohtani (or any other player) is eligible to be picked at more than one position -- Ohtani was the first-team DH and a second-team SP in 2021. (See the all-time selections at this link.)

• All-MLB favorites for '23 | Best C | SP | 1B | 2B | OF | RP

The teams are chosen through a voting process in which 50% of the vote comes from fans and 50% comes from a panel of experts. The nominees will be announced in November, and the winners will be unveiled in December.

Throughout the rest of the regular season, we will be breaking down the top players at each position and separating them into three groups: favorites, contenders and dark horses. In this article, we continue our position-by-position series by covering the third basemen candidates.

Here are 12 third basemen who could make the 2023 All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards.

All stats are updated through Wednesday.

Favorites

Austin Riley, Braves

In a historically stacked offense featuring the likes of Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Sean Murphy, it might be easy to forget about Riley. You shouldn’t. While Riley might not quite be an MVP contender like some of his teammates, his stellar 2023 season has still played a major role in the Braves’ dominance.

Riley ranks tied for second among third basemen with 4.1 bWAR, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg for his statistical accomplishments. His 29 homers are tied for the most at his position (with Rafael Devers and Max Muncy), and his 139 hits and 252 total bases also lead all third basemen. On the Statcast side, he ranks tied for third among qualified third basemen in expected wOBA, while also ranking in the top three at his position in hard-hit balls and barrels. By any metric, the 26-year-old has excelled this season, making it no surprise he earned his second straight All-Star berth.

Matt Chapman, Blue Jays

Chapman leads all third basemen and ranks tied for fourth among all MLB players with 52 barrels, as he has crushed everything in his path in 2023. And while Chapman was snubbed from the AL All-Star roster, he’s in prime position to earn a different recognition.

Chapman’s 4.1 bWAR ranks tied for second among third basemen, and every win counts for a Blue Jays team in the thick of a very competitive AL Wild Card race. His 57.6% hard-hit rate (percentage of batted balls with an exit velocity of 95-plus mph) ranks third among qualifiers at any position. But what the common fan might not realize is that Chapman’s game is more well-rounded than his raw power. His 1.5 defensive bWAR ranks third at his position, and he also ranks third in average sprint speed among 39 third basemen with at least 75 competitive runs.

Contenders

José Ramírez, Guardians

Ramírez already has one All-MLB selection to his name, making the Second Team in 2020 (behind Manny Machado). And based on his play this year, he has a chance to join Machado as the only third basemen in the history of the award to earn All-MLB recognition multiple times.

Ramírez’s 4.1 bWAR are tied for second most at his position, and his .359 xwOBA ranks tied for third among third basemen, making it no surprise that he was an AL All-Star for the third straight year. And while some of his numbers have actually taken a dip -- for example, his .476 slugging percentage is his lowest since 2016 -- even this version of Ramírez is firmly in the conversation for best third baseman in the game.

Gunnar Henderson, Orioles

All-MLB as a rookie? It can indeed happen -- in fact, it happened as recently as last year, with Julio Rodríguez making the Second Team. And while there’s no guarantee Henderson does the same, he’s certainly in contention based on how he’s raised his game in the past few months.

Through the end of May, Henderson had a .201 batting average and .370 slugging percentage. Since June 1, those numbers have been .276 and .545, respectively. Even after his slow start, he has remarkably rallied to lead all third basemen with 4.2 bWAR in 2023. Add all of that up, and you have one of the core reasons that the AL-leading Orioles are MLB’s most surprising team.

Rafael Devers, Red Sox

When it comes to hitting baseballs hard, there’s no third baseman who has done what Devers has done this season. He’s tied for first among third basemen in home runs (29), and first outright in hard-hit balls (191), xSLG (.552) and xwOBA (.384). Excluding the 60-game 2020 season, this is Devers’ fourth consecutive year hitting at least 27 home runs, as the 2021 Second Team All-MLB third baseman has established himself as one of the game’s best at his position despite only being 26 years old.

What might ultimately separate the other top candidates listed here from Devers are defense and baserunning. But as it pertains to putting the bat on the ball, he’s been as good as it gets at the position. After all, he signed his monster 11-year contract this offseason for a reason.

Dark Horses

Alex Bregman, Astros

If it sounds like this is how every year goes, that’s because it is: the Astros are good, and Alex Bregman is good. While Bregman’s production hasn’t quite been what it was in 2019, when he finished second in MVP voting to Mike Trout, he’s still been his usual solid self (3.5 bWAR, eighth among 3B) and helped the Astros surge into AL West contention.

Max Muncy, Dodgers

How can someone with a sub-.200 batting average be in the conversation here? Because he ranks second among third basemen in both xSLG and xwOBA, trailing only Devers in both. The advanced metrics have generally been far friendlier to Muncy than the conventional ones -- though as far as conventional stats go, his 29 home runs are nothing to scoff at.

Isaac Paredes, Rays

Similar to Riley’s presence on the Braves, it may be easy to forget about Paredes’ contributions to an otherwise stacked lineup, but the 24-year-old has been vital to a talented offense. His 24 homers are tied for most on the team, and his .866 OPS and .370 weighted on-base average both lead all qualified third basemen.

Nolan Arenado, Cardinals

The Second Team All-MLB third baseman a year ago, Arenado has a chance to make it two in a row. He leads all qualified third basemen with a .283 batting average, and his defense has once again been a strength, ranking in the 90th percentile in Outs Above Average.

Jake Burger, Marlins

In a similar vein to Devers and Muncy, Burger’s bread and butter is mashing baseballs. His 11.1% barrels/PA rate leads all qualified third basemen, as does his .523 slugging percentage. His 27 homers are only two off the position lead, as his power has provided a welcome addition to the Marlins lineup.

Manny Machado, Padres

Machado is the only third baseman with multiple All-MLB selections, making the First Team in both 2020 and 2022. If he’s going to make it a trilogy, it’ll be because of his defense. Though he’s had a down year at the plate for his standards, he leads all third basemen in Statcast’s Fielding Run Value metric.

Jeimer Candelario, Cubs

Things came full-circle for Candelario this season, as he was traded back to the Cubs, the team he debuted with in 2016 when they won the World Series. Since the Cubs are in the playoff hunt again, it makes sense that they would want Candelario back. He ranks tied for sixth among third basemen with 3.6 bWAR, and his .364 wOBA trails only Paredes’ .372 among qualifiers at his position.