2024 Rays All-Star infielder cracks MLB.com's top 10 third basemen rankings

MLB Network hosted their Top 10 Third Basemen Right Now show Wednesday night, and while the list didn't feature Junior Caminero, "The Shredder" (a silly "proprietary formula" the network uses to create these lists) had the Rays 2024 All-Star Isaac Paredes ranked ninth on their list.

The list featured a lot of usual suspects, with Jose Ramirez taking the top spot and Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers at No. 2, and the co-hosts, Brian Kenny and former Red Sox and Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell had their own lists that also didn't include Caminero.

So what does Rays Colored Glasses' Top 10 Third Basemen Right Now look like?

Well, pretty similar to The Shredder's, but of course it has to include Junior Caminero as a "Wild Card" pick (a way for the co-hosts and any guests they bring on to be able to include a fun, unexpected pick that they're buying low on without fear of ridicule).

So without further ado, here it is:

1. Jose Ramirez

It's not hard. There are three things that are certain to happen every year. Dread it. Run from it. It comes all the same.

Death. Taxes. And Jose Ramirez being the best third baseman in baseball.

Austin Riley was a fun little under-the-radar pick last season, but an injury-plagued 2024 campaign nipped that idea in the bud (for now).

Manny Machado has always flirted with taking the top spot, but has never really been able to fully take it for himself.

So it's Ramirez. He led the position in WAR, stolen bases, and wRC+, as well as RBI and home runs.

2. Rafael Devers

"Top 2 the same as the other list? Boring."

Yeah, yeah, but it's true. He's not quite the hitter Jose Ramirez is, but he's darn close, as he hits the ball extremely hard (consistently near the top of hard-hit rate leaderboards) and gets on base consistently.

However, his defense is just absolutely awful, which drags his WAR down quite a bit for someone who hits as well as he does, but that's fine because third base isn't shortstop or catcher. You can sacrifice a bit of defense at the position.

3. Matt Chapman

As bad defensively as Devers is at the hot corner, that's how good Chapman is. He's been either at or near the top of most people's defensive third basemen rankings for quite some time now, and now he's by far the class of the position in that regard with Nolan Arenado taking a bit of a step back the past couple of seasons.

But in 2024, Chapman finally managed to put his always-high hard-hit-rates to use, sporting a 121 wRC+, good for 4th highest at the position.

4. Manny Machado

Machado's wRC+ is 122, putting him slightly above Chapman's offensive production for 2024, but his defense is more above-average than elite like Chapman, making him a solid No. 4.

If Machado played his position more like the Orioles version of himself, he might be able to jump even as high as No. 2 on this list, but with injuries and age he's regressed a bit, with a perfectly average 0 in Outs Above Average last year.

5. Austin Riley

Despite being banged up for most of 2024, he's still projected to be one of the better hitters at the position in 2025, and rightfully so.

When he's right, he's one of the best hitters in baseball, full stop. He was ranked No. 1 on this list for MLB Network last season, and while it was a questionable decision to rank him above Ramirez, it was at least understandable.

With a season of returning to form, Riley can shoot right back up this list back into the top 3 in no time, and with his ability to still hit the ball hard even last year, that shouldn't be unexpected.

6. Alex Bregman

It's a tough inclusion because of the Astros of it all, but he unfortunately deserves it.

He posted a 4.1 WAR last year and does it through fine defense and solid hitting. Not much of a baserunner, but that's fine, he's still a very capable player as he looks to join another team after the Astros traded for Paredes.

7. Eugenio Suarez

Suarez has been one of the more consistent third basemen in baseball over the the last few years.

He hits for power and plays third at a pretty good level, with last season posting a 3 OAA and the year before a 12 in that category.

His 117 wRC+ was good for 7th at the position, but combined with his defensive contributions his WAR placed him at 6th for the season.

8. Isaac Paredes

Ah, Isaac Paredes, the sweet pull-happy prince.

He's going to flourish in Houston with those Crawford boxes and hit a bunch of home runs, as he was projected to hit 26 last year if he had played his games in their newly named Daikin Park.

He isn't Matt Champan defensively, but he's also not Devers, so he's about average, making 8 a good spot for him.

9. Joey Ortiz

Is Ortiz a really under-the-radar guy because he plays for the Brewers, or is it because he was sort of an afterthought in Baltimore behind their gluttony of other talented prospects before he was dealt to Milwaukee for Corbin Burnes?

Maybe a bit of both, but Ortiz was fantastic last season, producing at a high clip on both sides of the ball, culminating in a 3.1 WAR on the strength of a 104 wRC+ and an eye-popping 11 OAA.

Clearly his defensive prowess is impressive, and he has a great approach at the plate, with chase and whiff rates that are among the best in baseball

Add in some elite bat speed and Ortiz could turn into a really special player next year.

10. Junior Caminero (WC)

The wild card pick doesn't get to be made fun of, it's meant to project an under-the-radar candidate, and Caminero fits that description perfectly.

His quality of contact metrics in even a small sample size are encouraging, but his elite bat speed might be the thing to get most excited about, especially as he continues to grow as a major league hitter.

Hopefully, he can continue to adjust his approach to capitalize on his immense talent.