{"id":444657,"date":"2026-02-02T13:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T13:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/444657\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T13:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T13:26:08","slug":"2026-prospect-third-base-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/444657\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Prospect Third Base Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

While catcher and first base look to be entering a dynasty golden era, it feels like the hot corner may be at one of its lowest points once you get past the handful of studs near the top. The lack of depth is not great at the major league level, and it doesn\u2019t get much better in the prospecting world. So, what\u2019s the takeaway?\u200b<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss!<\/p>\n

In 20-30 teamers, you\u2019ll especially want to ensure your future is looking strong at 3B, given the sharp drop-off. On one hand, the 2025 MLB draft class has injected some hope into the bloodstream of the position. On the other hand, figuring out who will actually become a third baseman in Major League Baseball can be a bit of a crystal ball business! Oftentimes, you\u2019ll have a shortstop who is either too large or a little too slow to stick up the middle, but their arm is lively enough to shift over to third. This is what we\u2019re anticipating for Ethan Holliday and Caleb Bonemer, who seem like two of the surest bets to lock in at third for the long term. Sebastian Walcott is interesting in that he could probably handle shortstop, but he has Corey Seager likely forcing him to third – and you never know, Walcott might end up shifting back to short later in his career!\u200b<\/p>\n

Despite the thin nature of the position leaguewide, the Milwaukee Brewers have found a way to stash a ton of talent at third: Caleb Durbin is in the bigs, Brock Wilken is knocking on the door, and then Luke Adams and Andrew Fischer are candidates to see time at the position in the future. I gotta say, the idea of diminutive Durbin vs. the hulking Wilken is a great visual when it comes to a potential position battle in 2026.\u200b<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll often hear the advice of \u201cdon\u2019t draft for position\u201d in FYPDs, given that many of these kids will shift positions on more than one occasion on their journey up the ladder, but I\u2019d argue 3B is one you should try to do some research on and make your best possible guess. If a player can\u2019t really throw or run but can hit a bunch, they\u2019ll get sent to 1B. If they\u2019re agile but don\u2019t necessarily have a cannon, 2B is an option. If they can kind of run and throw, maybe you stick \u2018em in LF. But life at the hot corner is tricky – you have to have the arm of a right-fielder (if not better) with the agility of a second baseman.\u200b<\/p>\n

Third basemen also tend to lack straight-line speed, rendering the position a bit of a black hole when it comes to stolen bases for our fantasy game. While guys like Walcott and Bonemer look like they could become outliers, by and large, you want to make sure you get a bat with at least 20+ HR pop, or risk being stuck with a \u201cmid\u201d spot in your dynasty lineup. Let\u2019s hope that we get some prospect breakouts in 2026 to help make this list more appealing by season\u2019s end!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026 Prospect Previews – Prospects Live<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>1. Sebastian Walcott<\/a> TEX, 3B, SS (AA)<\/p>\n

159 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 18 HR, 25 SB, 10.3% BB, 21.0% K, .263\/.341\/.440, 120 wRC+<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo Credit: mlb.com<\/p>\n

Walcott played the entire 2025 season as a 19-year-old at Double-A, and all told, he did a solid job. Walcott’s line of .255\/.355\/.386 doesn’t jump off the page, but his 54 extra base hits added up to 111 wRC+. He also tallied 32 stolen bases, making him a five-tool fantasy talent. Walcott is listed at 6’4 “and 190 lbs, which leaves plenty of room for more physical projection, and make no mistake, there is plenty of high-end exit velocity in the tank. There are some swing-path issues to clean up, which is understandable for a player of Walcott’s size; his contact rates show room for improvement (80.6% zone, 72.2% overall). This is a top 5 prospect; if he can make improvements, the sky is truly the limit for the Bahamian. – Greg Hoogkamp<\/p>\n

2. Caleb Bonemer<\/a> CWS, 3B, SS (A)<\/p>\n

154 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 20 HR, 16 SB, 11.8% BB, 23.2% K, .249\/.342\/.432, 118 wRC+<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo Credit: Tracy Proffitt AP<\/p>\n

Caleb Bonemer has enjoyed a powerful 2025 campaign after being an afterthought in most FYPDs ahead of the season. Coming out of the draft as a risky “power-over-hit” profile within a White Sox organization that has notoriously failed to develop hitters over the years, you can’t fully blame the industry! That said, he had good physicality, and there was some thought that playing in cold-weather Michigan may have prevented the scouts from fully getting on board the hype train. Fast-forward to today, and we’re looking at a profile that seems to be settling in with great BB\/K% numbers across both levels within the lower minors. His contact rates suggest the hit tool concerns were overblown, and the power is off to a promising start as a teenager. The most unexpected development for Caleb Bonemer has to be his willingness to steal bases, racking up 29 in 2025! Much akin to his .400+ OBP, pretty much no one saw this one coming. It has all made him arguably a top-50 prospect overnight, and with the White Sox seeming to shift Bonemer over to 3B full-time at High-A, there is finally some hope for hitters on the South Side with Colson Montgomery manning shortstop for the foreseeable future. – Darren Eisenhauer<\/p>\n

3. Sal Stewart<\/a> CIN, 3B (MLB)<\/p>\n

153 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 20 HR, 9 SB, 9.9% BB, 17.4% K, .268\/.344\/.446, 122 wRC+<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo Credit: milb.com<\/p>\n

It seems like everyone loved Sal Stewart as a fantasy prospect. He consistently walked above 10% of the time and stayed under 17% of the time with projectable power, and even chipped in 10+ bags a season. Stewart was recalled for his debut at the start of September but spent a surprising amount of time on the bench, receiving just 58 PA. He made the most of the opportunities, though, as he hit 5 HR with a 52.5% HardHit on 40 balls in play. It’s clear that the 22-year-old is one of the Reds’ top bats already and is currently slated to split time with Spencer Steer between 1B and DH. Given the lack of defensive value, there’s obvious pressure on the bat. If he stumbles out of the gate, a trip back to the minors could be in the cards. If that happens, get the buy-low trade offers out. More than likely, though, Stewart has his first of many 20+ HR, high-BA, plug-and-play fantasy seasons. – Smada<\/p>\n

4. Ethan Holliday<\/a> COL, 3B, SS (A)<\/p>\n

103 PLIVE+, Peak Projection: 16 HR, 5 SB, 9.5% BB, 34.2% K, .205\/.287\/.341, 78 wRC+<\/p>\n

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