A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5. Third base is known as the "hot corner", because the third baseman is often the

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

who stands closest to the batter—roughly 90–120 feet away, but even closer if a bunt is expected. Most right-handed hitters tend to hit the ball hard in this direction. A third baseman must possess good hand-eye coordination and quick reactions to catch batted balls whose speed can exceed . The third base position requires a strong and accurate arm, as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base or quick ones to

second base In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...

to start a double play. As with middle

s, right-handed throwing players are standard at the position because they do not need to turn their body before throwing across the infield to first base. Mike Squires, who played fourteen games at third base in 1982 and 1983, is a very rare example of a third baseman who threw lefty. Some third basemen have been converted from middle infielders or

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

s because the position does not require them to run as fast. The third baseman must also field fly balls in fair and foul territories. Expectations of how well a third baseman should be able to hit have risen over time; in the early years of the sport, these expectations were similar to those for

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

s, the third baseman being merely the less skilled defensive player. Players who could hit with more ability often were not suited for third base, either because they were left-handed or because they were not mobile enough for the position. However, the beginning of the

live-ball era The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball since 1920. It contrasts with the pre-1920 period known as the " dead-ball era". The name "live-ball era" comes from the dramatic rise in offensive ...

in the 1920s created a greater demand for more offense, and third basemen have since been expected to hit either for a high

average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...

(.290 or better) or with moderate to substantial power. Since the 1950s the position has become more of a power position with sluggers such as Eddie Mathews, Mike Schmidt and

Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo (February 25, 1940 – December 3, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974. In 1990, Santo became a member of the ...

becoming stars. There are fewer third basemen in the Baseball Hall of Fame than there are Hall of Famers of any other position. Few third basemen have gone on to have successful managing careers; exceptions include John McGraw, Bobby Cox, Jimmy Dykes, and Negro leaguer Dave Malarcher.

Prominent third basemen

Baseball Hall of Fame members

* Dick Allen (played first base for most of latter part of career) * Frank "Home Run" Baker * Adrián Beltré * Johnny Bench (elected as a catcher, shifted to third base in last three years of his career) * Wade Boggs *

George Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hit ( ...

(played first base and

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

in the latter years of his career) * Jimmy Collins * Ray Dandridge (Negro leagues) * Judy Johnson (Negro leagues) * Chipper Jones *

George Kell George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1943 to 1957, most prominently as a member of the D ...

* Freddie Lindstrom * Edgar Martínez (primarily a designated hitter who was the regular third baseman for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

in the early years of his career) * Eddie Mathews * John McGraw (primarily elected as a manager, although a third baseman in his short but successful playing career) * Paul Molitor (longtime

who played primarily third base on the field) * Brooks Robinson * Scott Rolen *

* Mike Schmidt * Pie Traynor (First third baseman to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame) * Jud Wilson (Negro leagues)

Multiple Gold Glove Award winners

* Brooks Robinson: 16 * Mike Schmidt: 10 * Nolan Arenado: 10 (active) * Scott Rolen: 8 * Eric Chavez: 6 * Robin Ventura: 6 * Buddy Bell: 6 * Matt Chapman: 5 (active) * Ken Boyer: 5 * Doug Rader: 5 *

: 5 *

Gary Gaetti Gary Joseph Gaetti (, ; born August 19, 1958), is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins (1981–1990), California Angels (1991–1993), Kansas City Royals (1993– ...

: 4 * Adrián Beltré: 4 * Matt Williams: 4 * Ken Caminiti: 3 * Frank Malzone: 3 * Evan Longoria: 3 (active) *

David Wright David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 Major League Baseball dr ...

: 2 * Wade Boggs: 2 * Graig Nettles: 2 *

Manny Machado Manuel Arturo Machado (; born July 6, 1992) is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Highly recruited from an early age, he was raised in Miami, where he attende ...

: 2 (active)

All-time single-season assists leaders among third basemen

# Graig Nettles: 412 (Cleveland Indians, 1971) # Graig Nettles: 410 (New York Yankees, 1973) # Brooks Robinson: 410 (Baltimore Orioles, 1974) # Brooks Robinson: 405 (Baltimore Orioles, 1967) # Harlond Clift: 405 (St. Louis Browns, 1937) # Mike Schmidt: 404 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1974) #

Doug DeCinces Douglas Vernon DeCinces ( ; born August 29, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987 for the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and St. Louis Cardina ...

: 399 (California Angels, 1982) # Brandon Inge: 398 (Detroit Tigers, 2006) # Clete Boyer: 396 (New York Yankees, 1962) # Mike Schmidt: 396 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1977) # Buddy Bell: 396 (Texas Rangers, 1982)

All-time single-season putouts leaders among third basemen

# Denny Lyons: 255 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1887) # Jimmy Williams: 251 (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1899) # Jimmy Collins: 251 (Boston Beaneaters ational League 1900) # Jimmy Collins: 243 (Boston Beaneaters ational League 1898) # Willie Kamm: 243 (Chicago White Sox, 1928) # Willie Kamm: 236 (Chicago White Sox, 1927) # Frank Baker: 233 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1913) # Bill Coughlin: 232 (Washington Senators, 1901) # Ernie Courtney: 229 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1905) #

Jimmy Austin James Phillip Austin (December 8, 1879 – March 6, 1965) was a Welsh professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the New York Highlanders and St. Louis Browns from 1909 through 1923, 1925 ...

: 228 (St. Louis Browns, 1911)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Third Baseman Baseball positions