2026 Fantasy baseball third base prospects

I'm beginning to question the wisdom of ranking prospects by position.

Granted, I've been doing it for more than a decade now, so I know it can work. And it's certainly more useful for Fantasy purposes than ranking them by team, as is most common. But here we have yet another position that's painfully thin in the prospect arena. Third base may be the worst offender of all, in fact.

It just seems like every hitting prospect right now is either a shortstop or an outfielder. Or a catcher, I guess, but they're kind of their own category.

2026 Prospects: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | P

And sure, some of those shortstops will wind up at third base, same as second base. An organization will typically wait until the latest stage of a prospect's development to move him down the defensive spectrum, often to meet an immediate need on the major league roster. But our track record in predicting which prospects actually make that move isn't particularly strong, so I don't like to jump the gun.

I'm not so much complaining as explaining why I'll be going 20-30 deep at shortstop after having to scratch and claw for 10 names at each of the other infield positions. The imbalance is staggering, so much so that there may be only one or two of these third base prospects in my top 100 overall.

Note: These rankings are intended mainly for Dynasty use, emphasizing long-term value over a quick payoff, but to say proximity holds no weight wouldn't be entirely accurate either. Not all of these players will contribute in 2026 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they're the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know.

1. Jacob Reimer, Mets

Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .282 BA (444 AB), 17 HR, 15 SB, .870 OPS, 58 BB, 112 K

Reimer doesn't seem to be getting much attention in traditional prospect circles, but he reminds me a little of Sal Stewart pre-breakout, already producing on the strength of his swing decisions but with reason to believe he's just scratching the surface of his power potential. He'll have a much narrower path if he's forced to slide over to first base, but that's hardly a foregone conclusion. A .282/.379/.491 slash line would play there anyway.

2. Alex Freeland, Dodgers

Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2025: Triple-A majors
Minor league stats: .263 BA (415 AB), 16 HR, 18 SB, .834 OPS, 83 BB, 111 K
Major league stats: .190 BA (84 AB), 2 HR, 1 SB, .601 OPS, 11 BB, 35 K

Freeland is in a precarious spot, having already graduated to the majors but failed to make a strong impression in an organization that leaves no margin for error. While a capable shortstop, his best outcome with the Dodgers may be a utility role, having debuted as a fill-in for Max Muncy at third base. It'll be his plate discipline that carries him, buoyed by a chase rate comparable to Juan Soto, but he could also develop into a 15-homer, 15-steal type if he gets the chance.

3. Andrew Fischer, Brewers

Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2025: High-A
Minor league stats: .311 BA (74 AB), 1 HR, 8 SB, .848 OPS, 11 BB, 22 K

The 20th pick in the 2025 draft had only one home run in his first 19 professional games, but he had 25 in 65 games at the University of Tennessee last year, his slugging prowess representing a departure from the Brewers' usual emphasis on bat-to-ball skills. That power is fueled more by a steep launch angle than pure exit velocities, though, which presents some batting average risk. Prospect361 comps him to Rhys Hoskins, which seems fair, except that Fischer may actually stick at third base.

4. Tommy White, Athletics

Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-A
Minor league stats: .275 BA (360 AB), 12 HR, 23 2B, .773 OPS, 29 BB, 54 K

The biggest knock on White is that he's likely destined for first base, where the Athletics are already overloaded and where right-handed hitters in general have a difficult time breaking in. But he can really hit, having achieved legendary status in college with the eighth-most home runs all time and having maintained a strikeout rate around 15 percent even as a professional. His muted production so far is mostly tied to spray angle, which is a common developmental hurdle.

5. Deniel Ortiz, Cardinals

Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A
Minor league stats: .300 BA (370 AB), 13 HR, 39 SB, .878 OPS, 67 BB, 117 K

You probably haven't heard much about Ortiz, but I'm having a hard time explaining away his production. His exit velocities are near the top of the scales, and he hits the ball at the correct angles, putting it on the ground less than one-third of the time. He works the count and is a legitimately fast runner, backing up his stolen base output. His 26 percent strikeout rate is a bit elevated for A-ball and could pose a problem as he moves up the ladder, but right now, Ortiz is something of a hidden gem.

6. Gino Groover, Diamondbacks

Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2025: Double-A
Minor league stats: .309 BA (470 AB), 12 HR, .833 OPS, 63 BB, 79 K

With a textbook stance and quiet setup, Gino Groover, also known as LuJames, has the look of a professional hitter whose plate discipline won't cause him any problems, but does his bat provide enough thump for him to hold down an everyday role in the majors? His modest power output in 2025 becomes more alarming when you consider that Amarillo is one of the most hitter-friendly venues at Double-A, and fittingly, he had only a .672 OPS on the road. Is he merely Wilmer Flores, or is he something more?

7. Brock Wilken, Brewers

Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2025: Double-A
Minor league stats: .226 BA (270 AB), 18 HR, .876 OPS, 69 BB, 93 K

Keeping the faith in Wilken, the 18th pick in the 2023 draft, requires a fair amount of magical thinking, but third base has so little to offer that we might as well have some fun with it. He tore the cover off the ball as a newcomer in 2023, then took a fastball off the face early in 2024 and struggled with depth perception thereafter. Following an offseason of eye therapy, he seemed be taking flight again with 18 homers and a .942 OPS through 65 games, but then another serious injury, a dislocated knee, scuttled him again. There's an OPS hog in waiting here, but he needs better injury luck.

8. Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers

Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2025: Triple-A
Minor league stats: .243 BA (497 AB), 14 HR, 22 SB, .748 OPS, 65 BB, 121 K

The scouting reports read better than the actual stat line for Lee, but keep in mind that just a year ago, he slashed .298/.363/.488 for Double-A Erie. There are no standout skills here, but he hits the ball pretty hard, controls the strike zone pretty well, and is improving as a base-stealer. If he seizes his opportunity wherever it comes, more likely at second base, he could stick.

9. Parks Harber, Giants

Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A
Minor league stats: .323 BA (291 AB), 13 HR, .970 OPS, 44 BB, 79 K

Failing to reach Double-A before turning 24 generally isn't a good sign for a player's development, but the Giants thought enough of Harber to make him part of the Camilo Doval haul. It could be his struggles against sliders, his defensive shortcomings, or his right-handedness that brings him down in the end, but late bloomers do exist, and Harber genuinely does hit the snot out of the ball. With the way he's performed at every stop so far (Arizona Fall League included), I'm willing to hear him out.

10. Billy Amick, Twins

Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2025: Rookie, Low-A, High-A
Minor league stats: .307 BA (218 AB), 4 HR, 17 2B, .867 OPS, 33 BB, 70 K

Power was supposed to be the selling point for Amick, who the Twins took in the second round of the 2024 draft, but as you can see from the numbers, he seemed to take more of a line-drive approach in his first full pro season -- which included two lengthy IL stints, by the way. There may be a best-of-both-worlds outcome, but considering he's already 23 and has yet to play a game at Double-A, he'll need to pull it together soon.