The hot corner has seen some great players through the years. This is just an opinion article, but I feel you will find this list to be solid. Active players are not eligible for this list. Defense will weigh as heavy on this list as defense.
10) Scott Rolen
He is one of the most incredible fielding third basemen in MLB history, as he’s won eight Gold Glove awards to put on his trophy case next to his Rookie of the Year award, and one Silver Slugger.
He won one World Series with St. Louis back in 2006 and has now been inducted into the hall of fame.
Scott Rolen Career Highlights
9) Graig Nettles
In Nettles’s 22-season career, he hit 390 home runs, 328 doubles, 1,314 RBI and 1,193 runs scored, earning him six All-Star Game selections. However, his glove really put him in this spot, as he was awarded two Gold Gloves. His performance in the 1978 World Series against the Dodgers is right up there with Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series.
Graig Nettles Great Plays 1978 World Series New York Yankees
8) Pie Traynor
He was a world-class batting average hitter, finishing with a .320 career average along with a solid .362 on-base percentage, but he was a to say the least not a very good fielder, which drops him on the list.
Rare Pie Traynor TV Interview (In Color)
7) Wade Boggs
Like Traynor, Boggs was mainly a hitter. Boggs recorded 3,010 hits and scored 1,513 runs with an incredible career .328 batting average. He was a solid hitter who could be constantly relied on to get on base, posting a career .415 on-base percentage. He won two Gold Glove awards, eight Silver Sluggers, 12 All-Star nods and one World Series ring. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Boggs’ 3,000th career hit
6) Ron Santo
In his 15 seasons as a player, Santo laced 2,254 hits, 342 home runs and 365 doubles, 1,331 RBI and 1,138 runs scored, finishing with a solid career slash line of .277/.363/.464.
He was a great fielder, too, being awarded five Gold Gloves to go along with his nine All-Star Game nods. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times and, unfortunately never made the playoffs.
Ron Santo – Baseball Hall of Fame Biographies
5) Chipper Jones
Jones ended his career in 2012 with a .304 career batting average, with 468 home runs, 1,512 walks, and 1,623 RBI in 2,499 games with 8,984 at-bats. He has the most career RBI for a third baseman. Also one of the most accomplished switch hitters in the game’s history, he finished behind only Eddie Murray for career RBI by switch hitters.He is the only switch hitter in MLB history with both a career batting average of at least .300 and 400 or more home runs. He was the eighteenth hitter in MLB history to accumulate 5,000 at-bats and finish with at least a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage, and he was the only switch hitter to reach all these milestones.
Braves show highlights from Chipper’s career
4) Brooks Robinson
Over his 23 seasons, all with the Orioles, he won a startling 16 Gold Gloves. He was the best fielder and showed some solid hitting, having a career .267 batting average, 2,848 hits and 1,357 RBI.
His best offensive year came in 1964 when he hit .317 with 28 home runs and 118 RBI on his way to his only MVP award.
1970 World Series: Baltimore Orioles vs Cincinnati Reds: The Brooks Robinson Series
3) Eddie Mathews
Throughout his illustrious 17-year career, Mathews slugged out a .267 batting average with 512 home runs and a career .509 slugging percentage while knocking in 1,453 runs.
He was sent to nine All-Star Games and was runner-up to two MVP awards. He hit over 35 home runs six times and notched over 100 RBI five times.
Eddie Mathews – Baseball Hall of Fame Biographies
2) George Brett
.305 batting average, including one season where he hit .390. He finished with a whopping 3,154 hits, 1,583 runs and 1,596 RBI. He also brought some solid power to the table, hitting 665 doubles, 137 triples and 317 home runs to give him a career .487 slugging percentage.
He went to 13 All-Star Games and won the MVP award in 1980.
FOREVER ROYAL GEORGE BRETT: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
1) Mike Schmidt
Over his 18 seasons, Schmidt recorded a .267 batting average, knocked in 1,595 runs, scored 1,506 runs and hit 548 home runs.
He led the league in home runs eight times, RBI four times and OPS five times. He earned three MVP awards, six Silver Sluggers and 12 All-Star Game appearances to go with a World Series ring with the Phillies in 1980.
Schmidt was an expert fielder, winning 10 Gold Gloves throughout his career. Easily the best third baseman I ever saw.
PHI@PIT: Harry Kalas calls Mike Schmidt’s 500th homer
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