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Once upon a time, third base was a position devoid of talent in the major leagues. Over the past several years, the position only had a couple truly elite players. However, that is changing nowadays, especially in the National League, where several promising young third baseman are starting to emerge. One of those emerging players is Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies.
Arenado ranks fourth in National League All-Star voting at third base, but the numbers would tell you he should at least be in second place and that he merits a selection in this year’s All-Star game one way or another.
Here are comparisons of Arenado with other top NL third base vote getters in key categories:
Arenado: .274, 15 home runs, 47 RBI, 34 Ks
Matt Carpenter: .297, 8 home runs, 31 RBI, 49 Ks
Kris Bryant: .277, 7 home runs, 35 RBI, 65 Ks
Todd Frazier: .288, 17 home runs, 37 RBI, 44 Ks
All of the numbers are relatively close, but there are a few differences that make Arenado All-Star worthy, perhaps more so than some of the other third basemen on this list.
What separates Arenado?
The things Arenado has going for him are the fact that he’s proven to be an elite run producer, driving in 47 runs, which is 10 more than the next closest player on this list. He also strikes out significantly less than the other players on this list.
Most importantly, though, Arenado is an elite defender. Usually, defenders don’t get a lot of love for their fielding exploits, but Arenado deserves praise for his glove work. Along with Alex Gordon, he may be the best pure defender in baseball.
What’s keeping Arenado from Midsummer Classic?
While Arenado has shown he’s a great run producer, he doesn’t get on base nearly as much as some of these other guys. His on-base percentage is just .308, which isn’t a normal mark of an All-Star. On top of that, his average is lower than the other players on this list, but they’re comparable enough that it shouldn’t be a huge problem for him.
Perhaps the most important factor keeping Arenado from the All-Star game is the fact he plays in Colorado. The baseball viewership isn’t nearly what it is in St. Louis, Chicago or Cincinnati, the three cities where the other top third basemen are from. Without popularity, a player can’t make it to the All-Star game with the same ease that other players can.
In short, without popularity, Arenado needs to be head and shoulders above the rest of the competition to make it in on a fan vote. He seems to at least be among the best candidates available at the position, but not enough so to earn himself a roster spot via fan vote.
Now, he may have to wait and see if players or the coaching staff get him on the roster in recognition of his efforts so far this season.
Statistical comparisons for this story were provided by RantSports reader Christine B. McCleary.
