| # | Player | Team | OVR ▾ | AVG | OPS | HR | RBI | SB | Barrel% | Exit Velo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No qualified players yet. | |||||||||||
The best single seasons by a third baseman, 2,087 qualified seasons since 1871, ranked by OPS+ (100 x OBP/lgOBP + SLG/lgSLG - 1, same league-season, no park adjustment). Swipe the table sideways on mobile; filter by era below.
Showing 160 of 160 ranked seasons
| # | Player | Year | Team | OPS+ | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI | SB | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levi Meyerle | 1871 | PH1 | 243 | .500 | .700 | 4 | 40 | 4 | 132 |
| 2 | Mike Schmidt | 1981 | PHI | 213 | .435 | .644 | 31 | 91 | 12 | 434 |
| 3 | Cap Anson | 1872 | PH1 | 204 | .455 | .525 | 0 | 48 | 6 | 233 |
| 4 | George Brett | 1980 | KCA | 203 | .454 | .664 | 24 | 118 | 15 | 515 |
| 5 | Miguel Cabrera | 2013 | DET | 195 | .442 | .636 | 44 | 137 | 3 | 652 |
| 6 | Harmon Killebrew | 1969 | MIN | 190 | .427 | .584 | 49 | 140 | 8 | 709 |
| 7 | Dick Allen | 1966 | PHI | 190 | .396 | .632 | 40 | 110 | 10 | 599 |
| 8 | Mel Ott | 1938 | NY1 | 189 | .442 | .583 | 36 | 116 | 2 | 652 |
| 9 | Joe Torre | 1971 | SLN | 185 | .421 | .555 | 24 | 137 | 4 | 707 |
| 10 | Al Rosen | 1953 | CLE | 185 | .422 | .613 | 43 | 145 | 8 | 688 |
| 11 | Mike Schmidt | 1980 | PHI | 185 | .380 | .624 | 48 | 121 | 12 | 652 |
| 12 | Dick Allen | 1967 | PHI | 185 | .404 | .566 | 23 | 77 | 20 | 540 |
| 13 | King Kelly | 1879 | CN1 | 184 | .363 | .493 | 2 | 47 | 0 | 353 |
| 14 | Davy Force | 1872 | TRO | 184 | .423 | .493 | 0 | 33 | 7 | 227 |
| 15 | Ed Williamson | 1884 | CHN | 183 | .344 | .554 | 27 | 84 | 0 | 459 |
| 16 | John McGraw | 1899 | BLN | 181 | .547 | .446 | 1 | 33 | 73 | 539 |
| 17 | Chipper Jones | 2008 | ATL | 181 | .470 | .574 | 22 | 75 | 4 | 534 |
| 18 | Gary Sheffield | 1992 | SDN | 180 | .385 | .580 | 33 | 100 | 5 | 618 |
| 19 | Bill Joyce | 1894 | WAS | 180 | .496 | .648 | 17 | 89 | 21 | 459 |
| 20 | Alex Rodriguez | 2007 | NYA | 178 | .422 | .645 | 54 | 156 | 24 | 708 |
| 21 | Ron Santo | 1964 | CHN | 178 | .398 | .564 | 30 | 114 | 3 | 686 |
| 22 | George Brett | 1985 | KCA | 178 | .436 | .585 | 30 | 112 | 9 | 665 |
| 23 | Home Run Baker | 1912 | PHA | 177 | .404 | .541 | 10 | 130 | 40 | 644 |
| 24 | Heinie Zimmerman | 1912 | CHN | 177 | .418 | .571 | 14 | 99 | 23 | 619 |
| 25 | Roger Connor | 1880 | TRN | 177 | .357 | .459 | 3 | 47 | 0 | 353 |
| 26 | Cap Anson | 1876 | CHN | 177 | .380 | .450 | 2 | 59 | 0 | 321 |
| 27 | Chipper Jones | 1999 | ATL | 176 | .441 | .633 | 45 | 110 | 25 | 701 |
| 28 | Wade Boggs | 1987 | BOS | 176 | .461 | .588 | 24 | 89 | 1 | 667 |
| 29 | Ken Caminiti | 1996 | SDN | 176 | .408 | .621 | 40 | 130 | 11 | 638 |
| 30 | Home Run Baker | 1913 | PHA | 174 | .413 | .493 | 12 | 117 | 34 | 644 |
| 31 | Darrell Evans | 1973 | ATL | 173 | .403 | .556 | 41 | 104 | 6 | 733 |
| 32 | Eddie Mathews | 1953 | ML1 | 173 | .406 | .627 | 47 | 135 | 1 | 681 |
| 33 | Harmon Killebrew | 1966 | MIN | 173 | .391 | .538 | 39 | 110 | 0 | 677 |
| 34 | Mike Schmidt | 1982 | PHI | 173 | .403 | .547 | 35 | 87 | 14 | 631 |
| 35 | Eddie Mathews | 1955 | ML1 | 173 | .413 | .601 | 41 | 101 | 3 | 616 |
| 36 | Eddie Mathews | 1954 | ML1 | 173 | .423 | .603 | 40 | 103 | 10 | 601 |
| 37 | Pete Browning | 1884 | LS2 | 173 | .357 | .472 | 4 | 47 | 0 | 462 |
| 38 | Wade Boggs | 1988 | BOS | 172 | .476 | .490 | 5 | 58 | 2 | 719 |
| 39 | Tony Perez | 1970 | CIN | 172 | .401 | .589 | 40 | 129 | 8 | 681 |
| 40 | Harmon Killebrew | 1970 | MIN | 172 | .411 | .546 | 41 | 113 | 0 | 665 |
| 41 | Jack Gleason | 1884 | SLU | 172 | .361 | .441 | 4 | — | 0 | 418 |
| 42 | Alex Rodriguez | 2005 | NYA | 171 | .421 | .610 | 48 | 130 | 21 | 715 |
| 43 | Dick Allen | 1964 | PHI | 171 | .382 | .557 | 29 | 91 | 3 | 708 |
| 44 | Chipper Jones | 2001 | ATL | 171 | .427 | .605 | 38 | 102 | 9 | 677 |
| 45 | Ron Santo | 1966 | CHN | 171 | .412 | .538 | 30 | 94 | 4 | 672 |
| 46 | Howard Johnson | 1989 | NYN | 171 | .369 | .559 | 36 | 101 | 41 | 655 |
| 47 | Miguel Cabrera | 2012 | DET | 170 | .393 | .606 | 44 | 139 | 4 | 697 |
| 48 | Mike Schmidt | 1974 | PHI | 170 | .395 | .546 | 36 | 116 | 23 | 686 |
| 49 | Chipper Jones | 2007 | ATL | 170 | .425 | .604 | 29 | 102 | 5 | 600 |
| 50 | Eddie Mathews | 1959 | ML1 | 168 | .390 | .593 | 46 | 114 | 2 | 682 |
| 51 | Ezra Sutton | 1884 | BSN | 168 | .384 | .455 | 3 | 61 | 0 | 497 |
| 52 | Hick Carpenter | 1882 | CN2 | 168 | .360 | .422 | 1 | 67 | 0 | 361 |
| 53 | Jose Ramirez | 2020 | CLE | 168 | .386 | .607 | 17 | 46 | 10 | 254 |
| 54 | Ron Santo | 1967 | CHN | 167 | .395 | .512 | 31 | 98 | 1 | 697 |
| 55 | Denny Lyons | 1887 | PH4 | 167 | .421 | .523 | 6 | 102 | 73 | 623 |
| 56 | Bill Madlock | 1976 | CHN | 167 | .412 | .500 | 15 | 84 | 15 | 588 |
| 57 | Jimmy Williams | 1899 | PIT | 166 | .416 | .530 | 9 | 116 | 26 | 693 |
| 58 | Alex Bregman | 2019 | HOU | 166 | .423 | .592 | 41 | 112 | 5 | 690 |
| 59 | Mike Schmidt | 1979 | PHI | 166 | .386 | .564 | 45 | 114 | 9 | 675 |
| 60 | Eddie Mathews | 1960 | ML1 | 166 | .397 | .551 | 39 | 124 | 7 | 671 |
| 61 | Anthony Rendon | 2019 | WAS | 166 | .412 | .598 | 34 | 126 | 5 | 646 |
| 62 | Jim Thome | 1996 | CLE | 166 | .450 | .612 | 38 | 116 | 2 | 636 |
| 63 | Harry Steinfeldt | 1906 | CHN | 166 | .395 | .430 | 3 | 83 | 29 | 625 |
| 64 | Bill Joyce | 1896 | WAS | 166 | .470 | .518 | 13 | 94 | 45 | 600 |
| 65 | Albert Pujols | 2001 | SLN | 165 | .403 | .610 | 37 | 130 | 1 | 676 |
| 66 | Mike Schmidt | 1977 | PHI | 165 | .393 | .574 | 38 | 101 | 15 | 667 |
| 67 | Adrian Beltre | 2004 | LAN | 165 | .388 | .629 | 48 | 121 | 7 | 657 |
| 68 | Mike Schmidt | 1986 | PHI | 165 | .390 | .547 | 37 | 119 | 1 | 657 |
| 69 | Mike Schmidt | 1984 | PHI | 165 | .383 | .536 | 36 | 106 | 5 | 632 |
| 70 | Ed Lennox | 1914 | PTF | 165 | .414 | .493 | 11 | 84 | 19 | 519 |
| 71 | Levi Meyerle | 1876 | PHN | 165 | .347 | .449 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 259 |
| 72 | Scott Rolen | 2004 | SLN | 164 | .409 | .598 | 34 | 124 | 4 | 593 |
| 73 | Edgar Martinez | 1992 | SEA | 164 | .404 | .544 | 18 | 73 | 14 | 592 |
| 74 | Denny Lyons | 1891 | SL4 | 164 | .445 | .455 | 11 | 84 | 9 | 557 |
| 75 | Mike Schmidt | 1976 | PHI | 163 | .376 | .524 | 38 | 107 | 14 | 705 |
| 76 | Mike Schmidt | 1983 | PHI | 163 | .399 | .524 | 40 | 109 | 7 | 669 |
| 77 | Whitey Kurowski | 1947 | SLN | 163 | .420 | .544 | 27 | 104 | 4 | 614 |
| 78 | Ed Williamson | 1879 | CHN | 163 | .343 | .447 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 344 |
| 79 | Miguel Cabrera | 2006 | FLO | 162 | .430 | .568 | 26 | 114 | 9 | 676 |
| 80 | Al Rosen | 1952 | CLE | 161 | .387 | .524 | 28 | 105 | 8 | 649 |
| 81 | George Davis | 1893 | NY1 | 161 | .410 | .554 | 11 | 119 | 37 | 600 |
| 82 | Jim Ray Hart | 1967 | SFN | 160 | .373 | .509 | 29 | 99 | 1 | 665 |
| 83 | Ken Boyer | 1960 | SLN | 160 | .370 | .562 | 32 | 97 | 8 | 616 |
| 84 | Bobby Thomson | 1951 | NY1 | 160 | .385 | .562 | 32 | 101 | 5 | 602 |
| 85 | Bill Bradley | 1903 | CLE | 159 | .348 | .496 | 6 | 68 | 21 | 587 |
| 86 | Richie Hebner | 1972 | PIT | 159 | .378 | .508 | 19 | 72 | 0 | 492 |
| 87 | Home Run Baker | 1909 | PHA | 158 | .343 | .447 | 4 | 85 | 20 | 606 |
| 88 | Sid Gordon | 1948 | NY1 | 158 | .390 | .537 | 30 | 107 | 8 | 605 |
| 89 | Jim Thome | 1995 | CLE | 158 | .438 | .558 | 25 | 73 | 4 | 557 |
| 90 | Ron Santo | 1972 | CHN | 158 | .391 | .487 | 17 | 74 | 1 | 547 |
| 91 | George Brett | 1983 | KCA | 158 | .385 | .563 | 25 | 93 | 0 | 525 |
| 92 | Ron Santo | 1965 | CHN | 157 | .378 | .510 | 33 | 101 | 3 | 704 |
| 93 | Wade Boggs | 1986 | BOS | 157 | .453 | .486 | 8 | 71 | 0 | 693 |
| 94 | Wade Boggs | 1983 | BOS | 157 | .444 | .486 | 5 | 74 | 3 | 685 |
| 95 | Pedro Guerrero | 1983 | LAN | 157 | .373 | .531 | 32 | 103 | 23 | 664 |
| 96 | Al Rosen | 1954 | CLE | 157 | .404 | .506 | 24 | 102 | 6 | 566 |
| 97 | Rogers Hornsby | 1916 | SLN | 157 | .369 | .444 | 6 | 65 | 17 | 550 |
| 98 | Josh Donaldson | 2016 | TOR | 156 | .404 | .549 | 37 | 99 | 7 | 700 |
| 99 | Nolan Arenado | 2018 | COL | 156 | .374 | .561 | 38 | 110 | 2 | 673 |
| 100 | Home Run Baker | 1914 | PHA | 156 | .380 | .442 | 9 | 89 | 19 | 634 |
| 101 | Whitey Kurowski | 1945 | SLN | 156 | .383 | .511 | 21 | 102 | 1 | 573 |
| 102 | Wade Boggs | 1985 | BOS | 155 | .450 | .478 | 8 | 78 | 2 | 758 |
| 103 | Sal Bando | 1969 | OAK | 155 | .400 | .484 | 31 | 113 | 1 | 734 |
| 104 | Chipper Jones | 1998 | ATL | 155 | .404 | .547 | 34 | 107 | 16 | 707 |
| 105 | Phil Nevin | 2001 | SDN | 155 | .388 | .588 | 41 | 126 | 4 | 624 |
| 106 | Minnie Miñoso | 1951 | CLE | 155 | .422 | .500 | 10 | 76 | 31 | 622 |
| 107 | Heinie Zimmerman | 1913 | CHN | 155 | .379 | .490 | 9 | 95 | 18 | 510 |
| 108 | Harry Steinfeldt | 1903 | CIN | 155 | .386 | .481 | 6 | 83 | 13 | 498 |
| 109 | Josh Donaldson | 2015 | TOR | 154 | .371 | .568 | 41 | 123 | 6 | 711 |
| 110 | David Wright | 2007 | NYN | 154 | .416 | .546 | 30 | 107 | 34 | 711 |
| 111 | Kris Bryant | 2016 | CHN | 154 | .385 | .554 | 39 | 102 | 8 | 699 |
| 112 | Jose Ramirez | 2018 | CLE | 154 | .387 | .552 | 39 | 105 | 34 | 698 |
| 113 | Miguel Cabrera | 2007 | FLO | 154 | .401 | .565 | 34 | 119 | 2 | 680 |
| 114 | Eddie Mathews | 1957 | ML1 | 154 | .387 | .540 | 32 | 94 | 3 | 666 |
| 115 | Home Run Baker | 1911 | PHA | 154 | .379 | .508 | 11 | 115 | 38 | 659 |
| 116 | Bob Elliott | 1947 | BSN | 154 | .410 | .517 | 22 | 113 | 3 | 645 |
| 117 | Melvin Mora | 2004 | BAL | 154 | .419 | .562 | 27 | 104 | 11 | 636 |
| 118 | Art Devlin | 1906 | NY1 | 154 | .396 | .390 | 2 | 65 | 54 | 591 |
| 119 | Heinie Groh | 1919 | CIN | 154 | .392 | .431 | 5 | 63 | 21 | 523 |
| 120 | Vinny Castilla | 1998 | COL | 153 | .362 | .589 | 46 | 144 | 5 | 697 |
| 121 | Garrett Atkins | 2006 | COL | 153 | .409 | .556 | 29 | 120 | 4 | 695 |
| 122 | Nolan Arenado | 2017 | COL | 153 | .373 | .586 | 37 | 130 | 3 | 679 |
| 123 | Kris Bryant | 2017 | CHN | 153 | .409 | .537 | 29 | 73 | 7 | 665 |
| 124 | Nolan Arenado | 2019 | COL | 153 | .379 | .583 | 41 | 118 | 3 | 662 |
| 125 | Bill Bradley | 1902 | CLE | 153 | .375 | .515 | 11 | 77 | 11 | 597 |
| 126 | Troy Glaus | 2000 | ANA | 152 | .404 | .604 | 47 | 102 | 14 | 678 |
| 127 | Harlond Clift | 1938 | SLA | 152 | .423 | .554 | 34 | 118 | 10 | 658 |
| 128 | Morgan Ensberg | 2005 | HOU | 152 | .388 | .557 | 36 | 101 | 6 | 624 |
| 129 | Heinie Groh | 1917 | CIN | 151 | .385 | .411 | 1 | 53 | 15 | 685 |
| 130 | Bob Elliott | 1948 | BSN | 151 | .423 | .474 | 23 | 100 | 6 | 675 |
| 131 | Sid Gordon | 1949 | NY1 | 151 | .404 | .505 | 26 | 90 | 1 | 588 |
| 132 | Ray Boone | 1953 | CLE | 151 | .390 | .519 | 26 | 114 | 3 | 582 |
| 133 | Rogers Hornsby | 1919 | SLN | 151 | .384 | .430 | 8 | 71 | 17 | 577 |
| 134 | Ken Keltner | 1948 | CLE | 150 | .395 | .522 | 31 | 119 | 2 | 656 |
| 135 | Chipper Jones | 1996 | ATL | 149 | .393 | .530 | 30 | 110 | 14 | 693 |
| 136 | Chipper Jones | 2000 | ATL | 149 | .404 | .566 | 36 | 111 | 14 | 686 |
| 137 | Hans Lobert | 1908 | CIN | 149 | .348 | .407 | 4 | 63 | 47 | 650 |
| 138 | Aramis Ramirez | 2004 | CHN | 149 | .373 | .578 | 36 | 103 | 0 | 606 |
| 139 | Scott Rolen | 1998 | PHI | 148 | .391 | .532 | 31 | 110 | 14 | 711 |
| 140 | Harlond Clift | 1937 | SLA | 148 | .413 | .546 | 29 | 118 | 8 | 679 |
| 141 | Pepper Martin | 1933 | SLN | 148 | .387 | .456 | 8 | 57 | 26 | 669 |
| 142 | Les Bell | 1926 | SLN | 148 | .383 | .518 | 17 | 100 | 9 | 666 |
| 143 | Heinie Groh | 1918 | CIN | 148 | .395 | .396 | 1 | 37 | 11 | 567 |
| 144 | Fernando Tatis | 1999 | SLN | 147 | .404 | .553 | 34 | 107 | 21 | 639 |
| 145 | Stan Hack | 1941 | CHN | 146 | .417 | .427 | 7 | 45 | 10 | 694 |
| 146 | Freddie Lindstrom | 1930 | NY1 | 146 | .425 | .575 | 22 | 106 | 15 | 671 |
| 147 | Jimmy Collins | 1901 | BOS | 146 | .375 | .495 | 6 | 94 | 19 | 615 |
| 148 | Stan Hack | 1938 | CHN | 140 | .411 | .432 | 4 | 67 | 16 | 707 |
| 149 | Freddie Lindstrom | 1928 | NY1 | 140 | .383 | .511 | 14 | 107 | 15 | 687 |
| 150 | Harlond Clift | 1936 | SLA | 139 | .424 | .514 | 20 | 73 | 12 | 701 |
| 151 | Pinky Higgins | 1934 | PHA | 139 | .392 | .508 | 16 | 90 | 9 | 606 |
| 152 | Stan Hack | 1940 | CHN | 138 | .395 | .439 | 8 | 40 | 21 | 686 |
| 153 | Bob Meusel | 1920 | NYA | 137 | .359 | .517 | 11 | 83 | 4 | 494 |
| 154 | Red Rolfe | 1939 | NYA | 136 | .404 | .495 | 14 | 80 | 7 | 731 |
| 155 | Frankie Frisch | 1921 | NY1 | 136 | .384 | .485 | 8 | 100 | 49 | 687 |
| 156 | Pinky Higgins | 1933 | PHA | 136 | .383 | .485 | 13 | 99 | 2 | 635 |
| 157 | Pinky Whitney | 1937 | PHI | 136 | .395 | .446 | 8 | 79 | 6 | 542 |
| 158 | Harvey Hendrick | 1928 | BRO | 136 | .397 | .478 | 11 | 59 | 16 | 493 |
| 159 | Pie Traynor | 1923 | PIT | 134 | .377 | .489 | 12 | 101 | 28 | 661 |
| 160 | Stan Hack | 1935 | CHN | 134 | .406 | .436 | 4 | 64 | 14 | 504 |
Single seasons with PA >= 3.1 x the league's scheduled games that year (the batting-title rule shape, applied era-consistently). Era adjustment is league-season normalization only, not park-adjusted; WAR-style value is tracked separately.
Legends Deck rates every third baseman using real 2026 Statcast data. For hitters, the key inputs are exit velocity, barrel rate, xwOBA, sprint speed, whiff rate, and chase rate. No scout opinions, no card-by-card tuning: the same fixed pipeline for every player.
Full methodology: How Legends Deck card ratings work. Or read the ranked breakdown: Best Third Basemen in MLB 2026.
The historical board above covers 1871-2025 and is built from the SABR/Lahman database (CC BY-SA): a season counts at a position when the player played the most games there that year, and seasons where pitching made up at least half of a player's games stay on the pitcher boards. Rankings use league-season-normalized OPS+ and ERA+ (no park adjustment); WAR-style value rankings are planned separately and not used here yet.