Because of the shortage of time between now and opening day, we at NQTC decided to roll with a position by position preview as opposed to going team by team. 3B preview is up today – look for the SS preview on Wednesday. This is not a list of the top seven guys at the position but rather seven guys I felt like writing about.

1. Alex Rodriguez 3B Yankees - Arod is getting drafted first or second in almost every single league, but if I have a top two pick, there’s no way I’m taking him. Given his current situation, I just don’t see Rodriguez putting up numbers worthy of a top overall pick – I think the steroid cloud will hover over him and greatly affect his play throughout the year. Most experts don’t think it will have any impact on him, but I don’t think Arod is mentally strong enough to simply put all this behind him – Isn’t that one of the reasons he said he took Steroids in the first place, because he couldn’t handle the pressure? This is obviously my own opinion as I obviously don’t know the guy personally – all I am saying is that with a top pick in a fantasy league, you want to take someone without any ?s, and I think that Arod comes with more then a few ?s this season.

2. David Wright 3B Mets - Wright finished the 2007 season ranked #2 on Yahoo! Fantasy, and finished the 2008 season ranked #6, and there is no reason to think that Wright can’t finish near the top again in 2009, especially when you consider that he is only 26 and just now entering his prime. Is there really anything not to like about Mr. Wright? Wrong. I’m going to nitpick a little  by taking a look at the All Star 3B’s home/road splits from the 2008 season. Wright was unbelievable at Shea last year – in 301 ABs, he hit .336 with 21 HR, but when he was on the road, only hit .271 with 12 HR in 325 ABs. The home/road comparisons from 2008 are a little scary, and when you consider that the Mets are moving to Citi Field in 2009, it might be something to worry about (Wright’s home/road splits were much more balanced in 2006 and 2007 though).

3. Evan Longoria 3B Rays - The 23 year old stud is looking to avoid a sophomore slump in his second big league season in Tampa. He put up great numbers in 2008 considering he only played in 122 games – 67 R, 27 HR, 85 RBI, 7 Steals, and a .272 average ain’t half bad. Keeping in mind how shallow the 3B position is this year, Longoria is definitely a top option in fantasy, and is being selected somewhere in the 2nd round of most drafts. When you compare his numbers to other guys out there, he seems more like a 3rd for 4th round guy, so you need to ask yourself if the 3B scarcity makes the reach worth it. In keeper leagues, his 2nd round ADP is more then reasonable, as he should be a star for years to come.

4. Aramis Ramirez 3B Cubs - Since his 38 HR 119 RBI season in 2006, Ramirez has failed to reach 30 HR in both 2007 and 2008, and there’s a good chance that trend continues in 2009. While still a productive option at 3B, Aram will be 31 in June, and seems to be in the declining half of his career. He has missed over 40 games over the past two seasons, and manager Lou Piniella has stated that he would like to try and get his 3B more days off in order to keep him healthy for the stretch run. Ramirez’s ADP on MDC is 31, which is right in the middle of the 3rd round of 12 team leagues; Like Longoria though, he will most likely put up numbers resembling those of a 4th rounder. He should still be good for 85 R, 25 HR, close to 100 RBI, and a .290 avg, but draft accordingly.

5. Garett Atkins 3B Rockies – 2008 was a pretty disappointing year for Atkins owners. Coming off his amazing 2006 season, Atkins put up a more then decent 2007, but owners drafted him in 2008 thinking he would improve his all around numbers, not lower his average by .15 points and hit 4 less HR and 12 less RBI. Personally, I am going to going on the Atkins diet, and don’t want anything to do with the Colorado 3B. If you take a look at his stats over the past three seasons, you will notice a decline in almost every statistical category (except his strikeout total, which has increased each season). You could still do a lot worse then Atkins at 3B this year, as you know you’re getting 20 HR, close to 100 RBI and a borderline .300 average – if you don’t expect a whole lot more then that, you won’t be disappointed.

6. Chris Davis 3B Rangers - Well well well, if it isn’t the super sleeper of 2009. Everyone seems to love this guy, and deservedly so, as he just seems to rake wherever he’s playing. He strikeouts a ton, and many experts believe that his average will fall, but considering that he’s never hit lower then .298 in any level of minor league ball, and hit .285 in 295 major league ABs last season, I don’t really understand why. He seems like a lock to hit 30 HR and drive in 100 RBI, and depending on his spot in the lineup, could also help out in the run department. Davis is currently slated to hit 5th or 6th in the Texas lineup, but if his production matches his hype, he should be hitting cleanup behind Hamilton sooner then later. The Rangers offense should be as potent as ever, and Davis is definitely in store for a monster 2009.

7. There really isn’t another 3B worth writing about. There’s Chipper, who is unreal when he’s healthy but misses a good chunk of every season with some sort of injury, and at the age of 36 is almost a guarantee to miss some time again this year. There’s  Ryan Zimmerman, who seems to get drafted fairly high even though he’s never done much, and will probably never be as good as people want him to be. There’s Youk who had a great season last year, but is being drafted really really high, and will most likely come back down to earth in 2009. Russel Martin is also 3B eligible, but you shouldn’t be playing fantasy baseball if you plan on using him there. Alex Gordon is someone to keep an eye on – this will be his 3rd season in the bigs, and after being one of the most touted prospects in all of baseball over the past five years, might finally be ready to take the next step.

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Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Aramis Ramirez, Chris Davis, David Wright, Evan Longoria, Garett Atkins, Third Basemen