Thursday's Third Basemen Pitcher Value Rankings
Here are theScore's third baseman value rankings for Thursday, May 12 (note that these stats exclude Wednesday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Manny Machado (BAL) | vs. DET | 8 |
Machado stands alone at third base as you might expect on a reduced eight-game slate. Though he comes with an astronomical price, he should make easy work of Detroit SP Mike Pelfrey. His insane slash line of .365/.424/.722 is rosterable in cash or tournament play.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Castellanos (DET) | at BAL | 7 |
| Matt Carpenter (STL) | at LAA | 7 |
| Aaron Hill (MIL) | vs. SD | 6 |
| Brandon Drury (ARI) | vs. SF | 6 |
| David Wright (NYM) | at LAD | 6 |
Castellanos and Carpenter own hefty salaries but look to be worth the risk Thursday. Castellanos owns an amazing .448 average against righties this season and has hits in nine of his last 10 games. Carpenter, on the other hand, has three straight multi-hit games with three homers in that span as well.
If recency bias is a factor for you, Hill makes for a solid tournament play. The Brewer has had two massive games in his past four and the Milwaukee offense has been one of the best at home this season.
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Maikel Franco (PHI) | at ATL | 5 |
| Jake Lamb (ARI) | vs. SF | 5 |
| Matt Duffy (SF) | at ARI | 5 |
| Marwin Gonzalez (HOU) | at BOS | 5 |
| Travis Shaw (BOS) | vs. HOU | 5 |
| Yunel Escobar (LAA) | vs. STL | 4 |
| Justin Turner (LAD) | vs. NYM | 4 |
| Cheslor Cuthbert (KC) | at NYY | 4 |
Franco remains a strict tournament play thanks to his power, which he has displayed of late via two homers in his last four games. Unfortunately, offense isn't often produced by the rest of Philadelphia's lineup.
Shaw sinks with LHP Dallas Keuchel on the mound. This lefty-lefty matchup works in Keuchel's favor as Shaw is hitting just .143 against southpaws on the year. As well, the Houston ace has limited lefty-bats to a .223 average for his career.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Flaherty (BAL) | vs. DET | 3 |
| Brett Wallace (SD) | at MIL | 3 |
| Howie Kendrick (LAD) | vs. NYM | 3 |
| Luis Valbuena (HOU) | at BOS | 3 |
| Chase Headley (NYY) | vs. KC | 3 |
| Wilmer Flores (NYM) | at LAD | 3 |
| Christian Colon (KC) | at NYY | 2 |
None of these options are worth rostering on a smaller slate. Pay up and give yourself a shot at productivity.