The recent passing of legendary Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson has sparked a debate about the greatest third baseman in baseball history.
Image Credit - Instagram
Brooks Robinson is widely regarded as the greatest defensive player at the third base position.
Image Credit - Instagram
Only 15 former major league players who primarily played at third base are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Image Credit - Instagram
Pie Traynor of the Pittsburgh Pirates is considered an early star and standard-bearer among third basemen.
Image Credit - Instagram
George Kell, Eddie Mathews, and Ron Santo emerged as notable third basemen in the 1950s.
Image Credit - Instagram
The 1970s marked the arrival of legendary third basemen like Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Graig Nettles, and more.
Image Credit - Instagram
A comparison of career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) reveals the top Hall of Fame third basemen.
Image Credit - Instagram
Mike Schmidt leads the list with 106.8 career WAR, followed by Eddie Mathews, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Chipper Jones, and Brooks Robinson.
Image Credit - Instagram
Brooks Robinson's defensive prowess is highlighted by his 16 Gold Gloves and the third-highest defensive WAR in baseball history.
Image Credit - Instagram
Adrian Beltre, recently eligible for Hall of Fame induction, boasts impressive stats and is among the top five third basemen of all time.
Image Credit - Instagram