Major League Baseball boasts a high number of quality third basemen, evidenced in part by the fact that nine regulars at the position totaled at least 4.5 fWAR last season. The Athletics’ Matt Chapman and the Red Sox’s Rafael Devers finished in the top five in that category, and as players who are controllable for the foreseeable future and only in their 20s, they represent a pair of the top building blocks in the game. The question, though, is which player you’d rather have going forward.
The easy answer (or so it seems) is Chapman, whose career production has trounced Devers’ since the two debuted in 2017. Not only is he a defensive wizard, but Chapman can flat-out hit. The soon-to-be 27-year-old’s all-around excellence had led to 15.5 fWAR thus far, including back-to-back seasons of 6.0 fWAR or better. He’s now coming off a career-best campaign as a power hitter in 2019, when he batted .249/.342/.506 (125 wRC+) with 36 home runs in 670 plate appearances.
Chapman still has four years of team control left, including one more pre-arb season (that’s if there is MLB in 2020). The same goes for Devers, so the two are even in that regard. As mentioned, Chapman’s output has crushed Devers’ in the aggregate. However, Devers closed the gap a season ago with a 5.9-fWAR showing, and he’s also several years younger than Chapman. Devers, who won’t even turn 24 until October, was roughly a league-average offensive player from 2017-18, but the proverbial light bulb went on last season during a .311/.361/.555 effort (132 wRC+) in which he slugged 32 homers over 702 PA.
Devers has nothing on Chapman at third – the former put up minus-10 DRS and plus-2.7 UZR last year; the latter recorded an otherworldly plus-34 DRS and plus-14.8 UZR – but they’re close in terms of offensive prowess. And Devers is so much younger than Chapman that it’s hard not to take that into consideration when comparing the two. Going by fWAR, Chapman was the third-most valuable third baseman in baseball in 2019. Devers was fourth. You can’t lose with either player, but all things considered, whom would you rather have heading into the future?
(Poll link for app users)
Chapman.
I don’t see a lot of Devers so my opinion may be slanted towards a player I see 20 times a year
But Chapman makes the tough plays look routine at third and swings a solid bat.
Plus there is a much better chance of Chapman hitting the market than Devers.
Sometimes stats lie. As a Sox fan, I was more impressed with the improvement Devers made in the field comparing 18 to 19 than I was with his amazing year at the plate. Such was because of the juiced ball and I was looking forward to Devers “proving me wrong” this season. I hate polls but due to Chapman’s glove, I had to vote for him. Watching the guys in Oakland and Colorado recently reminded me of the early 70’s when Brooks Robinson, Aurelio Rodriguez and Greg Nettles were all playing.
Would I want both of them on my team? Absolutely.
But this isn’t really close imo. Chapman or Arenado would be the better question.
Not at all. Arenado is a product of Coors. Devers is a better hitter and an improving glove. He is also younger and cheaper.
You can say the same thing about Fenway.
Not like Devers is playing in a pitcher’s park.
People were saying the same thing about DJ LeMahieu when he joined the Yankees last season, and he had his best season of his career last year with the Yankees.
Arenado had a 128 wRC+ last season, so he is clearly not a product of Coors. Devers has only had 1 great season so far. He needs to prove he isn’t a 1 year wonder.
Bingo
123Redsox….no. Just. No.
Did you bother to look at his road numbers?
Spoiler: They’re good. Still has a 118 wRC+
Arenado cost 30 mil a year.
Arenado if both are coming at the same price.
I think they were trying to compare 3B who are controllable.
Truthfully I think Bregman is a better hitter than Arenado right now.
Will only improve. Is looking for one pitch.
The days of the trash can are over. He will not improve.
Bregman has actually been a better hitter on the road in his career.
This is about Chapman vs Devers
Anyone with any baseball IQ knows who the best 3Basemen at the plate is.
asstros cheated on the road, too!
Bregmans best year was last year when nothing was going on, he is an absolute stud and 95% of people know it. Don’t worry too much about the people who say he isn’t and he is just a product of the sign stealing, they either truly don’t understand the game well or are so twisted in their hatred of us beating their team they no longer have the ability to use common sense
Either way any Mlb exec would take Bregman in a heartbeat
I can’t wait for the games to start with fans so they can boo us while we beat them, gonna be fun
Bro your team cheated and you’re sitting here bragging about it. You wonder why people hate the astros and their fans so much now
Yep, Anthony Rendon.
He’s bragging about how good Bregman was in 2019…..when the Astros weren’t cheating. There is a difference.
@astros2017 I think everyone wants the Astros players to fail so bad, that they forget how good they have been in All-Star games when no sign stealing was possible, in 2019 when they weren’t stealing signs electronically, and in Altuve’s case how good he was before 2017.
When games do start, the Astros hitters will be just fine. Haha
Chapman is a lot better than Bergman on defense. Bergman stats will go down now that the cheat sheets are gone. No more knowing the pitches.
Lol keep telling yourself that. His stats were better in 2018 and 2019 when the Astros weren’t cheating.
I’m sure they just stopped cold turkey.
Takeitback – the haters do not have rational thoughts …. they just hate. You can not rationalize with haters. If Bergman’s best year was last year when the Astros did not cheat then you need not explain, because the facts speak for themselves.
I am not an Astros fan. I can not stand the people on MLB that hate and have no rational information and are completely clueless.
In a heartbeat? The scandal and aftermath have left scars that only time will tell if they’ve healed. Before, his arrogance was accepted as fire for his competitiveness, now people are wondering about Bregman’s character. Many would certainly take him but the baggage he carries hasn’t yet been removed.
Chapman’s defense stands with Arenado’s as the best in mlb among 3B.
Bregman is one of, if not the best offensive performer at 3B, cheater or not. I hate to say that, but it’s true. I don’t know when the cheating stopped. Nobody knows for sure. I really don’t think the Astros stopped cold turkey after 1 year. No cheater or criminal ever stops after one try, especially when they are totally successful that first try. Therefore, despite what a great offensive performer Bregman is, I would not want an unabashed liar and cheater on my team.
I think the difference here is that Chapman and Devers are young and affordable. Otherwise Arenado and Rendon would be in the conversation.
Bregman’s numbers are tainted, regardless of what Houston fans care to think and the reality is that right now, players with character issues aren’t going to be welcomed into many clubhouses, so he’s not someone a club would understandably want to build around or with. Not now, anyway. Maybe that changes with time.
Moncada should probably be in the conversation.
Of these two choices, clearly Chapman. But Bregman over either of these two.
Where are the trashcan stats for bregman?
You have to be autistic if you think Bregman is better than Chapman or Devers. Cheaters don’t deserve anything
Everyone makes mistakes my ass
Let’s not go the autism route. That’s out of anyone’s control. Cheating is not.
Agreed. I have an autistic kid and she gets A’s and B’s in school. Better than I got back in the day. LOL.
Chapman has improved as well
@Ben4ben So Bregman isn’t better despite his 9.1 WAR being better than both, and him finishing 2nd in the MVP voting because he “cheated” during the 2017 season?
But it’s okay to choose Devers although he cheated during the 2018 season?
And then you follow that logic up with “cheaters don’t deserve anything” while sadly trying to convince us that WE are autistic.
Interesting.
the astros cheated for three years, we have no idea how good their “stars” really are.
You mean cheated since 2017. There is 0 evidence they were not cheating. Complaints went as back as far as 2017 into 2019. Try all you want but Bergman is guilty as the rest of the Astros for cheating.
Haha. There is 0 evidence that the cheating occurred in 2018 and 2019.
There is however proof that the cheating stopped at the beginning of 2018. Literally EVERY SINGLE PLAYER that has left the Astros franchise has stated the same thing. Why in the world would pitchers like Kuechel, Morton, Giles, Cole, etc say that the cheating stopped, if it hadn’t? It would be in their best interest to tell the truth, right?
But hey, I get it. If you believe they were cheating it makes it easier for you to swallow those playoff L’s the Astros handed you. Haha
So they cheated their way to a World Series in 2017 without getting caught, and you think they just decided to stop? Really?
MLB didn’t find any evidence of cheating in 2018 or 2019 because they were only looking into the claim from 2017.
Soooo…..all the players that left, and would now benefit from making sure they stopped, lied to MLB and are willing to let them keep cheating? With no benefit to them or their new team? That’s completely logical.
All of you talking about the Astros cheating had better be opposed to Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, …. being elected to the Hale of Fame or you are a bunch of Hypocrites
Better watch what you say about the Astros.
Don’t want your team stuck playing in Arlington or Tampa.
All the cities they will be hosting games Houston is by far #1.
Time to kiss the ring and tell everyone how great the Astros are
Lol thank you for reminding me why I rarely wade into the kiddie pool by commenting here. Congrats on your broken brain.
yes there is. Keep telling yourself that. If it wasn’t for their former starter coming out about the cheating nobody would have known. MLB knew about it and kept quiet. Astros never stop cheating. Watch how their hitting will go way down. I know you will have another excuse.
Wait for the investigation to come out before labeling any individual player a cheater.
Louisiana Astro – you COMPLETELY missed the point. If people are upset with the Astros cheating then they should be upset about the steroid users…..
I think having the elite glove and avg bat is overrated. (Ik Chapman is better than avg) Devers already hits better and it probably won’t be close soon. I’d take devers bc his glove isn’t even bad. If devers glove was horrible I’d take Chapman.
Watching Adrian Beltre with the Rangers made me think differently about how I valued defense at third base.
Chapman is as close as Beltre as there is with his glove.
After watching the year where Zimmerman was hurt, but before Rendon got to MLB-i learned awesome 3rd base defense is something you dont even notice, until it goes bad. When you get two or 3 hard shots a game that a plus defender grabs, but others cant….you notice.
Not being a Sox fan I obviously don’t watch him play everyday So maybe I’m missing something, but literally every time I watch Devers play third there is play I think he should have made that he doesn’t. All I hear from Red Sox fans is that his defense is improved. And maybe it has, but it still isn’t good… nor is it anywhere near chapman. Honestly even the improved Devers doesn’t even touch average for me defensively. Fortunately for the Red Sox his bat is good enough to make up for it.
It’s not really an ‘apples to apples’ comparison. Sure Dever’s first 2 seasons weren’t as good but he was 20 and 21 years old whereas Chapman was 25/26. Also defensively Devers made huge strides last year – and while he’s probably never going to be at Chapman’s level — he is trending upwards. I’d take Devers here because I think he has a higher ceiling whereas I’m pretty sure Chapman has reached his ceiling. Obviously either player is a good choice. But Devers is still only 23 years old and just finished off a 30+ HR season as a 22 year old!
Put Chapman in a stadium like Fenway you will see a huge increase in offensive production
Chapman can play third anywhere.
But put him in a hitter’s park and his production will increase
I really think having a great defensive third basemen is underrated.
It isn’t SS or CF but third base is still an important position.
Urshela. Cheaper,more control. He’s best friends with Lindor. Doesn’t hurt.
But Chapman,for sure.
Chapman 100%. Devers being a few years younger is no help to me as both players are under contract for the same amount of time and being younger means I’ll only have to pony up the cash for him to stick around during his prime years.
You cannot go wrong with either one. My Guy Devers…
So this is a comment thread of Red Sox fans saying Devers, Astros fans crying about Bregman not being included, and everyone else knowing it is clearly Matt Chapman.
So the age difference means nothing to you? It’s “building blocks”.
They’re both eligible to be free agents in 2024 according to baseball reference. Take Chapman then sign Devers when they’re both free agents if you’re that worried about it. Chapman isn’t old enough to worry about him breaking down before their contracts are up.
All of you talking about the Astros cheating had better be opposed to Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, …. being elected to the Hale of Fame or you are a bunch of Hypocrites
Agree totally and while I’m a Sox fan, you can add Papi to that list. I believe he cheated the game and would put him in the City of Boston HOF for his leadership after 2013 but not Cooperstown. His comments against Fiers simply an embarrassment to himself.
Devers is a stud and is only getting better.
They’re both really good and you will not be disappointed from what you get from them. I went with Chapman, but it wasn’t an easy choice for me.
Chapman 100%. Only thing holding him back is Mr Boras will be knocking soon.
I’ll take Jeff McNeil at 3B
Of the two, I’d take Chapman, and it’s not particularly close for me. That being said, there are at least a few more names that belong in this conversation.
Despite what you think about the Astros, Bregman absolutely belongs in the conversation. I also wouldn’t hesitate to throw Moncada’s name in there as a young guy on the rise.
Depending on where you’re drawing the line on age, Arenado and Bryant should be in there.
Plus 2 guys coming off down years that I’d be very hesitant to write off in Ramirez and Machado. Not to mention Vlad Jr. – I’m alright with waiting for him to prove it first if that’s what you’re looking for though.
Bregman isn’t in the conversation because he already signed an extension.
He is making 13 mil a year and will jump to 30 mil by the end of the contract.
Much different than Chapman and Devers.
If money wasn’t a factor you would be right
I think long term at 3B will be Chapman although I feel Devers has a higher offensive ceiling, I see him eventually playing 1B
Devers for sure! he is younger, has similar power and will only get better. I have watched him alot since he has come up and he was a different hitter in 2019. Better plate discipline, wasn’t swinging at bad pitches nearly as usual, glove work should get better as well, as good as Chapman hard to say but livable.
Being nicknamed “two scoops” puts Devers over the top here.
Chapman is in his prime. Devers is 23 and improving. I’d take Devers any time.
my boy Devers all day