Welcome to Rates and barrels. It is our 2023 third base preview as we roll through our position preview series.

And well, compared to our last position preview where we looked at first base, this could be a problematic position.

There are more ways to screw it up at third base, you know, because as we will discuss, it falls off in a big way.

So you need to have a good plan in place if you want to get top end production or even steady production from the third base spot on your roster of the season.

The deeper the league, the bigger the problem at hand.

So we begin as we do with all these position previews looking at the very top of the board.

And same as at first base.

I do think you could say tier one goes a little beyond the first rounders.

It includes the early second rounders as well.

So you've got Jose Ramirez, who's pretty much a consensus top five pick right now.

Bobby Witt, Jr., who does have shortstop eligibility as well.

Mani Machado, kind of as the first round group.

Machado, a bit like Freddie Freeman,

where sometimes you see him end up in the early part of round two.

And then you've got this toss-up right around pick 20

with Raphael Devers and Austin Riley.

So there are top- end options at the position.

Ramirez, I guess the simple question is,

are you able to find any reason to pass on him in the top five?

You might just like someone else better,

but are we at the point where you're seeing any warts in the profile for Jose Ramirez?

No, I think that some of the possible warts that you might see with him too are going to be affected by the rules changes.

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