Thursday's Third Baseman Value Rankings
Here are theScore's third baseman value rankings for Thursday, July 21 (all stats exclude Wednesday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Valencia (OAK) | vs. TB | 9 |
| Manny Machado (BAL) | at NYY | 8 |
| Anthony Rendon (WAS) | vs. LAD | 8 |
Despite an overall OPS of just .635 over his past 10 games, Valencia is slashing .357/.423/.629 against lefties this season. He has just one home run in his past 10 games, but Rays LHP Matt Moore has allowed one in three consecutive games.
Rendon returned from a brief absence Wednesday, and he'll pick up with a .893 OPS over his past 10 games. LHP Julio Urias returns for the Dodgers, having allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings in his last MLB start.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Evan Longoria (TB) | at OAK | 7 |
| Todd Frazier (CWS) | vs. DET | 6 |
| Nick Castellanos (DET) | at CWS | 5 |
Longoria has gone on a tear with four home runs in his past 10 games, posting a 1.224 OPS over the span. He has had two hits in each of his past three games.
Frazier has four home runs over his past 10 games as well, and he'll draw Tigers RHP Mike Pelfrey, who has allowed three homers in the same span. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his most recent start.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Arenado (COL) | vs. ATL | 4 |
| Travis Shaw (BOS) | vs. MIN | 4 |
| Adonis Garcia (ATL) | at COL | 3 |
Arenado has a sub .700 OPS over his past 10 games, without a single home run. He isn't worthy of his current Coors Field price bump.
Shaw hasn't recorded a multi-hit game in any of his past seven outings, going without a hit five times.