On the heels of another strong season, Los Angeles Dodgers free agent Justin Turner was ranked among the top 10 third basemen by MLB Network’s The Shredder.
Turner placed sixth in the 2021 rankings, ahead of Matt Chapman, Josh Donaldson, Gio Urshela and Eugenio Suarez. The top five consists of Anthony Rendon (No. 1), Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, Jose Ramirez and Manny Machado.
With the 2020 campaign shortened to just 60 games, the 2021 list was compiled by taking into account a three-year sample. It also entailed The Shredder rankings from the past two years and Statcast metrics, among other factors. Defense was weighed less for third basemen than shortstops.
MLB Network analyst Vince Gennaro viewed Turner a little less favorably than The Shredder, ranking him No. 6 on his personal list. Meanwhile, Mike Petriello slotted Turner at No. 8 while Sarah Langs omitted him from her rankings altogether.
In 42 games last season, Turner hit .307/.400/.460 with nine doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI over 175 plate appearances. He went on to bat .221 across four postseason series, but got stronger with each one.
Turner hit .280 with a home run in seven games against the Atlanta Braves, then proceeded to bat .320 with two additional homers against the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series.
Turner has posted a wRC+ of 140 or higher in five of his last seven seasons. His 140 wRC+ in 2020 ranked fourth among third basemen with a minimum of 100 plate appearances, trailing only Ramirez (163), Rendon (156) and Machado (148).
Since 2019, Turner’s 132 OPS+ ranks fourth among qualified third basemen with a minimum of 400 plate appearances, behind only Rendon (155), Bregman (153) and Urshela (133). Using the same criteria, Turner’s xwOBA of .383 is good for third.
Turner has hit .307 since the start of the 2017 season, which ranks fifth among all players with a minimum of 1,200 plate appearances. Additionally, his .397 on-base percentage, 144 wRC+ and .393 xwOBA rank sixth, 10th and 11th, respectively.
With the start of the 2021 season just around the corner, the Dodgers reportedly are confident in their ability of re-signing Turner. However, he has also drawn interest from the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers, with other teams potentially in the mix to sign him as well.
MLB Top 10 third basemen right now for 2021
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Sarah Langs | Vince Gennaro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Rendon (Angels) | Anthony Rendon (Angels) | Nolan Arenado (Rockies) | Anthony Rendon (Angels) |
| 2 | Alex Bregman (Astros) | José Ramírez (Indians) | José Ramírez (Indians) | Alex Bregman (Astros) |
| 3 | Nolan Arenado (Rockies) | Alex Bregman (Astros) | Anthony Rendon (Angels) | Nolan Arenado (Rockies) |
| 4 | José Ramírez (Indians) | Matt Chapman (Athletics) | Manny Machado (Padres) | Matt Chapman (Athletics) |
| 5 | Manny Machado (Padres) | Manny Machado (Padres) | Alex Bregman (Astros) | José Ramírez (Indians) |
| 6 | Justin Turner (Dodgers) | Nolan Arenado (Rockies) | Matt Chapman (Athletics) | Josh Donaldson (Twins) |
| 7 | Matt Chapman (Athletics) | Gio Urshela (Yankees) | Yoan Moncada (White Sox) | Justin Turner (Dodgers) |
| 8 | Josh Donaldson (Twins) | Justin Turner (Dodgers) | Ke'Bryan Hayes (Pirates) | Eugenio Suárez (Reds) |
| 9 | Gio Urshela (Yankees) | Ke'Bryan Hayes (Pirates) | Rafael Devers (Red Sox) | Rafael Devers (Red Sox) |
| 10 | Eugenio Suárez (Reds) | Rafael Devers (Red Sox) | Alec Bohm (Phillies) | Manny Machado (Padres) |
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