Where does the Cubs' Matt Shaw fall in a ranking of NL Central third basemen?

4. Noelvi Marte, Reds

With the addition of Gavin Lux (another infielder - really Reds?), Cincinnati has an absurd glut of infielders on their rosters again. They could conceivably go in a multitude of different directions at the hot corner, but let's operate under the assumption that Noelvi Marte will open the season at third.

In what seems like a theme so far in our rankings, Marte is a former top prospect turned question mark. He hit extremely well in his cup of coffee in 2023 but really struggled in an injury-riddled 2024 campaign that started late due to a PED suspension. It's almost pointless trying to read too much into a 365 at-bat sample size spread across two seasons, but Marte's highest-graded tool coming up was his power and that has not yet manifested against Major League pitching. A 49 OPS+ and -1.8 WAR in only 66 games in 2024 are impressively low numbers. Marte was essentially the least valuable player in the league when he was playing as a result of both his offense and defense.

The former Mariners farmhand still has a ton of talent; he has a cannon for an arm that should hypothetically translate to third base, carries significant value on the basepaths and has a history of destroying minor league pitching. Despite that, Marte probably doesn't have a ton of rope left when the Reds have so many options available to them.

5. Oliver Dunn, Brewers

The Brewers still scare me in the division race despite losing some key pieces the last few years, including Willy Adames this winter via free agency. That being said, their options at third base are hardly horror move-esque. Similar to a lot of these teams, the Brewers could go a multitude of directions but Dunn is the clubhouse leader right now.

Dunn was drafted by the Yankees, selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft and then traded to the Brewers. Despite the frequent changes of scenery and relatively humble prospect status, Dunn has hit and hit and hit in the minor leagues. He also has close to elite speed (the Brewers are going to be a real problem for Miguel Amaya). However, Dunn posted a .598 OPS over 100 plate appearances and doesn't have Marte's pedigree. He's rated 29th in Fangraphs third basemen projections and last in ours.