Cincinnati Reds: Is Eugenio Suárez the best third baseman in the division?

2 of 4

ST. LOUIS, MO – AUGUST 10: Matt Carpenter #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals slides safely into third base for a triple against Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

All signs point to Eugenio Suárez being 100% once the season kicks off. How does the Cincinnati Reds third baseman compare to the others in the NL Central?

As we continue our positional preview, we come to the hot corner. The Cincinnati Reds employ the services of Eugenio Suárez as the team’s starting third baseman, and all signs point to him being ready for Opening Day when the 2020 finally commences. How does Geno stack up against the other third basemen in the National League Central?

The NL Central is loaded with talented first basemen, one of whom is a former MVP. Three of the division’s first basemen possess the ability to take home such an honor this year. While the third base spot is not as teeming with talent, it’s beginning to show signs of a revival. The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs have two of the better third basemen in the game on their respective rosters.

While the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t have a legitimate starting third baseman currently on the roster, that could change during the upcoming season. The Pirates may have a future Gold Glove Award winner in their minor league system and he’s ready to break into the big leagues during the upcoming season.

The Milwaukee Brewers lost their starting third baseman to the Reds in free agency. But, that doesn’t mean that Milwaukee is not void of talent at the position. The Brewers did some bargain shopping over the offseason in order to find a replacement.

St. Louis has an aging star at third base, but last season saw a rookie nipping at the veteran’s heels. No doubt there’ll be a platoon at the hot corner in the Gateway City during the upcoming season. So, let’s see who ranks atop the NL Central when it comes to third basemen.

CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 22: Colin Moran #19 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during a game against the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

5. Colin Moran, Pittsburgh Pirates

For now, the Pittsburgh Pirates are likely to roll with Colin Moran as the team’s starting third baseman. A former first-round pick of the Miami Marlins back in 2013, Moran has been a regular in the Pirates lineup for the past two seasons. Moran’s offensive numbers aren’t anything spectacular, hitting .277/.331/.419.

One look at those numbers, and the casual fan might say, “Hey, I’d take that.” That may be true of a utility player, or even a shortstop, but Moran lacks the power to be an effective starting third baseman in the league. Moran’s career-OPS with Pittsburgh is .749 and he has just 24 home runs over the past two seasons.

Look for José Osuna to get some reps at third base as well during the upcoming season. Osuna played all over the field for Pittsburgh last season, seeing 19 games at third base. Both players are keeping the seat warm for Ke’Bryan Hayes, the team’s No. 2 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

4. Eric Sogard, Milwaukee Brewers

Wow! The third base position for the Milwaukee Brewers went from a position of strength to a position of weakness quicker than a ball off the bat of Aristides Aquino leaves the yard. Last season, Milwaukee employed Travis Shaw coming off a 2018 season that saw him put up an OPS of .825 and 32 home runs. Shaw’s slow start quickly turned into a nightmare.

The 29-year-old was demoted to the minors and the Brewers were forced to move Mike Moustakas back to third base after committing to placing him at second base for the 2019 season. Moustakas went on to have an All-Star season and would eventually sign with the Cincinnati Reds over the winter.

The Brewers now look to have Eric Sogard as the team’s starting third baseman heading into 2020. Sogard put up solid numbers last season, but it’s doubtful that level of success is sustainable. Milwaukee may turn to former Boston Red Sox utility player, Brock Holt, early and often.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 04: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs is tagged out at third base by Matt Carpenter (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /

3. Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

It wasn’t too long ago that Matt Carpenter was the most-feared hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. Last year was Carpenter’s worst year in the big leagues by far. The 34-year-old hit just .226 with only 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. That’s a far cry from the slugger who led the league in hits back in 2013, or even the slugger who walloped 36 homers in 2018.

Carpenter is likely to be replaced in short order by the Cardinals 2016 sixth-round draft choice Tommy Edman. Edman, last year’s rookie, hit .304/.350/.500 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. Edman is likely to get four to five starts per week, though some of those will likely come in the outfield.

2. Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

The debate for the top spot at third base among those in the NL Central comes down to Eugenio Suárez and Kris Bryant. Based on last year’s production, Bryant, a former MVP, comes in at No. 2. The 28-year-old slashed .282/.382/.521 with 31 home runs and 77 RBIs.

Bryant played out of position on several occasions last season as well. While Bryant saw some time in the outfield during his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2015 and his MVP season in 2016, Bryant only made 110 starts at third base last season while seeing 44 appearances in the outfield. Bryant’s presence in the outfield allowed David Bote to make 46 starts at third base.

The starting job at third base still belongs to Kris Bryant, but despite a season that saw the three-time All-Star put up 3.7 WAR, he still comes in at No. 2 among third basemen in the National League Central Division. Bryant will no doubt be looking to make 2020 a season in which he recaptures the top spot.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 15: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

1. Eugenio Suárez, Cincinnati Reds

The season that Eugenio Suárez put together in 2019 is one for the record books. While the Cincinnati Reds as a team didn’t have much success last season, Suárez put together one of the great individual performances in franchise history. Geno’s 49 round-trippers led the team and he broke the record for most home runs in a season by a Venezuelan-born player.

The fun-loving Suárez outpaced all other third basemen in the division in many offensive categories, including home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, OPS and WAR. Geno’s 2019 performance put him on the map and he’ll likely receive some well-deserved national attention if he’s able to duplicate what we saw last season.

The biggest sticking point in Eugenio Suárez’s game over the years had been his defense. The 2019 season offered more of the same, as Geno led the league in errors by a third baseman (17). Suárez led the National League in that dubious category in 2018 (19) as well. However, let’s not forget that Kris Bryant led the league in that category back in 2017 (18).

Suárez is unlikely to ever win a Gold Glove due his defensive efforts, but he may very well be in the conversation for the NL MVP if the Cincinnati Reds live up to expectations and are a contender during the upcoming season. Eugenio Suárez is the best third baseman in the National League Central, and he may be getting better.

Home / Reds News