It’s all about the future. We’re looking build something sustainable here. That means targeting young players whose best baseball is ahead of them. As we survey the third base landscape, let’s take a look at my third base dynasty targets that I’m targeting for 2026 fantasy baseball.
Dynasty Third Base Targets
Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles
If Jordan Westburg can play a full season, you are welcome to dream. After playing 107 games in 2024, Westburg only made it through 85 games last season. The good news is that he exited the 2025 season fully healthy. That means there’s optimism heading into 2026 and a lot of upside. If Westburg can make it through even 130-140 games, we’re in for an ascending stock.
Last season, Westburg hit 17 home runs with 41 RBI and 59 runs scored, while batting .265. He had a solid .192 ISO to go along with solid batted ball metrics. Westburg had a strong 11.2% barrel rate, and he only made soft contact 15.3% of the time.
Batting second in a strong and improving Baltimore lineup only serves to benefit Westburg. He does need to get the ball off the ground (43%) and more on a line (a plummeting 14.5%), but there is potential and tools present. Perhaps with a healthy 2026, Westburg could reach that full potential.
Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds
The suspension is past Noelvi Marte, and he’s still just 24 years old. That means this is the season in which we should see Marte reach his potential.
In 90 games last season, Marte certainly generated some optimism for 2026 and his future outlook. He hit .263 with 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 45 runs, and 10 stolen bases. We saw Marte make strides on multiple fronts, and with a full season on the way, he’s in position to build on that. While he might not necessarily stand out in either power or speed, the combination of both, especially at third base, is bound to make a difference.
Marte had a .186 ISO last season, along with a nine percent barrel rate and a 116.7 mile per hour maximum exit velocity. His 46.9% pull rate, along with soft contact of just 19.5%, points to future success. However, Marte does need to improve on his 35.7% fly ball rate, and if he does, the results will be noticeable.
Last season, Marte also made strides as he improved his contact rate to 75.6% while decreasing his O-Swing to 34.4%. If Marte gets 140-150 games in this season, this could be the last chance to buy low on the third baseman.
Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs
It’s been a roller coaster for Matt Shaw. To call it a tale of two halves in 2025 for Shaw would be a complete understatement.
The beginning of Shaw’s major league career couldn’t have gone much worse. In 62 games, Shaw hit just .198 with two home runs, 15 RBI, and 28 runs scored. The only bright spot was that he stole 11 bases, but nothing else went right. Ultimately, it led to a trip to the minor leagues, but the good news is that it seemed to solve things for Shaw.
Even from a metrics perspective, the first half was brutal as he had a .082 ISO and a .280 slugging percentage. Then came a 180-degree turn.
In the second half of the season, Shaw saw his ISO jump to .263 to go along with a .522 slugging percentage. That led to a .258 batting average, 11 home runs, 29 RBI, 29 runs scored, and six stolen bases.
That perfectly set the stage for Shaw to make an impact in 2026. And then, the Cubs signed Alex Bregman.
The DH spot is open, and Shaw figures to receive regular at-bats both there and across the diamond. His stock did drop after the acquisition of Bregman, but this is all about the skills.
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