OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 19: Matt Chapman #26 of the Oakland Athletics fields during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at RingCentral Coliseum on August 19, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Diamondbacks 4-1. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
For the past five years, MLB has been historically rich with third base talent. Names like Arenado, Rendon, Bregman, and Ramirez are perennially near the top of MVP voting, and many teams seem to have a competent presence at the hot corner coming into the 2021 season.
Two-time Platinum Glove winner Matt Chapman has muscled his way into the conversation of best third baseman in baseball, but even a diehard Chapman acolyte like myself would be fighting an uphill battle to argue that he has risen to the top of the stacked third baseman class.