In fact, there’s a lot of promising talent at the position when surveying the entirety of the major leagues.
Mike Moustakas, the Royals third baseman, was the second overall pick of the 2007 draft and has been closely tracked throughout his pro career. After making his major league debut in 2011, the 23-year-old earned a spot on the big league roster again in 2012, and has been holding his own so far this year as evidenced by his .305/.365/.537 slash line.
Elsewhere in the AL, Canada’s own Brett Lawrie has been wholeheartedly embraced by Blue Jays fans and the city of Toronto writ large. The youngster impressed at the hot corner after a late call-up towards the end of last year and has done nothing this season to suggest that he won’t be a fixture in the Al East for years to come.
Elsewhere around the majors, the “Kung Fu Panda” Pablo Sandoval is sidelined at the moment with a broken hamate bone. The 25-year-old already has a World Series ring to his name — won in 2010 with the Giants — and went to the All-Star Game the next year.
Middlebrooks, of course, has been setting the league ablaze with his play, tying a major league record by driving in a run during each of his first four MLB games. His three home runs so far also suggest that his power numbers in the minor leagues were no joke, but with such a small sample size it’s hard to project how he will do once pitchers get a hard look at him and his tendencies.
Which young third baseman will have the best major league career?
