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It’s time to round out the infield in the next installment of the MLB Network’s Top 9 players of the decade. We shift gears to third base where there are a few interesting names on the list. Here is the list:

9. Ryan Zimmerman – The current face of the Washington Nationals starts off our list at No. 9. In 4 full seasons in the majors, Zimmerman has averaged 23 HR and 90 RBI a season. Last season was his best season in his early career as he was selected to his 1st All Star Game and won his 1st Gold Glove Award. In his career, Zimmerman has a .284 AVG, 91 HR,  and 364 RBI. While a good young player with a bright future, I question whether he has done enough in his career to warrant a spot on this list.

8. Mike Lowell – This decade Lowell established himself as one of the better third basemen in the game despite not being particularly flashy. For the decade, he had a .282 AVG, 206 HR, and 879 RBI with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox. Lowell also added his lone Gold Glove Award to his credit back in 2005. In 2007, he was named the World Series MVP as he hit nearly .400 in the series and was a vital piece for the Red Sox 2nd Championship of the decade. Lowell was also a 4-time All Star in the decade. While it is easy to overlook Lowell in today’s game, he was a solid performer over the decade despite battling some nagging injuries.

7. Eric Chavez – For the first part of the decade, Chavez was one of the premier third basemen in the game. From 2000-2006, Chavez won 6 AL Gold Glove Awards with the Oakland A’s and averaged 28 HR and 94 RBI a season. During that period, he produced two 30 HR seasons and four 100 RBI seasons. However, over the past 3 seasons, Chavez has failed to play more than 90  games in a season and faces the possibility of early retirement due to chronic back problems. For the decade, he had a .269 AVG, 216 HR, and 721 RBI. It’s a shame that injuries have taken over his career, as he was truly both a great hitter and defender when healthy.

6. Aramis Ramirez – The former Pittsburgh Pirate has become one of the best hitting third basemen in the game since his trade to the Chicago Cubs in 2003. As a member of the Cubs, Ramirez has been a constant run producer with three 30 HR seasons and four 100 RBI seasons. At his best, Ramirez is a very clutch hitter who has a knack for driving in the big runs. For the decade, Ramirez had a .289 AVG, 258 HR, and 915 RBI. The Cubs are definately not the same team without his bat in the lineup as last season’s injury-plagued season for Ramirez will attest.

5. Scott Rolen – Rolen was arguably the best defensive third basemen of the decade as he was a 6-time NL Gold Glove Award winner. He wasn’t too shabby with the bat as well as he had a .285 AVG, 201 HR, and 832 RBI for the decade. Like Chavez, Rolen has been plagued by injuries since 2007 and is looking to revert back to old form with the Cincinnati Reds next season. Barring injury, Rolen would have found his name higher on this list due to being a consistent 20+ HR and 90+ RBI threat every season along with his excellent defense.

4. David Wright – In just 5 full seasons in the big leagues, Wright has established himself as an elite third basemen. From 2005-2009, Wright averaged 29 HR and 112 RBI a season and was selected to 4 All-Star games. In 2007, Wright became a member of the 30-30 club when he hit 30 HR and stole 34 bases. He also provided excellent defense as he won back to back NL Gold Glove Awards in 2007 and 2008. For his career, Wright has a .309 AVG, 140 HR, 561 RBI, and 119 SB. While last season was a down year for Wright, the future is bright for him and the New York Mets at third base.

3. Troy Glaus – A questionable choice for the No. 3 spot on this list goes to Glaus. From 2000-2002, Glaus averaged 39 HR and 107 RBI a season. In 2002, Glaus was named the World Series MVP for the formerly named Anaheim Angels. Glaus saw his Angels career end after two injury plagued seasons in 2003 and 2004. He would go on to have another impressive run from 2005-2008, where he averaged 31 HR and 91 RBI a season with 3 teams. Glaus was nonexistent last season as he only appeared in 14 games with the St. Louis Cardinals due to injury. For the decade, he had a .259 AVG, 274 HR, and 777 RBI. When healthy, Glaus was an excellent home run hitter, however, I feel he is ranked a little too high on this list as he had 3 seasons where he was virtually non-existent in the league. Glaus recently signed a one year deal with the Atlanta Braves to play first base.

2. Chipper Jones – Chipper was the premier third basemen in the NL this decade with the Atlanta Braves. He hit .311 for the decade and won a batting title in 2008 with a .364 AVG. Chipper is one of the best switch hitters of all-time as he trails only Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray for most home runs for a switch hitter with 426 HR in his career. Like many of the players on this list, Chipper has had his fair share of nagging injuries of late, but is still a dangerous hitter when healthy. For the decade, he had a .311 AVG (as noted above), 273 HR, and 921 RBI. Chipper is considering retirement after next season as he feels his days as a premier third basemen are behind him.

1. Alex Rodriguez – The only player to find his name on the list at two different positions is none other than “ARod”.  Since becoming a full-time third basemen in 2004, ARod has done nothing to hurt his legacy as one of the best in the game. He would add 2 more AL MVP Awards to his credit in 2005 and 2007 with the New York  Yankees. In 2007, he became the 22nd player in MLB history to join the 500 HR club for his career. For the decade, ARod had a .304 AVG, 435 HR, 1,243 RBI, and 179 SB. Next season, ARod is expected to become the newest member of the 600 HR club as he needs only 17 HR to reach that number. Despite the much talked about steroids issue from last season, ARod should still find his name in Cooperstown someday as he has put up numbers very few players have ever accomplished.

The first word that comes to mind after looking at this list is injuries. The majority of the players on this list have battled injuries over multiple seasons which has hurt their overall production for the decade. I felt a few guys on this list were ranked a little high and I feel if Ryan Zimmerman is on the list, you might as well put Evan Longoria’s name on there even though he has only played 2 seasons. It will be interesting to see where the position goes from here. I expect David Wright to carry the torch for the next decade.

Up Next: Top 9 Outfielders of the Decade