Cardinals' 3B Nolan Arenado Lands Low-Ranking; Did They Get It Right?

Nolan Arenado is no longer one of the top third basemen in baseball...

Jul 26, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37, left in dugout) congratulates St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) after he scored in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are struggling right now, and there aren't many bright spots left on the roster.

The pitching staff is struggling. Injuries are piling up. The future seems to be bright, but there's only a handful of the young players actually producing results at this point. The Cardinals faithful are beginning to lose hope in the club, and it's hard to blame them. To make matters worse, the national media is beginning to pile on the disappointing messaging as the season quickly comes to a close.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently ranked Cardinals veteran infielder Nolan Arenado as the 24th-best third baseman in baseball while sharing some knocks on the veteran's game.

"With a hard-hit rate (33.0%, 14th percentile), average exit velocity (86.9 mph, 10th percentile) and expected slugging percentage (.373, 21st percentile) that all rank in the bottom quarter of the league, Arenado is no longer the impact offensive player he was in his prime," Reuter wrote. "The 34-year-old missed all of August with a shoulder injury, but he is on the rehab trail and expected to return before the season ends."

Ranking Arenado as the league's 24th-best third baseman seems very low. Did Reuter get this ranking right?

Where does Nolan Arenado rank among MLB third basemen?

Jul 23, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Arenado hasn't been the best this season. Of course, his glove is still there, but he's not the top defender at the position anymore. Matt Chapman and Ke'Bryan Hayes clear Arenado at the hot corner. But the veteran's bat has really struggled down the stretch.

To figure out if this ranking is fair, it's important to look at the players ranked directly above and below Arenado.

Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies and Royce Lewis of the Minnesota Twins are the two players ranked directly above Arenado. Both of these infielders seem to be much better hitters than the Cardinals veteran. They're worth more WAR, slugging more, and getting on base at a better clip. Arenado's defense is a bit better, but it doesn't make up for the gap at the plate.

Beyond those two, there's not really an argument for Arenado to be any higher, even with his defense.

As unfortunate as it sounds, Arenado is ranked perfectly at No. 24. His production has been horrible this year, and this is the result from the media.

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