Similar to the outfield position, first base is loaded with talent. The top 10 first basemen include perennial All-Star sluggers, young stars and some of baseball’s most underrated players.
Freddie Freeman has to be No. 1 for first basemen heading into the 2024 season. He’s arguably Major League Baseball’s most consistent bat and continued his stellar play in his age-33 season. Freeman earned his third consecutive All-Star nod in 2023, while putting up monstrous numbers. His .331 batting average was the second-highest during his 14-season career with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. Additionally, he’s a double machine. He easily led MLB with 59 two-bags during the 2023 campaign. The next closest hitter, Corey Seager, accumulated 42. Freeman finished third in National League MVP voting, only behind Ronald Acuña Jr.’s historic season and his Dodger teammate Mookie Betts’ incredible campaign. Heading into 2024, Freeman remains one of baseball’s best sluggers.
2. Matt Olson
Matt Olson finds himself second on the list, following the best season of his eight-year MLB career. Olson played in all 162 games, led all players with 54 home runs and 139 RBI and led all National League hitters with a .604 slugging percentage. Olson earned his second career All-Star appearance and first-ever Silver Slugger Award. Despite his best season to date, Olson finished fourth in the NL MVP race, including behind Freeman. He’s undoubtedly one of baseball’s best hitters, and he’ll only be 30 when Opening Day comes around.
3. Bryce Harper
Historically, Bryce Harper has slotted in at right field. However, due to Tommy John Surgery following the 2022 season, he played 36 games and was officially announced as the team’s long-term option at first. While Harper got off to a slow start, he hit 18 of 21 home runs during the final 80 games of the season. Additionally, he has the track record to prove he’ll bounce back. Two-time MVP winner, a seven-time All-Star and three Silver Slugger Awards. In what may be considered a “down year” for Harper, he still produced 3.6 bWAR and was 46% better than the average 2023 hitter.
Coming off his first-career MVP award, Paul Goldschmidt was disappointing during the 2023 season. However, similar to Freeman, Goldschmidt has consistently put together MVP-caliber seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals. While he is entering his age-36 season, Goldschmidt’s reliable production before the 2023 campaign — seven-time All-Star, 2022 NL MVP and .917 OPS — should continue into 2024. The Cardinals will rely on his production, following their disappointing finish last season.
5. Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso has dominated baseball since his 2019 debut. One of the elite home run hitters, Alonso smashed 46 long balls last season, and is averaging 44 in each 162-game season. Additionally, Alonso has stayed completely healthy during his five-season career. Alonso has only missed 24 games over that stretch. The biggest issue is his strikeout numbers. He struck out 150+ times during the 2023 season — the second time he’s done so in his career. If he can cut down on the strikeouts, which he has done on 22.3% of his at-bats, he can climb up the first baseman rankings.
While Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 2023 season was disappointing, he made the All-Star team — his third straight American League nod. He’s become one of the faces of the Toronto Blue Jays, who continue to battle in a tough American League East alongside the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Guerrero Jr.’s 2021 season showcased he can be a game-changer for Toronto. He led all players with 48 home runs and 123 runs, and finished second in AL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani’s two-way dominance. Additionally, now the face of MLB The Show 24, Guerrero Jr. has stayed healthy. He’s only missed nine games since 2020. Oh, he’s also only 24 years old, so he should continue to rise the top 10 first basemen rankings.
Christian Walker is one of the most underrated first basemen, because of what he can do at the plate and on the field. Walker has swatted 30+ home runs in back-to-back seasons while also contributing strong defense at first. He has two straight Gold Glove Awards. Walker was a big component of the Diamondbacks’ success last season, including their first World Series appearance in 22 years.
8. Yandy Diaz
Yandy Diaz is the most underrated first baseman. While he doesn’t smack the ball out of the park like some of the previously mentioned names, he does basically everything else. He led the American League with a .330 batting average, torched 35 doubles and didn’t strike out at a high rate. Furthermore, he got on base 41% of the time in 2023 — tied for third with Juan Soto and behind only the MVP winners Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani. If he reproduces his 2023 season, Diaz will skyrocket up the top 10 first basemen rankings.
9. Josh Naylor
Josh Naylor slots in at No. 9 following the best season of his five-year career. He earned 22nd in the AL MVP voting, batted .308 and led all Cleveland Guardians with 97 RBI. Naylor doesn’t strike out much in a strikeout-friendly era. Naylor’s biggest issue is consistently staying on the diamond. He has missed 40+ games in each of the last three seasons, including 93 games in 2021.
10. Triston Casas
A few names could have gone here, but Triston Casas will slot in at No. 10. The rookie was a bright spot in the Boston Red Sox’s disappointing 78-win, last-place finish in the AL East. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting, following a 24 home run, 65 RBI season. He started the season slow, holding a .563 OPS on May 1, but dominated to an .856 OPS by the end of the season. Only 24 years old, Casas is primed to continue climbing the top 10 first basemen list.
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