This series ranks the top 10 players at each position for the 2025 season. Today, we’ll look at the top 10 MLB first basemen.
These are projections for the upcoming season. If a younger player is on the rise, I could project them to be better than ever before. If an older player is declining, I could project they will be even worse this season. If there is a player who had a freak awful 2024 season after being on the rise, I would project them to be better as long as there are no off-the-field issues.
Honorable Mentions
Carlos Santana, Michael Busch, Jake Cronenworth
10. Paul Goldschmidt
The 2022 NL MVP and the Yankees’ new first baseman just cracks the top ten. Goldschmidt has been declining the past two seasons since winning MVP. After finishing with a 177 OPS+ in 2022, he finished at 120 in 2023 and 98 in 2024. It’s not like he’s been dealing with the injury bug, either, as he has only missed eight games in each of the last two seasons. With this being said, I think a change of scenery and Aaron Judge’s protection in the lineup will give Goldschmidt the help he needs to get back on track, even if it is not close to his MVP season.
9. Josh Naylor
The Diamondbacks’ new first baseman comes in at No. 9 on this list. After a relatively slow start to his career, Naylor has been very productive over the past three seasons. In 2023, he had debatably his best year with a 127 WRC+ and his first career All-Star Game nod. However, even with improvement over the past couple of seasons, the Guardians thought it was the better decision to trade Naylor while they could. It will be fun to see how Naylor adapts to playing in his new home.
8. Christian Walker
The first two guys on this list will be playing for new teams this season, and the third guy is no exception. The Diamondbacks traded for Naylor as a result of Walker leaving for the Astros. Walker has consistently been one of the better first basemen in the league for the past couple of seasons. He amassed a WRC+ of 122 in 2022, as well as 119 in both 2023 and 2024. Walker has won the Gold Glove in the last three seasons. However, first base is such a heavy power-hitting position that it is pretty hard to crack the top five unless you are one of the best hitters in the league.
7. Nathaniel Lowe
Up next, we have yet another first baseman who is playing for a new team this year. Lowe is one of the better two-way first basemen in the league, winning a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger apiece in the past three years. I could justify placing him slightly higher given that he is good on both sides of the field, but it is looking more and more likely that his 2022 season was an outlier. He had a 143 WRC+, but his second-best season was last year at 121. In addition, I am concerned about whether he can produce in a weaker lineup.
6. Yandy Diaz
Diaz is an interesting player to think about for 2025. Last year, he was coming off a season where he finished sixth in MVP, won the Silver Slugger, and led all first basemen in most of the important hitting categories. However, he fell off last year. In 2023, he had a 163 WRC+, and last year, that mark was 120. With this being said, it is going to be a lot of fun watching Diaz play in a new ballpark this year.
5. Pete Alonso
The man who will be playing in yet another “prove-it” year just cracks the top five. Alonso was disappointing in the regular season last year, delivering the lowest slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging of his career. However, Alonso more than redeemed himself in the playoffs. He hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth of an elimination game and amassed a 176 postseason WRC+. However, it was not enough to earn the long-term superstar contract he wanted. He signed a two-year deal with an opt-out after the first with his hometown team. He is surely looking to redeem himself this time around.
4. Matt Olson
At No. 4, we have another NL East first baseman who had a down year in 2024. Olson has long been known to be one of the better first basemen in the league. In 2023, he hit 54 home runs and had a 161 WRC+. Last year, he only hit 29 home runs with a 117 WRC+. I expect Olson to come back closer to 2023 than 2024, even if he is never as good as he once was. The Braves’ lineup is fully healthy, and as long as Olson’s mind is right, he should have a bounce-back season.
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Up next, we have a guy who is looking for the biggest payday of all time for first basemen. After having two down seasons in 2022 and 2023, Guerrero was filthy last year. He hit 30 home runs, slashed .323/.396/.544, and amassed a 165 wRC+. Guerrero is young, talented, and has a ton of incentive to produce. I would be shocked if he isn’t one of the best three first basemen of 2025.
2. Freddie Freeman
The best first basemen of the 21st century not named Albert Pujols comes in at No. 2. Freeman had a “down” season last year, but he still had a 143 WRC+ and received some MVP votes. At the end of the day, even if Freeman is on the decline due to his age, there are very few players I’d want in a bigger spot than him. He is more established than anyone in the league and is still one of baseball’s best hitters.
1. Bryce Harper
Speaking of guys who come up big in important spots, I think Bryce Harper is the best first baseman in the league. Harper had his healthiest season since 2019 last year, and other than his MVP season in 2021, it was probably his best since then, too. He hit 30 home runs and finished with a 145 wRC+. However, like every year, he stepped it up big time in the playoffs with a 241 wRC+. Similar to Freeman, he will be consistently great in the regular season, and then become the best hitter in baseball come playoff time.
Conclusion
First base is debatably the toughest position to rank given how dominant some of the hitters can be. It will be interesting to see which ones deliver.
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
Advertisement
