MLB: The game’s most valuable first basemen
By Bill Felber
10. Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks, $7.605 million value; $560,000 contract
The Diamondbacks picked up Christian Walker from Cincinnati on a waiver claim prior to the 2017 season and have been nursing him along ever since. In 2019, at Walker’s age 28 season, their investment began to pay off.
Walker, who inherited the position with the trade of Paul Goldschmidt, batted .259 with 29 home runs and 73 RBIs in 152 games. His .476 slugging average ranked 12th among qualifying MLB first basemen, valuing out at a bit more than $4 million. His .348 on base average stood 11th, adding $2.4 million in value. While both are above average for the group, Walker must have been doing something noteworthy with his glove to generate top 10 value.
He was. Playing 1,179 innings, Walker ranked 10th, increasing his overall value by slightly more than $1 million. What really elevated his positional standing to top 10 status, however, were his 139 assists, the majors’ leading total at the position. Walker was one of only two players to generate more than $100,000 in value based on his assist total alone.
Since Walker doesn’t even reach arbitration eligibility until 2022 – when he’ll be 31 – he figures to continue to generate value in excess of his salary for the short-term future.