MLB Projections: Top 10 First Basemen in 2020
By Manny Gómez
MLB Projections: Top 10 First Basemen in 2020
#9 – Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
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Carlos Santana is a 10-year veteran of the league and by far one of the best offensive first basemen in the game. An on-base machine, Santana is a prime example of what the modern-day first baseman looks like. For his career, Santana is hitting .250 with a .817 OPS. In any given season, he can easily smack 30+ homers.
Defensively, Santana is really quite average. In fact, for the 2019 season, he posted a -1 DRS, which places him 8th among first baseman with a minimum 1000 innings at the position. That’s right between Anthony Rizzo (3 DRS) and Rhys Hoskins (-2 DRS).
#8 – Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers
Last season, plenty of analysts an experts expected Max Muncy to experience something of a sophomore slump. After a breakout full season in 2018, many expected Muncy to have a down year and, in a sense, he did. It just wasn’t all that bad.
In all, Muncy hit .251 with an .889 OPS, which is down from a .973 OPS the year before. Despite this, Muncy still hit as many homers as he did in 2018 (35), while driving in 19 more runs (79 RBI vs 98 RBI).
What’s more, his versatility came in handy for the Dodgers as he was able to fill-in in the outfield and second base when needed.
#7 – Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
Rhys Hoskins broke out in a big way in 2018, slashing .246 / .354 / .496 all the while hitting 34 HR with 96 RBI. Given that this was his sophomore season, things could only get better, right?
Well, not so much. In some areas, Hoskins showed vast improvements. He was more patient at the plate, leading the league in walks with 116 which resulted in an increased .364 OBP. In others, he got worse. He struck out a career-high 173x resulting in an even lower AVG of .226.
Defensively, Hoskins is slightly below average. He was a failed experiment in the outfield in 2018 and posted a -2 DRS back at first base last season.
It’s not all bad for Rhys, however. He’s still a valuable player in the league and at just 26-years-old, there is only upside. 2020 looks to be huge for Hoskins, which is why he ranks 7th on this list.