2020 Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 first basemen
9. Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
2019 MLB Season: .284 AVG / .834 OPS / 38 2B / 1 3B / 33 HR / 123 RB
2020 STEAMER: .276 AVG / .831 OPS / 35 2B / 1 3B / 32 HR / 101 RBI
Jose Abreu is one of the understated MLB players. So much so that, last season he led the league in RBI with 123, mashing 33 HR on a dreadful White Sox team. Year in and year out, Abreu remains a top-level first baseman. This coming season should be no different.
Given his 2019 season stats and the Steamer projection, Abreu should continue to hit for power in 2020, making him an attractive option in H2H leagues. The only negative think about Abreu is that he doesn’t offer much flexibility in terms of positions. In some leagues, he’s a strict 1B while in others, he can also be slotted as a DH.
8. Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
2019 MLB Season: .226 AVG / .819 OPS / 33 2B / 5 3B / 29 HR / 85 RBI
2020 STEAMER: .242 AVG / .865 OPS / 27 2B / 3 3B / 36 HR / 96 RBI
Rhys Hoskins had a disappointing 2019 MLB season, which will drive some fantasy baseball enthusiasts away. However, unlike many players on this list, the Steamer system is projecting Hoskins to have a better 2020 in just about every aspect of the game.
Like Abreu, Hoskins doesn’t have much positional maneuverability even though he does spend some time in the outfield. ESPN, for example, is listing Hoskins as a strict 1B. Still, in all, he’d be a good sleeper option at the position, especially considering that the Phillies are seriously looking to contend this season.
7. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
2019 MLB Season: .281 AVG / .911 OPS / 30 2B / 1 3B / 34 HR / 93 RBI
2020 STEAMER: .260 AVG / .859 OPS / 30 2B / 1 3B / 30 HR / 94 RBI
If nothing else, Carlos Santana is the type of player that will rarely post negative points during a given matchup. That’s because of his extreme level of patience at the plate. Add to that the fact that he can be slotted for 25-30 home runs, and you have yourself a valuable option at first.
At the same time, Santana is strictly a first baseman, making him less flexible. He’s also going to turn 34 at the start of the 2020 MLB season, so you should expect a bit of a decline in production (see STEAMER above).