MLB Projections: Top 10 First Baseman Heading into 2021 Season
First base was once known as the deepest position in MLB in terms of power hitters. There used to be many sluggers filling the position. With time, the position has changed. There are more athletic first baseman nowadays.
There are still plenty of sluggers that play first, but now there are plenty of elite defenders and solid contact hitters that play the position as well. There is plenty of talent at the position throughout major league baseball. Narrowing down the list to only 10 first baseman was not an easy task.
The ten best MLB first basemen
A few first basemen fell short of the top 10 list. Those honorable mentions were Brandon Belt, Rhys Hoskins, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Belt is still a solid player, but his best days are most likely behind him. Hoskins and Guerrero Jr. are young sluggers that have plenty of talent and are capable of having solid seasons.
Here are the top 10 MLB first baseman heading into the 2021 season.
#10- Carlos Santana, Kansas City Royals
Carlos Santana has been one of the most underrated players in baseball since he debuted in 2010. Santana signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Kansas City Royals this offseason.
Santana, now 34, might have some left in the tank. He had a disappointing season in 2020, batting .199, but led the American League in walks. In 2019, he hit 34 home runs and had a .911 OPS.
Through his 11 seasons in the majors, Santana has played 1,495 games, recording 1,325 hits, slugging 240 home runs and having a .812 career OPS.
He has had seven seasons with 20-plus home runs and eight seasons of at least 90 walks.
#9- Josh Bell, Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals needed to fill a hole in their lineup and they certainly did after they trade for All-Star Josh Bell earlier this offseason. He has two years left of team control before he becomes a free agent.
Bell, 28, is coming off a disappointing 2020, even though being on the abysmal Pittsburgh Pirates did not help his case. However, he was an absolute slugger in 2019, when he was named an All-Star.
In 2019, through 143 games, Bell hit 37 home runs and 37 doubles, drove in 116 runs, and had a .936 OPS. This was his best MLB season and he absolutely crushed the baseball. Bell and the Nationals both hope he finds his 2019 swing in 2021.
#8- Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers
Max Muncy has not always been in All-Star. He bounced around in the Oakland A’s organization for a while but finally found his stride in 2018 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Muncy, 30, is a versatile player, being able to play first, second and third. In 2020 and for the indefinite future, Muncy is the Dodgers’ first baseman. In 2020, he hit just .192. However, he hit .272 with seven extra base-hits in the 2020 postseason, helping the Dodgers win the World Series.
Muncy is going to hit for power in 2021. Depending on where he is in their lineup, he either going to score a ton of runs or drive in a bunch of runs. Their lineup is stacked, and he fits in well, providing a power-hitting left-handed bat.
#7- Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
Anthony Rizzo might not have been his usual self at the plate this season, batting .222 in 58 games. Nonetheless, he is still an elite defender. He won his fourth Gold Glove in 2020.
In seven of Rizzo’s 10 seasons, he has hit at least 23 home runs and he has driven in 100+ runs in four seasons. He has a career OPS. of .857. He is a three-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger in 2016.
Rizzo, 31, is on the final year of his contract with the Cubs. The two parties might be in extension talks, but things might not be resolved before the season starts. It would be odd to see Rizzo play elsewhere since he is a part of Cubs history and helped break the 108-year World Series drought by bringing a title to Chicago in 2016.
If the two do not reach an agreement, Rizzo has an extra incentive this season to do well because he would be playing for his next MLB contract.
#6- Matt Olson, Oakland A’s
Matt Olson is one of the best defensive first basemen in MLB. In 2018 and 2019, he won back-to-back American League Gold Glove awards.
Besides being an elite defender, Olson can also drive the ball. In just 127 games in 2019, Olson hit 36 home runs and drove in 91 runs, while posting a .896 OPS. His stats would have been ridiculous if he was healthy for the whole season.
Olson, who will be 27 in March, hit for great power in 2020, but his average fell, hitting just .195. However, he did hit 14 home runs and drove in 42 runs.
Expect Olson to hit for more contact this season and he will continue to show off his power. He will most likely lead the A’s in home runs.
#5- Luke Voit, New York Yankees
Luke Voit rounds out the top five. He is one of the more confusing players in baseball. If a reputable player had a disappointing 2020, most people would look the other way since it was only a 60-game season. Despite that, Voit had the best year of his career.
Voit debuted in 2017 for the St. Louis Cardinals, but was traded to the New York Yankees in 2018. Since joining the Yankees, he has been an absolute slugger. In 213 games with the Yankees, has has a .915 OPS.
In 2019, he hit 21 home runs in 118 games. In 2020, he crushed 22 home runs in just 56 home runs, which led the majors.
Voit will be 30 this weekend. He has plenty of power at the plate. Yankee Stadium is a paradise for him, since the fences are short, and he is so strong, making a perfect combination. His only issue is that he strikes out often. If he fixes that, then he is an All-Star caliber first baseman and not just a pure slugger.
#4- Pete Alonso, New York Mets
Pete Alonso has been in MLB for two years. His 2019 season was one of the best ever for a rookie. He slugged 53 home runs and drove in 120 runs in his first season, playing in 161 games. He won the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star, and won the 2019 Home Run Derby.
Alonso is one of the strongest hitters in the league and makes 400-foot+ home runs look easy. Expect his RBI’s to be high again because Francisco Lindor will be batting somewhere in front of him. Also, Alonso is very underrated for how durable he has been since he has debuted.
In his two season, Alonso has played in 218 games, slugging 69 home runs, driving in 155 runs, and posting a .909 OPS. His main issue is striking out. He has struck out 244 times since he debuted, averaging more than one a game. He needs to become more disciplined and stop chasing pitches outside of the zone.
Despite his strikeouts, Alonso is only 26 and could be even higher on this list next season.
#3- Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
In 2020, Paul Goldschmidt had a great season, but not one would expect. He only hit six home runs and drove in 21 RBI’s in 58 games, but he recorded 58 hits and hit .304, posting a .883 OPS.
In five of his 10 seasons in MLB, he has hit 33 home runs or more five times. He is a career .293 hitter with a .914 OPS.
He will be 33 at the start of the season. He has plenty of left in the tank and is hitting for more contact recently, with still plenty of potential for power. His numbers are going to be even better this season because the Cardinals traded for superstar Nolan Arenado, who will provide more protection to Goldschmidt in their lineup.
He is under contract until 2024 and is looking to continue building his legacy. Goldschmidt has been a top first baseman since 2012 at this point. His consistency and durability might put him in the Cooperstown conversation one day if he continues to play at a high caliber.
#2- Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
Jose Abreu was one player people had their eyes on heading into 2020. He has been underrated for years, but finally had more talent around him in the lineup, helping him win the 2020 AL Most Valuable Player award.
Last season, in 60 games, Abreu hit 19 home runs, and led the AL with 60 RBIs, 76 hits, and a .617 slugging percentage. He won the MVP by a far margin and helped the White Sox return to the postseason.
He is the best hitter on the Chicago White Sox. He hits for contact and power. Abreu is already 34, but he has proved that age is just a number after the year he had last season. He is under contract for two more seasons.
Abreu is looking to have another monstrous season. He already has been to three All-Star games and won three Silver Slugger awards, hoping to add more this season. He wants to keep collecting hardware, but he would rather reach the postseason and chase a World Series.
#1- Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
To no surprise, Freddie Freeman is the best first baseman in MLB. He just won the National League MVP award, which was the fifth time he finished in the top 10 for the award since he debuted in 2010. Freeman heated up at the end of the season after a slow start to the season, due to having COVID-19 prior to the season.
Freeman, 31, hit 13 home runs and 23 doubles while batting .341 and posting a 1.102 OPS. He has been the face of the Braves for a long time.
Freeman is not just one of the best hitters in the game, but he has great glove, having a Gold Glove award on his shelf.
Next. Royals make surprise move for Benintendi. dark
The Atlanta Braves are looking to extend Freeman before the season starts. He is a free agent after the 2021 season. The Braves would hate to see him walk away and need to do what it takes to keep him in Atlanta.