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MLB Projections: Top 10 First Baseman Heading into 2021 Season

By Edward Lennon

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a single to bring in the winning run in the thirteenth inning of Game One of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 30, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a single to bring in the winning run in the thirteenth inning of Game One of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 30, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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 #6- Matt Olson, Oakland A’s

(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

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.

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