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.