We continue on in our fantasy baseball rankings, this time with first basemen. This is one of the deepest positions in fantasy baseball, with stars not making the list. Since the talent pool is so deep here, you can wait until the middle rounds of your draft to snag a first basemen if you’d rather add talent at a weaker position like catcher earlier in the draft.
This list is a ranking of the top 10 fantasy baseball first basemen you should target for your team.
First, a few first basemen who just missed the list:
Jake Cronenworth was one of the best second basemen in fantasy baseball last year, but with the Xander Bogaerts signing pushing Ha-Seong Kim to second base, Cronenworth will slide to first. He has experience there (he averages at least 20 games per full season there since his callup), but he doesn’t have the power bat you would expect out of a first baseman. He slashed .239/.332/.390.722 with 17 homers, 30 doubles, 88 RBI and runs scored. His OPS+ was 111, even though it was a down year all around. Expect more from him in 2023.
Jose Abreu has been one of the most reliable, consistent, and underrated first baseman in the game over the better part of the last decade. Last year, he slashed .304/.378/.446/.824, good for an OPS+ of 133. He hit 15 homers, 40 doubles, drove in 75 runs, and scored 80. His power numbers were lower last year (he hit 30 homers and slugged .481 in 2021), but he will likely bat sixth or seventh in this Astros lineup, which just shows how deep they are. Arguably his most valuable asset in fantasy baseball is his availability. He’s only played less than 145 games twice in his career — in 2018 when he injured his leg, and in the pandemic-shortened 2020, when he led the league with 60 games played. Availability is the best ability, and he’s got it in spades.
Josh Bell has had some peaks and valleys in his career, but the one constant is that he’s a legitimate power threat. Last year, he slashed .266/.362/.422/.784, good for a 128 OPS+. He hit 17 homers, 29 doubles, drove in 71 runs, and scored 78. He was much better in the first half when he was on the Nationals (.301/.384/.493/.877 with a 153 OPS+), and then he struggled mightily after being traded to San Diego (.192/.316/.271/.587). If his 2022 first-half form shows in Cleveland this year, he’ll be an important bat in the middle of their lineup.
These are all guys that you should want on your fantasy baseball teams. With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s look at the top 10 fantasy baseball first basemen you should target for your team in 2023.