Ranking the top 15 first basemen heading into 2024 MLB season

First base has been a position featuring prodigious home run hitters and run producers. It also has its fair share of players who can field scalding groundballs and scoop up errant throws from fellow infielders. We’ll rank the top 15 first basemen heading into the 2024 MLB season. All statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

France had a breakout campaign in 2022 that resulted in him being selected to the All-Star team, but slumped in 2023. According to Fox Seattle, France has worked tirelessly this offseason to improve his bat speed. We’ll see if those efforts are successful, but France’s bounce back situation is an important narrative for Seattle’s 2024 season.

It’s been a slow ascension for Naylor, who has worked his way into a fulltime player after being a complementary piece earlier in his career. According to Sports Illustrated, being entrusted with leadership responsibilities in Cleveland helped Naylor become more confident in his own abilities on the field.

Simply put, Hoskins is a professional power hitter, and the Brewers are hoping he’ll bring significant thump to their lineup. The former Philadelphia Phillies hitter tore his ACL in 2023, which caused him to miss the entire campaign. Adjusting to new surroundings and recovering from injury are two legitimate open questions, but his resume cannot be ignored.

Sports Illustrated is reporting that Lowe may miss the first few weeks of the season with an oblique strain. That’s an unfortunate break for Texas, which watched Lowe become a superior defensive player in 2023. According to the Dallas News, Lowe experienced a massive turnaround as a fielder, as he put in a lot of work in that area with Rangers coaches.

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It’s probably too much to expect Abreu to imitate his production with the Chicago White Sox early in his career, but he proved in the playoffs a year ago that his bat is still dangerous. He had a particularly potent ALDS against the Minnesota Twins, smacking three home runs and driving in eight runs in the series.

His best years are squarely behind him, but Rizzo will be an important veteran presence for the Yankees heading into the 2024 season. Empire Sports Media reports that he’s finally healthy after dealing with a 2023 campaign that saw the first baseman routinely banged up. He might be able to recapture his old form, as he may get more pitches to hit in a loaded lineup.

Casas was called up by the Red Sox in 2022, and struggled in his first sample of MLB action. However, he turned into a formidable presence last year, showing marked improvement in all areas of the game. Yahoo Sports believes that Casas has the potential to be a superstar, and potentially the best hitter in a lineup that also featured Rafael Devers.

Like Casas, Torkelson is another promising first baseman who made his major league debut in 2022. The Tigers hope that he’ll be a franchise cornerstone for many years, considering they selected him with the top pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He’ll need to get on base more frequently in 2024, but broke out for 31 home runs last season.

The son of baseball royalty entered MLB with high expectations, and he’s delivered. Guerrero Jr. started his career as a third baseman, but has settled in nicely across the diamond. He won a Gold Globe at first in 2022. His numbers at the plate have taken a bit of a dip since a stellar 2021, but Guerrero can still get back to that level, as he’s still just 25 years of age.

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Diaz came out of nowhere in 2023 to win the American League batting average crown, after being a solid contact hitter prior to that. This slot may be a little high, but his performance last year hitting leadoff for Tampa Bay was eye-opening. Diaz told Yahoo Sports, “I think I’ve always been a contact hitter rather than a power hitter.”

He may not be under the radar any longer. Walker was an important catalyst for Arizona’s World Series appearance in 2023, and looks like he’s about to rip off several consecutive dominant seasons in his thirties. He’s really found his stride the last two years, and has also won consecutive Gold Glove awards.

It’s going to be interesting to track Goldschmidt in 2024. He had what was a bit of a down year for him last season, after securing National League MVP honors in 2022. Even if his production at the plate continues to decline slightly, Goldschmidt’s prowess at first base defensively keep him amongst the best at his position.

One of the subplots of the MLB season will involve whether Alonso gets a lucrative contract extension from the Mets. According to AP News, New York owner Steve Cohen doesn’t seem to be in any rush to sign the slugger to a pact. That could motivate the 29 year-old to have his best campaign yet, which is a frightening thought for opposing pitchers.

Olson had some enormous shoes to fill when he arrived in Atlanta in 2022, but he’s been nothing short of sensational. He led the majors in home runs a year ago with 54, and also paced MLB in RBI with 139. Sports Illustrated wondered whether Olson’s 2023 performance was the best by any first baseman in Braves history.

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Freeman seems to be getting better with age, and has acclimated to his surroundings in Los Angeles quite well. According to the New York Post, the former Atlanta Brave never wanted to leave his former ballclub, but the veteran set a new record with the Dodgers in 2023. He is the first first baseman to hit more than 25 home runs, 50 or more doubles and steal more than 20 bases in a season.