Playing first base in the MLB means you will get a lot of action.
It is a crucial position requiring the player to be taller than other positions. The taller a player is, the further he can reach to catch the baseball and record an out.
Since it isn’t as physically demanding as other positions on defense, many excellent hitters also play first base.
Eight first basemen recorded 30 or more home runs and five recorded 100 or more RBIs last season.
Pete Alonso led all first basemen with 40 home runs and 131 RBIs. Freddie Freeman led all first basemen with a .325 batting average and .407 OBP. Paul Goldschmidt led all first basemen with a .578 SLG and .982 OPS.
Below, we will analyze the top 10 first basemen entering the 2023 MLB season.
The Top 10 First Basemen Entering The 2023 MLB Season
The MLB has some very talented batters playing the first base position.
This is a top 10 list, so some good first basemen had to be left off the list.
C.J. Cron, Josh Bell, Rowdy Tellez, and Vinnie Pasquantino missed the list.
Cron’s poor second half of last season kept him from making the top 10 list.
Bell had disappointing power last season and when he joined the Padres, he completely fell off. He will be the first basemen for the Cleveland Guardians this season and hopes to have a better season.
Tellez hit 35 home runs last season, which was tied for third among all first basemen in the league but he had an awful .219 batting average. With his low batting average, Tellez had to be left off the top 10 first basemen list in the league.
Pasquantino was the closest of the four to make the list. He is young and has a lot of talent. His contact is both high quality and high quantity. Pasquantino had a very impressive first season and he has a bright future ahead of him.
Below, we break down the top 10 first basemen entering the 2023 MLB season. Click to jump to a player:
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Freddie Freeman
- Pete Alonso
- Vladimir Guerrero
- Matt Olson
- Jose Abreu
- Nathaniel Lowe
- Rhys Hoskins
- Anthony Rizzo
- Christian Walker
10. Christian Walker
Christian Walker was second among all first basemen last year with 36 home runs.
Walker also had 94 RBIs, which ranked seventh, and 84 runs, which ranked ninth among first basemen. He has become a top slugger in the league and data suggests there is room to improve upon his .242 batting average from last season.
Walker kept his strikeouts in check and was one of the most shifted-upon right-handed hitters in 2022. With the MLB banning the shift, his batting average will surely rise in the 2023 MLB season. He rarely ever takes games off, playing 160 games last year.
Walker was ninth in SLG and OPS among first basemen last season.
Arizona was a fairly average team on offense last season but as a team, they had the fifth-lowest batting average in the league.
If the Diamondbacks can get on base more, Walker will knock in a lot more runs than last season.
Expect Walker to hit over 30 home runs and record over 90 RBIs once again, while improving his batting average this upcoming season.
Walker will once again have a top-10 season among first basemen.
9. Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo will remain with the New York Yankees.
He is ranked in the top 10 mostly because of his home run power.
Rizzo hit 32 home runs last season, which ranked tied for sixth among first basemen. Despite batting third, behind Aaron Judge, Rizzo only had 75 RBIs and he had just a .224 batting average last season.
Rizzo ranked top 10 among first basemen in OBP, SLG, and OPS in 2022.
Like other left-handed power hitters, the MLB banning the shift will help Rizzo improve his batting average in 2023.
Despite the low batting average, Rizzo still managed to get on base. He ranked ninth in walks among first basemen.
Rizzo had 23 HBP, which ranked fourth in the entire MLB last season.
In 2023, expect Rizzo to once again hit over 30 home runs, up his RBI total to over 80, and improve his batting average with the MLB banning the shift.
Rizzo will still produce as a top 10 first baseman in the 2023 MLB season.
8. Rhys Hoskins
Rhys Hoskins had a solid year last season.
He had 81 runs, 30 home runs, 79 RBIs, 33 doubles, and a .246 batting average.
Hoskins ranked tied for seventh in doubles, eighth in home runs, 10th in runs, and 12th in RBIs among all first basemen in the league. He is in a good lineup, which will get much better when Bryce Harper can return.
Hoskins is a reliable power hitter.
Like other players on this list, the ban on the shift will help Hoskins raise his batting average in 2023.
As a team, the Phillies ranked seventh in runs, sixth in home runs, seventh in RBIs, and eighth in batting average.
Hoskins will also have an opportunity to increase the number of RBIs that he records at the plat this year. Trea Turner will start the season likely batting leadoff for the Phillies. Turner gets on base frequently, which will give Hoskins plenty of RBI opportunities.
Expect Hoskins to hit over 30 home runs, record over 80 RBIs, and improve his batting average with no shift in the 2023 MLB season.
Hoskins will once again have solid production and be a top-10 first baseman in the MLB.
7. Nathaniel Lowe
Nate Lowe had a very impressive 2022 season.
He had 27 home runs, 76 RBIs, and a .302 batting average.
Lowe got off to a slower start but he picked it up in June and beyond last year. Among first basemen, Lowe ranked 11th in home runs, 14th in RBIs, 13th in runs, fifth in batting average and OBP and fourth in SLG and OPS.
He only hit three home runs before June last year but then caught fire, turning into one of the game’s most-feared power hitters.
Lowe hit 24 out of his 27 home runs in June or later.
His batting average was fairly consistent last year, except in May, when he hit just .205. Outside of May, the only month was July when Lowe hit under .300.
The 2022 season was just his second full season in the majors and he drastically improved from his 2021 season. Lowe hit nine more home runs and upped his batting average from .264 in 2021 to .302 in 2022.
He is only getting better and the 2023 MLB season will be his best yet.
Expect Lowe to hit over 30 home runs this upcoming season, have over 80 RBIs, record over 75 runs, have a batting average hover around .300, and once again be top five in OBP, SLG, and OPS among first basemen.
Lowe will have a top-10 season among first basemen and has the potential to have a top-five season.
6. Jose Abreu
Jose Abreu will start at first base for the Houston Astros in the 2023 MLB season.
Abreu is projected to bat fifth in the Astros lineup. He is getting up there in age, as he will be 36 years old when the 2023 MLB season kicks off.
The Astros’ slugger saw his home run total cut in half last year compared to 2021. In 2021, Abreu hit 30 home runs but he only mustered 15 home runs last year. Despite the drop in home runs, he had a better xSLG in 2022 than in 2021, according to Statcast.
The significant drop could be attributed to the balls being deadened last season.
Abreu had 40 doubles last season, which ranked tied for fourth among first basemen in 2022.
Playing for the Astros and batting fifth will significantly improve Abreu’s RBI numbers. He only had 75 RBIs last season, after recording 117 RBIs in 2021.
While most of Abreu’s numbers were down last season, his batting average went up tremendously. In 2021, Abreu had a .261 batting average but in 2022, it rose to .304.
In 2023, expect Abreu’s home runs to rise closer to 30 home runs, and he will record over 100 RBIs batting fifth for the Astros.
The change of scenery will greatly help Abreu’s numbers.
He will bounce back after a disappointing 2022 season and will have a top-10 performance among first basemen.
The Top 5 First Basemen Entering The 2023 MLB Season
Now, we get to the elite first basemen in the MLB.
Matt Olson kicks off the top-five list of first basemen entering the 2023 MLB season.
5. Matt Olson
Matt Olson had a very good first season with the Atlanta Braves.
He had 86 runs, 34 home runs, 103 RBIs, 44 doubles, and a .240 batting average.
Olson ranked seventh in runs, fifth in home runs, third in RBIs, and second in doubles among first basemen in the league.
He was top 10 among first basemen in SLG and OPS.
Olson’s batting average dropped from .271 in 2021 to .240 last season.
This can be attributed to finding a groove with a new team.
Olson will improve his batting average in his second season with Atlanta and with the MLB banning the shift.
He was third in walks among first basemen last year.
Olson’s as good as any first baseman in the league.
He has hit 34 or more home runs and recorded over 100 RBIs in back-to-back seasons.
In the 2023 MLB season, Olson will hit 35 or more home runs, record over 100 RBIs, have over 85 runs, and improve his batting average closer to his .271 batting average in 2021.
Olson is one of the best first basemen in the league and he will have a top-five season among first basemen.
4. Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero is the only player outside of the top three that has a legit chance of having the best season of any first baseman in the league.
It was tempting to put Guerrero number one as having the best 2023 MLB season of any first baseman in the league.
He will be just 24 years old when the 2023 MLB season kicks off.
In 2021, Guerrero ranked first in runs and home runs, and sixth in RBIs among all players in the league, just missing out on the triple crown.
Last season, Guerrero had 90 runs, 32 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a .274 batting average.
He ranked fourth in runs, sixth in home runs and RBIs, seventh in OBP, sixth in SLG, and sixth in OPS among first basemen in the league.
Guerrero will just get better and better and this could be his best season yet.
Look for Guerrero to hit over 35 home runs, record over 100 RBIs, and have over 90 runs.
He will get back closer to his 2021 season than his 2022 season.
Guerrero will have an excellent season and may end up having the best season of any first baseman in the league.
3. Pete Alonso
The top three players on this list all have a strong argument to be listed as number one on this list.
If you prefer power, Pete Alonso would be ranked first.
Alonso had 40 home runs and 131 RBIs last season, both ranking first among first basemen in the league.
He also had 95 runs and a .271 batting average.
Alonso ranked sixth in OBP, second in SLG, and third in OPS among first basemen last season.
Removing the 2020 season, in which the MLB games were cut down drastically and Alonso only played in 57 games, Alonso has improved his batting average in each of his three full seasons.
He has hit 37 or more home runs in each of his three full seasons and has recorded 120 RBIs or more in two of his three full seasons.
The Mets have a good lineup, which will help Alonso keep up his RBI total.
In 2023, Alonso will hit roughly 40 home runs, have over 100 RBIs, once again improve his batting average to closer to .275, and have over 90 runs.
Alonso will once again have an excellent season and he will once again be one of the best first basemen in the league.
2. Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman has been one of the most consistent players in the league.
He has hit .300 or better in six of the last seven seasons. The only season in the last seven he did not have a .300 batting average, he had a .295 batting average.
Freeman had 117 runs, 47 doubles, 21 home runs, 100 RBIs, and a .325 batting average.
He ranked first in runs, doubles, batting average, walks, and OBP, 14th in home runs, fifth in RBIs, third in SLG, and second in OPS among first basemen in the league last season.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers guarantees Freeman a high run and RBI total.
The 21 home run total for Freeman last season was an outlier and he will hit more than 30 home runs this upcoming season.
In the 2023 season, Freeman will have over 100 runs, over 30 home runs, around 100 RBIs, and a .300 or better batting average.
Freeman is one of the best batters in the entire MLB and will have another tremendous season.
1. Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt is the mix of a great hitter like Freddie Freeman and he can also hit the ball out of the park, similar to Pete Alonso.
Goldschmidt had 106 runs, 41 doubles, 35 home runs, 115 RBIs, and a .317 batting average last season.
He ranked second in runs, RBIs, batting average, and OBP, third in doubles and home runs, and first in SLG and OPS among all first basemen in the league.
Among all players in the league last season, Goldschmidt ranked top five in runs, RBIs, batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS.
He was the best all-around first baseman in the league, having similar power numbers to Alonso and hitting prowess to Freeman.
Goldschmidt bats in a Cardinals lineup that ranked top 10 in runs, hits, home runs, RBIs, walks, batting average, OBP, SLG, and OPS last season.
There is no reason to doubt he will not replicate his production barring an unforeseen injury.
In 2023, Goldschmidt will have over 100 runs, 35 or more home runs, knock in over 100 runners, and have a batting average of over .300.
Goldschmidt will once again have the best season of any first baseman in the league.
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