No question, fantasy baseball is really starting to gain momentum! We here at Belly Up Sports couldn’t be more excited as the ranking articles are really starting to roll. Last week, we looked at the top ten catchers in fantasy. In this edition, we shift our attention to the Top Fantasy First Basemen. As was the case with the last article, I will begin at number ten and count it back to number one.
As always, I welcome comments, concerns and suggestions to everything that I write. Let me hear from you! With the preliminaries in the rear view, let’s get down to the important stuff: the rankings!
Number Ten: Jake Burger, Texas Rangers
Without doubt, the selection of Jake Burger in the top ten will come as a surprise to many. However, his move to the Texas Rangers will be a boon to Burger and will greatly benefit any manager that adds him to the roster. Certainly, there are several first basemen that will come off the board before Burger. In my mind, that positions him to be an outstanding value in 2025.
As for 2024, Burger hit in a pitcher’s park in Miami and a less than stellar Marlin lineup. Despite that, he hit .250-29-76, scored 68 runs, with a .301/450 slashline, a 103 OPS+, .292 BAbip and a .209 ISO. Keep in mind, though, that this is a player that had 34 homers in 39 fewer plate appearances one season earlier.
Now hitting in Arlington, if he stays healthy, expect 30 home runs to be his floor. The Rangers will rebound as an offense in 2025. All of the above indicates a very strong season ahead for Burger. Bottom line: jump aboard the Burger express before it leaves the station.
Number Nine: Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds
In the number nine spot in this Top Fantasy First Basemen slides Spencer Steer, 27. In just his second full major league season, Steer appeared in 158 games, hitting .225-20-92, with 74 runs, a .319/.402 slashline, 96 OPS+, a .260 BAbip and a .178 ISO. The positives for Steer is that he plays every day. He has appeared in 156 or more games in the last two seasons.
Further, he has power, as he has hit 20 or more homers two years running. Further, he plays in one of the best hitters’ parks in the majors. Lastly, he qualifies at 1B, 3B and DH, which can only increase his value in fantasy. Entering his third season, Steer should be expected to be one of the top first baseman.
Number Eight: Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals
Next in the countdown is the Royals’ Vinnie Pasquantino. Like Burger, Pasquantino is 27, but 2024 was his first full season, as he suffered an injury in 2023. He is fully healthy and, truthfully, there should be no injury worries going forward. As such, his numbers should see an upswing as he matures.
Last year, Pasquantino hit .260-19-97 with 64 runs scored, a .315/.446 slashline, a 111 OPS+, a .265 BAbip and a .183 ISO in 131 games.The league average in BAbip is .292. Surely, if Pasquantino can just be average in that area, his other numbers will improve. The Royals should have a dynamic offense around him in 2025. He will have plenty of run scoring and RBI opportunities. Without doubt, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Pasquantino ranked in the top five at first base by season’s end.
Number Seven: Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks
After an offseason move to Arizona, Josh Naylor finds himself ranked number seven on this Top Fantasy First Basemen edition. Just like the two players above, Naylor is also 27. He replaces Christian Walker (see below) in the Diamondback lineup. To be honest, Naylor ranks almost as high as Walker in every area and should find huge success in the desert in 2025.
Last season in Cleveland, Naylor had a monster year, hitting .243-31-108 with a .320/.456 slashline, a 112 OPS+, a .246 BAbip and a .213 ISO in 152 games, a career high. Additionally, the 84 runs scored was easily his career best. In the last two years, Naylor has driven in at least 97 runs. Looking forward, Naylor should easily match or surpass the above totals in Arizona in 2025.
Number Six: Pete Alonso, Free Agent
To be perfectly blunt, figuring out where to place Pete Alonso was the most difficult part of these rankings. As of this writing, he is still a free agent, having not signed with any team this offseason. Truthfully, it doesn’t look like he is even close to signing a new contract. Without knowing who he will play for and what kind of lineup he will be hitting in going forward, there is nothing to go on except his statistics.
To be sure, most of his stats look great. First, he appeared in every game in 2024. In his last four seasons, he has appeared in 152, 160, 154 and 162 games. Something like that can’t be overemphasised. Alonso finished 2024 hitting .237-34-88, scoring 91 runs, with a .339/514 slashline, a 134 OPS+, a .276 BAbip and a .219 ISO. As good as that looks, however, Alonso took a step back. He didn’t come close to looking like the player with three 40+ homer and 118+ RBI seasons.
Given who his agent is, Alonso might be a free agent until well into spring training. If that is the case, he won’t have much, if any, time to get ready for the season. Certainly, that isn’t ideal. When he at last signs the on the dotted line, his ranking for 2025 will become clearer.
Number Five: Christian Walker, Houston Astros
Another player making a move to another city this offseason, Christian Walker slides into the top five spot on this Top Fantasy First Basemen edition. At age 33, Walker is one of the oldest players in the countdown. Even so, don’t let that fact dissuade you from drafting him this season. In 130 games, Walker hit .251-26-84 with 72 runs, a .335/468 slashline, a 121 OPS+, a .287 BAbip and a .217 ISO.
Most significantly, the OPS+ stat shows just how consistent Walker is from one season to the next. In the last three years, he has produced 125, 122 and 121 showings in that area. Moving from Arizona to Houston shouldn’t change the lineup he is hitting in much, if at all. As a right hand hitter, he should fit in well in that ballpark. Currently, his ADP sits at 75. If that holds until draft day, Walker is in position to be quite a value for the manager that selects him in 2025.
Number Four: Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves
Clearly, Matt Olson will have to take a step forward and perform like he did in 2023 to measure up to this ranking. Given his track record, that shouldn’t be too much to ask. In the three previous seasons, Olson hit 39, 34 and a league leading 54 homers. In that same period, he drove in 111, 103 and a league best 139 runs. Certainly, if there is one thing that you know for sure, he will be in the lineup every day. Olson has played in all 162 games three straight years.
As is well known, there were many hitters in Atlanta in 2024 that had either down seasons or injuries or both. Expect many Brave batters, if not all, including Olson, 31, to rebound big in 2025. Without as much protection in the lineup as he usually receives, Olson probably pressed too much last season. His SO%, BB% and his BAbip weren’t far from his career norms, though. As such, with healthy, productive hitters around him again, it is easy to expect Olson’s stats will snap back to their usual zing this season.
Number Three: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia
As the Top Fantasy First Basemen edition countdown moves on, Bryce Harper is firmly in the number three spot. Putting the 2022 injury bug firmly behind him, Harper played in his most games (145) since 2019. Further, he returned to his usual 30 homer self, his fifth such season in his storied career. Similarly, Harper showed he can still drive in (87) and score runs (85).
As he is now healthy, Harper’s age (32) isn’t a concern at all. He can get on base with the best of them, as his .373 OBP attests. If one wishes to talk consistency, that is the very definition of Harper. Look at the OPS+ seasons he has had the last seven years: 156, 133,126,158, 179, 146, 145 and 149. In the end, Harper will challenge the two players ahead of him in the rankings. Draft him with confidence in 2025.
Number Two: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
As I am a Dodger fan since high school, I am pleased to present Freddie Freeman as the number two fantasy first baseman. A casual look at his regular season numbers would suggest Freeman, 35, wasn’t his usual self in 2024. However, anyone that followed the Dodgers last season knows he was impacted by personal family issues and an injury. As those as now behind him, expect Freeman to return to his usual self at the plate.
Certainly, Freeman’s normal season would thrill any fantasy manager. First, he plays nearly every day, as evidenced by his 162, 158, 159, 159 and 161 games played a year before last season. Even with the issues he had in 2024, he still appeared in 147 games. Second, he can hit the baseball like few others. Over the past eight full years, he has hit 21 or more homers in all of them. Further, he has four 100 or more RBI seasons as well as three in which he has driven in over 90.
Further, his career OPS+ is 142. Last year, it was 143. Freeman’s slash line was close to his career average. His BAbip was an impressive .306. However, his career average is a mind blowing .341. Unquestionably, at age 35, Freeman is closer to the end than the beginning. Even so, expect a huge season out of him. There is no reason to hesitate adding him to a fantasy roster in 2025.
Number One: Vladimir Guerrero, Toronto Blue Jays
Last, but certainly not least, we find Vladimir Guerrero at the top of this Top Fantasy First Basemen edition. Even though it seems like he has been in the league for ages, he is still only 25. After a two year period in which he failed to hit over .274 or drive in 100 runs, Guerrero returned in a major way in 2024. No question, these stats would make any fantasy manager happy: .323-30-103, 98 runs, a .396/.544 slash line, a 166 OPS+, a .342 BAbip and a .221 ISO.
Certainly, that BAbip will come down, but his career .304 strongly suggests it won’t fall much. Want more proof that he is one of the best hitters? Try these: his K% (13.8) and his BB% (10.3) are both better than the average major leaguer. Not bad for a slugger, no? Maybe best of all, his availability is unequaled: Guerrero has appeared in at least 156 games four years in a row.
Clearly, all the above sounds great. However, the good news hasn’t reached its end. The 2025 season is Guerrero’s walk year. He will be super motivated to put his best foot forward. It wouldn’t be crazy to think that we are about to see his best numbers practically across the board. Of course, it will take an early round selection to secure Guerrero’s services. Undoubtedly, it would be draft capital well worth spending.
The Final Word
Thank you for joining me for this Top Fantasy First Basemen edition! Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to bellyupsports.com for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news!
