Baseball season is almost upon us. Spring is in the air…at least in some parts of the country. Pitchers and Catchers start reporting to Spring Training camp on February 9. With that, Fantasy Baseball drafts are set to begin or are already underway. First Basemen tend to be major power producers in Fantasy Baseball, so let’s dive into the top 5.
Fantasy Baseball: Top-10 First Basemen and Projections (1-5)
Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves)
2023 Stats: BA.283, OBP.389, SLG.604, OPS.993, 54 HR, 139 RBI, 127 R, 172 H, 27 2B, 3 3B, 104 BB, 167 K, 1 SB
Olson enjoyed a career year in 2023, helping lead the Atlanta Braves to a National League East crown. The biggest development was his massive leap in power. Olson’s previous career high in home runs was 39 and RBI was 111 in 2021 with the Oakland A’s. He led the way for all first basemen in the fantasy baseball space by a large margin. While it some regression should be expected, I’d also expect Matt Olson to be the top-producing first baseman again in 2024.
2024 Projections per FantasyPros:
BA.267, OBP.365, SLG.538, OPS.903, 41 HR, 115 RBI, 103 R, 152 H, 29 2B, 1 3B, 88 BB, 149 K, 1 SB
Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers)
2023 Stats: BA.333, OBP.411, SLG.568, OPS.979, 29 HR, 102RBI, 131 R, 212 H, 59 2B, 2 3B, 72 BB, 121 K, 23 SB
Freddie Freeman continues to do Freddie Freeman things. The future Hall of Famer is the definition of consistency and seemingly keeps getting better with age. Eight of his fourteen seasons have resulted in a batting average over .300. However, his .331 in 2023 was the highest of his career over a full season. Overall, Freddie Freeman is the best of all first basemen in Major League Baseball. There is no reason to believe any different until Father Time catches up to him. Who knows when that will be though?
2024 Projections per FantasyPros:
BA 305, OBP.384, SLG.514, OPS.898, 26 HR, 96 RBI, 109 R, 180 H, 41 2B, 2 3B, 75 BB, 110 K, 14 SB
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies)
2023 Stats: BA.293, OBP.401, SLG.499, OPS.900, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 84 R, 134 H, 29 2B, 1 3B, 80 BB, 119 K, 11 SB
In 2022, Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery and switched to first base from right field in order to avoid long throws. Harper quickly became one of the best first basemen in the game. Defensively, he finished 6th in MLB in combined OAA and added success rate. Offensively, Bryce Harper was Bryce Harper. After a slow start, he was still able to finish with his 5th highest OPS of his career. As he continues to progress past injury, it is perfectly reasonable to expect Bryce Harper to hit close to 30 HRs and drive in over 90 runs. Hitting for a good average while being among the league leaders in extra-base hits should also be expected.
2024 Projections per FantasyPros:
BA.284, OBP.387, SLG.518, OPS.905, 29 HR, 91 RBI, 95 R, 150 H, 34 2B, 1 3B, 89 BB, 135 K, 13 SB
Pete Alonso (New York Mets)
2023 Stats: BA.218, OBP.320, SLG.507, OPS.827, 46 HR, 118 RBI, 92 R, 123 H 21 2B, 2 3B, 65 BB, 148 K, 4 SB
Alonso had great power numbers in 2023, but he suffered the worst batting average and OBP of his career. The Mets had a horrific 2023 and will need their All-Star first baseman to return to form in 2024. There will always be a concern with swing-and-miss with him. However, his low BA should rise back to a more respectable level this season. If he can get the average back up to where it has been in his career, Alonso should be among the top 5 first basemen in Fantasy.
2024 Projections per FantasyPros:
BA.249, OBP.327, SLG.507, OPS.834, 40 HR, 110 RBI, 90 R, 141 H, 24 2B, 1 3B, 66 BB, 139 K, 4 SB
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays)
2023 Stats: BA.264, OBP.345, SLG.444, OPS.789, 26HR, 94 RBI, 78 R, 159 H, 30 2B, 0 3B, 67 BB, 100 K, 5 SB
In 2023, Vlad Jr. had his worst statistical full season since his rookie season in 2019. While a .264 BA, 26 HR, and 94 RBI don’t seem bad at all, Toronto needs more out of their slugger. Guerrero Jr. is among the elite first basemen when he is right, but 2023 didn’t seem right for him. Expect a big bounce-back season for Vlad that could potentially land him in the top 3 first basemen.
2024 Projections per FantasyPros:
BA.284, OBP.358, SLG.510, OPS.868, 33 HR, 101 RBI, 92 R, 166 H, 32 2B, 1 3B, 67 BB, 99 K, 6 SB
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About the Author
Not only a writer, editor, and contributor of Total Apex Sports, Tom Harvey is also the co-founder of dynastyprosfootball.com
Tom has been writing about professional wrestling, college football, NFL, and fantasy football for over a decade and is an avid sports fan. A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a History degree, he loves all things Vols. He is also a massive Atlanta Braves and Dallas Cowboys fan. An “Army Brat,” Tom has lived all over the country and abroad, so he has an appreciation of most sports and fan bases.
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