Fantasy Baseball 2017 Tier Rankings: First Base
By Bill Pivetz
Other Rankings: Catcher
The first base pool is top-loaded with talent. You should have no problem finding a solid option at any point in the draft.
The first base position features plenty of talent. There are good players in the middle tiers if you don’t want to spend on one of the top-five players. Looking at the depth at first base, though, after the first 10 or 12 guys, the level of skill drops off greatly. If you play in a deeper league, you will have to draft one early.
In standard leagues, you draft one starting first baseman with the option of drafting a second one for your corner infield spot. With the lack of depth at the position, you may want to draft a second third baseman instead.
Unlike catcher, you should not feel bad about drafting a first baseman early. The level of production in the top guys will benefit your team greatly. There are a lot of power guys at the position, hitting 30 home runs. There are hitters that can give your team a good average, too.
More from Fantasy Baseball
- 5 fantasy baseball waiver wire pivots to replace Triston McKenzie
- Fantasy baseball mock draft 2023, 12-team: Aaron Judge over Trea Turner?
- 3 fantasy baseball sleepers being drafted too late
- NBA DFS picks December 25: Merry Bucking Christmas
- Fantasy Baseball: Hot pitchers worthy of starting this weekend
I have 12 first basemen ranked inside my top-100 overall and another four are inside my top 150. After that, however, things get a little dicey. These players will be upside hopefuls and sleeper picks.
I will be doing one post for each position. It doesn’t help the readers to reference four or five different posts when trying to develop their own rankings. This year, I will be doing tier rankings for the positions.
Each tier for each position will be different. Depending on the position, you may have one or two guys or five or six guys in tier 1. The lower tiers will be grouped with multiple levels of talent, but they have one thing in common, they have little value in most leagues.
For the first base position, I have 20 players broken up into five tiers. Some tiers have more players while others have two or three. It’s all based on value. This list does not include players with multi-position eligibility and first base is not their primary position.
Honorable Mention: Chris Carter and Greg Bird (NYY), Justin Smoak (TOR), Justin Bour (MIA)
This tier features three players that haven’t proven themselves for a full season.
Tommy Joseph (PHI) – My colleague Brad Kelly just wrote about Joseph, so I won’t repeat anything he said. With that, I like Joseph as a starting option in NL-only leagues. In mixed leagues, he will be a corner infielder at best. That’s not a bad thing, either.
C.J. Cron (LAA) – Cron underwent thumb surgery back in October, which I wrote about here. Cron was cleared for all baseball activity according to General Manager Billy Eppler, as reported by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The downside is that he could be the third man out in a first base platoon. Luis Valbuena will get plenty of at-bats and Albert Pujols (who I will talk about later) will play some first when he is also healthy.
Eric Thames (MIL) – Thames spent the last three seasons in Korea and crushing balls in the process. I wrote about the Brewers signing him here. I’m a little skeptical about Thames in fantasy. He hasn’t seen an MLB pitch since 2012. If you think he can carry his power from Korea to Milwaukee, then he will be a great pick late in drafts.
I use the term ‘old’ loosely. It’s not an insult to any of this players. It’s just to mention that these five players have been around for a long time and have provided fantasy owners will many good seasons.
Mitch Moreland (BOS) – Kelly wrote about the Boston Red Sox signing Moreland here. Moreland tied his career-high in games played with 147, but with the extra playing time, his numbers took a hit. He had a 22 HR/60 RBI/.233 average compared to 23 HR/85 RBI/.278 in 132 games in 2015. I think the move to the AL East and the roster around him with help him bounce back.
Mike Napoli (TEX) – To replace Moreland, the Texas Rangers signed Napoli, which I talk about here. Napoli had his best power season, hitting 34 home runs and 101 RBI with a lowly .239 average. The lineup in Texas is a bit of a downgrade compared to the Cleveland offense. I think he’ll hit 30 home runs with a .250 average, which is good, but not worth a starting job.
Albert Pujols (LAA) – I just talked about Pujols in the last section. Once he gets healthy, I expect him to split time between first base and DH. Having him spend some time at DH will keep him healthy for most of the season. He’s played in at least 152 games in the last three seasons, hitting a combined 99 home runs, 319 RBI, and .261 in the process. For a 37-year-old, those are great numbers.
Adrian Gonzalez (LAD) – Gonzalez had a down season in 2016. It was his worst power season with 18 home runs and 90 RBI. His average went up 10 points, from .275 to .285. I wrote about if his contributions to his team are changing his fantasy value. If he becomes more of a contact hitter and run producer, then he stays in the mid-teens. However, if he can bring back the power, then a move into the top 10 can happen.
Brandon Belt (SF) – Belt has posted similar numbers in the last two seasons. He hit 17 HR/82 RBI/.275 in 156 games last year. He also walked over 100 times, supporting his .394 OBP. Because of the lack of name value, Belt seems to get overlooked in drafts. He has 12th round value but could easily be drafted two rounds later. The Giants don’t have the best lineup so Belt will put up his fair share of numbers.
This tier features five players that found their stride as a first baseman and we hope they can carry it over into 2017.
Carlos Santana (CLE) – It took him five years, but Santana put up the numbers we were expecting from him. He hit 34 home runs, 87 RBI, and .259 in 158 games. The Indians added a top-five first baseman this offseason, so Santana will hit mostly as the DH. This will keep him healthy but will take away his eligibility for 2018. Until then, he will be in line to hit another 30 homers.
Hanley Ramirez (BOS) – Ramirez’s first year in Boston was a disappointment. He moved to first base as David Ortiz became the DH and the Red Sox had no other full-time options. This revitalized Ramirez’s fantasy value. He hit 30 homers, 111 RBI, and .286 in 147 games. As long as he can stay healthy and keep up this comeback, he could get close to the top 10.
Eric Hosmer (KC) – Hosmer is one of the more consistent first basemen in the league. His average dropped more than 30 points last season, but it was in exchange for more power. He hit 25 home runs and 104 RBI. There isn’t anything flashy about Hosmer, but he won’t let you down.
Wil Myers (SD) – Myers finally had his breakout season last year. He hit 28 home runs and 94 RBI. He also stole 28 bases. Myers is on record as saying he wants to put up 30 HR/30 SB. With the Padres likely out of the playoff race already, they should just let him loose and help fantasy owners.
Chris Davis (BAL) – In five full seasons with the Orioles, Davis hit 197 homers and 496 RBI with a modest .249 average. We know that Davis won’t hit close to .300, but he did hit .286 in 2013, so anything is possible. If you need power help in the middle of your draft, Davis is the top option.
I would be thrilled to have any one of these five first basemen in my fantasy league.
Jose Abreu (CWS) – Kelly questioned if Abreu is still in the elite group of first basemen. With my ranking of him inside my top 10, I think he is really close. After hitting 36 and 30 home runs in his first two seasons respectively, he hit just 25 in 2016. Abreu still drove in 100 RBI and hit .293/.353/.468. This could be a make or break season for Abreu. He could either move into the top five or outside the top 10. I think he’s worth the risk as a top-40 pick.
Edwin Encarnacion (CLE) – I wrote about the big signing here. Not much in Encarnacion’s value changes. He may have fewer RBI but the power and contact will still be there. Don’t be afraid of drafting him.
Freddie Freeman (ATL) – Kelly debated the power surge of Freeman and if we can trust it this season. After previously hitting a career-high 23 home runs in 2012, Freeman crushed 34 homers last season. When drafting, I like to look at three-year trends instead of possible one-year wonders. I think Freeman’s numbers will come down a bit, around 26 HR/80 RBI/.290. The lack of a supporting cast hurts his value, too.
Joey Votto (CIN) – Votto is a great first baseman, hitting 29 HR/97 RBI/.326 in 158 games last season. That was the highest average among first basemen with at least 120 games played. The added benefit of Votto is his .434 OBP, which was tops among the same group of players. OBP should be the standard instead of average because it gives walkers like Votto a boost in value. With back-to-back 29 home run seasons, Votto is a quiet option as the No. 4 first baseman.
Miguel Cabrera (DET) – Cabrera hit 38 home runs, the most since 2013. He is still playing in over 155 games at 34 years old. He’s had very little injury concerns throughout his career. If you like consistency from your first baseman, then look no further than Miggy. I wanted to include him in my first tier, but the performance of the top two guys overall is too great. Cabrera will still be a second-round pick.
This tier features just two players but they are clearly the two best first basemen in 2017.
Anthony Rizzo (CHC) – Rizzo has improved in every season since he joined the league. He hit 32 homers, 109 RBI, and .292. He also scored 94 runs, walked 74 times, and hit a career-high 170 hits. With the young and talented offense around him in Chicago, Rizzo will have no shortage at RBI opportunities. He will be drafted in the back-end of the first round in standard leagues.
Paul Goldschmidt (ARI) – While his power numbers are lower than some of the players ranked below him, Goldschmidt provides much more in the five major hitting categories. He hit 24 home runs, 95 RBI, and .297 with 106 runs scored and 32 steals. Opposite of Rizzo, Goldschmidt has little help around him. He should get back to 30 home runs and 100 RBI and pairing that with a .300 average and another 30 steals and Goldschmidt will run away with the fantasy MVP.
Drafting one of the top-10 first basemen will be difficult. It all depends on what you want out of that position and your roster construction. You can draft Goldschmidt or Rizzo in the first or wait a round or two for Votto or Freeman. Or if you really want to wait, Ramirez should be there in the teen rounds.
Just don’t wait too long because the talent drop off is great. A first baseman should be one of the power anchors in your lineup and there is plenty to go around.