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MLB's top 10 first basemen for 2018
Dylan Buell/Getty Images

MLB's top 10 first basemen for 2018

As always, there is an abundance of riches at first base. The franchise player count at the position ranks high, with five to six of this year’s top 10 counting as the centerpiece performers on their respective clubs. In the last two years, Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo have all finished in the top three in NL MVP voting at least once, with Votto coming up just a vote short of a second MVP victory last season. 

On the American League side, the first base position is undergoing a changing of the guard. Jose Abreu remains, but with declining production from veteran mainstays like Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis, along with departures to the National League for the likes of Eric Hosmer and Carlos Santana, there aren't many known quantities left in the Junior Circuit.

The NL has a deep stash of talent at the position that goes well beyond those who crack the top 10, while the AL will have to wait and see who emerges in 2018. As we head into the season, here is an NL-heavy list of the top 10 first basemen in the game today.

10. Matt Carpenter, Cardinals. Rain or shine, if Carpenter can be counted on to do anything, it is make it on base. Despite seeing his batting average stay stagnant or drop in each of the last four years, Carpenter’s OBP has averaged .376 since 2014. His .384 mark a year ago was his highest since his breakout season of 2013 and was accompanied by 23 home runs. He presents elite power from the leadoff position, where he is a completely different player than elsewhere in the St. Louis lineup, producing a .914 OPS atop the lineup card as opposed to .783 batting third.

9. Carlos Santana, Phillies. A natural hand at the plate, Santana shed his longtime image as a bat-first, glove-second contributor last season in Cleveland, emerging as a Gold Glove finalist. It was a timely makeover for the soon-to-be 32-year-old, as it opened up the NL side of the free agent market, which he turned into a three-year, $60 million deal with the Phillies.

While his development with the leather is nice, the money still came from his bat, which has been dependable to the tune of topping 20 home runs in four of the last five years along with an impressive .365 career OBP.

8. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals. Zimmerman enters the year on the heels of one of the great turnaround seasons in recent memory. The 13-year vet dialed the clock way back out of nowhere in 2017. His 36 homers and .930 OPS were both career bests, while his 36 doubles and 108 RBI both represented 10-year highs. In the process, he was elected to start his first All-Star Game (his second All-Star selection) and became the Nationals’ all-time leader in RBI.

7. Eric Hosmer, Padres. Yes, Hosmer is an established veteran, but he remains somewhat of an enigma at the same time. His trend of big years coming on the heels of down seasons continued last year, as he raised his batting average over 50 points to a career-high .318 while setting new personal bests in OPS (.882), hits (192) and walks (66). In the process he picked up his fourth Gold Glove in the last five years, in addition to his first Silver Slugger nod. His steady production alongside his well-received intangibles and acumen for leadership were big reasons the Padres pulled the trigger on an eight-year, $144 million deal with the 28-year-old.

6. Cody Bellinger, Dodgers. While his struggles in the postseason showcased some of the holes in his swing, as well as how much he still must learn regarding battling elite breaking balls, his .143 World Series batting average far from erases just how dominant he remained throughout his rookie campaign. Bellinger has a rare level of electricity in his bat, which led him to setting the NL rookie home run record at 39. It is scary to think about how much more efficient of a power hitter he can be this year.


Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

5. Jose Abreu, White Sox. The staggeringly consistent Abreu — who has never had a season short of .290, 25 homers and 100 RBI — is coming off his best season to date. In 2017, he led the AL in total bases with 343, coming via a 33-homer, 43-double, 102-RBI, 95-run outburst that produced his most offensive WAR (4.7) since his rookie year in 2014.

Abreu could become the most coveted upgrade option on the market this summer, as he is one of the final remaining high-upside pieces for GM Rick Hahn to convert into yet another impressive stockpile of prospects.

4. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs. The ever-consistent Rizzo had another excellent showing last season that was eerily similar to his 2016 campaign. He repeated his exact home run (32) and RBI (109) totals from the year before. However, he did take strides at the plate in the form of significantly raising his walk total from 74 to 91, while dropping his strikeouts from 108 to 90. As a result, his on-base percentage was a career-best .392, and Rizzo has evolved into one of the toughest outs in the game.

3. Freddie Freeman, Braves. Although he missed 45 games a year ago, Freeman put up a robust stat line that most players would be proud of in a full season. Freeman hit to a .307/.403/.586 split, with his .989 OPS checking in fourth in the National League. What is perhaps most impressive about his output besides the volume he produced in an abbreviated time is how he did it with arguably the least amount of protection around him in the game. His most frequent followers in the Atlanta lineup — Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis — produced a -0.6 WAR last year. There is little reason to approach Freeman at all, but when he gets an opportunity, he makes the most of it.

2. Joey Votto, Reds. After taking off his self-imposed shackles at the plate, Votto has become the most complete hitter in baseball. With an unmatched eye and the ability to drive the ball at a rarely witnessed level, he has mastered the art of situational, impact hitting.

He has firmly buried the notion that he is over-patient and under-aggressive at the plate. Votto has become a perfect balance of power (his 36 home runs represented a seven-year high) along with still being the most selective, high-frequency on-base threat in the game. His 134 walks, .454 OBP, 1.032 OPS and 168 OPS+ all led the National League, and it all came due to a focused attempt on Votto’s part to get the absolute most out of every at bat. Via his tightened whip, Votto swung at the fewest pitches outside of the zone in the game, essentially forcing pitchers to be more careful and deliberate in facing him — with dire consequences for any hurler who made even the slightest of missteps on the mound.

1. Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks. While the margin between Goldschmidt and Votto is a slim one — perhaps as slim as the difference between any No. 1 and No. 2 performer at any position — Goldy gets the edge on account of the remarkably unique skill set he brings to the position. Although his 6-3, 225-pound frame would not lend one to believe it, Goldschmidt is an extremely athletic presence on the field and puts it to work by regularly making a difference on the base paths and with the glove. Goldy was successful in 18 of 23 stolen base attempts last year, bringing his three-year total to 71, which is nearly 20 more than his next closest competition at the position.

Of course, what he did best was swing the bat, which he did at an MVP-caliber level yet again. Goldschmidt finished fourth in the NL with 120 RBI and sixth with 36 home runs, which tied a career high. In the process, he also equaled his .297 average from 2016, accounted for a .966 OPS and scored 117 runs. Without a late-season swoon that saw him hit only .171 throughout an injury-hampered September, Goldschmidt may very well have collected his first MVP instead of settling for a third top three finish. However, a fifth All-Star selection, third Silver Slugger nod and third Gold Glove victory will have to suffice as proof positive of his undeniable stance within the positional hierarchy.

Left on deck: Brandon Belt (Giants), Logan Morrison (Free Agent), Justin Smoak (Blue Jays), Miguel Cabrera (Tigers)

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