Fantasy Baseball: First Basemen 2019

Very few full season fantasy players carry a backup catcher. So, last time we covered catchers we covered only twelve given that there are usually twelve players in a standard league. With first basemen you almost always carry at least two first basemen. Often times, they serve as your utility player or a key person off of your bench. Sometimes players have multiple positions of eligibility. That obviously depends on the platform you are using.

For those just joining us, our ranking system is based primarily on a total points universe. That is the method of choice for daily fantasy leagues and an increasing number of full season leagues are moving to that as well. We are going back three seasons in total points and in value over replacement player (VORP). The third category is total points per game. The combination gives us a nice cross-section of what the player has done. Obviously, some will criticize based on the absence of a projection analysis. That can always come later when the dust settles from offseason movement.

Total points= TB + Runs + RBI + BB + SB + HBP – SO – CS – GIDP

Anthony Rizzo—Chicago Cubs

Points: 1437 (1st)

PPG: 3.09 (1^st)

VORP: 110.6 (4^th)

How in the hell is Rizzo the top guy? Well, the first lesson in fantasy sports is that the most productive players in fantasy terms are not necessarily the best players. VORP reveals that nugget. Still, Rizzo plays on a great team and has been fairly healthy the past several seasons.

Paul Goldschmidt—Arizona Diamondbacks

Points: 1382 (3^rd)

PPG: 2.93 (3^rd)

VORP: 157.9 (2^nd)

A lot is made of who surrounds a player. It usually doesn’t make that much of a difference. Goldschmidt will produce whether he is in Phoenix or somewhere else. Others will value him more if he gets traded. That’s just the nature of the beast.

Joey Votto—Cincinnati Reds

Points: 1135 (7^th)

PPG: 3.04 (2^nd)

VORP: 157.1 (3^rd)

Others will be tempted to add Freeman here because of the recent addition of Josh Donaldson. Remember, others rarely have that much of an effect on a player’s performance. Votto is pound for pound the best first basemen in the business. The problem is that the counting numbers often don’t reflect that.

Freddie Freeman—Atlanta Braves

Points: 1284 (4^th)

PPG: 2.94 (4^th)

VORP: 176.0 (1^st)

Speaking of counting numbers, Freeman is one of those guys everyone thinks should produce more. Eventually, you come to go with what a player actually gives you rather than what you think they should give you. That might be a little more based on an improved roster, but I wouldn’t bank on it.

Edwin Encarnacion—Cleveland Indians

Points: 1264 (6^th)

PPG: 2.78 (6^th)

VORP: 69.1 (7^th)

Yes, he is a cut below in actual quality, but WAR is not a fantasy category. He hits home runs and drives in runs as often if not more often than everyone else. True, the Indians are paring down their roster, but he should produce no matter who is there.

Carlos Santana—Philadelphia Phillies

Points: 1282 (5^th)

PPG: 2.71 (9^th)

VORP: 63.3 (8^th)

The Phillies are looking to dump Santana after another productive season. A funny thing happens when you sign someone to a premium contract. You expect premium performance. Santana produced as he always had in Philadelphia, but that isn’t enough for them. He will produce the same as he always has no matter where he is at.

Jose Abreu—Chicago White Sox

Points: 1135 (7^th)

PPG: 2.56 (8^th)

VORP: 70.0 (6^th)

Yes, he doesn’t draw enough walks. Yes, he is on one of the worst teams in the big leagues. One of those might change this winter. Abreu drives in runs when he is healthy and gets on base often enough to keep people honest. Who knows, the Sox may keep him and they may take a significant step forward.

Eric Hosmer—San Diego Padres

Points: 1094 (8^th)

PPG: 2.29 (12^th)

VORP: 40.9 (14^th) 

Hosmer gets a bad rap because the contract he signed was a colossal mistake the moment the ink dried. He didn’t hold a gun to their head. He seems to vacillate between really good seasons and mediocre ones. He’s due for a good one. He won’t ever overwhelm you, but he plays every day and puts up good numbers.

Brandon Belt—San Francisco Giants

Points: 830 (12^th)

PPG: 2.23 (14^th)

VORP: 77.9 (6^th)

We get to the first significant surprise. There is a sizeable gap between Belt’s fantasy reputation and actual production. He doesn’t hit home runs. Sure, that’s a problem in traditional formats, but all of those doubles play well in total points. The key for Belt is always health, but on any given day he is a good value play.

Ryan Zimmerman—Washington Nationals

Points: 786 (16^th)

PPG: 2.28 (13^th)

VORP: 53.0 (10^th)

A true legend in his spare time. When healthy, Zimmerman is one of the top ten first basemen in the game. We saw what he could do for one tantalizing season in 2017. You can probably wait to take him on draft day until the bitter end. It’s still probably a good value play.

Yuli Gurriel—Houston Astros

Points: 755 (18^th)

PPG: 2.43 (9^th)

VORP: 35.7 (16^th)

In two seasons as a regular he has been surprisingly productive for a guy that doesn’t hit home runs and doesn’t draw walks. He will likely be a utility guy next season, but he likely will still get 400 to 500 at bats. That flexibility makes him play up as he could serve as a valuable fantasy bench piece in full season leagues.

Miguel Cabrera—Detroit Tigers

Points: 788 (15^th)

PPG: 2.42 (10^th)

VORP: 33.0 (19^th)

He was off to a really good start last season before he was lost for the season with more injury trouble. If healthy he is a starting quality fantasy player. Sure, wait as long as you can to take him and hope your fellow players forget about him.

Albert Pujols—Los Angeles Angels

Points: 982 (9^th)

PPG: 2.35 (11^th)

VORP: -4.7 (26^th)

No, I wouldn’t take him either. He says another surgical procedure will turn back the clock and make him productive again. We’ve heard that for the past three offseasons. The VORP is probably a lot closer to the truth on him.

Ian Desmond—Colorado Rockies

Points: 828 (13^th)

PPG: 2.01 (17^th)

VORP: 34.2 (18^th)

Desmond is not a guy I would want to be a primary first baseman in even real baseball terms. When you throw in the fact that he might also be eligible in the outfield and other infield positions then he becomes a valuable commodity.

Josh Bell—Pittsburgh Pirates

Points: 740 (19^th)

PPG: 2.10 (16^th)

VORP: 44.9 (13^th)

Pirates fans and fantasy fans alike keep waiting for Bell to take the next step. It might come this year. It might come next year. It might never come. I don’t place my fanstasy hopes on someone taking the next step. However, a late round flier is not placing your hopes. It is a reasonable gamble that it might happen.

Jose Martinez—St. Louis Cardinals

Points: 535 (22^nd)

PPG: 1.98 (18^th)

VORP: 57.5 (9^th)

Take a look at the VORP. Some AL team is going to be smart and trade peanuts for this guy. He is a DH masquerading as a first baseman. The Cardinals play him as often as they can, but he isn’t an everyday first baseman. If he ever becomes an everyday DH he should shoot up the draft board.

Justin Smoak—Toronto Blue Jays

Points: 801 (14^th)

PPG: 1.86 (21^st)

VORP: 37.9 (15^th)

Smoak has been good for two seasons, but the data here is three seasons worth of data. He really should rate higher than this based solely on the last two seasons. He could be moved if the Blue Jays find a package to their liking. I wouldn’t expect that to impact Smoak’s value much.

Yonder Alonso—Cleveland Indians

Points: 837 (11^th)

PPG: 1.89 (20^th)

VORP: 25.2 (21^st)

Like with Smoak, he has made himself a decent fantasy option with two consecutive productive seasons. That narrowly eclipses two prominent candidates (Max Muncy and Jesus Aguilar) who have one productive season to their name. Bench philosophies vary depending on the player. Some want to roll the dice. Others want solid, productive guys that they can count on. I’m usually part of the latter group.