Power Rankings: 1B

We Rank The Top 1B in MLB

It appears to be a golden age of first baseman. The position that has long been dominated by slow white guys with a big bat is ripe with franchise players. Even those that rank at the bottom of the list are still solid and productive players(minus very few). It’s hard to rank such a full position, but someone had to do it. Let’s take a look at where these players rank.

30. Jeff Clement (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Our dead last first baseman. Half a season worth of games under his belt and a terribly low slugging percentage for his position. I hate to rank someone last when they still have so much to show but there are some serious players on this list and someone had to get the honor of being last, why not be a Pittsburgh Pirate? It just seems right.

29. Daniel Murphy (New York Mets) – Once again a case of a good first baseman on a competitive list. In his first full season in the majors Murphy hit a paltry 12 home runs and a slugging percentage of just over .400. He has room to grow but seems to lack the power of a true first baseman.

28. Chris Davis (Texas Rangers) – Poor guy gets a bottom slot due to a .258 average in just over a season worth of games. He’s green, but with a low on base percentage. He certainly has some pop to his bat and perhaps being in a productive lineup in Texas will give him ample opportunity to grow. But for now he ranks near the bottom.

27. John Baker (Florida Marlins) – Here’s another guy who gets put down on the list due to insufficient evidence. Two seasons in the big leagues, but never a complete season and low power output makes him unattractive. Sure, he’s young, but he’s not showing flashes of power at the power position.

26. Russell Branyan (Cleveland Indians) – This is a less than serviceable first baseman. Branyan has a career average of .234 with a 30 home run average. Low on base percentage and high slugging percentage equals a feast or famine hitter. He racks up about 170 strikeouts each season. He’s not the worst in the league but he’s definitely dispensable.

25. Troy Glaus (Atlanta Braves) – If we were basing this solely on lifetime achievement Troy Glaus would rank higher on this but it’s stiff competition and he’s coming off a season in which he only played 14 games. Confidence cannot be at an all-time high for the 34 year old first baseman. He may do well in a potent lineup in Atlanta but he’s a gamble from here on out.

24. Daric Barton (Oakland Athletics) – This guy is disappointing all the way around. He played only a third of a season. His on base percentage is low. He hasn’t shown anything at all that makes him attractive long term. Billy Beane may need to find a plan B for first base.

23. Garrett Atkins (Baltimore Orioles) – Here’s a guy who gets marks against him because of his early career in Coors Field. We hate to label people as a Coors Field creation but the numbers are a little alarming. His last season in Coors he hit .286 with a .328 OBP and a .452 Slugging percentage. He goes to Baltimore and goes .226, .308, and .342. This is a considerable drop in stats and certainly reason to wonder if he can handle hitting outside of the high altitude of Denver.

22. Lyle Overbay (Toronto Blue Jays) - Lyle Overbay is a help in the Blue Jay lineup but he isn’t much to write home about. He hits under 20 home runs a year, his average is average at best and he strikes out too much to have such little power output. He’s ok, but that’s where his scouting report ends.

21. Casey Kotchman (Seattle Mariners) – The Mariners got themselves a decent player in Kotchman. His best attribute: experience. He was with the Angels for years, so he got his playoff experience that he needed and will certainly help the Mariners as they have retooled their team with October becoming a real possibility.

20. Adam LaRoche (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Nothing flashy from this guy. He’s exactly what you’d expect from the position. Ok average (.274), can hit the long ball, and certainly knows how to strike out. He’s only 31 so his consistent production should continue for some time.

19. Billy Butler (Kansas City Royals) – The upside to Butler is nice. He hit .301 last with 21 dingers and 93 RBI’s in a full season for the Royals last year. He’s turning out to be a better hitter than hyped third baseman Alex Gordon. What he needs to do is show he can do it again. Kansas City is fielding a team that hopes to play spoiler this year and Butler could be a key part of it.

18. James Loney (Los Angeles Dodgers) – Here’s a middle of the pack guy. His average puts him up but his low production to go yard drops him down. His slugging percentage leaves something to be desired but that shouldn’t diminish the kind of player he is. He’s solid and dependable. Lots of teams would love that.

17. Paul Konerko (Chicago White Sox) – The 34 year old first basement is sure to get a look when he becomes a free agent after the 2010 season. Konerko boast a lifetime .277 avg. He has a career average of 31 home runs and 100 rbi. He’s a streaky hitter, known to go into prolonged slumps but when he’s right he can carry a team for a week or two.

16. Derek Lee (Chicago Cubs) – He’s getting older but he’s still a guy who gets on base and can hit it yard. He plays a great first base and has always been a high average guy. He’s a great guy in the club house and has a World Series ring and numerous playoff appearances. He’s another underrated guy.

15. Adam Dunn (Washington Nationals) – He doesn’t deserve to be ranked 20th but someone has to. He averages 40 home runs a season. His slugging percentage for a full season is .520. So how does he get on this list? Being an absolute butcher in the field. It’s not often the criteria for which these lists are judged but it should be worth noting how exceptionally awful he is.

14. Aubrey Huff (San Francisco Giants) – Here’s a guy who flies under the radar every year. He’s certainly not flashy. He’s a .280 hitter with 25 homer power and his slugging percentage is certainly respectable. He is a valuable addition to any team he plays for.

13. Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox) – Gotta love a guy who’s young and productive in one of the most pressure packed places in all over professional sports. He’s a career .391 OBP guy and he can slug it out too. He’s got World Series experience and his name is awesome to say with a Boston Accent. It’s arguable he could be higher on this list.

12. Carlos Pena (Tampa Bay Rays) – Pena can hit the hell out of the ball. Last year his average dipped well the normal range for Pena but still managed to hit 39 home runs while driving in 100 runs. He’s the power stroke in an already potent lineup in Tampa .

11. Joey Votto (Cincinnati Reds) – The Reds first baseman was in full bloom last year as he hit .322 with 24 home runs and a .567 slugging percentage. He’s young and has a hell of a future ahead of him. The Reds struck gold when they got themselves Votto.

10. Kendry Morales (Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim) – I know I’ve been putting guys lower on the list for nothing have the experience necessary to be higher but this kid had an unbelievable upside. First full season and he’s a 30/100 guy with an over .300 average. He’s young and should only get better with more experience.

9. Lance Berkman (Houston Astros) – This is the definition of consistent production. All he does is draw 100 walks a year, hits for average and power and does it in a lineup without a lot of weapons. Its impressive to be as consistent as he has for so long.

8. Todd Helton (Colorado Rockies) – I know I’ve been hard on those that have played in Coors Field but I have to give credit to Todd Helton. The guy has been nothing short of amazing in his career and he only plays half his games at home. Last year he rebounded from a injury plagued 2008 campaign to hit .325 with a .416 OBP. A very Helton-esque year. I’ll give him his due.

7. Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego Padres) – There is a reason all of baseball is keeping their eye on San Diego this summer. As July approaches no name will be mentioned as much as Gonzalez. And why not? His worst season for average was last season at .277. If that’s the worst he has to offer, every team in baseball besides the teams to finish this list, will be more than happy to take his worst every year.

6. Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers) – This is where the list gets hard. Fielder is not really the sixth best anything. He should rank higher. After all his slugging percentage was over .600 last year and drew 110 walks. He’s part of one of the best 2 hitter combos in all of baseball but yet he doesn’t crack the top 5.

5. Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies) – What a monster at the plate. In his last 4 full seasons with the Phillies he has averaged 140 a year and over 40 homeruns. He’s got an MVP under his belt and a World Series ring. The only downside to Howard, if you can call it a downside, is that he’s a strikeout machine. If he ever learned how to be a bit more patient at the plate there’s no telling how much those stats would inflate.

4. Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins) – So what’s the rationale for putting Morneau ahead of Howard? Simple, more discipline at the plate. He gives you the same average with slightly less home runs and RBI’s and doesn’t strike out nearly as much as the prolific free swinger Howard does. Last season, even after being sidelined in September joined the 30/100 club for the third time. He plays an excellent first base and is an anchor on that Twins lineup that always has a shot at the postseason.

3. Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers) – Why is it that he has had so much trouble being focused? He seems to never play up to his potential. And there is the scary part. His underachieving seasons are better than any other player could hope to have. His career OPS(on base plus slugging) is .925 and since 2004 has hit less than 30 home runs only once. The biggest challenge for Cabrera going forward will be between the ears, and in the belly.

2. Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees) – The Yankees knew exactly what they were doing when they locked Teixeira up long term. He provides stability to an already potent lineup. He’s a lock for 35 home runs a year. He knows how to get on base despite being striking out over 120 times a season. He scores over 100 runs a year and is an RBI machine. The Yankees seem poised to contend for the foreseeable future and Teixeira will be a big reason why.

1. Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) – Albert Pujols is the definition of a freak. There isn’t a downside to his game. Average? .334. Career slugging percentage? .629. Runs scored? Over 100 runs scored 8 out of 9 seasons. 40 home run seasons? 5. Average strike outs per season? 66. That’s astounding. We can only hope Albert is as clean as he says he is. If he is clean then we are not only looking at the best first baseman today but one of the greatest players of all time.

We Rank The Top 1B in MLB April 6, 2010 – Michael Cahill It appears to be a golden age of first baseman. The position that has long been dominated by slow white guys with a big bat is ripe with franchise players. Even those that rank at the bottom of the list are still [...]