Top 50 Dynasty First Basemen for 2026 Fantasy Baseball

Another week is in the books, meaning it is time for the weekly dynasty rankings for 2026. This week is the Top 50 Dynasty First Basemen for 2026.

The good news when it comes to this position is it is by far the strongest when it comes to fantasy baseball. Among the eight positions, as a group first basemen ranked second in batting average and first in OBP, SLG, OPS and wRC+. If you are in need of power, this is the position to target as well as tap into to fill out a corner infield slot.

The bad new when it comes to this position is that a lot of the top players in this group are in their 30s. Here is the age breakdown of this position:

• 35+: 3
• 30-34: 14
• 25-29: 27
• 20-24: 6

Thirty-four percent of the players ranked are 30 or older. Of those 17 players, seven are in the top 20. There are some good, young first basemen, but they are still behind a host of veterans.

From a dynasty standpoint, if you have one of the young guns, be extremely happy. Otherwise you may want to use this position to fill a hole on the short term and and hope the youngsters you target or currently have actually develop.

So let’s get on with the Top 50 Dynasty First Basemen for 2026.

The Case of Bryce Eldridge

When it comes to ranking Bryce Eldridge, I am taking the easy way out when it comes to first basemen – he did not play enough games at first base in 2025 to qualify at the position in most leagues. He appeared in only 10 games total and made only four appearances at first base and six at DH.

I mention this for two reason: First, I am NOT ranking the top prospects. We have amazing people here at Razzball who do that for you. Second, Sal Stewart is ranked.

Stewart made this list because of the 14 starts he received, 10 came at first, or 71% of his starts. He also topped 10 starts at first base, making him (in some leagues) eligible to play first base from the start of the season.

Eldridge just turned 21, is a top 50 prospect at worst, and is expected to be the starting first baseman for the Giants in 2026. As a 20-year-old in 2025, he slashed .260/.333/.510 with 25 homers and 84 RBI across three different minor league levels. He has a career .512 SLG in the minors and .360 OBP thanks to an 11% career walk rate. If Eldridge were to be ranked, you’d likely see him ranked in the same area where Stewart landed. If you want to compare him to Nick Kurtz, be my guest. But since I am not ranking him, you get this nice blurb about him here.

Just Missing The Cut

Paul Goldschmidt is on his last legs as a major league player, yet he still slashed .274/.328/.403 this past season with 10 homers and 45 RBI. He does not want to retire and some team will likely sign him to spell starters at first base and DH. So in very deep leagues, he still has some value.

TIER 5

*Age as of April 1, 2025

RANK	PLAYER	2025 TEAM	AGE
50	Ty France	TOR	31
49	Pavin Smith	ARI	30
48	Otto Kemp	PHI	26
47	Michael Toglia	COL	27
46	Alec Bohm	PHI	29
45	Christian Encarnacion-Strand	CIN	26
44	Warming Bernabel	COL	23
43	Victor Caratini	HOU	32
42	Romy Gonzalez	BOS	29
41	Eric Wagaman	MIA	28

Depth Players

The players listed in this tier are mostly depth players. What gives most of these players value is the fact they can play at least one other position. Otto Kemp can play third and left field in addition to first while Alex Bohm is primarily a third baseman who sees some time at first and Victor Caratini is a catcher who also fills in at first base.

Is The Bandwagon Empty?

I fully jumped on Christian Encarnacion-Strand bandwagon in 2023 when CES hit 13 homers and drove in 37 in 63 games for the Reds. But the expected jump has never materialized. He appeared in only 29 games in 2024 and 36 this year. Combined, he has hit eight homers and driven in 35 runs in his last two seasons while hitting .190 and .208.

But it is hard to give up on a player who put up the numbers he had in 2023. If you are willing to stash him, he may be a very low cost, high reward player.

Rockies First Baseman Of The Future?

The Michael Toglia experiment may be at and end in Colorado. If so, Warming Bernabel may be a great target. He played a lot of third base in the minors but started 36 games at first base and made only two appearances at third base with the Rockies. He was decent at the plate in his rookie debut, slashing .252/.288/.410 with four homers and 14 RBI. Since he is not a lock to have a breakout year, he is a better stash-and-hope candidate.

TIER 4

RANK	PLAYER	2025 TEAM	AGE
40	Tyler Locklear	ARI	25
39	Josh H. Smith	TEX	28
38	Rhys Hoskins	MIL	33
37	Rowdy Tellez	TEX	31
36	Luis Arraez	SD	28
35	Kody Clemens	MIN	29
34	Wilmer Flores	SF	34
33	Nathaniel Lowe	BOS	30
32	Josh Bell	WAS	33
31	Spencer Horwitz	PIT	28

A Solid Backup

Josh H. Smith can fill in at short and third base, and depending on your league settings, outfield. But he can also help you with the bat as he slashed .251/.335/.366 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and 12 steals.

Unknown Future

Rhys Hoskins got off to a nice start with the Brewers this past season before being sidelined by an injury (again) and becoming a non-factor over the last half of the season. With Andrew Vaughn coming on strong after being acquired from Minnesota and under club control for another three years, Milwaukee is more than likely going to move on from Hoskins. With no clear defined role for Hoskins next year and beyond, he is more a depth candidate right now.

A Solid Backup – Part 2

You can do a lot worse that having to have Spencer Horwitz as a depth player at first base or corner infield. Over the last two seasons with Toronto and Pittsburgh he  has a .269/.355/.434 slash line with 23 homers, 91 RBI and a 121 OPS+. The problem is that is over two seasons and not one as he has been a role player. But in 40-man roster leagues, he has value as he has some power and gets on base.

TIER 3

RANK	PLAYER	2025 TEAM	AGE
30	Ryan O’Hearn	SD	32
29	Jake Burger	TEX	29
28	Andrew Vaughn	MIL	27
27	Nolan Schanuel	LAA	24
26	Ryan Mountcastle	BAL	29
25	Coby Mayo	BAL	24
24	Sal Stewart	CIN	22
23	Miguel Vargas	CHW	26
22	Alec Burleson	STL	27
21	Spencer Steer	CIN	28

Versatile Player

Ryan O’Hearn is the only player in this tier who is in their 30s, but O’Hearn brings value thanks to being able to play right field as well as first base while providing some power. Over the last three seasons he has averaged 15 homers and 61 RBI while slashing .277/.343/.445. He has reached his ceiling, so he is not going to suddenly bust out and be a top-tier first baseman. But he produces solid numbers and that is what you need in a backup first baseman.

A Pair Of Birds

When it comes to who will play first for the Baltimore in 2026, that is a question that still is not answered. But a likely outcome is a rotation of Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo and possibly Samuel Basallo with Mountcastle and Mayo also getting time at DH. Mountcastle has never duplicated his 33 homer, 89 RBI season of 2021. Since then he has averaged 18 homers and 72 RBI. When healthy, you can probably count on him reaching his season averages from 2022-2024.

Mayo has been a top 50 prospect the last two years, but when given a shot with the Orioles he has struggled at the plate. In 102 games and 304 career at-bats he has a .201/.285/.349 slash line with 11 homers, 28 RBI and a 31.2% strikeout rate. There is no questioning Mayo’s power as he has a career .531 SLG in 435 minor league games. My guess is Mayo will get the most reps at first base for the Orioles in 2026 with Mountcastle seeing more time at DH, and with his power potential he can be undervalued here if he makes some adjustments at the plate to at least become a .250/.350/.450 hitter.

Where To Rank Stewart

When it came to ranking Stewart, I was asking myself if I was ranking him too high. I previously ranked catcher Carter Jensen in Tier 5 despite the fact he had strong showing in his limited time with the Royals. So why is Stewart here in Tier 3? Unlike Jensen, who I see splitting time behind the plate next year, I see Stewart getting into 120 games or more at first base, third base and DH and bring a lot of power to the Reds’ lineup as well as adding a few steals here and there.

Still Thinking There Is More

As a rookie in 2023, Spencer Steer slashed .271/.356/.464 with 23 homers and 86 RBI while swiping 15 bags. But Steer has yet to take the next step at the plate. But he hasn’t regressed either. His homer total the last two years has been 20 and 21 and his RBI total has been 92 and 75. The slash line, however, has been a concern as it is a combined .231/.316/.406. But I believe Steer can be and will be the player we saw in 2023. It may come more as a DH or outfielder than at first base, but he should enough time at first to retain his eligibility into 2027.

TIER 2

RANK	PLAYER	2025 TEAM	AGE
20	Willson Contreras	STL	33
19	Christian Walker	HOU	35
18	Yandy Diaz	TB	34
17	Lenyn Sosa	CWS	26
16	Triston Casas	BOS	26
15	Ben Rice	NYY	27
14	Kyle Manzardo	CLE	25
13	Josh Naylor	SEA	28
12	Jonathan Aranda	TB	27
11	Spencer Torkelson	DET	26

The Old Guard

Willson Conteras, Christian Walker and Yandy Diaz are still solid first basemen. But all three of those players are 33 or older next season. Contreras had a good season, slashing .257/.344/.447 with 20 homers and 80 RBI. His Statcast numbers were just as good as he ranked in the 83rd percentile or higher in xwOBA, xSLG, Barrel%, Hard Hit% and bat speed. Contreras doesn’t look to be slowing down at the plate and you can basically pencil him in for 20 homers and 80 RBI each season.

Christian Walker led the Astros in homers (27) and RBI (88) and topped 25 homers and 80 RBI for the fourth straight season. But he had horrible splits during the year. In the first half (90 games) he slashed .229/.286/.374 with 12 homers and 47 RBI while those numbers were .250/.312/.488-15-41 over the second half of the season. Even stranger was his home-road splits. Despite the short porch in the left field at Daiken Park, Walker slashed .202/.279/.342 with eight homers and 34 RBI in 74 home games and .265/.311/.482 with 19 homers and 54 RBI on the road. He had a very strong second half, and if he can just improve a tad at home, he should put up solid numbers every year for the next two to three years.

If you go for Yandy Diaz, who is primarily a DH, this is what you are going to get – a player who will hit .290 to .300 and an OBP around .365. What you don’t know is what kind of power production will Diaz provide? This year he hit 25 homers, drove in 83 and slugged .482. In 2024 those numbers were 14, 65 and .414. In 2023 he had 22 homers, 78 RBI and slugged .522. The year before that? Nine homers, 57 RBI and a .423 SLG. His power production is simply not consistent, and that is why he is ranked 18th.

Coming Into His Own

If Jonathan Aranda can get 500 at-bats in a season, he will provide numbers that will make him being ranked 16th here look silly. He was on pace for an outstanding season before a fractured left wrist suffered at the end of July limited him to three games in September. In 370 at-bats this past season he hit 14 homers with 59 RBI while slashing .316/.393/.489. Now look at these numbers

• xwOBA: .392 (95th percentile)
• xBA: .300 (97th percentile)
• xSLG: .529 (92nd percentile)
• Avg. Exit Velo: 93.0 mph (94th percentile)
• Hard Hit%: 54.5 (96th percentile)
• Launch Angle Sweet Spot%: 42.1 (98th percentile)
• Barrel%: 12.8 (80th percentile)

Those are great numbers, and Aranda is just now entering his prime. Is he going to hit .316 again next year or beyond? Probably not has his BABIP was .409 this year. But the power is real and should produce 25 homers a year, at least. And if you are worried about the wrist injury, don’t be. In those three September games Aranda hit two homers.

Rebound Season

After a brutal 2024 season in which Spencer Torkelson slashed .219/.295/.374 with 10 homers, 37 RBI and experienced a trip back to the minors, the Detroit first baseman bounced back to be the player he was in 2023 and the player everyone expects him to be every season. In 2023 he hit 31 homers and drove in 94. This past season he hit 31 dingers and drove in 78 runs.

Torkelson doesn’t look to be a hitter who is going to have a high batting average or OBP, but if he hits 30 homers and drives in 80 or more runs every year, I’ll be very pleased to have that production on my team.

TIER 1

RANK	PLAYER	2025 TEAM	AGE
10	Bryce Harper	PHI	33
9	Pete Alonso	NYM	31
8	Matt Olson	ATL	32
7	Freddie Freeman	LAD	36
6	Vinnie Pasquantino	KC	28
5	Tyler Soderstrom	ATH	24
4	Michael Busch	CHC	28
3	Rafael Devers	SF	29
2	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	27
1	Nick Kurtz	ATH	23

Aging, But Still Good

Bryce Harper is still an outstanding player, but unlike the other “older timers” in this group, he seems to miss between 20 to 40 games each year, leaving owner to scramble to find a good replacement. When Harper is healthy he is good for 25 to 30 homers and 80 or so RBI while slashing somewhere around .280/.380/.500. One skill that he has compared to Freeman, Alonso and Olson is speed. Harper will give you 12-15 steals each season.

Freddie Freeman was just born to hit, coming off a .295/.367/.502 season with 24 homers and 90 RBI. Since his age 30 season in 2020, Freeman’s 162-game average is 27 home runs and 101 RBI with a .310/.397/.522 slash line. In every full MLB season since 2011, Freeman has failed to play in at least 147 games only once when he appeared in 117 games in 2017. There is no reason to think he is suddenly going to forget how to hit.

Pete Alonso is another player you can count on to be in your lineup as he has played in all 162 games the last two years and has never appeared in less than 152 games in a full MLB season. He is not going to the same high batting average or OBP as Freeman, but he is going to hit a lot more homers (leading to a career SLG of .516) and drive in more runs. Discounting 2020, Alonso’s 34 homers in 2024 are the fewest he has hit in a season and he has topped 118 RBI in three of the last four years. I don’t know about you, but I like players who hit homers and drive in runs.

Matt Olson had the tough task of replacing Freeman in Atlanta. I’m not sure that is ever really possible, but he has been outstanding for the Braves. Amazingly, he has been even more durable than Alonso or Freeman as he has played in all 162 games the last four seasons. During that span, his average season is 97 runs scored, 37 home runs and 109 RBI with a .361/.354/.505 slash line. He is only 32 next season, so I fully expect that production to continue for several more seasons.

The Small Market Giants

Fantasy players know about Vinnie Pasquatino and Tyler Soderstrom, but the rest of the country probably has not heard much about these two players.

Pasquatino had another great year for the Royals, hitting 32 bombs and driving in 113 while slashing .264/.323/.475. Injuries have derailed a couple of his seasons, but Pasquatino’s 162-game average is 71 runs scored, 27 homers and 100 RBI with a .266/.330/.456 slash line. The homers and RBI were career highs this year, but I think that production will become the norm for Pasquatino.

Soderstrom came up as a catcher for the Athletics but moved to first to make room for Shea Langeliers. But he never really got to settle in at that position thanks to Nick Kurtz exploding onto the scene and becoming my top-ranked first baseman. So Soderstrom played more left field than first base this season for the A’s, but he can be slotted at that position next year and will likely get enough starts at first each season to maintain eligibility.

Wherever he plays, Soderstrom had a very good first full season with the Athletics as he slashed .276/.346/.474 with 25 homers and 93 RBI. While the A’s played in a minor league ballpark, his numbers were not a complete byproduct of playing in a bandbox. His home splits were .274/.348/.456 with 10 homers and 43 RBI while his road splits were .279/.344/.493 with 15 homers and 50 RBI. The numbers were a little better, but nothing not too outrageous.

Moving On Up

This time last year I had Michael Busch as my 11th ranked Top 50 Dynasty First Baseman heading into the 2025 season. Guess I shortchanged myself.

Quoting myself, “…the Cubs acquired Busch in January of this year (2024) and watched him hit 21 home runs and drive in 65 runs in 152 games while slashing .248/.335/.440. Busch did struggle in the second half of the season, slashing .216/.303/.402 compared to .271/.357/.466 before the All-Star break, but he hit 11 of his 21 homers from July through the end of the year with 35 RBI in 73 games, so the power production remained steady. There is no reason to expect the power to go away and I expect the slash line will improve in 2025.”

This year his numbers greatly improved as he hit 34 homers and drove in 90 runs while slashing .261/.343/.523. I am not going to say his slash line will improve in 2026, but his numbers aren’t going to decrease as a 30-90 season should be commonplace for Busch for years to come.

Steady And Consistent

It was an interesting season for Rafael Devers, but when the dust settle, it was yet another typical year of production for him as he hit 35 homers and drove in 109 runs while also walking 112 times, helping him have a .372 OBP. In 73 games in Boston he slashed .272/.401/.504 with 15 homers and 58 RBI while his numbers in 90 games in San Francisco were 20 dingers, 51 RBI and a .236/.347/.460 slash line. So there may be a little bit of concern about his new home ballpark and the affect it will have on his production moving forward. But at the end of the day, Devers will likely have 30 homers and 100 RBI.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just completed his seventh major league season, and the dude is only going to be 27 next year. All Guerrero Jr. has done during his career is produce. His 162-game average is 95 runs scored, 30 home runs and 98 RBI while slashing .288/.366/.495 with an OPS+ of 136. He is kind of like Freddie Freeman in that he just produces solid numbers year in and year out, and at his age those numbers are going to keep coming for many more years.

Not A One-Time Wonder

Nick Kurtz is not going to be a one-year wonder. First, let’s look at his numbers. He slashed .290/.383/.619 with 90 runs scored, 36 home runs and 86 RBI in 117 games. That translates to 125-50-119 over 162 games. But Kurtz, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, has been putting up numbers like that since his college days at Wake Forest. In 164 games in college, he slashed .333/.510/.725 with 206 runs scored, 61 homers and 182 RBI. Look at those numbers again, and remember he did that in 164 games! No matter what level of competition you are facing, that is insane.

You would have thought he would have had an adjustment period in the minors. He didn’t. In only 33 minor league games Kurtz scored 34 runs, hit 12 homers and drove in 40 while slashing .344/.440/.712.

Kurtz has a great understanding of the strike zone and covers all parts of the plate. Fine, he had a 31% strikeout rate, but if that leads to everything else he does, I am perfectly fine with that.

Thank You

Thanks for reading and come back next week when we continue our trip around the infield and highlight the top second basemen.

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