Michael Simione’s First Base Rankings

February 14, 2022

Rank	Player	Team	Position(s)	ADP	Notes
1	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	1B	6.61	Produced the season we all knew he could. Can’t help but be curious as to what his numbers will look like outside of Buffalo.
2	Freddie Freeman	ATL	1B	22.66	Mr. Consistency will produce in every category except for steals. The high average and high power output make him the clear #2.
3	Paul Goldschmidt	STL	1B	58.84	Goldschmidt provides value because of the stolen bases. There is virtually no speed at this position and Goldy gives you an advantage there.
4	Matt Olson	OAK	1B	51.2	Olson finally seems to be reaching his potential hitting for a high average with a ton of power. If the Athletics trade him and he moves on to a competitive team he could easily put up over 100 RBIs once again.
5	Pete Alonso	NYM	1B	66.45	Last season Alonso improved his O-Contact%, Z-Contact%, SwStr%, and K%. Alonso hit .262 and it could rise even higher next season.
6	Jose Abreu	CWS	1B	89.41	Sits in a great lineup with a ton of RBI opportunity. If his average continues to dip he might not be worth his draft price.
7	DJ LeMahieu	NYY	1B, 2B, 3B	117.23	After the season we found out that LeMahieu played the entire season injured. A bounceback is likely.
8	Ryan Mountcastle	BAL	1B, OF	113.41	The fence being moved out will hurt his power production but he still gives you a decent average as well as a little bit of speed.
9	Joey Votto	CIN	1B	150.86	Votto had a massive second half hitting 25 home runs with a 1.057 OPS and 165 wRC+.
10	C.J. Cron	COL	1B	130.23	Provides you with a solid average and plenty of power. Playing in Coors will continue to help Cron making him a lock for power.
11	Josh Bell	WAS	1B	132.14	Josh Bell, like Votto, had a big second half. He had a 136 wRC+, .229 ISO, and .379 wOBA.
12	Rhys Hoskins	PHI	1B	145.73	Hoskins season was cut short due to an injury but he continues to show his power upside finishing the season with a 17.0 Barrel%.
13	Ty France	SEA	1B, 2B	148.25	France took some impressive strides last season. His MaxEV and EV/FB both increased by several points. He also had a 147 wRC+ in the second half while also cutting his strikeout rate by three points.
14	Jake Cronenworth	SD	1B, 2B, SS	125.41	His multi-eligibility makes him an attractive option for your UT, CI, or MI position. While he doesn’t provide a ton of counting stats in one specific category he does help contribute in all five of them.
15	Jared Walsh	LAA	1B	125.14	Walsh is another cheap power option for first base, there are so many late-round options it’s no wonder everyone is suggesting you wait on the position in drafts.
16	Anthony Rizzo	NYY	1B	180.91	Rizzo is the boring old guy who provides you with a solid base floor.
17	Tyler Stephenson	CIN	C, 1B	156.02	Stephenson shouldn’t be drafted at this position but the first base option does help in draft and hold leagues.
18	Brandon Belt	SF	1B	220.82	Belt has a ton of power and now that they changed the park it is finally starting to come through. Health is the issue with Belt but having him as your CI or UT makes the risk worth the reward.
19	Trey Mancini	BAL	1B	193.32	The fall off on the power towards the second half of the season seemed like fatigue to me. I think we see some more power but moving back the fence isn’t going to help.
20	Jonathan Schoop	DET	1B, 2B	205.86	Schoop provides plenty of value since he is an accumulater who will see plenty of plate apperances on a Detroit Tigers team.
21	Max Muncy	LAD	1B, 2B	173.05	Still a big injury mystery and without an update, we have to leave him here.
22	Yuli Gurriel	HOU	1B	205.8	Another boring old guy that helped out a ton of teams last season. If you need average he is your guy.
23	Frank Schwindel	CHC	1B	229.93	Schwindel impressed big time last season but with it being a small sample it’s hard to tell who he really is. Should get a ton of playing time though.
24	Miguel Sano	MIN	1B	263.66	There is a ton of power here, it’s just a matter of Sano improving his contact skills. I think he can hit .230 next season which makes him a viable option for fantasy teams.
25	Jesus Aguilar	MIA	1B	279.84	Aguilar has some serious power and he attributed 93 RBI’s in 510 PAs. He is kind of being overlooked this season.
26	Rowdy Tellez	MLW	1B	299.18	Tellez should see a lot more playing time this year and he could easily end up with over 20 home runs and a .250 average.
27	LaMonte Wade Jr.	SF	1B, OF	307.32	The Giants love to platoon making Wade a tough buy. He should give you 15 home runs and at least five steals, the upside makes him appealing.
28	Alex Kirilloff	MIN	1B, OF	186.05	Projections like Kiriloff and if he can put up 18 home runs, four steals, and a 2.70 average like they are calling for, that makes him a really solid bench piece.
29	Bobby Dalbec	BOS	1B	226.45	Dalbec’s poor plate discipline and high strikeout rate could continue to hold him back.
30	Nathaniel Lowe	TEX	1B	229.82	Yes, he stole a ton of bases but it all came in a short stretch and is an extreme outlier compared to the rest of his career and minor league track record.
31	Luke Voit	NYY	1B	269.91	The injuries continue to pile up making him a very risky pick.
32	Spencer Torkelson	DET	1B	259.3	The biggest named prospect coming into this season (who has yet to see MLB pitching). He will likely be called up early but we don’t know what kind of early struggles he can see.
33	Yoshi Tsutsugo	PIT	1B, OF	308.59	Yoshi should see a lot of PA’s in Pittsburgh and maybe we start to see some of his power in 2022.
34	Eric Hosmer	SD	1B	325.27	Hosmer’s low launch angle continues to hinder him and unless you are in a draft and hold he really isn’t rosterable.
35	Yandy Diaz	TB	1B, 3B	346.73	Diaz will continue to do what he does, hit the ball hard without giving you home runs.
36	Keston Hiura	MLW	1B	407.89	Hiura has had fantasy baseball managers moaning in agony for years now. He apparently is working on limiting his leg kick, so there is that at least.
37	Carlos Santana	KC	1B	421.14	Carlos Santana had a miserable 2021 campaign. He does get a ton of PA’s and walks though making him a cheap option that could potentially help you.
38	Miguel Cabrera	DET	1B	456.07	Miggy will continue to see at-bats and should provide a little power with a decent average.
39	Pavin Smith	ARZ	1B, OF	357.14	A boring player who won’t give you anything but plate apperances.
40	Wilmer Flores	SF	1B, 2B, 3B	369.45	The Giants like to platoon him but he should still see a bunch of plate apperances.
41	Darin Ruf 러프	SF	1B, OF	423.39	Ruf is one of the best platoon bats in the bigs. A terrific matchup play in daily leagues.
42	Christian Walker	ARZ	1B	388.36	Walker was once a hot commodity for fantasy baseball but he has proven that the bouncy ball in 2019 padded his stats.
43	Bobby Bradley	CLE	1B	412.75	Think Joey Gallo but a lot less power.
44	Jurickson Profar	SD	1B, OF	455.91	As of right now, Profar will be a starter for the Padres but they will likely add a bat or two after the lockout.
45	Juan Yepez	STL	1B	465.48	Yepez could certainly get the call this season it’s just a matter of when. He provides good power and could help you late in the season.

9 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

weekendatbidens

3 years ago

The Roger Centre aspect of Guerrero Jr. is something. I think an entire article could be devoted to it. Would love to see it.

Reply to weekendatbidens

I did put some of it together: 363 AB, 15HR, 48 RBI, .262BA, .410 SLG, .148 ISO

This past season at Rogers — 133 AB, .301BA .579 SLG, .278 ISO