Who is the best first baseman in MLB? Ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, we’re going position-by-position to rank the best players at each spot before Opening Day. Today, we’re focused on the best first basemen in MLB at a time when there are a few emerging stars at the position.
Let’s dive into our list of the 10 best MLB first basemen entering the 2026 season.
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Toronto Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the best first baseman in MLB. The Toronto Blue Jays superstar’s been remarkable in the last two seasons, putting up an .895 OPS with a .308/.389/.506 triple-slash line and nearly as many RBI (187) as strikeouts (190). While he ranked seventh in OPS (.848) at first base last year, he was the only first baseman with a walk rate above 12 percent and a strikeout rate under 20 percent. Guerrero Jr.’s also coming off a postseason where he hit 8 home runs with 15 RBI and a remarkable 1.289 OPS, including a 1.074 OPS in the World Series. Heading into his age-27 season, we think Guerrero Jr. returns to putting up 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBI this year.
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2. Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson hasn’t missed a game in the last four years. He hasn’t quite replicated his outstanding 2023 campaign when he finished fourth for NL MVP, putting up league-highs in home runs (54), RBI (139) and slugging (.604). Still, he has the 11th-best OPS (.820) over the last two seasons and he ranks fourth in fWAR (9.8) over that two-season span. He brings that run production with a golden glove, as evidenced in 2025 when he led all first basemen in Defensive Runs Saved (17), which was nearly twice as high as the second-best first baseman with 1,000-plus innings. Gold Glove defense is just added value at first base and Olson is more than capable of putting up 28-plus homers with a .850-plus OPS again in 2026.
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3. Nick Kurtz, Sacramento Athletics
Nick Kurtz broke onto the scene in 2025, taking home both the AL Rookie of the Year and the Silver Slugger Award in a year when he had a four-homer game. Playing in a minor-league ballpark certainly helped Kurtz, demonstrated by his 22 home runs and 1.039 OPS at home. With that said, his .967 OPS on the road would still have made him the only first baseman in baseball with a .900-plus OPS. Heading into his age-23 campaign, Kurtz could be even better this season if he improves against southpaws (.685 OPS). Plus, the Athletics added some talent to surround him in the lineup.
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4. Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, entering his age-36 season, has built himself quite the Hall of Fame resume. He is now a nine-time All-Star selection and three-time World Series champion, all with an NL MVP and World Series MVP in his trophy case. Freeman will also become part of the 2,500-hit club this year and should reach 400 home runs in 2027. The production is starting to dip and Father Time could dip into it further, but he is still one of the best first basemen in MLB.
Read More: MLB Power Rankings 2026, Evaluating all 30 Teams
5. Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles
It is going to feel very strange to watch Pete Alonso in a Baltimore Orioles uniform this season. From 2019–25 with the New York Mets, he put up an .857 OPS with 264 home runs and 951 hits. Now, he has never quite recaptured the form from that historic rookie campaign, but he has still averaged 39 home runs and 111 RBI per season with an .842 OPS since 2021. Alonso does bring negative value defensively, captured by his position-worst -9 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025, but he is as consistent as they come as a power hitter. He will never be an All-MLB Team caliber player for Baltimore, but 30-plus homers and 100 RBI feels like a given.
6. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
There’s a reason Bryce Harper got called out by Dave Dombrowski this offseason. After putting up a .291/.396/.540 line with a .936 OPS from 2020–24 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Harper compiled ‘just’ a .261/.357/.487 line with a .844 OPS this past season, including an .808 OPS in the final two months. Who knows, though, maybe getting his blood removed will rejuvenate the 33-year-old to his prior form. Even if Harper repeats what happened last season, he’s still a great player.
7. Josh Naylor, Seattle Mariners
Josh Naylor found a home with the Seattle Mariners. He had been a very productive player for the Cleveland Guardians (.805 OPS) and Arizona Diamondbacks (.807 OPS) from 2023–25, but the best version of Naylor came out in Seattle. Perhaps it was the special bond with the Mariners’ clubhouse lab, Tucker; Naylor put up a .299/.341/.490 line with an .831 OPS, 33 RBI, and 9 home runs in 54 games with Seattle. He made himself even more of a fan favorite with his postseason excellence (.967 OPS). Heading into his age-29 campaign, Naylor has firmly established himself as one of the best MLB first basemen right now.
8. Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants
It took Rafael Devers time to adjust after the midseason trade to the San Francisco Giants and then to playing first base. That was evident in his production—.236/.347/.460 with an .807 OPS—and his fielding at the position. However, he put up an .886 OPS with 16 home runs in the final two months of the season, and the organization likes the strides he made defensively at first. He might not become a top-four player at the position, but Devers can still be a perennial All-Star and he is still just entering the prime of his career. Plus, San Francisco will be elated to finally have multiple 30-homer hitters in the lineup.
9. Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs
Acquired by the Chicago Cubs in January 2024, Michael Busch took a huge step forward in his second full season. Among first basemen, he finished 10th in batting average and second in both home runs (34) and OPS (.881). The numbers certainly seem repeatable, as per Baseball Savant, Chicago’s first baseman ranked in the 90th percentile for Average Exit Velocity (92.2 mph), the 96th percentile for Launch Angle Sweet Spot rate (41.1 percent) and the 95th percentile for barrel rate (17.1 percent). Even if Busch is a negative defensively at first, he can contribute 30 home runs, 80-plus RBI and an .840-plus OPS to the Cubs lineup.
10. Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox
A few of the best first basemen in MLB have found new homes within the last year, including Willson Contreras with the Boston Red Sox this offseason. The former catcher struggled to begin the year in his first full season at first base, but he eventually settled in. Contreras slashed .268/.358/.495 with an .853 OPS, 50 RBI, 21 doubles and 14 home runs from June through September last season. He will now have the added boost of playing for a contender and should return to his normal ways at the plate with an .800-plus OPS.
