2013 Fantasy Baseball: First Base Rankings
2013 Fantasy First Baseman Rankings
One of the easiest positions to find power in fantasy baseball is at first base. It has always been synonymous with home run hitters, and there are a dozen players who hit well over 20 homers most seasons. First base has also become a position in which fantasy owners have come to expect around 100-125 RBI from their starter.
Crowning the number one fantasy first baseman seems to be an argument between Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols or Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto. Both are monsters in their respective league and have the potential to lead the majors in home runs in 2013.
But what if you aren’t lucky enough to be able to grab one of those superstars in the first round? There has to be a backup plan, because we all can’t pick in the top-10.
One way to fill the position is to look for the players retuning from injury, because those types of players tend to scare away other owners. Players such as Ryan Howard (Achilles tendon), Kendrys Morales (ankle), and Justin Morneau (concussions) will come much cheaper than they normally would, and could be some of the best values at the position.
Additionally, New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira injured his wrist this spring and will at least miss the first month of the season. Big Tex is one injured superstar to keep an eye on.
To help you in your drafts this spring, here are the top-20 fantasy baseball first basemen for 2013:
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
20. Yonder Alonso, San Diego Padres
Yonder Alonso, San Diego Padres — Alonso was shipped over in the Mat Latos deal, but has yet to become the everyday option they are looking for. He only managed to hit .273 and his nine home runs was a huge disappointment considering all his claims to be a thumper. Alonso did have an On Base Percentage of .348 and was much better at getting contact after the All-Star break. He isn’t a top-10 option, but he has the potential to be soon.
19. Kendrys Morales, Seattle Mariners
Kendrys Morales, Seattle Mariners — Morales returned last year after missing nearly two full years with an ankle injury. He hit 22 home runs, and fantasy owners finally started paying attention to him again. For his efforts, he was quickly shipped off the Seattle to battle Justin Smoak for the starting job.
18. Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs — Rizzo learned a lot in the World Baseball Classic on the Italian team, and the 23-year old will be a great bench option. He may be one year away from putting up starter caliber numbers, but he will be a hot commodity in any type of dynasty league this spring.
17. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies — Despite what people may think, Howard’s time on the DL last season was his only time on the shelf since 2005. Howard still finished with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 71 games. He may not be the same player he was five years ago, but when he is healthy, he will always be a home run threat. Grab him as a low-end starter this year, but make sure to have another option in case old injuries start to catch up with the slugger again.
16. Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals
Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals — Craig came out of nowhere last season to hit .307 with 22 home runs and 92 RBIs. He may not be Albert Pujols, but he can still be a low-end starter in 14-man leagues.
15. Ike Davis, New York Mets
Ike Davis, New York Mets — Davis may have had an embarrassing .227 batting average last year, but his 32 home runs and 90 RBIs certainly helped fantasy owners. Davis will be one of the best sleepers at the position this season, especially in leagues that are weighted more towards home runs.
14. Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox
Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox — Konerko just turned 37-years old, so to say that he is entering his twilight years is putting it nicely. He is still hitting home runs and hitting for average, but at some point his body just has to say “no more”.
13. Nick Swisher, Cleveland Indians
Nick Swisher, Cleveland Indians — Swisher played 41 games at first in 2102, so he will be a cheap option to look for on draft day. He may not lead the league in home runs, but he can easily have a 95/25/95 season starting everyday in Cleveland.
12. Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves — Freeman has the most raw power from anyone at the first base position. The only problem is that he is constantly injured. He can lead the NL in home runs one day; he just has to show fantasy owners he can stay in the lineup reliably.
11. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins — Morneau has looked amazing this spring and could finally be ready to have another All-Star season. He has always been an amazing hitter and has looked strong in the WBC, but he must finish a full season before cracking the top-10.
10. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees — Teixeira went from 39 home runs in 2010 all the way down to 24 in 2011. Big Tex also hurt his forearm this spring and will start the year on the DL. However, it has just come out that he may need season-ending surgery, so his value could fall even more this off-season. Teixeira is still a top-10 option due to his track record, but don’t reach for a guy who is already slated to miss some time.
9. Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks — Goldschmidt hit .286 last year, along with 20 home runs and 82 RBIs. He has become a great sleeper to target at first, especially after the big names come off the board.
8. Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels
Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels — Trumbo is listed as an outfielder, but his 21 games at first base last season barely qualifies him as a 1B. He crushed 32 home runs last year and is the most underrated hitter in Angels’ lineup. Look for him to hit 30 home runs with 100 RBIs this season.
7. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins — Mauer is another catcher that qualifies at first, due to the fact that he played 30 games at first last year. He is one of the purest hitters in the game and will constantly keep his average above .300.
6. Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays
Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays — Call me crazy, but I am one person who does not think Easy E will hit another 40-plus balls out of the park in 2013. He will hit 25 and drive in around 80 runs, just don’t expect 45 home runs from a guy that hit just 51 homers in the three season before 2012.
5. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants — Posey may be the World Series Champion catcher that won the NL MVP last season, but he also played 31 games at first. He may be the best catcher in all of fantasy, but as far as first basemen go, he has to settle for a top-five ranking.
4. Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers — People think just because Gonzalez only had 18 home runs in 2012 that he had a down year, but Gonzo still managed to hit .299 and drive in 108 runs. He will have a much better season now that he gets a fresh start in Los Angeles, so fantasy owners can expect another 100/40/100 season from Gonzo.
3. Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers
Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers— Fielder has always been known as a power hitter and has 258 home runs in the last seven seasons. Miguel Cabrera is currently overshadowing Fielder in Mo-Town, but don’t let that cause him to fall outside of the top-15 players on draft day.
2. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds — The Canadian Crusher is skyrocketing up draft boards this spring. He hit .337 last year with 14 home runs in just 111 games. Votto is only two years removed from 37 home runs and 113 RBIs, so expect a bounce back season from the 29-year old.
1. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels
Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels — Pujols got off to a slow start last year, as he didn’t hit a home run through his first 139 at-bats. However, he eventually figured things out and still finished with 30 home runs and 105 RBIs. Pujols has played in at least 143 games in 12 straight seasons and has hit at least 30 home runs each year. There is no fantasy first basemen more automatic than The Machine.
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