Best first basemen since 2020
Best first basemen since 2020
Freddie Freeman is the clear frontrunner, with Matt Olson in second place
The past half-decade has been a great period for Freddie Freeman.
The first baseman, then with Atlanta, launched the five-year span by securing the National League's Most Valuable Player Award for the Covid-shortened 2020 season. He followed up by winning a World Series ring with the Braves in 2021.
Freeman returned to his native California as a free agent in 2022, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. He topped the NL in on-base percentage that year (.407) and in doubles (59) in 2023. He added another world championship to his resumé in the season that ended last month — and, for good measure, was voted the MVP of the World Series.
Freeman dominated his fellow first basemen in offensive output during the 2020-2024 period, as measured by overall base value. His five-year OBV of plus-575 was a full 200 bases better than the total for Matt Olson, who arrived from Oakland to replace Freeman at first base in Atlanta.
Today’s rankings encompass all big-league players who made at least 1,400 plate appearances during the past five seasons — and who spent at least half of their time as first basemen. They’re ranked by OBV, which compares the number of bases they reached (through hits, walks, hit batters, stolen bases, and sacrifices) with the number that an average hitter would have attained under the same circumstances.
Four first basemen posted base values higher than plus-300, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays and Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals following Freeman and Olson.
Look below to see the half-decade’s top 10 first basemen. Each is listed with basic stats for 2020-2024: games, home runs, runs batted in, batting average, and overall base value.
Subscribe — free — to Baseball’s Best (and Worst)
A new installment will arrive in your email upon posting
Top 10 first basemen (2020-2024)
1. Freddie Freeman (G 686, HR 116, RBI 427, BA .313) — OBV +575
2. Matt Olson (G 702, HR 170, RBI 493, BA .255) — OBV +375
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (G 696, HR 145, RBI 438, BA .291) — OBV +359
4. Paul Goldschmidt (G 675, HR 119, RBI 380, BA .282) — OBV +324
5. Pete Alonso (G 685, HR 173, RBI 466, BA .246) — OBV +278
6. Yandy Diaz (G 587, HR 60, RBI 275, BA .292) — OBV +168
7. Christian Walker (G 619, HR 112, RBI 361, BA .251) — OBV +145
8. Nathaniel Lowe (G 636, HR 82, RBI 310, BA .272) — OBV +140
9. Rhys Hoskins (G 435, HR 93, RBI 258, BA .237) — OBV +130
10. C.J. Cron (G 376, HR 73, RBI 239, BA .262) — OBV +101