First Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings for 2027 Drafts: Nick Mariano's Top 40 (November Updates)

November 10, 2026

Nick Mariano's expert first base (1B) fantasy baseball rankings for 2027 drafts. RotoBaller has the industry's #1 accuracy fantasy baseball rankings, projections.

Even though the 2026 season recently concluded, it's never too early to look ahead to 2027. The first base position is potentially deeper than ever, as many of the sport's top hitters occupy it, including Nick Kurtz, Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, Matt Olson, Ben Rice, and others. Today, we focus on the first base position with our updated 2027 fantasy baseball first base rankings and tiers for roto leagues (5x5 category mixed leagues). 

Find out where key first basemen such as Freddie Freeman, Vinnie Pasquantino, Jake Bauers, Curtis Mead, Casey Schmitt, Samuel Basallo, Isaac Paredes, Jonathan Aranda, and others are listed in our rankings.

The first base rankings below are specifically designed for traditional roto leagues, put together by RotoBaller's lead MLB forecaster Nick Mariano. We're also writing fresh articles all throughout the off-season for fantasy baseball prospects, fantasy baseball dynasty, and so much more. Win more in 2027!

Fantasy Baseball First Base 2027 Rankings (November)

Fantasy Baseball First Base (1B) News

Jake Bauers, Milwaukee Brewers

First baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers received a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer from the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Of the eight players who were extended qualifying offers by their respective teams, Bauers is the most surprising.

The 31-year-old left-handed slugger had a strong year in 2026 and definitely played a key role in helping the Brewers capture their first-ever World Series title, but coming into this season, he had never produced more than 12 home runs in a single season in six years in the big leagues.

In 144 games and 578 plate appearances with the Brew Crew during the regular season, Bauers hit .266/.389/.484 with a career-best .874 OPS, 26 home runs, 86 RBI, 93 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. He had a career slash line of .208/.302/.361 at the end of the 2024 season and came close to hanging up his cleats. Bauers tapped into a side we had never seen before this year, walking at a 16.3% clip, with only six qualified hitters having a higher wRC+ than Bauers.

He was named the National League Championship Series MVP and could serve as the Brewers' primary first baseman in 2027 if he accepts the qualifying offer, which he is expected to do.

Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said he is focused on being more aggressive at the plate to regain his pull-side power in 2027, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Busch had a breakout year in 2025, hitting .261 with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, and 78 runs scored across 592 plate appearances.

However, the 28-year-old's numbers regressed across the board in 2026, as he hit .242 with only 20 homers and 77 RBI across 710 plate appearances this past season. Busch's walk rate improved to a career-best 13.0%, but his pull rate fell from 46.8% to 40.0%. Perhaps due to letting the ball travel, Busch's barrel rate plummeted from 17.1% to 9.1%.

If the lefty slugger can regain some of his missing power over the offseason, he would become a much more attractive option for fantasy managers in 2027.

Luis Garcia Jr., New York Yankees

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. could spend time at second base and possibly even third base in 2027, per the Talkin' Yanks podcast. Garcia Jr. appeared exclusively at first base and designated hitter in 2026. He has previous experience at second, but he graded out as one of the worst defenders at the position in the sport in 2025.

Still, New York has a potential logjam at first base/DH between Garcia Jr., Ben Rice, and Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees could also lose incumbent second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to free agency over the offseason. Garcia Jr. had a breakout year at the plate in 2026, slashing .277/.309/.521 with 30 home runs, 92 RBI, 69 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 543 plate appearances split between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals.

If he does regain positional eligibility at second base, his value for fantasy managers would only be improved.

Kyle Stowers, Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said that first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers could see time at both first base and the outfield next year. Stowers was a 2025 Gold Glove finalist in left field, but due to recurring hamstring issues in 2026, his long-term future could be better suited for first base.

The 28-year-old left-handed slugger, a former second-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 from Stanford, was a first-time All-Star in 2025, when he slashed .288/.368/.544 with a .912 OPS, a career-high 25 home runs, 73 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 117 games across 457 plate appearances. Stowers played in a career-high 121 games in 2026 despite his hamstring issues, but he hit just .239 (107-for-447) with 21 home runs and an elevated 31.4% strikeout rate.

He also missed the final four regular-season games due to an abdominal injury. The power from the left side is certainly intriguing, but a lengthy injury history and problems with strikeouts should scare off some fantasy managers in drafts next spring. It could be worth Stowers losing outfield eligibility for him to stay at first base so that he can stay on the field more.

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