X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Mid-Season Fantasy Baseball First Base Dynasty Rankings, Prospect Rankings, Buys, and Sells (2025)

Nick Kurtz - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eric Cross provides his 2025 fantasy baseball prospect and dynasty rankings for the first base position and discusses 1B to buy or sell for the second half.

After going over the always-changing catcher landscape to start this mid-season dynasty and prospect rankings series, we shift over to the first base position, which has also seen a bit of a shake-up this season.

The older veterans have either been hurt or simply not as stellar as in years past. We've also had several breakouts at this position this season, and two notable top prospects have debuted. Some of those breakouts have sustained their early-season surge, while others have fallen off. This has all made for an interesting shakeup in the rankings at this position, especially near the top.

Below you'll find my current Top 20 dynasty rankings and Top 15 prospect rankings for the first base position, along with thoughts on several notable players, their values moving forward, and whether to buy, sell, or hold right now.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

First Base Dynasty Rankings

Rank Player Team Age
1 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR 26
2 Pete Alonso NYM 30
3 Nick Kurtz ATH 22
4 Bryce Harper PHI 32
5 Matt Olson ATL 31
6 Josh Naylor ARI 28
7 Freddie Freeman LAD 35
8 Jonathan Aranda TBR 27
9 Vinnie Pasquantino KCR 27
10 Jac Caglianone KCR 22
11 Samuel Basallo BAL 20
12 Michael Busch CHC 27
13 Tyler Soderstrom ATH 23
14 Isaac Paredes HOU 26
15 Bryce Eldridge SFG 20
16 Spencer Torkelson DET 25
17 Alec Bohm PHI 28
18 Ben Rice NYY 26
19 Josue Briceno DET 20
20 Spencer Steer CIN 27

Tier 1: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Tier 2: Pete Alonso, Nick Kurtz, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson

Tier 3: Josh Naylor, Freddie Freeman, Jonathan Aranda

Tier 4: Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone, Samuel Basallo, Michael Busch, Tyler Soderstrom

Tier 5: Bryce Eldridge, Spencer Torkelson, Alec Bohm, Ben Rice, Josue Briceño, Spencer Steer

 

First Base Prospect Rankings

Rank Player Team Age ETA
1 Samuel Basallo BAL 20 2025
2 Jac Caglianone KCR 22 Debuted
3 Josue Briceno DET 20 2026
4 Bryce Eldridge SFG 20 2025
5 Cam Collier CIN 20 2026
6 Jonathon Long CHC 23 2025
7 Jared Thomas COL 22 2026
8 C.J. Kayfus CLE 23 2025
9 Luke Adams MIL 21 2026
10 Tre' Morgan TBR 23 2026
11 Deyvison De Los Santos MIA 22 2025
12 Tyler Black MIL 24 Debuted
13 Esmerlyn Valdez PIT 21 2026
14 Tyler Locklear SEA 24 Debuted
15 Xavier Isaac TBR 21 2026

Tier 1: Samuel Basallo, Jac Caglianone

Tier 2: Josue Briceño, Bryce Eldridge

Tier 3: Cam Collier, Jonathon Long, Jared Thomas, C.J. Kayfus, Luke Adams

Tier 4: Tre' Morgan, Deyvison De Los Santos, Tyler Black, Esmerlyn Valdez, Tyler Locklear, Xavier Isaac

 

First Basemen to Buy/Sell/Hold

Nick Kurtz, Athletics (Buy/Hold)

It's obviously going to take a pretty penny to acquire Nick Kurtz right now, but this is one of the rare times when I recommend buying high in dynasty leagues. Pay the price. Kurtz is worth it. After a slower start to his Major League career, Kurtz has been a force at the plate, cranking 16 home runs in his last 35 games with a 38 RBI, 27 runs scored, and a .287/.376/.713 slash line.

While the strikeout rate is still above 30% and the zone and overall contact rates are below average, all three metrics are trending in the right direction as Kurtz has an 80% zone contact rate and 69% overall contact rate over his last 35 games. Even if he's never more than a fringe-average contact guy, Kurtz's elite quality of contact metrics could allow him to settle in as one of the league's premier power bats.

In his 235 plate appearances so far, Kurtz has recorded a 16.8% barrel rate, 92.4 mph AVG EV, and a 50.4% hard-hit rate. If the contact rate can tick up a bit more, it's not unfathomable to say that Kurtz could steal the first base crown from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the next year or two.

Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals (Buy/Hold)

Jac Caglianone and Kurtz have trended in different directions over the last several weeks. While Kurtz has been dominating, Caglianone has struggled to the tune of a .140/.196/.264 slash line with four home runs in 138 plate appearances. It's not all bad, though.

Yes, the surface stats have been extremely disappointing, but Caglianone does have a .259 xBA and .462 xSLG right now. I'm not sure what he did to irritate Lady Luck, but Cags is running a .147 BABIP in the Majors. That's easily the lowest mark among the 221 hitters with at least 100 plate appearances since June 1st, with the next lowest being Matt Shaw at .176.

As expected, Caglianone has been hitting the ball hard so far with an 89.1 mph AVG EV, 11.1% barrel rate, and a 42.4% hard-hit rate. He's also done a nice job of keeping his strikeout rate in check at 21.7% while posting a solid 84.3% zone and 72.2% overall contact rate.

However, the major red flag with Caglianone right now and throughout his entire collegiate and professional career has been his aggressive approach at the plate. In the Majors, Caglianone has chased at an alarming 39% clip while walking just 4.3% of the time.

Caglianone is still only 22 and has time to improve his approach and become more patient moving forward. But even if Cags is always a high chase/low walk player, the decent contact skills and elite power could still allow him to be a productive hitter in the .250+/30+ mold. He's a hold if you have him, and I'd even look to buy low if his price tag has come down in your league.

Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs (Hold)

It feels like the season Michael Busch has had isn't being talked about enough. In 341 plate appearances so far, Busch has slashed an impressive .290/.375/.550 with 19 home runs, 59 RBI, and 45 runs scored. Among the 27 qualified first basemen this season, Busch ranks third in home runs, 11th in runs, fourth in RBI, 10th in walk rate, fifth in AVG, fifth in OBP, and 1st in SLG, wOBA, and wRC+. Not too shabby.

I'm 100% buying the Busch breakout. After having solid quality of contact metrics in 2024, he's ascended to another level in the power department this season with a 16.1% barrel rate, 91.7 mph AVG EV, and a 47.5% hard-hit rate. Busch's .587 xSLG ranks eighth-best in all of baseball so far, and his xwOBA on contact is in the top 6% of hitters.

Not only has Busch improved his quality of contact metrics, but he's also trimmed his strikeout rate from 28.6% to 22.6% while improving his zone contact rate from 79.6% to 84.4% and his overall contact rate from 71.6% to 75.6%.

Busch is now an above-average contact bat with the power to be an annual 30-home run bat while playing in a good lineup and a hitter-friendly home park. I'm a firm believer that Busch is here to stay as a Top-10 dynasty first baseman for the next several seasons.

Xavier Isaac, Tampa Bay Rays (Sell)

You probably noticed that Xavier Isaac barely made my Top-15 first base prospects this month. That's because Isaac has struggled mightily since arriving at the Double-A level last summer. After slashing .211/.346/.349 with a 40.6% strikeout rate in 31 games last season in Double-A, Isaac has slashed just .201/.366/.446 with a 29.7% strikeout rate in 41 games this season.

"But Eric, that's still an OPS of .812!"

Yes, it is. But at this point, the red flags outweigh the green flags when it comes to targeting Isaac in dynasty leagues. In addition to having a 34.4% strikeout rate overall, Isaac had a contact rate around 55% last season and 62% this season at the Double-A level. It's not like he was making a ton of contact in Single-A either, as he had a sub-70% contact rate in 2023 and around 61% before getting the bump to Double-A.

With Isaac, the raw power and ability to draw walks at a high clip still make him somewhat intriguing, but those contact rates simply aren't going to cut it at the Major League level. Given how high the perceived value still seems to be, Isaac is a solid sell right now.

Jonathon Long, Chicago Cubs

If you've followed my Top 25 prospects to stash rankings each week this season here on RotoBaller, you'll probably know that I'm quite high on Chicago Cubs first base prospect, Jonathon Long. In 88 games for Triple-A Iowa this season, Long has slashed an impressive .323/.401/.514 with 16 doubles and 14 home runs.

Long has displayed a solid blend of contact, approach, and power this season, posting an 11% walk rate, 19.6% strikeout rate, 51% hard-hit rate, 91.7 mph AVG EV, 11.2% barrel rate, 77.3% overall contact rate, and an 85% zone contact rate. He's become one of the most underrated Top-100 caliber prospects in the game and is a great value target in dynasty leagues right now before he debuts.

Whether that debut comes with the Cubs or another team, if he's traded at the deadline remains to be seen. But the bat is legit here, and I'm trying to scoop up as many Long shares as I can in dynasty leagues.

Luke Adams and Jared Thomas are also strong buys for me on the prospect side of this position.

More Fantasy Baseball Advice



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!






POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
AJ Allmendinger

Still Seeking First Top-10 Finish at Darlington
Chase Elliott

Likely Won't Factor for the Win at Darlington
Joey Logano

Might Focus More on Playoff Races
Chris Buescher

Missing Playoffs Allows Chris Buescher to Potentially Go All Out at Darlington
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Qualifies Too Well for DFS Consideration
Austin Dillon

Earns Best Qualifying Result at Darlington
Kyle Busch

Downturn in Speed This Year Makes Him a Worse DFS Option
Carson Hocevar

Should Run Better at Darlington Than the Numbers Predict
Ryan Preece

a Low-key Strong DFS Option at Darlington After His Speed in the Spring
Michael McDowell

Don't Expect Much From Michael McDowell
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. has Struggled at Darlington
Aroldis Chapman

Agrees to Contract Extension
Juan Soto

Homers Twice in Loss
Nick Kurtz

Avoids Serious Injury
MacKenzie Gore

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Reaches 25-Homer, 25-Steal Milestone
Chris Sale

Activated on Saturday
Dansby Swanson

Homers Twice, Drives in Six in Win
Nick Kurtz

Leaves Game With Oblique Soreness
Joe Burrow

Bengals Feel Joe Burrow Just had "the Best Training Camp of his Career"
Randy Rodríguez

Tommy John Surgery Recommended for Randy Rodriguez
Corey Seager

Placed on Injured List
Jackson Chourio

to Return From Injured List on Saturday
Jordan Lawlar

Diamondbacks Set to Promote Jordan Lawlar
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain
Xander Bogaerts

Suffers Foot Fracture, Set to Hit Injured List
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Leads Serbia to a Win
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Shines Versus Portugal
De'Von Achane

Should be Ready for Week 1
Jose Alvarado

"Good" After Recent Fall
Alec Burleson

Lands on Injured List With Wrist Inflammation
Emmanuel Clase

Luis L. Ortiz to Remain On Leave for Rest of Season
Kyle Schwarber

has Historic Performance in Rout of Braves
Boston Red Sox

Payton Tolle Expected to Make Debut on Friday
Green Bay Packers

Packers Acquire Micah Parsons, Sign him to Four-Year Extension
Jauan Jennings

Remains Sidelined at Practice
Corey Seager

Undergoing Appendectomy on Thursday
Chris Godwin

to Miss First Month of Season, Possibly More
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering Return to College
A.J. Brown

Returns to Practice, Expected to Play in Week 1
Jaylen Wright

Undergoes Surgery, Could be Back "Septemberish"
Tyreek Hill

on Track to Play in Week 1
Kyren Williams

to See Reduced Workload?
Jayden Reed

Dealing with Jones Fracture in Left Foot
Lauri Markkanen

Torches Sweden
Neemias Queta

Dominates in EuroBasket Opener
Kawhi Leonard

Clippers Not Allowing Kawhi Leonard to Play Back-to-Backs
Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks Looking to Trade Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Tyrese Haliburton

Expects to Return in 15 Months
Malik Nabers

Expected to be Full-Go for Week 1
Freddie Freeman

Out Wednesday With Neck Stinger
Alejandro Kirk

Avoids Major Injury, Remains Out on Wednesday
Travis Hunter

Back at Practice, Will be Ready for Week 1
Luis Robert Jr.

Could Miss the Rest of the Season
De'Von Achane

Not Practicing on Wednesday
Rashee Rice

Accepting Six-Game Suspension to Begin the Year
Kyle Hamilton

Ravens, Kyle Hamilton Finalizing Four-Year Extension
Rashee Rice

NFL Aiming to Place Six-Game Suspension on Rashee Rice
De'Von Achane

Dolphins GM Says De'Von Achane Will be Ready for Week 1
Joe Mixon

Texans GM: "We'll See" if Joe Mixon Plays in 2025
Adam Thielen

Traded to the Vikings
Terance Mann

Confident About Having a Big Year in Brooklyn
Zaccharie Risacher

Aims to Improve Ball-Handling Skills
NBA

Pistons And Timberwolves Join Race for Malik Beasley
John Tonje

Signs Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Max Strus

to Miss 3-4 Months After Surgery
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Still Expect Micah Parsons to Play in Week 1
Nikola Jović

Heat Have High Hopes for Nikola Jovic
Golden State Warriors

Cody Martin Drawing Interest From Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves Interested in Reunion With Bones Hyland
Kylor Kelley

Joins Lakers
Colin Castleton

Links Up With Magic
NHL

Jan Rutta Lands in Switzerland
Kirby Dach

Skates on Monday
COL

Tyson Barrie Retires From NHL

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP