We had some real talent breakout at first base in 2025.

The most obvious breakout was that of Nick Kurtz, the number four pick in the 2024 First Year Player Draft and the now reigning American League Rookie of the Year, who had an even better debut season than I think anyone could have predicted. His 36 home runs tied Joe Abreu for eighth most by a rookie and the second most by an Athletics rookie, behind only Mark McGwire’s 49 back in 1987. He wasn’t the only A’s first base eligible breakout, though, as Tyler Soderstrom put up a heck of a season himself. He hit 25 home runs, stole eight bases, had an .820 OPS and generated a 125 wRC+ while spending roughly two-thirds of the season playing and learning a new position (left field) that he had never played professionally. Ben Rice broke out for the Yankees, Josh Naylor had a career year split between the Diamondbacks and Mariners (and earned a fat contract for it), Michael Busch had his best year yet in a Cubs uniform, Vinnie Pasquantino finally had his power breakout and Kyle Manzardo hit 27 bombs for the Guardians. The old guys kept it up as well, with Salvador Perez hitting 30 homers and driving in 100 base runners, Matt Olson hit 29 home runs, Freddie Freeman continued to produce at the age of 36 and Willson Contreras had a very solid first season as a full time first baseman.

We might see a few more first base breakouts this upcoming season, with Bryce Eldridge and Sal Stewart getting the opportunity to start the season with their respective big league clubs, and the possibility that one of the Rays top prospect first baseman (Xavier Isaac & Tre’ Morgan) might get the call as well.

Where ever you look for a first baseman, you will find power and production, since they had the highest rate of 20-plus home run hitters (based on qualified batters) of any position.

Stats are from 2025; Age is the player’s age on opening day

The reigning American League Rookie of the Year is our new #1 dynasty fantasy first baseman, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Kurtz took the fantasy world by storm right from the start, hitting four home runs in 50 plate appearances across Single- and Double-A in 2024, shortly after being drafted, and then immediately clubbed his way through Triple-A and into the big leagues in just three weeks. He is the only player under the age of 24 inside the top 10 at the position, with the best combination of power, on-base ability and youth. He has near plus-plus power and an amazing eye at the plate, doesn’t chase a ton of pitches for someone with such a high strikeout rate (22.2% chase rate in 2025) and he makes tons of quality contact based on that 18.3% barrel rate. His biggest problem is making contact with the ball, with both his Triple-A and MLB contact rates settling in at under 70%, but he can still find plenty of success even if he hits just .250 instead of .290. The Athletics lineup is more talented than many in the fantasy community will give them credit for and Kurtz will get to hit in the middle of some big boppers and on-basers, so his counting stats should be decent as well. Peak seasons could see mid-40’s home runs with 180 or more combined runs and RBI, a .370 OBP and an extended run as one of the best fantasy first basemen in the legaue.

Vladito finished the year as the number five fantasy first baseman, generating his fourth season with a wRC+ of 132 or higher in his last five seasons. He has hit at least 23 home runs in each of the last five seasons, has never hit lower than .262 and has posted an OPS of .800 or higher in four of his last five as well. He has one of the lowest strikeout rates in the league and posted the second best walk rate of his career in 2025, with a double-digit walk rate in back to back seasons for the first time in his career. He has elite contact, chase and whiff rates for his position and posts some great power numbers, but he struggles to elevate the ball, which caps his home run ceiling most seasons. The Blue Jays lineup is very talented top to bottom and Vladito has had at least 170 or more combined runs and RBI in each of the last five seasons and should continue to be one of the more prolific producers at the position for many years to come. If we knew he could get to at least the mid-30s in home runs every season, he’d be the number one player at the position for the foreseeable future, but being number two isn’t particularly bad either.

Devers has been incredibly consistent throughout his career, as he has hit at least 27 home runs, scored 84 runs, driven in 83 and generated a wRC+ of 126 in each of the last six (non-Covid) seasons. Though his production did take a slight hit after he was traded to the Giants, he did post a better overall second half than he did his first (140 wRC+ versus 132 wRC+), and Oracle Park did not affect his numbers much, with 11 home runs in 208 plate appearances (two more than at Fenway in just 32 more plate appearances) and a 134 wRC+. In the first half of the season, the Giants ranked 21st in runs scored; in the second half, 13th, and this season they will have a full season out of Bryce Eldridge, Matt Chapman will hopefully stay healthy and Willy Adames year-2. This should be an offense that ranks in the top half of the league in runs scored and production and Devers will be a big part of that. He and Willy Adames both his 30+ home runs last year and Adames’ numbers took off with Devers batting behind him, so a full year of this duo will be a boon for both. Devers’ productive run as one of the best offensive corner infielders will continue, just at a new position for a full year.

Alonso, “The Polar Bear”, has taken his talents to Camden Yards, departing the only home he’s known in the big leagues, in Queens. He brings some much needed power to an Orioles lineup that didn’t have a single 20 homer hitter in 2025. He will settle into the middle of a young, talented, but unproven lineup, hitting behind former AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson and in front of once can’t-miss producer Adley Rutschman and should have no problem continuing to blast out 34 or more homers a season with decent counting stats. He has hit 34 or more home runs in every single full (non-Covid) season of his career, with at least 81 runs and 88 RBI in every season, plus a wRC+ of 121 or higher. He doesn’t strike out a ton for a big man, though his walk rate is a tad lower than you would like for a power hitter, but he makes plenty of quality (18.9% barrel rate in 2025) contact (77%), has his obvious elite power (54.4% hard hit rate, career high 93.5 MPH average exit velocity) and elevates the ball well enough (0.89 GB:FB for his career), that he should be able to continue this kind of production well into his mid-30s. He has stayed remarkably healthy for his career, earning at least 637 plate appearances in every non-Covid season of his career. He will continue to make appearances among the top five at his position for the foreseeable future.

Naylor had a career year in 2025, fueled by 30 stolen bases that easily led all first basemen, a .295 batting average (one of eight first basemen to hit .290 or higher with at least 400 plate appearances) and an .815 OPS. The Mariners rewarded him with a 5-year, $92.5 million deal, keeping him in town through 2030. Though his barrel rate has generally been between 7-8% for his career, it dropped to 6.6% last year, though he had a 44.8% hard hit rate in a Mariners uniform, which would have been the highest of his career over a full year. He performed better overall for Seattle than he did Arizona, showcasing more power and stealing more bases in fewer plate appearances, but he also walked less, struck out more and made worse swing decisions (his chase rate was nearly five points worse, contact was two points worse and his whiff one-and-a-half points worse). He has a pretty safe fantasy floor, with double-digit home runs locked in, 170 or more runs and RBI combined and a more-than-okay batting average, to go along with probably 10 or more stolen bases so long as he is in Seattle (they stole more bases than 19 teams ATTEMPTED to steal; only two teams attempted more stolen bases), and should be locked in as a top-5 to -8 dynasty first baseman for the next few seasons.

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• About the Author
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Anthony Kates

I’m a husband, father and fantasy sports fanatic. I’ve been playing some fantasy sport or other since the fall of 1996, thanks to one of my childhood best friends, Brent. I enjoy watching all major sports, reading fantasy novels, watching TV shows and movies, playing video games and writing about fantasy baseball. I started at Sports Ethos in 2023, just writing one article a week and cutting my teeth in fantasy sports writing and I am now a co-lead of the Fantasy Baseball department, co-host of the Fantasy MLB Today podcast and the author of two weekly articles, our dynasty baseball rankings and a handful of random articles a year. I support the Houston Astros, Dallas Mavericks, Tennessee Titans and all things Texas Longhorns.

• AK Dynasty 300 Rankings: Second Base
• AK Dynasty 300 Rankings: First Base
• AK Dynasty 300 Rankings: Catcher