Ranking the projected starting American League first basemen

Olson (turns 25 on March 29) hit 24 home runs in just 59 games, for the Athletics in 2017. He finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. He didn't quite sustain that level of power last season but still clocked 29 homers and 33 doubles. Excellent glove work at first base earned him his first Gold Glove in 2018.

As Encarnacion ages he isn't quite the fearsome hitter he was a few years back. That doesn't mean he can't do damage anymore though. Last year with the Indians, he hit 32 home runs which is the seventh-straight year that he has at least reached that number. While he's listed as the starting first baseman currently, he has been utilized as a designated hitter far more often in recent years.

Smoak didn't quite duplicate his All-Star season of 2017 when he hit .270 with 38 home runs, but he was still productive, last year, with a .242 average, 25 homers, and 34 doubles. The 32-year-old also draws quite a bit of walks with 156 free passes over the last two seasons. He made just one error in 2018 at first base.

What to make of Cabrera? An all-time great hitter, he cracked just three home runs in 38 games before succumbing to injury last year. He still batted .299, and he won four American League batting crowns from 2011-15. At 35 years old, he could still have a productive season or two left in his Hall of Fame bat.

The past two seasons, the 34-year-old Gurriel has been a high average hitter (.295) who isn't necessarily patient (.327 on-base percentage). Over that time frame, he hit 76 doubles and 31 homers. He exhibits defensive versatility as he has also filled in at third base.

The 31-year-old, Alonso, hit 23 long balls last year for the Indians after hitting 28 in 2017. These past two seasons, he has hit well in excess of the 39 he connected on in 664 games from 2010-16. He's not the most sure-handed first baseman with 20 errors over the last two seasons.

Voit was arguably the most surprising hitter in the league, during the last couple months of the season in 2018, after he was traded to the Yankees. In just 39 games with New York, he hit .333 with 14 homers. Turning 28 on February 13, he had career numbers of a .240 average with five home runs in nearly the same number of at-bats with the Cardinals prior to joining the Yankees. Being a career .314 hitter at Triple-A gives the Yankees full belief that his brief run with the team wasn't a fluke.

The 29-year-old Cron nearly doubled his previous career-high of 16 home runs with 30 last year for the Rays. He also batted a respectable .253 with a solid .816 OPS (career-high). He actually was a designated hitter more often last year as his fielding grades as below-average according to metrics, but Nelson Cruz is likely to be Minnesota's full-time designated hitter this year.

O'Hearn, now 25 years old, got his first taste of the big leagues in 2018. He proved to be an asset for Kansas City hitting .262 with 12 home runs in 44 games. He was never a high-average hitter in the minors although he did show pop in his bat. The team hopes to see improvement in the field as he made five errors during his brief time manning first base in the majors.

Just 23 years old, Bauers had his share of issues during his first MLB season in 2018 with the Rays. He hit just .201 and struck out in 26.8 percent of his plate appearances. His 11 homers and 22 doubles in 323 at-bats suggest a player who can thrive off extra-base hits though. He batted .268 in 184 games at Triple-A which further suggests he will become a better hitter down the road.

Choi provided the Rays with a quality bat last year posting an .877 OPS in 189 plate appearances. He has totaled 17 homers in 317 career at-bats in the big leagues. The 27-year-old was a strong hitter at Triple-A as well posting a .297 average and 35 long balls in 303 games. He started 44 games as Tampa Bay's designated hitter and just one at first base in 2018, but he will become their regular there with Jake Bauers and C.J. Cron no longer on the team.

Moreland will likely platoon with Steve Pearce with the latter receiving more playing time against southpaw starters. After hitting at least 22 home runs in each of his last four seasons played, the 33-year-old dipped to 15 in 2018 to go along with a .245 average. He remains a plus in the field and won a Gold Glove in 2016.

The 30-year-old Bour displayed more patience at the plate last year (73 walks compared to 47 in 2017) but also saw a sharp decrease in his average (.227 compared to .289 in 2017). His 20 homers in 2018 were the third time in the last four years that he has reached that plateau. Quite large in stature (listed at 6'3, 265 lbs.), he isn't the most sure-footed first baseman.

The 24-year-old Guzman made his major league debut last April and ended up playing 123 games for Texas. He ended the year with a .235 average, 16 homers, and 18 doubles. He has a .289 average at Triple-A so there is a good chance that his average in the majors will gradually increase. He has shown above-average range at the first base position.

With four years still left on his monster seven-year, $161 million deal, Davis had one of the worst seasons of all-time in 2018. He hit an anemic .168 with 192 strikeouts and 16 home runs. According to ESPN, his -2.8 WAR last year is the seventh-worst among position players since 1950. Turning 33 on March 17, he previously hit 53 homers in 2013, 47 in 2015, and 38 in 2016.