Ranking the projected 15 starting National League first basemen in 2020

In 2019, Freeman finished eighth in NL MVP voting, his fourth finish in the top-right in the last seven years. Long one of the most dangerous hitters in the league, he posted career-highs last year in home runs (38), RBIs (121), and runs (113). He’s also more than capable at manning his position, taking home a Gold Glove in 2018. MLB.com wrote on how he was pain-free for the first time in the offseason.

What an extraordinary rookie season it was in 2019 for Alonso as he set a new rookie record with 53 home runs. He’s not the most nimble first baseman, but his magical year at the plate helped him win NL Rookie of the Year and finish seventh in NL MVP voting.

Goldschmidt has long been one of the league’s best players, making six All-Star teams, winning four Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and finishing in the top-six in NL MVP voting four times from 2013-18. It shows how good a player he is when last year was considered a down season with numbers including 34 home runs, 97 runs, 97 RBIs, and an .821 OPS.

Few can top Rizzo’s all-around game at his position as he won his third Gold Glove in the last four seasons in 2019. He’s also been consistently good at the plate with a batting average of .294, 179 homers. and a .901 OPS since 2014.

While he’s listed at first base, Muncy has and likely still will spend time at second and third base as well. The 29-year-old has finished 15th in NL MVP voting each of the last two years. Coming out of nowhere in 2018, he has combined to hit 70 homers with a .927 OPS the last two seasons.

It was a marvelous season for Bell in 2019, but also one that saw him fall off considerably. Prior to the All-Star break, he was hitting .302 with a 1.024 OPS. After the All-Star Game, those number fell to .233 and .780 respectively. He somehow made 13 errors as well last year at first base.

It was a bit of a disappointing season in 2019 for Hoskins, although he did lead the NL with 116 walks. The batting average dipped to .226, and it was an atrocious .206 in away games. At least the team got him away from playing left field where he was an unmitigated disaster in 2018.

The 36-year-old Votto remains one of the most patient hitters in the game although his days as an elite hitter seem to be over. The 2010 NL MVP has hit just 27 homers with an .803 OPS over the last two years which is a far cry from the .980 OPS he owned from 2009-17.

Walker made his big league debut in 2014, yet he had just 99 career plate appearances entering last year. Not only did he become Arizona’s everyday first baseman in 2019, but he was also extremely productive. He connected on 29 homers, scored 86 runs, and finished with an .825 OPS.

With the signing of Avisail Garcia, there is no room in the outfield for Braun, and he may share first base duties with Justin Smoak. The 2011 NL MVP can still do damage as the 36-year-old’s .849 OPS in 2019 was his best in the last three seasons.

The 33-year-old Thames rebounded nicely last year after a subpar season in 2018. He hit 25 homers with an .851 OPS in 2019, similar to the 31 home runs and .877 OPS he accumulated in 2017.

While Belt has seen his batting average dwindle in recent years, he has always been a patient hitter who puts up decent on-base numbers. Not including 2014 when he played just 61 games, he has hit between 14-18 homers in each season since 2013.

Murphy wasn’t able to take advantage of his first season in 2019 playing his home games at Coors Field as many predicted due to struggles on the road. The team finally moved him away from second base where he’s been a liability for years, but his offensive numbers ended nowhere near what they were like in 2016-17 with the Nationals.

Coming off a career-best 2017 season with the Royals, Hosmer signed a large eight year, $144 million deal to join San Diego. The 30-year-old has yet to make much of an impact with the Padres, as in his two seasons, he is hitting .259 with a .728 OPS.

The Marlins are hoping that Aguilar can duplicate his success from 2018 in which he was named an All-Star. That season, he hit 35 homers, drove in 108 runs, and had an .890 OPS. Fast forward a year, and that OPS dropped substantially to .714. While large in stature, he’s not a minus in the field.