Cody Bellinger. Freddie Freeman. Paul Goldschmidt. Anthony Rizzo. Joey Votto. It’s safe to say that first base in the National League is a stacked position. Not even mentioned with those five guys are players such as Eric Hosmer, Carlos Santana, and Ryan Zimmerman.

So ranking the projected National League starting first basemen was not an easy task, but here it is. Many of the players can seem as interchangeable at the top and middle.

To see the projected American League starting catcher rankings, click here.

To see the projected National League starting catcher rankings, click here.

To see the projected American League starting first basemen rankings, click here.

1. Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks

  • 2017 stats: 665 PA, .297 BA, .966 OPS, 36 HR, 34 2B, 3 3B, 120 RBIs, 117 R, 18 SB

Goldschmidt finished third in National League MVP voting last year (finished second in 2013 & 2015), won his third Gold Glove, and won his third Silver Slugger. He had over a .400 on-base percentage for the fourth time in his six full seasons and steals bases more so than any other first baseman with 71 in the last three years.

2. Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds

  • 2017 stats: 707 PA, .320 BA, 1.032 OPS, 36 HR, 34 2B, 1 3B, 100 RBIs, 106 R, 5 SB

The 2010 National League MVP finished as the runner-up last year.

His .454 on-base percentage led the league which he has done six times in the last eight years. Votto's 36 homers last season were just one shy of his career-high accomplished in his MVP year.

3. Anthony Rizzo - Chicago Cubs

  • 2017 stats: 691 PA, .273 BA, .899 OPS, 32 HR, 32 2B, 3 3B, 109 RBIs, 99 R, 10 SB

The 28-year-old was 13th in National League MVP voting this past year after finishing the two previous seasons fourth.

Amazingly, Rizzo has hit exactly 32 home runs in three of the last four years, missing that number by one with 31 in 2015.

4. Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves

  • 2017 stats: 514 PA, .307 BA, .989 OPS, 28 HR, 35 2B, 2 3B, 71 RBIs, 84 R, 8 SB

While the two-time All-Star had an injury that limited him to 117 games, he ended last year with career-bests in on-base percentage (.403) and slugging percentage (.586).

Freeman also cut his strikeout ratio immensely, striking out once per 5.4 plate appearances in 2017 compared to once per 4.1 in 2016.

5. Cody Bellinger - Los Angeles Dodgers

  • 2017 stats: 548 PA, .267 BA, .933 OPS, 39 HR, 26 2B, 4 3B, 97 RBIs, 87 R, 10 SB

Bellinger didn't make his career debut with the Dodgers until last April, but he took the baseball world by storm in winning National League Rookie of the Year while also setting a new National League rookie record with 39 home runs. That superb rookie year also earned him a ninth-place finish in National League MVP voting.

6. Eric Hosmer - San Diego Padres

  • 2017 stats: 671 PA, .318 BA, .882 OPS, 25 HR, 31 2B, 1 3B, 94 RBIs, 98 R, 6 SB

After seven years with the Royals, Hosmer agreed to a huge eight-year, $144 million deal to join the Padres.

He won his fourth Gold Glove and first Silver Slugger in 2017. Last year, he set career-bests in batting average, on-base percentage (.385), slugging percentage (.498), and tied career-highs in home runs and runs.

7. Carlos Santana - Philadelphia Phillies

  • 2017 stats: 667 PA, .259 BA, .818 OPS, 23 HR, 37 2B, 3 3B, 79 RBIs, 90 R, 5 SB

After eight seasons playing for the Indians, Santana joins the Phillies on a three-year, $60 million deal. Turning 32 on April 8, he has averaged 24 home runs, 32 doubles, and 98 walks over the last seven years.

8. Matt Carpenter - St. Louis Cardinals

  • 2017 stats: 622 PA, .241 BA, .835 OPS, 23 HR, 31 2B, 2 3B, 69 RBIs, 91 R, 2 SB

While Carpenter hit a career-low .241 in 2017, he walked a career-high 109 times giving him a .384 on-base percentage.

He led the National League in doubles in both 2013 and 2015 and has hit 72 home runs over the last three years.

9. Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals

  • 2017 stats: 576 PA, .303 BA, .930 OPS, 36 HR, 33 2B, 0 3B, 108 RBIs, 90 R, 0 SB

After struggling through his worst offensive season in 2016, the 33-year-old arguably had his best in 2017. The 13-year veteran reached career-bests in homers and OPS. It remains to be seen if Zimmerman can come close to a repeat season or experience something similar to the two previous years of 2015-16 when he hit just .232 with a .701 OPS.

10. Brandon Belt - San Francisco Giants

  • 2017 stats: 451 PA, .241 BA, .823 OPS, 18 HR, 27 2B, 3 3B, 51 RBIs, 63 R, 3 SB

Belt has hit either 17 or 18 homers in four of the last five seasons.

He hit 18 last year despite playing in just 104 games due to injury. While he hit just .241, drawing walks helped him to a .355 on-base percentage just below his career .358. He also defends his position with the best of them.

11. Justin Bour - Miami Marlins

  • 2017 stats: 429 PA, .289 BA, .902 OPS, 25 HR, 18 2B, 0 3B, 83 RBIs, 52 R, 1 SB

Thr 29-year-old Bour reached career-highs in nearly every offensive category. He finally began to learn how to hit southpaws as well. He hit .259 with an .827 OPS against left-handers in 2017 which upped his career marks to .239 and .684 respectively.

12. Josh Bell - Pittsburgh Pirates

  • 2017 stats: 620 PA, .255 BA, .800 OPS, 26 HR, 26 2B, 6 3B, 90 RBIs, 75 R, 2 SB

Bell finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017.

He improved his hitting as the season went along as he hit .274 post-All-Star break and .239 prior to the break. He would like to limit his errors as his 10 were second-most among National League first basemen.

13. Eric Thames - Milwaukee Brewers

  • 2017 stats: 551 PA, .247 BA, .877 OPS, 31 HR, 26 2B, 4 3B, 63 RBIs, 83 R, 4 SB

Thames was a surprising source of power in his first MLB action since 2012 after spending the past few years in the Korean Baseball Organization. He began to wear down as the season went along though. After an incredible April where he hit .345 with 11 homers in 24 games, he went on to bat just .226 with 20 long balls in 114 games the rest of the year.

14. Ryan McMahon - Colorado Rockies

  • 2017 stats: 24 PA, .158 BA, .544 OPS, 0 HR, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0 SB

The 23-year-old McMahon didn’t exactly impress in his first major league action in 2017, but it was only 24 plate appearances. He raked at AAA last year hitting .374 with 14 home runs and 23 doubles in 70 games. Baseball America has him as the 63rd-ranked prospect heading into the season.

15. Adrian Gonzalez - New York Mets

  • 2017 stats: 252 PA, .242 BA, .642 OPS, 3 HR, 17 2B, 0 3B, 30 RBIs, 14 R, 0 SB

Gonzalez, who turns 36 on May 8, was a complete non-factor for the Dodgers in 2017. The player who hit .292 from 2006-16 while averaging 27 homers per year exhibited none of his previous power. The four-time Gold Glove winner also isn’t the fielder he once was.
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