Every MLB Franchise's Greatest First Baseman of the Last 25 Years

Welcome to Bleacher Report's newest series highlighting the best and brightest for every MLB franchise at each position over the last 25 years!

Up next, the first basemen.

While there are a handful of no-brainer selections, such as Joey Votto for the Cincinnati Reds, Todd Helton for the Colorado Rockies, and Albert Pujols for the St. Louis Cardinals, most of the picks required at least some level of debate.

Since we're focusing on the last 25 years, only statistics compiled since the start of the 2000 season were eligible for consideration. That meant someone like slugger Jim Thome, who was still active during the 2000s but well past his prime, does not get credit for his entire career body of work—only what he did from 2000 forward.

Offense, defense, individual accolades, and postseason success were all factors in determining each team's best third baseman. In a tight race, peak production was valued over a larger, less impressive body of work.

Let the debate begin!

Catch up on the Greatest of the Last 25 Years series: Shortstop, Third Basemen

Stats: 1,092 G, 145 OPS+, .297/.398/.532, 495 XBH (209 HR), 710 RBI, 124 SB

WAR: 39.9 (5.9 per 162 games)

An eighth-round pick out of Texas State in 2009, Paul Goldschmidt developed into the best homegrown player in D-backs history during his eight seasons with the team.

He made six straight All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves and finished runner-up in NL MVP balloting twice, including a 2013 season where he led the NL in OPS+ (160), home runs (36), RBI (125) and total bases (332).

Honorable Mention: Christian Walker

Stats: 389 G, 171 OPS+, .308/.448/.594, 184 XBH (92 HR), 297 RBI, 4 SB

WAR: 16.6 (6.9 per 162 games)

The first five seasons of Jason Giambi's career came before the 2000 cut line, but he did enough during the 2000 and 2001 seasons before departing in free agency to be the Athletics' pick.

• 2000: 187 OPS+, .333/.476/.647, 43 HR, 137 RBI, 7.8 WAR, AL MVP
• 2001: 199 OPS+, .342/.477/.660, 38 HR, 120 RBI, 9.2 WAR

He is one of three players to appear on this list for multiple teams, so go ahead and start guessing who the other two will be now.

Honorable Mention: Matt Olson, Daric Barton, Scott Hatteberg

Stats: 1,565 G, 138 OPS+, .295/.384/.509, 663 XBH (271 HR), 941 RBI, 53 SB

WAR: 43.3 (4.5 per 162 games)

Freddie Freeman made his MLB debut a few days before his 21st birthday in 2010, and he quickly developed into a franchise cornerstone and long-term building block for the Braves as they transitioned from rebuilding to contending.

He won NL MVP during the shortened 2020 season, and that was one of six times he finished in the top 10 in balloting during his 12 seasons in Atlanta. He won a ring during his contract year in 2021, going 7-for-22 with two home runs in the World Series before departing in free agency.

Honorable Mention: Matt Olson, Adam LaRoche

Stats: 1,151 G, 109 OPS+, .230/.318/.459, 433 XBH (253 HR), 656 RBI, 15 SB

WAR: 12.1 (1.7 per 162 games)

Before signing a seven-year, $161 million deal that would become one of the worst contracts in MLB history, Chris Davis was one of the most feared sluggers in baseball.

He had four 30-homer seasons with the Orioles, including an MVP-caliber performance in 2013, when he posted a 168 OPS+ with 42 doubles, 53 home runs, and 138 RBI in a 7.1-WAR season.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Mountcastle

Stats: 953 G, 126 OPS+, .287/.388/.487, 389 XBH (133 HR), 564 RBI, 26 SB

WAR: 31.3 (5.3 per 162 games)

An on-base machine with one of the weirder batting stances in recent memory, Kevin Youkilis enjoyed a brief but memorable peak with the Red Sox where he was a bona fide MVP candidate.

• 2008: 144 OPS+, .312/.390/.569, 76 XBH (29 HR), 115 RBI, 6.3 WAR
• 2009: 146 OPS+, .305/.413/.548, 64 XBH (27 HR), 94 RBI, 6.6 WAR
• 2010: 157 OPS+, .307/.411/.564, 50 XBH (19 HR), 62 RBI, 5.4 WAR

He won a ring as a rookie in 2004 and was a key contributor three years later when the Red Sox hoisted another World Series trophy. He did not become an everyday player until his age-27 season, which ultimately limited his career numbers, but at his best, he was an impact player.

Honorable Mention: Mike Napoli, Adrián González, Kevin Millar, Mitch Moreland

Stats: 1,308 G, 130 OPS+, .272/.372/.489, 538 XBH (242 HR), 784 RBI, 62 SB

WAR: 36.7 (4.5 per 162 games)

One of the first moves Theo Epstein made after taking control of the Cubs front office was to acquire Anthony Rizzo—a player he had previously drafted during his time in the Red Sox organization—from the Padres in exchange for pitcher Andrew Cashner.

Rizzo played on three straight last-place teams before the Cubs finally broke through in 2015 and then won a World Series in 2016, serving as a true building block in the early stages of their rebuild. He was a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and logged four straight 30-homer seasons at his peak.

Honorable Mention: Derrek Lee

Stats: 2,126 G, 120 OPS+, .280/.356/.490, 787 XBH (408 HR), 1,302 RBI, 8 SB

WAR: 26.9 (2.0 per 162 games)

Paul Konerko was one of the most consistent run producers in baseball throughout his 16-year tenure with the White Sox. While he might not have had the same peak-level performance as José Abreu, who won the 2020 AL MVP award, his full body of work earns him the nod by the narrowest of margins.

His 432 home runs in a White Sox uniform rank second only to Frank Thomas's in franchise history. He also logged seven 30-homer seasons with the South Siders. His grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series also stands as one of the most memorable moments in team history.

Honorable Mention: José Abreu

Stats: 2,056 G, 144 OPS+, .294/.409/.511, 837 XBH (356 HR), 1,144 RBI, 80 SB

WAR: 64.5 (5.1 per 162 games)

With all due respect to three-time All-Star Sean Casey who was one of my favorite players growing up, Joey Votto as the pick for the Reds might have been the easiest choice of any team on this list.

The future Hall of Famer was a six-time All-Star in 17 seasons in Cincinnati, leading the league in walks five times and on-base percentage seven times. His .409 career on-base percentage is good for 42nd all-time, and he also has 2010 NL MVP honors and five other top-10 finishes in the voting on his resume.

Honorable Mention: Sean Casey

Stats: 1,334 G, 121 OPS+, .251/.368/.450, 503 XBH (216 HR), 710 RBI, 44 SB

WAR: 29.8 (3.6 per 162 games)

Cleveland acquired a young Carlos Santana from the Dodgers at the 2008 trade deadline in exchange for Casey Blake, and he made his MLB debut two years later, quickly emerging as an offensive force while starting his career at catcher before shifting to first base.

With 30-homer power and elite on-base skills, he was one of the most underrated offensive players in baseball throughout his prime, receiving MVP votes just twice and never finishing higher than 15th in the balloting. He is set to begin his third stint in Cleveland in 2025 after signing a one-year, $12 million deal in December to replace Josh Naylor.

Honorable Mention: Jim Thome, Josh Naylor, Ben Broussard

Stats: 1,901 G, 135 OPS+, .317/.419/.536, 848 XBH (304 HR), 1,185 RBI, 27 SB

WAR: 55.9 (4.8 per 162 games)

Todd Helton had big shoes to fill when he first became an everyday player in 1998, replacing franchise icon Andres Galarraga who left to join the Braves in free agency.

A decade later, he was coming down the homestretch of a Hall of Fame career that would make him arguably the greatest player in franchise history. A 40-homer slugger at his peak, Helton made a run at a .400 batting average in 2000, finishing with a .372/.463/.698 line. Helton continued to hit for a high average while serving as a veteran leader into his late 30s.

Honorable Mention: C.J. Cron

Stats: 2,077 G, 140 OPS+, .304/.380/.510, 824 XBH (373 HR), 1,358 RBI, 23 SB

WAR: 48.9 (3.8 per 162 games)

Aside from the two seasons he spent at third base while Prince Fielder was playing first base, Miguel Cabrera spent most of his tenure with the Tigers as a first baseman before shifting to designated hitter late in his career.

He won four batting titles in a span of five years at his peak and took home back-to-back AL MVP awards in 2012 and 2013, becoming the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown in 2012. Over his first nine seasons in Detroit, he hit .325/.404/.573 for a 161 OPS+ while averaging 38 doubles, 34 home runs, 114 RBI and 5.7 WAR.

Honorable Mention: Prince Fielder

Stats: 833 G, 133 OPS+, .285/.394/.534, 371 XBH (186 HR), 568 RBI, 44 SB

WAR: 23.0 (4.5 per 162 games)

Jeff Bagwell built his Hall of Fame resume during the 1990s when he was one of the most feared sluggers in baseball, but he still had a few prime seasons left in the tank when the calendar flipped to 2000.

During the first four years of the new millennium, he hit .292/.399/.557 for a 139 OPS+ while averaging 35 doubles, 39 home runs, 115 RBI, 120 runs scored and 4.7 WAR. That run included a pair of 5-WAR seasons and a career-high 47 home runs in 2000.

Honorable Mention: Yuli Gurriel

Stats: 902 G, 125 OPS+, .304/.375/.507, 376 XBH (156 HR), 645 RBI, 38 SB

WAR: 18.8 (3.4 per 162 games)

Originally drafted and developed as a catcher, Mike Sweeney shifted to first base in 1999 when he first became an everyday player, and in 2000 he kicked off a stretch where he made five All-Star teams in a span of six years.

During that stretch, he hit .312/.383/.522 for a 130 OPS+ while averaging 31 doubles, 24 home runs and 96 RBI slotted in the middle of some bad Royals lineups. He played just 306 games after his age-31 season, and he didn't become an everyday player until he was 25, but in between he was a well-rounded offensive threat and the best player on the Kansas City roster.

Honorable Mention: Eric Hosmer

Stats: 1,181 G, 108 OPS+, .256/.311/.447, 437 XBH (222 HR), 783 RBI, 31 SB

WAR: 12.7 (1.7 per 162 games)

Albert Pujols ended up being a bust for the Angels relative to the 10-year, $254 million contract he signed, but he was also far and away the team's most productive first baseman over the last 25 years.

Over the first five years of that contract, he posted a 123 OPS+ and averaged 29 home runs and 98 RBI, including the seventh and final 40-homer season of his career in 2015 when he also made his lone All-Star appearance in an Angels uniform.

Honorable Mention: Mark Trumbo, Kendrys Morales, Scott Spiezio

Stats: 467 G, 155 OPS+, .314/.399/.520, 219 XBH (72 HR), 291 RBI, 45 SB

WAR: 17.4 (6.0 per 162 games)

Max Muncy (third base) and Cody Bellinger (outfield) both spent more time at other positions than they did at first base, leaving Freddie Freeman as a fairly easy choice for the top spot despite his still brief tenure with the Dodgers.

He is three years into his six-year, $162 million contract, but he has already made a significant impact on the franchise. In last year's Fall Classic, he went 6-for-20 with four home runs and 12 RBI, winning 2024 World Series MVP honors. He has been an All-Star in each of his three seasons with the Dodgers and will spend the coming years adding to what is already a compelling Hall of Fame case.

Honorable Mention: Adrián González, James Loney

Stats: 633 G, 125 OPS+, .276/.368/.495, 244 XBH (107 HR), 323 RBI, 44 SB

WAR: 10.0 (2.6 per 162 games)

Derrek Lee will be inducted into the Chicago Cubs team Hall of Fame later this summer, but before he joined the North Siders, he was one of the primary run producers for a Marlins team that won the 2003 World Series.

Going even further back, he was the key return piece in the deal that sent ace Kevin Brown to the Padres after the team's 1997 World Series win. Over his final four seasons with the Marlins, he logged a 125 OPS+ while averaging 30 doubles, 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 11 steals, and 2.5 WAR.

Honorable Mention: Justin Bour, Mike Jacobs

Stats: 998 G, 143 OPS+, .282/.390/.540, 439 XBH (230 HR), 656 RBI, 16 SB

WAR: 16.8 (2.7 per 162 games)

Prince Fielder was one of baseball's most prolific sluggers throughout his time with the Brewers, and from 2007 through the 2011 season he ranked second in the majors with 200 home runs, trailing only Ryan Howard (204).

More than just an all-or-nothing slugger, he also walked at a 14.4 percent clip and posted a .399 on-base percentage during that five-year span, earning three All-Star selections and winning a pair of Silver Slugger awards along the way.

Honorable Mention: Richie Sexson, Eric Thames

Stats: 1,278 G, 121 OPS+, .278/.347/.485, 526 XBH (221 HR), 860 RBI, 5 SB

WAR: 22.9 (2.9 per 162 games)

Joe Mauer ultimately spent more innings at catcher (7,883.0) than he did at first base (5,136.1), so that's where he will be included in these rankings, leaving Justin Morneau as an easy choice for top honors in Minnesota.

The 2006 AL MVP was a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner, putting together a five-year peak where he hit .298/.372/.528 while tallying 30 home runs three times and 100 RBI four times. Concussions derailed his career in his 30s, but he still stands as the Twins best first baseman since Kent Hrbek.

Honorable Mention: Doug Mientkiewicz

Stats: 846 G, 134 OPS+, .249/.339/.514, 375 XBH (226 HR), 586 RBI, 17 SB

WAR: 19.8 (3.8 per 162 games)

Pete Alonso burst onto the scene with a rookie record 53 home runs in 2019, and he has been one of baseball's most consistent sluggers in the years since. To that point, his 226 long balls over the last six years trail only Aaron Judge (232) among all players during that stretch.

A four-time All-Star, he has averaged 43 home runs and 112 RBI per 162 games over the course of his MLB career, and his 13.9 at-bats per home run is good for ninth on the all-time list and fifth among active players.

Honorable Mention: Lucas Duda, Carlos Delgado, Ike Davis

Stats: 897 G, 143 OPS+, .260/.404/.521, 345 XBH (209 HR), 604 RBI, 9 SB

WAR: 22.0 (4.0 per 162 games)

The Yankees signed Jason Giambi to a seven-year, $120 million deal to replace departing free agent Tino Martinez at first base, and he began his tenure in pinstripes with back-to-back 40-homer, 100-RBI seasons.

Injuries cut his 2004 (80 games) and 2007 (83 games) seasons short, but he remained productive throughout the contract when healthy. He logged three more 30-homer seasons and finished his Yankees tenure with a 143 OPS+ that ranks eighth all-time in the franchise's storied history.

Honorable Mention: Mark Teixeira, Tino Martinez, Luke Voit, Anthony Rizzo

Stats: 1,572 G, 125 OPS+, .258/.343/.515, 680 XBH (382 HR), 1,194 RBI, 12 SB

WAR: 14.7 (1.5 per 162 games)

Trapped behind Jim Thome on the depth chart, Ryan Howard finally got his chance in 2005 when Thome went down with an injury, and he took home NL Rookie of the Year honors while slugging 22 home runs in 88 games.

He followed up that strong debut with a 58-homer, 149-RBI performance that won him NL MVP honors. Over his first six full seasons in the majors, he posted a 139 OPS+ with 262 home runs. Unfortunately, a torn Achilles during the 2011 playoffs proved to be the end of his run as an elite hitter. He batted .226 with a 95 OPS+ and minus-4.8 WAR in 545 games the remainder of his career.

Honorable Mention: Rhys Hoskins, Jim Thome

Stats: 552 G, 116 OPS+, .261/.349/.466, 204 XBH (86 HR), 309 RBI, 4 SB

WAR: 3.0 (0.9 per 162 games)

The Pirates have used 13 different primary first basemen over the last 16 years, and the only player to man the position for more than one season during that stretch was Josh Bell, who finished third in 2017 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

He hit .277/.367/.569 with 37 doubles, 37 home runs and 116 RBI to earn his only All-Star selection in 2019, and that stands as one of the best individual offensive seasons of the last 25 years for the Pirates.

Honorable Mention: Garrett Jones, Adam LaRoche

Stats: 799 G, 141 OPS+, .288/.374/.514, 344 XBH (161 HR), 501 RBI, 1 SB

WAR: 20.4 (4.1 per 162 games)

Adrián González was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft by the Marlins, and he was traded twice before finding success at the MLB level, first joining the Rangers and then going to the Padres in a six-player deal that sent Akinori Otsuka and Adam Eaton the other way.

He played in 799 of 810 games during his five seasons in San Diego, and he averaged 35 doubles, 32 home runs and 100 RBI during that run, peaking in 2009 with a 40-homer, 6.9-WAR campaign. He was traded to the Red Sox before the 2011 season for a prospect package that included a young Anthony Rizzo.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Klesko

Stats: 1,310 G, 123 OPS+, .261/.356/.458, 478 XBH (175 HR), 584 RBI, 47 SB

WAR: 27.7 (3.4 per 162 games)

Due in part to his lack of prototypical power and various injury issues, Brandon Belt might be the most underrated first baseman of the last 25 years.

He only topped 120 games played five times in 12 seasons in San Francisco, but when healthy, his combination of on-base ability, gap power, and defense made him an extremely valuable player. Early in his career, he had three 4-WAR seasons in a span of four years and slugged a career-high 29 home runs in his age-33 season in 2021.

Honorable Mention: J.T. Snow

Stats: 702 G, 121 OPS+, .285/.388/.439, 238 XBH (72 HR), 405 RBI, 3 SB

WAR: 17.1 (3.9 per 162 games)

John Olerud was two teams and 11 seasons into his MLB career when he joined the Mariners for the 2000 season, but he still had plenty left in the tank, tallying 16.6 WAR over his four full seasons with the team.

He won three Gold Gloves with the team and made the second All-Star Game starts of his career in 2001 when he hit .302/.401/.472 with 32 doubles, 21 home runs, 95 RBI and 5.2 WAR, which was good for the fourth-highest total on a record-setting 116-win team.

Honorable Mention: Richie Sexson, Ty France

Stats: 1,814 G, 169 OPS+, .326/.417/.614, 953 XBH (469 HR), 1,397 RBI, 85 SB

WAR: 88.7 (7.9 per 162 games)

With 22.9 WAR and 2022 NL MVP honors during his six seasons in St. Louis, Paul Goldschmidt would have been an easy choice for most teams, but there is really no debate that Albert Pujols is the pick for the Cardinals.

The future Hall of Famer began his MLB career with 10 straight seasons where he batted .300 with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI, winning three NL MVP awards and crushing 408 home runs during one of the most impressive decade stretches of any hitter in MLB history.

Honorable Mention: Paul Goldschmidt

Stats: 726 G, 126 OPS+, .230/.360/.483, 283 XBH (163 HR), 468 RBI, 12 SB

WAR: 18.1 (4.0 per 162 games)

A hyped prospect during his time in the minors, Carlos Peña spent time with the Rangers, Athletics, Tigers and Red Sox before finally breaking out with the Rays in 2007 to kick off a terrific three-year peak.

• 2007: 172 OPS+, 46 HR, 121 RBI, 7.2 WAR, Silver Slugger
• 2008: 129 OPS+, 31 HR, 102 RBI, 5.1 WAR, Gold Glove
• 2009: 133 OPS+, 39 HR, 100 RBI, 3.1 WAR, All-Star

His run as an elite offensive player was a relatively short one, but those still stand as some of the best single-season numbers in Tampa Bay franchise history.

Honorable Mention: Yandy Díaz, Ji-Man Choi

Stats: 693 G, 128 OPS+, .283/.368/.533, 338 XBH (153 HR), 499 RBI, 11 SB

WAR: 21.5 (5.0 per 162 games)

Mark Teixeira was the No. 1 prospect in baseball at the start of the 2003 season, and after finishing fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting that year, he posted a 134 OPS+ while averaging 40 doubles, 38 home runs and 122 RBI over the next three seasons.

With one year of club control remaining, the Rangers flipped him to the Braves at the 2007 trade deadline for a franchise-altering haul of prospect talent that included Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. That deal paved the way for them to reach back-to-back World Series.

Honorable Mention: Rafael Palmeiro, Nathaniel Lowe, Mitch Moreland

Stats: 756 G, 154 OPS+, .296/.419/.578, 378 XBH (187 HR), 591 RBI, 4 SB

WAR: 25.4 (5.4 per 162 games)

Carlos Delgado had already spent parts of seven years in the majors when the 2000s rolled around, including a pair of elite offensive seasons in 1998 and 1999, and removing that production from the equation narrows the gap considerably between him and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

However, Delgado still has a slight edge thanks to his consistent middle-of-the-order production over his final five years in Toronto, including a huge 2000 season where he hit .344/.470/.664 with 57 doubles, 41 home runs, 137 RBI and 7.3 WAR. It's a crime that he went one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Honorable Mention: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lyle Overbay, Justin Smoak

Stats: 487 G, 129 OPS+, .280/.408/.460, 182 XBH (56 HR), 248 RBI, 21 SB

WAR: 11.1 (3.7 per 162 games)

Ryan Zimmerman played far more games at third base in his career before eventually shifting across the diamond, which leaves the Nationals without a clear choice for the top first baseman of the last 25 years.

Nick Johnson was a top prospect in the Yankees organization who joined the then-Expos before the 2004 season in the deal that sent ace Javier Vázquez to the Bronx. He had just one 20-homer season in his career and is often overlooked as a result, but he had elite on-base skills and tallied 8.6 WAR between the 2005 and 2006 seasons when he hit .290/.419/.501 for a 143 OPS+ over 1,175 plate appearances.

Honorable Mention: Adam LaRoche