If you’re talking about positions on the baseball diamond that illustrate peak athletic prowess, first base doesn’t fit the bill. It’s still a tough spot, but it certainly lacks the defensive majesty you may find at other fielding spots. As such, first basemen frequently let their bat do the heavy lifting.
InMLB The Show 24, if you want to have a solid first baseman, you got a torrent of options to choose from. While they likely won’t make flashy plays on the field, many of these players are among the finest hitters in all of Major League Baseball. These ten represent the cream of the crop.
10Josh Naylor
Overall: 82
The Cleveland Guardians of recent years haven’t been a team known for their hitting prowess, as their strength rather comes in the form of elite pitching development. Still, that isn’t to say the Guardians haven’t boasted a few noteworthy bats in the preceding seasons.
Known equally for both his on-field intensity and impressive pop, Josh Naylor sports an 82 overall in MLB The Show 24. A mix of contact, power, and superb plate vision, Naylor may not be the most commanding first basemen in the game, but he is certainly a solid player.
9Ryan Mountcastle
The Orioles were undeniably one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. They may not have won it all in October, but their 101-61 record is unquestionably remarkable, especially when you consider the team is made up of predominately young players.
At twenty-seven years of Ryan Mountcastle is one of the “veterans” on the O’s, but he is not overshadowed. With an 82 overall, Mountcastle excels against left-handed pitching, making him a highly valuable hitter if you plan to go against some of the game’s most dominant southpaws.
8Yandy Diaz
Overall: 88
Despite persistently being near the bottom of the league in terms of payroll, the Tampa Bay Rays have continued to showcase supremely talented ball players, many of whom spring up from out of the blue. Their man at first base is a gleaming illustration of this.
Yandy Diaz claims an 88 overall rating in MLB The Show 24. After a breakout 2023 season, Diaz hopes to maintain his momentum in both real life and the video game world on the back of his extraordinary contact skills and keen plate discipline.
7Christian Walker
If you were to note the strongest power bats in the MLB, there are several names that spring to mind first and foremost. If you were to go down the list of players, you might be confounded at some of the batsmen dotting the leaderboard.
One unforeseen presence is that of Arizona Diamondbacks’s slugger Christian Walker. His 88 overall is principally driven by his eminent power. Even if Walker is far from exceptional in most other categories, hisability to launch baseballswith reckless abandon makes him worth for your squad.
6Vladmir Guerrero Jr.
Overall: 90
The history of MLB The Show covers athletes absolutely has more than a few controversial choices. When Vladmir Guerrero Jr. was revealed as the cover star for MLB The Show 24, it raised a few eyebrows; however, even if he’s not MVP caliber, his still one strikingly proficient hitter.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger earned a substantial 90 overall in his year as the mascot for San Diego Studio’s annual baseball series. What Guerrero Jr. lacks in speed and defense, he more than makes up for in the contact and power department.
5Pete Alonso
From his strange pre-home run derby ritual, aloof attitude, and sometimes weird post-game comments, Pete Alonso has garnered a less-than-stellar reputation among MLB fans. Regardless of your feelings on the polar bear, there’s no denying his home run mastery.
Alonso’s 90 overall makes him one of the game’s quintessential power hitters. Considering his power ratings versus lefties and righties, both stand at a 99, so you can expect the New York Mets’ first baseman to frequently launch balls into the outfield bleachers.
4Paul Goldschmidt
Overall: 91
Few hitters have been as consistent throughout the years as first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. While his 2023 numbers were a step down from his unreal 2022 campaign, Goldschmidt has undoubtedly become one of the MLB’s most established veterans.
His 91 overall rating in MLB The Show 24 is a tad on the high side for a player who likely will continue to decline as he creeps closer to his fourth decade of life. But considering his pedigree and list of accomplishments, it’s fair to say that Goldschmidt has earned respect.
3Bryce Harper
A few years ago, the idea of Bryce Harper becoming a first baseman would’ve been ludicrous. Yet as the Philadelphia Phillies added new players, Harper transitioned from the outfield to the infield to make things slightly simpler for his team.
Of course, prior to his change in position, Harper was already one of the league’s best hitters. His 91 overall rating might seem a touch low by his standards, but considering the superstar level Harper continues to play at, it wouldn’t be shocking to his rating surge in MLB The Show 25.
2Freddie Freeman
Overall: 94
With the addition of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it’s fair to say that for the Los Angeles Dodgers, “it’s World Series or bust”. Considering how much money has been spent on building this team, it’s even more pivotal for the Dodgers to show that their 2020 World Series championship wasn’t a fluke.
Obviously, it’s easy to win games when you have Freddie Freeman playing at first base. The long-time Atlanta Brave has continued to prove that his contact skills are second to none; suffice to say, he’s deserving of his 94 rating in MLB The Show 24.
1Matt Olson
Overall: 95
The Atlanta Braves are a team that possesses a top-ten hitter at every position; whether it is catcher, second base, third base, or the outfield, the Braves are loaded with all-star-level players across the baseball diamond. That rings notably true over at first base.
Matt Olson is set to play in Atlanta for several years to come, which no doubt disheartens the Braves’ rivals. Olson’s 95 overall is a microcosm of all his proficiencies at the plate, and in MLB The Show 24, the first base position doesn’t get much better than Matt Olson.
