Be prepared. When it comes to my NL-Only First Base Rankings, and we are including a few here who are unsigned free agents, things go downhill quickly. There are a few strong options at the top of our list, but tough choices need to be made.
We know all about Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, and Rafael Devers and what they are capable of. At this point in their careers, they are all established entities with a proven track record of success. Michael Busch and Sal Stewart are up-and-coming young players, and then we get into the solid veteran portion of Andrew Vaughn and Ryan O’Hearn.
After that, things get a lot more stressful. This is a position that requires your attention and emphasis. Now, it’s time to get into our 2026 NL-Only First Base Rankings.
National League Only First Base Notes
Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants
For multiple reasons, the ending to Rafael Devers’ career in Boston didn’t go according to plan. Instead, he was dealt to the San Francisco Giants, and a change of scenery was just what he needed.
Devers finally agreed to a position switch, to first base, and from an offensive perspective, he didn’t miss a beat. Granted, there’s a piece of this that’s attributable to volume, but Devers, in some categories, had one of the better offensive seasons of his career. Again, he also played in 163 games and finished with a career high 729 plate appearances.
For all of the negative talk about San Francisco being a pitcher’s park, just 15 of Devers’ 35 home runs did come on the road. As a run producer, Devers excelled with 109 RBI and 99 runs scored. The batting average was down at .252, and for a second straight year, Devers’ strikeout rate jumped. It’s now at 26.3%, and that will likely keep his batting average down.
It’s hard not to feel good about Devers moving forward as we look at the overall picture. When we look at his batted ball metrics, we can pick which career high we want to focus on. Devers hit the mark with a 93.5 mph average exit velocity, 16% barrel rate, and 56.1% hard hit rate.
Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers
When you are given up on by the Chicago White Sox, it’s a real problem. There were a lot of things that went wrong for Vaughn in Chicago, and a fresh start was needed.
That’s not to say everything was broken with Vaughn, but it also means we needed to adjust our expectations. Overall, Vaughn finished last season with a .254 batting average, 14 home runs, and 65 RBI in 112 games. From a production standpoint, that’s in line with his previous seasons.
However, when looking at Vaughn’s profile, there are some interesting batted ball metrics that could carry forward to his 2026 production. He finished with a career high 12% barrel rate along with a 47.7% hard hit rate. Vaughn also had a .275 batting average, while the gap between his .411 slugging percentage and .465 xSLG also allows for some optimism.
Don’t let those metrics get you crazy, but ending up with Vaughn in a NL-only league could be worse.
Ryan O’Hearn, Pittsburgh Pirates
As the Pittsburgh Pirates look to perhaps be a little more competitive, they made an interesting initial foray into the free agent market. For the first time in years, the Pirates looked outside the organization. While maybe not the perfect candidate, Ryan O’Hearn shouldn’t be overlooked.
He’s going to play every day and bat in the middle of the lineup for Pittsburgh. Last season, O’Hearn hit .281 with 17 home runs, 63 RBI, and 67 runs scored in 544 plate appearances. For starters, we can expect that number to go up in 2026, and the counting stats should follow.
At the same time, though, we should temper our expectations. This certainly comes into play more in an NL-only league, as with a 7.6% barrel rate and 42.3% hard hit rate, O’Hearn doesn’t do much that stands out from the crowd.
Last season, O’Hearn had only 109 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, but performance wasn’t an issue. He hit .278 with three home runs and 15 RBI, along with eight of his 21 doubles.
Plugging someone like O’Hearn into your lineup on a weekly basis is has real value in an NL-only league.
2026 NL-Only First Base Rankings
| Rnk | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Olson | ATL |
| 2 | Bryce Harper | PHI |
| 3 | Rafael Devers | SF |
| 4 | Freddie Freeman | LAD |
| 5 | Michael Busch | CHC |
| 6 | Sal Stewart | CIN |
| 7 | Alec Burleson | STL |
| 8 | Spencer Steer | CIN |
| 9 | Andrew Vaughn | MIL |
| 10 | Ryan O'Hearn | PIT |
| 11 | Luis Arraez | FA |
| 12 | Spencer Horwitz | PIT |
| 13 | Jared Triolo | PIT |
| 14 | Pavin Smith | ARI |
| 15 | Rhys Hoskins | FA |
| 16 | Wilmer Flores | FA |
| 17 | Charlie Condon | COL |
| 18 | Michael Toglia | CIN |
| 19 | Christian Encarnacion-Strand | CIN |
| 20 | Paul Goldschmidt | FA |
| 21 | Nathaniel Lowe | FA |
| 22 | Liam Hicks | MIA |
| 23 | Carlos Santana | FA |
| 24 | Andres Chaparro | WSH |
| 25 | Endy Rodriguez | PIT |
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