Rookie First Basemen to Keep an Eye on for 2026 Fantasy Baseball

Nick Kurtz put himself on the map in his rookie debut last season. The Athletics now have a superstar handling first base for them for the foreseeable future. The 22-year-old posted a .290/.383/.619 slash line with 36 home runs, 90 runs, and 86 RBIs on his way to claiming the AL Rookie of the Year Award. While there may not be another Kurtz waiting in the wing, there are several rookie first basemen who could make an impact in the 2026 fantasy baseball season.

Looking over the possible rookies who could get major playing time this season, I’ve found three that stand out at first base. Either of these could produce numbers similar to Kurtz’s. They could be late-round draft picks that could push a fantasy baseball manager to the top of their league. Be sure to keep an eye on the three rookie first basemen below as your draft proceeds.

Rookie First Basemen to Keep an Eye on for 2026 Fantasy Baseball

Munetaka Murakami – 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox (ADP: 192)

The Chicago White Sox are in a deep rebuild, but the lineup this season looks decent. They are a young team with only five players over 30 on the likely 26-man roster. However, the batting order could be sneaky good, and the addition of a power hitter like Murakami could further boost the White Sox’s rebuild process into being relevant again more quickly.

Murakami brings a big bat over from Japan. He hit more than 30 home runs from 2021 to 2024, including 56 during the 2022 season. Last season, the 26-year-old hit 22 homers but only played in 56 games due to a serious oblique injury. He played at least 140 games in five of his seven seasons before last season. Which means if Murakami were able to play a full season, he’d have likely hit 40 or more home runs. The question is how quickly he adjusts to American pitching. Either way, the future looks bright on the South Side of Chicago.

Sal Stewart – 1B, Cincinnati Reds (ADP: 250)

If you’ve read my first basemen sleeper article, you’d know Sal Stewart is a player I’m really high on this season. He has displayed excellent power and contact skills in the minors over the last three seasons. Last season in the minors before his September call-up, he hit .309/.383/.524 with 20 home runs, 78 runs, and 80 RBIs. He even stole 17 bases, so there’s potential for the rookie to be on the go in the big leagues, though don’t expect more than 15. Stewart accumulated these stats over all three minor-league levels.

While in the big leagues, Stewart had 58 plate appearances, during which he hit five home runs, scored 11 runs, and had eight RBIs. The 22-year-old did struggle with strikeouts, though. He struck out 25.9 percent of the time, a career high, but when he put the ball in play, he had a 52.5 hard-hit percentage. That hard-hit percentage is well above average, so if Stewart can lower his strikeouts, he should be a standout this season.

Stewart looked to be in a platoon at the DH position, but the Reds have traded away Gavin Lux. However, they just added Eugenio Suarez, who will be the full-time DH. Stewart will be battling Spencer Steer for first base duties. The rookie offers greater offensive upside than Steer in fantasy baseball. So this will be a position battle to watch during Spring Training.

Bryce Eldridge – 1B, San Francisco Giants (ADP: 352)

Bryce Eldridge showed massive power throughout the minor leagues, including 25 last season in 433 plate appearances combined in Double- and Triple-A. Even with the power production, he was also a solid contact hitter with a .298 BABIP in Triple-A in 2025, which was the lowest for the rookie over three minor-league seasons.

He was a September call-up last season, but struggled in his MLB debut. Over 37 plate appearances, he scored once and had four RBIs. The prospect surprisingly didn’t homer, although Oracle Park isn’t friendly to left-handed power hitters, with cold air coming from the San Francisco Bay and triples alley in right center.

Eldridge’s playing time will likely be at DH, with Rafael Devers manning first base. I wouldn’t assume the rookie would be in a platoon role, since the bench bats for the Giants don’t pose a threat to Eldridge. He will bat in the bottom third of the lineup, but the Giants’ offense is loaded with fantasy production.