Top 30 First Base Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

It may be a bit cold right now but baseball is in the air and our Positional Prospect Rankings are in full flight.  This week we are looking into our top 30 first base prospects for 2024 dynasty leagues. This position is normally hard to rank because most players who play first base are players who can’t cut it at other positions, or their body type has outgrown other spots on the field.  First, we’ll take a deeper dive into the top 10 first base prospects, and then further down the page we lay out our full top 30 first base prospect rankings.

Top 10 First Base Prospects for 2024 Dynasty Leagues

Samuel Basallo, BAL

(114 GP, .313/.402/.551, 20 HR, 75 R, 86 RBI, 12 SB)

The Baltimore Orioles are on the rise and Samuel Basallo is rising right along with them.  Basallo played 114 games spread between Low-A up to Double-A Bowie getting better every step of the way.  Combined Basallo slashed .313/.402/.551 with 20 home runs, 86 RBIs, and swiped 12 bases in 114 games played showing solid walk rates at every stop and striking out under 20.7% at every level.

Kyle Manzardo, CLE

(97 GP, .236/.337/.464, 17 HR, 50 R, 55 RBI, 1 SB)

The 2023 season was a tough year for Manzardo, he was dealing with a family issue, a partially dislocated left shoulder, and if that wasn’t enough, he then was traded to Cleveland for Aaron Civale.  He did not dominate as he did in 2022 but when he was healthy at the end of the season, during his stint at the AFL he slugged .524 with 5 homeruns and 7 doubles in 94 at-bats.  He is more a of hit-first batter over power bat.  With a possible opening in the Cleveland lineup, Manzardo has a chance to be the Opening Day first baseman, and expecting a batting average of .260 with 15/20 home runs is realistic.

Xavier Isaac, TB

(102 GP, .285/.395/.521, 19 HR, 71 R, 72 RBI, 12 SB)

Tampa Bay had many injuries to their pitching staff in 2023 and part of what made Kyle Manzardo expendable at the trade deadline were the footsteps of Xavier Isaac.  This 6’3 240 lb. beast has the highest ceiling of any of these first base prospects. On the 20/80 scouting scale, his power shows 60.  He produces plus-plus exit velocities but has shown a strong eye as he had 64 walks to 92 strikeouts.  He also showed he can swipe a base here and there with his 12 stolen bases during the season.

Tyler Soderstrom, OAK

(77 GP, .252/.307/.526, 21 HR, 49 R, 62 RBI, 2 SB)

The numbers for Soderstrom were solid but not spectacular at Triple-A Las Vegas leading up to his Major League debut.  In 77 games, Soderstrom slashed .252/.307/.526 with 21 home runs, 62 RBIs, and two stolen bases.  Once in the major leagues, Soderstrom didn’t exactly wow, slashing just .160/.232/.240 with three home runs, nine runs, and seven RBIs across 45 games.

I want to see more from Soderstrom if he is going to eventually move off catcher to first base.  The walk percentage was just okay at 7.5% at Triple-A and he will have to get back to the 26.3% strikeout rate to remain in the Athletics lineup because the 31.2% he had in 138 plate appearances is not going to cut it.

Tyler Locklear, SEA

(85 GP, .288/.405/.502, 13 HR, 51 R, 52 RBI, 12 SB)

The former high school football star has shown plus-plus power in the minor leagues. Locklear missed two months due to a broken bone in his right hand from being hit by a pitch. Despite only 309 at-bats, he still produced 39 extra-base hits. He showed power to all fields and had a max exit velo of 113 mph. He needs to work on cutting down his swings outside the zone and identifying breaking balls better. He only has 92 plate appearances above the high-A level, so he is most likely at least a year away from the show.

Nolan Schanuel, LAA

(29 GP, .275/.402/.330, 1 HR, 19 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB)

The Angels first-round pick in the 2023 draft made the Major Leagues after just 22 games in the minors.  Schanuel led off in every game he started, and he showed lots of positives in his 29 games in the pros as he batted .275 with an on-base percentage of .402.  Known for his plus batting eye, he showed it off with more walks (20) than strikeouts (19).  Now the negatives, he only hit 1 home run and had just 3 doubles in 109 at-bats.  Schanuel also did not attempt to steal a base.  In time the power should come.  I could see 10 to 15 home runs this upcoming season.

Abimelec Ortiz, TEX

(109 GP, .294/.371/.619, 33 HR, 78 R, 101 RBI, 1 SB)

It is hard to judge minor leaguers just by stats because a lot depends on what league and stadium they play in but with that in mind Ortiz had a ridiculous 2023 year.  Originally, he went undrafted in 2021 and wound up signing for $20,000. The defending champions might have found their next Joey Gallo as Ortiz is an all-or-nothing hitter.  The Texas Rangers 2023 Minor League Player of the Year award winner had an incredible .619 slugging percentage and was the first Rangers minor leaguer with 100 RBI in a season since you guessed it Joey Gallo back in 2014.  He needs to cut down on his 27.1 K% as he has just reached high-A level.  The Rangers might have found a steal.

Bryce Eldridge, SF

(31 GP, .294/400/505, 6 HR, 15 R, 18 RBI, 1 SB)

For the second year in a row, the Giants drafted a two-way player in the first round of the draft.  Eldridge throws his fastball up to 96 mph, but most teams prefer him to be a full-time positional player.  At 6’7 and 223 pounds, this huge human being has plus power and hits the ball to all fields.  He is a good enough athlete that he will get some playing time in the outfield.  It will take him a few years to fully develop but he has the skills to be a middle-of-the-order bat.

Haydn McGeary, CHC

(124 GP, .275/.397/.462, 19 HR, 65 R, 88 RBI, 7 SB)

The former 15th-round draft pick in 2022 is the all-time NCAA Division II home run king.  That massive power has continued in the minors.  Finishing the season at Double-A, McGeary has shown elite power potential as he posted a 119-mph max exit velocity and 43 extra-base hits.  He showed very good splits with a 15.2 walk rate and a solid 23.8 strikeout rate.  The Cubs first base battle might be leaning toward Matt Mervis right now but if he has another brutal showing in the majors as he did last season, McGeary might get an early call-up.

Ryan Clifford, NYM

(115 GP, .262/.374/.480, 24 HR, 70 R, 81 RBI, 5 SB)

Depending on if the Mets resign Pete Alonso, his replacement could be Ryan Clifford.  Originally drafted by the Houston Astros, Clifford and Drew Gilbert were sent to the Mets at the trade deadline for Justin Verlander.  He struggled when he arrived at the Mets High-A in Brooklyn with just a .188 batting average and a .683 OPS.  That park is known to be hard on left-handed hitters.   His track record shows he could be a 25-HR+ type of player as he flashed exit velocities as high as 114 mph. Very patient at the plate and willing to draw a walk.   He must work on making more contact as he struck out 140 times this past season.  The tools are there to be an above-average bat.  For his size, he can play more than just first base as he also spent time in the outfield.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.

2024 Top 30 First Base Prospect Rankings