Top 50 Dynasty First Base Rankings (and DHs) for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

First base (and DHs) remains headlined by several established veteran sluggers in Shohei Ohtani, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Pete Alonso. Yet, the cold corner is squarely in the midst of a transformational period with a glut of up-and-coming four-category fantasy anchors in their mid-20s or younger — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Triston Casas, Spencer Torkelson, Vinnie Pasquantini, Josh Naylor, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer and Isaac Paredes — already forcing their way into the top 15 overall in my  2024 dynasty first base rankings.

If you’re searching for the next wave of impact talent, it’s coming with top prospects like Kyle Manzardo, Heston Kjerstad, and Michael Busch poised to step into prominent roles at the highest level. He’s a bit further away from the big leagues, but Xavier Isaac has established himself as one of the most intriguing prospects in baseball and could skyrocket up this list over the next few months if he excels in the upper minors. Without further delay, let’s dive into the tiers of my dynasty first base rankings.

Dynasty First Base (and DH) Tiers

Tier 1A

(1) Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers, Age: 29

We’ve run out of superlatives to describe Ohtani’s once-in-a-generation two-way exploits. However, heading down Interstate 405 to join the Dodgers’ star-studded nucleus pushes his realistic fantasy floor into its very own tier. The $700 million superstar figures to bat between former MVP’s Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in Los Angeles’ surreal lineup, which projects as the best lineup in baseball moving forward. Barring an unexpected setback, the expectation is that he’ll be ready to hit without any restrictions by Opening Day. We don’t have any empirical evidence to point to, but it seems like a strong possibility that the Dodgers’ organization will do a much better job than the Angels did of managing his long-term health and workload, reducing the likelihood of fatigue-related injury.

Tier 1B

(2) Matt Olson, Braves, Age: 30

There’s an argument for placing Olson alongside Ohtani after leading the majors last year in homers (54) and RBI (139), but there’s enough batting average variance in his profile, in addition to a complete lack of stolen bases, to justify placing him just a notch below. The 29-year-old slugger has risen to the absolute peak of the dynasty first base rankings since being installed as one of the main engines of Atlanta’s loaded lineup and will remain an elite four-category fantasy contributor for at least the next half-decade. There’s a strong possibility last year was his career apex, but fantasy managers should feel confident projecting him annually to eclipse 40 homers with at least 110 RBI. His combination of prodigious over-the-fence pop and placement in Atlanta’s historic lineup makes him a first-round selection in all fantasy formats until further notice.

Tier 2

(3) Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays, Age: 25

(4) Bryce Harper, Phillies, Age: 31

(5) Freddie Freeman, Dodgers, Age: 34

(6) Pete Alonso, Mets, Age: 29

At just 25 years old, Guerrero Jr. is still young enough that it’s easy to envision his elite plate skills and ability to generate astronomical exit velocities into elite over-the-fence power production. The career-high 48 round-trippers from the 2021 campaign seem increasingly like a context-dependent park factors mirage as he’s reverted to posting ground-ball rates near 50 percent in each of the two seasons since. With that being said, even small upticks in air balls and some regression in the home run to fly ball ratio department put him squarely in elite territory for the next decade at the cold corner.

The fact that Harper was able to return just over five months after undergoing offseason Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was nothing short of remarkable. The fact that he continued producing at an elite offensive level, while also playing first base for the first time in his professional career is downright absurd. We’re full-speed ahead here until further notice.

The only knock on Freeman, which slightly tamps down his overall value in dynasty formats, is how much longer he’ll sustain his current astronomical level of statistical excellence as he enters his mid-to-late 30s. What he’s done over the last two years since joining the Dodgers lineup is pretty remarkable.

Entering his final season before free agency, Alonso has launched at least 37 homers in each of the last four full seasons since 2019. The central question for dynasty managers is whether his batting average will rebound after posting a career-worst .217 mark last season. There’s enough regression looming based on last year’s impossibly low .205 BABIP to bank on a rebound into more palatable territory. If that occurs, he’s easily back as a top-five option at the cold corner entering next offseason.

Tier 3

(7) Triston Casas, Red Sox, Age: 24

(8) Cody Bellinger, Free Agent, Age: 28

(9) Spencer Torkelson, Tigers, Age: 24

(10) Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals, Age: 26

(11) Josh Naylor, Guardians, Age: 26

Casas overcame a frosty start to last year, becoming more comfortable at the plate as the 2023 campaign progressed, evolving into one of the most-feared sluggers in the league after the All-Star break, batting .317 with 15 homers over 211 plate appearances across 54 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. If he continues being aggressive on hittable pitches in the zone, instead of passively letting them go by for strikes, his second-half offensive surge appears sustainable moving forward. His combination of elite plate skills and 30-homer pop should make him one of Boston’s franchise cornerstones until further notice. It also makes him a borderline top-five option at the position and a likely top-40 overall selection in dynasty leagues this spring.

Bellinger remains unsigned as of press time, but regardless of where he ultimately winds up, we’re skeptical he’ll repeat as a near-elite fantasy contributor following last year’s remarkable career renaissance with the Cubs considering he finished near the bottom of the league last year in average exit velocity (87.9 percent), barrel percentage (6.1 percent) and hard-hit percentage (31.4 percent). If last year’s extremely impressive plate discipline gains stick around he’ll remain an easy 20-homer, 20-steal threat for fantasy managers, which makes him a top-10 option at the cold corner as he approaches 30 years old. We’ve witnessed incredible peaks and valleys over the last few years with Bellinger, so it’s nearly impossible to predict how the next few years are going to play out.

Torkelson’s offensive upside continues to be limited by Detroit’s pitcher-friendly Comerica Park in Detroit, but he certainly appeared to be putting it all together down the home stretch last season when he batted .238 with 19 homers and 49 RBI in 308 plate appearances over 72 games after the All-Star break. The former top prospect has yet to do it over a full season in the big leagues, but he obviously still possesses the talent required to blossom into an elite fantasy contributor.

All signs point to Pasqantino reclaiming his previous status as a potentially elite four-category fantasy contributor after missing most of last year recovering from shoulder surgery. Assuming he receives a clean bill of health at the outset of spring training, his fantasy value will continue to rise and he should bump up these dynasty first base rankings.

Tier 4

(12) Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Reds, Age: 24

(13) Spencer Steer, Reds, Age: 26

(14) Isaac Paredes, Rays, Age: 25

(15) Christian Walker, Diamondbacks, Age: 33

(16) Kyle Manzardo, Guardians, Age: 23

(17) Yandy Díaz, Rays, Age: 32

(18) Xavier Isaac, Rays, Age: 20

(19) Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals, Age: 36

(20) Eloy Jiménez, White Sox, Age: 27

Encarnacion-Strand’s extremely aggressive approach is going to lead to plenty of strikeouts, but he does enough serious damage when he does make contact to easily envision 30 homers annually with a respectable batting average, especially at homer-friendly Great American Ball Park, which makes him a likely mixed-league starter at the cold corner entering the 2024 campaign for fantasy managers in dynasty formats. There might be some growing pains, but he showed some immense promise, closing last year on an extended hot streak during the final month of the regular season when he batted .301 with eight homers in his final 23 contests.

Paredes is a bit of an anomaly when you take a peek under the hood as he somehow managed to clobber a career-best 31 round-trippers last year despite a lackluster 86.9 mph average exit velocity and a sub-30 percent hard-hit rate. A quick glance at his batted ball spray chart reveals that he’s generating near-elite power by pulling the ball at a higher rate (54.5 percent) than any other qualified hitter in the game. It’s a repeatable offensive approach and at just 25 years old, he has a chance to keep getting better.

It’s a bit hyperbolic, but Walker remains one of the most underrated four-category contributors in the entire fantasy landscape. He’s launched 30 homers in back-to-back seasons and even chipped in a career-high 11 thefts last year, thanks to the league’s runner-friendly rule changes. At 33 years old, he probably has at least a couple of strong middle-of-the-order run-producing seasons left in the tank, especially with Arizona’s talented young core helping to buoy his counting stats into his twilight years.

There are typically only a handful of true first base prospects at any given time in the fantasy landscape and Manzardo appears to be the most promising entering the 2024 campaign. The 23-year-old emerging slugger, who was traded to the Guardians last August in exchange for Aaron Civale, is expected to compete with Rule 5 Draft selection Deyvison De Los Santos for a spot on Cleveland’s season-opening roster. He figures to make an immediate four-category impact for fantasy managers, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get some extra seasoning at Triple-A Columbus to open the year. He looked healthy and was extremely productive in the Arizona Fall League after dealing with a shoulder issue last season, and he could force his way into the Guardians’ immediate plans with a strong performance this spring in Cactus League action.

There’s a lot to like about Isaac from a dynasty standpoint, which means there’s some potential this ranking will be significantly wrong in a few months since there are scouts and talent evaluators out there who believe Isaac has already evolved into one of the top fantasy prospects in the game. There’s no denying his on-field production last year as he batted .285/.395/.521 with 19 homers and 12 steals in 433 plate appearances between Single-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green. His massive lefty frame and disciplined approach at the dish are already resulting in tremendous over-the-fence power and on-base percentages. At just 20 years old, the range of potential outcomes is exceedingly wide, which makes him one of the most difficult prospects to rank for dynasty purposes entering the 2024 campaign. If it all comes together in the upper minors, he has a chance to be an elite four-category fantasy contributor and jump up my dynasty first base rankings.

Tier 5

(21) Heston Kjerstad, Orioles, Age: 25

(22) Michael Busch, Cubs, Age: 26

(23) Rhys Hoskins, Brewers, Age: 31

(24) Nathaniel Lowe, Rangers, Age: 28

(25) Alec Bohm, Phillies, Age: 27

(26) Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles, Age: 27

(27) Marcell Ozuna, Braves, Age: 33

(28) Byron Buxton, Twins, Age: 30

(29) Andrew Vaughn, White Sox, Age: 25

(30) Alex Kirilloff, Twins, Age: 26

(31) Jeimer Candelario, Reds, Age: 30

After tearing the cover off the ball in the upper levels of the Dodgers’ minor-league system the last few years, Busch will finally get an extended opportunity in the majors following a mid-January trade to the Cubs. It’s a phenomenal landing spot for the 26-year-old top prospect as Wrigley Field is one of the most favorable ballparks for left-handed sluggers. He projects as a 20-homer threat right away and a potential four-category impact fantasy contributor.

Hoskins jumped up several spots in these rankings after signing a two-year, $34 million contract last month with the Brewers where he should benefit from Milwaukee’s homer-friendly American Family Field. He missed all of last year after tearing his ACL in Spring Training but is expected to be back at full strength for 2024. He’s launched at least 27 homers in each of the last four full seasons dating back to 2018, which makes it easy to envision him finishing quite a bit higher at this position group by the end of the year.

Ozuna tattooed a career-high 40 homers last year and reached 100 RBI for the first time since 2018. He’s been around for a while, but is still just 33 years old entering the 2024 campaign. He’s the type of veteran slugger that tends to be undervalued in dynasty formats, especially since he’s utility-only eligible at the moment, but can be a solid four-category contributor on a contending roster, especially if last year’s batting average gains stick.

Tier 7

(32) J.D. Martinez, Free Agent, Age: 36

(33) Tyler Locklear, Mariners, Age: 23

(34) Salvador Perez, Royals, Age: 33

(35) Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics, Age: 22

(36) Hunter Goodman, Rockies, Age: 24

(37) Anthony Rizzo, Yankees, Age: 34

(38) Brandon Drury, Angels, Age: 31

(39) Nolan Schanuel, Angels, Age: 22

(40) Luke Raley, Mariners, Age: 29

(41) Wilmer Flores, Giants, Age: 32

(42) Josh Bell, Marlins, Age: 31

Despite his advanced age, Martinez remains one of the better power plus counting stats contributors in the fantasy landscape, which makes him a bit of a hidden gem for dynasty managers with contending rosters, or a prime stash-and-trade option for rebuilders. It’s unclear how much he has left in the tank at this point, which limits his appeal to a small portion of dynasty rosters, but he’s pretty much a lock to reach the 30-homer threshold in 2024, regardless of where he ultimately signs.

The impressive thing about Locklear is that he doesn’t strike out a ton and projects as an everyday regular at the highest level in the near future after finishing last year at Double-A Arkansas. The 23-year-old slugger figures to continue rising up these rankings as he gets closer to the big leagues. At a bare minimum, he’ll wind up as an excellent platoon option at the cold corner for Seattle.

Schanuel’s lackluster exit velocities don’t inspire a ton of confidence, but he certainly didn’t look overmatched last year as he made the jump from the collegiate level to the majors less than two months after being drafted. The 21-year-old is a certifiable on-base machine, but he’s hitting too many grounders and simply not making enough hard contact to forecast him blossoming into an impact fantasy contributor in shallow mixed leagues.

Tier 8

(43) Mark Vientos, Mets, Age: 24

(44) Kris Bryant, Rockies, Age: 32

(45) Jonathan Aranda, Rays, Age: 25

(46) Justin Turner, Blue Jays, Age: 39

(47) Ryan Clifford, Mets, Age: 20

(48) Abimelec Ortiz, Rangers, Age: 22

(49) Blaze Jordan, Red Sox, Age: 21

(50) Matt Mervis, Cubs, Age: 25

Bryant is a surprise addition to these dynasty first base rankings with the Rockies apparently planning to put him at first base to open the 2024 campaign. Barring an unforeseen late-winter addition, Aranda appears likely to finally get a real opportunity in Tampa Bay after sipping a few quick cups of coffee the last few years. He has nothing left to prove in the upper minors, but he hasn’t produced at all in the majors when given a chance. At 39 years old, we can see the home stretch with Turner, but he remains a relevant four-category fantasy contributor after signing a one-year contract in late January to join a solid Blue Jays’ lineup. Ortiz compiled sublime numbers last year in the lower minors, but there are enough lingering doubts from scouts and evaluators to wonder if he’ll continue to excel as he reaches the upper minors.

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 Dynasty First Base Rankings with DHs Included

If you enjoyed these dynasty first base rankings make sure to check out George’s full Top 500 Dynasty Rankings!