Top 50 First Baseman & Utility Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings For 2027

1. Shohei Ohtani, UT/RHP, Dodgers

Ohtani doesn’t fit perfectly into any one position for the positional rankings, so like the rest of the UT-only hitters, he finds himself with the first basemen.

We’ve probably seen the best he has to offer in fantasy, but Ohtani still has a chance to finish as the No. 1 player in any given season. He will not have surgery to address the left knee and right biceps issues that limited him down the stretch.

2. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics

Youth (turns 24 in March), pedigree and peak performance all point to Kurtz as the top dynasty first baseman, but strikeouts and missed time have at least made it a conversation. He had the fifth-worst K% (32.5%) among hitters with 400 plate appearances, and he has averaged under 120 games per season over the past two years, with a thumb injury wiping out his final two months in 2026.

His flyball rate dipped in 2026, resulting in a little less power, but he had a career-best .396 OBP and stole seven bases in 99 games after stealing two bases as a rookie.

3. Sal Stewart, 1B/3B, Reds

I was high on Stewart throughout his minor league career and was less surprised by his rookie season than most, so I’m not expecting as much regression as some might be. Most of the big producers behind him have already played their age-23 through age-27 seasons. Stewart is entering his age-23 season and gets to play his entire prime in Great American Ball Park.

He may not be as much of an OBP monster as the typical elite first baseman, but it’s possible he eventually gets there, and we already know his counting-stat upside is through the roof.

4. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants

As a pure hitting talent, Eldridge is arguably more impressive than Kurtz or Stewart. In fact, if all three played in identical home parks and we didn’t care at all about steals, Eldridge would rank ahead of Kurtz and Stewart.

Unfortunately, only Busch Stadium has suppressed lefty power more than Oracle Park over the last three years, so Eldridge will be fighting an uphill battle to keep pace in home runs and RBIs, and he’ll also be the least active of the three on the bases.

5. Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, White Sox

Vargas probably hits too many flyballs to be a true five-category force in batting average leagues, but he is already there in OBP leagues after a monster age-26 breakout season. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CJ Abrams, Elly De La Cruz and James Wood were the only other hitters to go 30-20 last season.

His 22 steals look like an outlier, but he went 22-for-24 and was 9-for-10 on the bases from 2024-25, so it’s clearly something he is good at. Vargas may not retain third-base eligibility once Roch Cholowsky joins the mix, but Vargas will play enough at the hot corner to be eligible there again in 2028.

6. Josue De Paula, UT, Dodgers

Eligible only at UT heading into 2027, De Paula will presumably add outfield eligibility in season. But on a normal roster without Shohei Ohtani and/or Freddie Freeman, the majority of his starts would come at designated hitter or first base. Freeman is a free agent after the season, so De Paula could be the long-term replacement if he is unable to improve his defense in left field.

De Paula doesn’t have any flaws as a five-category fantasy producer as long as the playing time is there.

7. Ben Rice, 1B, Yankees

Rice, who never got higher than No. 79 on my fantasy prospect rankings, is now one of the best lefty sluggers in the game. He may have just had his career year, but Rice actually had a better HardHit% (55.8%) and AirPull% (25.2%) in 2025, so he has a multi-year track record of being an elite run producer.

Rice has been much better against righties (143 wRC+) than lefties (104 wRC+), but he’s still significantly better against southpaws than Luis García (80 wRC+), so Rice should be in the lineup most days.

8. Pete Alonso, 1B, Orioles

So reliable, Alonso is the second-highest-ranked player in his thirties after Shohei Ohtani.

He has logged 635-plus plate appearances with 34-plus home runs in six straight seasons and there are no signs of him slowing down entering his age-32 season.

9. Matt Olson, 1B, Braves

He may not have Alonso’s level of consistency, having hit just 29 home runs in 2024 and 2025 before hitting 41 last season, but Olson has driven in 90-plus runs in every full season since 2019. He has also played in 162 games in five straight seasons.

Eight months older than Alonso, Olson is under club control through 2029 with a 2030 club option.

10. Rafael Devers, 1B, Giants

Devers had the best power season as a Giant since Barry Bonds, so while his body may not age well, the decline hasn’t started yet. Excluding the pandemic-shortened season, Devers has hit 27 or more home runs every year since 2019.

He just turned 30 and is under contract through 2033.

11. Vladimir Guerrero, 1B, Blue Jays

In the first year of a 14-year, $500 million contract, Guerrero had the worst offensive season of his career, logging a 95 wRC+ (his previous career-low was a 106 wRC+ as a rookie in 2019). The conventional wisdom coming into the year was that Guerrero didn’t have the highest ceiling, but his floor was so high and he was still in his prime that it made up for the fact he probably wasn’t going to hit 30 home runs.

Now, we know the floor is much lower than we thought, and Guerrero has averaged 22 home runs and 154 games played over the past four seasons. Yandy Díaz has averaged 21 home runs and Freddie Freeman has averaged 23 home runs over that span.

12. Alec Burleson, 1B, Cardinals

Burleson really struggles against lefties (.583 career OPS), and his home park is the worst park in the league for lefty power, but he still hit 26 home runs with 116 RBIs in his age-27 season.

Statcast estimates Burleson would have deserved mid-30s home runs if he played for half the teams in the league, so it might make sense for the Cardinals to deal Burleson to an organization that is going for it in 2028 and has a home park with more favorable dimensions.

13. Bryce Harper, 1B/OF, Phillies

Harper surprisingly added outfield eligibility last season, but he should return to full-time first base duty in 2027. Incredibly consistent, Harper has been at least 30% better than league average while hitting 30 or fewer home runs with fewer than 90 RBIs and at least seven steals in five straight seasons.

There is no reason to think he won’t do it again in his age-34 season, but Harper doesn’t have the same upside as the elder statesmen ahead of him on these rankings.

14. Kyle Schwarber, UT, Phillies

Schwarber is OF-eligible in leagues with liberal eligibility rules (10 OF starts in 2026), but he is UT-only in most leagues and turns 34 in March. He has also hit 45-plus home runs in four of the last five seasons and is the type of player who can swing a league in 2027.

After keeping his strikeout rate below 30% every year since 2017, Schwarber struck out 31.4% of the time in 2026.

15. Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians

Velazquez is big-league ready and doesn’t turn 22 until late May. High-pedigree first base prospects who reach the majors before their 22nd birthday are rare. Bryce Eldridge and Freddie Freeman did it, but everyone else on this list either debuted later or debuted at another position.

While getting pushed aggressively, he has typically gotten off to slower starts at a new level, but then Velazquez quickly adjusts and becomes one of the best hitters in his league. His OPS was over 200 points higher against righties, but he struck out less than 20% of the time against lefties and should eventually be a true everyday player, even if he gets eased in as part of a platoon.

16. Jonathan Aranda, 1B, Rays

The lefty-hitting, righty-throwing Aranda should eventually take over the designated hitter duties, assuming Yandy Díaz either gets traded during the offseason or leaves in free agency after the 2027 season. Aranda is a hitting savant, especially against righties, and he can be relied on for good ratios, 20-plus home runs and 160 R+RBIs over a full season.

He needed 668 plate appearances to set a career high with 22 home runs and 92 RBIs, which illustrates his capped power ceiling relative to the top options at the position.

17. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Royals

Surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone and another IL stint due to wrist soreness in the same area after the surgery limited Pasquantino’s production, and he only played 114 games in 2026. His season numbers were subpar by his standards, slashing .249/.333/.428, but in 35 games after coming off the IL in mid August, he slashed .289/.366/.617 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and an 11.0 K%, so he finished on a high note.

Pasquantino could put up excellent counting stats if he can have a healthy age-29 season, as Kauffman Stadium was the third-most hitter-friendly park in 2026 behind Coors Field and Sutter Health Park.

18. Luis García, 1B, Yankees

Once a top-20 fantasy prospect late in 2018, García rocketed through the minors and then logged four straight seasons as a below-average hitter in the big leagues. From 2024-25, he averaged 17 home runs and 18 steals with a .267 average and .304 OBP before erupting for 30 home runs, five steals, a .277 average and .309 OBP in 147 games with the Nationals and Yankees.

His HR/FB almost doubled to 20%, but he also had a career-best 18.5 AirPull%. Yankee Stadium is also the second-best park for lefty power over the past three years. García is a free agent after the 2027 season and turns 27 in May.

19. Munetaka Murakami, 1B, White Sox

There is no doubting Murakami’s power, and his swing decisions are quite strong. The problem is he’s just a whiff machine. The gap in his value in batting average leagues vs. on-base percentage leagues is massive, and I tried to split the difference with this ranking.

He had a .204 xBA and .351 xwOBA in his first year stateside, so essentially I want him in OBP leagues and want no part of him in batting average leagues.

20. Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, Free Agent

Bauers isn’t just a good postseason story, as he also had a great 2026 regular season, both on the surface and under the hood. He was in at least the 90th percentile in HardHit% (51.9%), average bat speed (76.5 mph) and Barrel% (14.0%).

Even though he was a top-60 fantasy prospect back in the day, his lack of track record is the main knock with Bauers, in addition to the fact we don’t know what team he will be on going forward.

21. Kyle Stowers, 1B/OF, Marlins

Multiple hamstring injuries, an abdominal injury and some days off against lefties led to Stowers playing 121 games, which was still a career high in the majors. He has hit 20-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons without logging 515 plate appearances in either season, and he had a 99th percentile 56.4 HardHit% in 2026.

Stowers strikes out more against righties (32.1 K%) than against lefties (25.0 K%), but he does much more damage against opposite-handed pitching (.476 SLG vs. .365 SLG). He turns 29 this offseason and could have a career year with good health.

22. Willson Contreras, 1B, Red Sox

Contreras is entering his age-35 season, but he is coming off his best offensive season by wRC+ (151). He hit 27 home runs with 81 RBIs and a .386 OBP—all career bests.

Contreras is under contract for 2027 with a club option for 2028. Playing first base while playing half his games in Fenway Park seems to have agreed with the aging slugger.

23. Brent Rooker, UT, Athletics

An oblique strain landed Rooker on the IL early in 2026, and then surgery to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee ended his season in early June. He hit 30-plus home runs from 2023-25 while hitting .268 with a .343 OBP over that stretch, and a fully healthy Rooker could approach those levels again in his age-32 season.

There is a chance Rooker adds back outfield eligibility one of these years, but we should operate as if he is UT-only until further notice.

24. Brett Baty, 1B/3B/2B/OF, Mets

Baty is eligible at four positions and could open the year at the keystone, but with Jefferson Rojas and Mitch Voit on the way, I expect Baty to end up at first base sooner than later. That may not sound like a hopeful proposition for the Mets, but in the second half, Baty slashed .277/.345/.508 with a 24.8 K%, and most importantly, a 28.4% groundball rate.

He had never logged a groundball rate below 50% prior to 2026, but it seems like something finally clicked and a full-on breakout could be in store this season.

25. Michael Busch, 1B, Cubs

After playing three full seasons as the Cubs’ first baseman, it looks like his age-27 season in 2025 is the outlier. He hit 34 home runs in 155 games in 2025 and hit 21 homers and 20 homers in full seasons in 2024 and 2026, respectively.

In fact, his 2025 xSLG of .548 was over 100 points higher than his xSLGs from 2024 and 2026. Even so, the playing time should be there and Busch won’t hurt your average or OBP.

26. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers

The decline phase is here with Freeman (.430 SLG, 16 HR, 144 R+RBIs in 2026), but any contender would still be happy to plug him in for his age-37 season, which will be his final year under contract.

These types of players who appeal to roughly a third of a typical dynasty league are the toughest to slot on a set of dynasty rankings.

27. Justin Gonzales, 1B, Red Sox

Gonzales used to have groundball rates in the 50s and swing rates in the 60s, but he has made significant improvements over the past couple years and reached Double-A as a 19-year-old.

He still chases too much and hasn’t fully optimized his batted-ball profile, but Gonzales has outlier raw power (107.3 mph EV90, 116.2 mph max EV) for his age and certainly looks the part of a future run-producing designated hitter (massive 6-foot-5 frame).

28. Yandy Díaz, UT, Rays

Losing first base eligibility is a tough blow for Díaz’s dynasty value, as rebuilding teams already weren’t interested and now the teams with Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Brent Rooker might not be able to fit Díaz into their lineups.

Díaz has been one of the best values in fantasy for over half a decade, and the 35-year-old could remain at this level for another couple years, but once he shows signs of falling off, his value will crater.

29. T.J. Rumfield, 1B, Rockies

Always old for his minor league levels, Rumfield was able to seamlessly make the jump from Triple-A (full seasons in 2024 and 2025) to the majors last year and put forth almost identical numbers to his last season at Triple-A with the Yankees. An oddity at the position, Rumfield had an elite 13.6 K% and an abysmal 84.3 mph average exit velocity.

His lack of punch at the plate could eventually result in him losing playing time, but he was worth 2.5 fWAR as a rookie and is one of the better batting average options at the position thanks to Coors Field.

30. Taitn Gray, 1B, Rays

He is a long way from the majors, but Gray had an exquisite pro debut in 2026, slashing .299/.390/.471 with a 14.8 IZMiss%, 106.3 mph EV90 and 112.6 mph max EV as an 18-year-old switch hitter at Low-A. Gray needed surgery midseason to remove a bone chip from his right elbow, which limited him to 81 games.

He should spend most, if not all,of his 2027 season at High-A.

31. Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, Pirates

O’Hearn isn’t flashy, but he is a reliable producer whose 1B/OF eligibility is handy. A quad strain cost him six weeks last season, derailing a career year, as he slashed .265/.330/.440 with a career-best 18 home runs and a career-high 76 RBIs in just 451 plate appearances.

Like many of the players on this list, O’Hearn struggles against lefties (career .635 OPS), but he is still undervalued in deeper leagues and daily formats.

32. Jake Burger, 1B, Rangers

As a righty-hitting/righty-throwing first baseman who doesn’t log high on-base percentages and is on the wrong side of 30, Burger should be seen as a year-to-year piece who could be out of a full-time job after any given season.

That said, he has hit 28-plus homers in three of the last four years, even navigating the harsh hitting environment in Texas to bang out 28 homers and 90 RBIs last season.

33. Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Brewers

Perhaps the toughest player to rank in all of baseball, Fischer is a patient hitter who had a 38.1 Miss% and a 94 mph average EV, primarily as a 22-year-old at Double-A. His swing is optimized to hit home runs to the pull side, but his 64.4 Contact% and 15.5 SwStr% are troubling marks for an age-appropriate bat-first player.

A good realistic outcome for Fischer is that he shows flashes while largely struggling in his first tour of the majors before eventually figuring things out in time for a nice three- to four-year peak in his mid-to-late 20s. He’s also in the wrong organization to get reps at third base, given his poor defense, so it’s got to be first base/designated hitter and there are others (Blake Burke, Luke Adams) who could get those looks first in 2027.

34. Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Angels

Schanuel has logged 1,749 MLB plate appearances and doesn’t turn 25 until February. He is well known for controlling the strike zone and making a lot of contact, and his .286 xBA was in the 95th percentile.

An intercostal strain limited Schanuel to 107 games, but he slashed .302/.385/.408 with more walks (12 BB%) than strikeouts (9.6 K%) over his final 209 plate appearances. His HardHit% and AirPull% are trending up, and given his age and hit tool, I wouldn’t rule out a surprise 20-homer year at some point in the next few years.

35. Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Rockies

I’m not in love with Condon’s skills on offense given his lack of defensive utility, but Rockies hitters who project to play need to get a bump over their true talent in fantasy due to the Coors Field factor.

Condon just needs to keep his strikeout rate in the mid 20s, and he could have a nice prime in which he’s good for 25 homers per year and middling ratios.

36. Spencer Steer, 1B/OF, Reds

Steer has basically been the same hitter for three straight years, slashing .233/.316/.410 while averaging 19 home runs and 12 steals over that stretch, thanks largely to an optimized air-pull approach.

He should provide similar production over the next couple years, but Steer benefits greatly from Great American Ball Park, and I’d like to move him in dynasty before he potentially leaves in free agency after the 2028 season.

37. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Tigers

There are not many positives to take away from Torkelson’s 2026. He was worth 1.2 fWAR in 159 games and had a .211 xBA, .314 xwOBA and .392 xSLG.

He is entering his age-27 season and has hit 25-plus homers in three of the past four seasons, but he would be at risk of losing work if not for his pedigree as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020.

38. Josh Naylor, 1B, Mariners

I would rather get out a year early on Naylor than a year late. Routinely having a high xBA is great and stealing 30 bases is a fun parlor trick for a first baseman, but Naylor hit 10 home runs with fewer than 60 runs and fewer than 60 RBIs in 650 plate appearances.

I didn’t understand why the Mariners chose to give Naylor a five-year, $92.5 million contract last offseason, as his best years were probably already behind him. It’s going to start looking like a sunk cost if he has another season like 2026, when he was worth 0.5 fWAR.

39. Sean Keys, 1B, Blue Jays

The lefty-hitting, righty-throwing Keys put the finishing touches on his minor league development last season, logging a 165 wRC+ and 28 home runs in 100 games across Double-A and Triple-A. Keys may still need to return to Triple-A for stretches in 2027, as he had a 4.5 BB% and 34.8 K% in 25 big-league games.

If he can be a bit more patient, Keys has the requisite power to be a 25-30-homer option over a full season.

40. Murf Gray, 1B/3B, Pirates

I know the Pirates and Gray are trying to make it work at third base, but I’m operating under the assumption that the righthanded hitter will spend the bulk of his career at first base/designated hitter. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound slugger had a 107 mph EV90 and a 114.3 mph max EV while logging a .395 OBP in 45 games at Double-A.

His ETA will likely hinge on how intent the Pirates are about making it work at the hot corner, but I’m not expecting to get significant fantasy value out of Gray until 2028.

41. Ace Reese, 1B/3B, Mariners

Reese is another player who could make it as a third baseman, but I’m projecting him to move to first base sooner than later. He had an excellent college career against quality pitching in the SEC and logged a 195 wRC+ during a brief and easy assignment to Low-A.

The biggest negative with Reese is the landing spot, as T-Mobile Park has been the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball over the past three years.

42. Logan Hughes, 1B/OF, Astros

Hughes’ defensive home is also uncertain, but he’s already playing half his games at first base, which is usually a tell.

The lefty-hitting Hughes’ college numbers were impeccable, and he hit the ball hard (93.2 mph average EV) and consistently (17.2 Miss%) in his debut at Low-A.

43. Royce Lewis, 1B/3B, Twins

Lewis still has good bat speed and steals more bases than the typical corner infielder, but that’s about all he has going for him at this point. Over the last two seasons, he is slashing .231/.285/.384 and has been worth 1.5 fWAR in 231 games over that span.

A change of scenery would probably be best, but he is already on a second-division team and wouldn’t fetch much in trade.

44. Christian Walker, 1B, Astros

Sometimes first basemen show up in spring training in their late 30s and it’s all over. But there might be another year or two of value to squeeze out of Walker, who turns 36 in March. While he hit 25-plus home runs for the fifth year in a row, there are signs of decline, as his .227 xBA was his lowest mark since 2018 and his .396 xSLG was his worst mark since 2021.

The Astros owe him $20 million for 2027 before he hits free agency.

45. Tony Blanco, 1B, Pirates

Blanco has the most power in the minors (113.9 mph EV90) and has been making steady progress with his hit tool.

He could still fail to make enough contact at the highest level, but there isn’t nearly enough excitement around Blanco in dynasty, given the upside if things click.

46. Ty France, 1B, Free Agent

Out of nowhere, France hit a career-high 21 home runs with a .295/.363/.502 slash line in 500 plate appearances for the Padres. He had been waiver wire material for the better part of three years from 2023-25, and France was worth more wins (3.6 fWAR) in 2026 than he was worth the prior three years combined (1.4 fWAR).

A free agent entering his age-32 season, France has increased his HardHit% in four straight seasons, culminating in a career-best 47.2 HardHit% in 2026.

47. Josh Bell, 1B, Free Agent

Drafting Bell at cost has been a winning proposition for a while in fantasy, as his team/role is often uncertain for parts of the offseason, but he always lands on his feet and chips in around 20 homers with solid ratios.

He drove in 96 runs in his age-33 season for the Twins in 2026.

48. Christian Yelich, UT, Brewers

Giving Yelich the captain’s patch for the first time in Brewers history felt like a way of honoring and respecting him while phasing him into a lesser role. He turns 35 in December and has hit 12 or fewer homers in two of the last three years.

His .315 OBP in 2026 was the first time in his 14-year career his OBP has been below .343, which was his OBP in 2025.

49. Blake Burke, 1B, Brewers

Burke destroys baseballs (109 mph EV90, 116 mph max EV), but he spent a few months longer than he needed to at Double-A due to the Brewers’ organizational logjam at first base.

Once at Triple-A, he crashed back to Earth with a 32.1 K% and .143 ISO in 137 plate appearances.

50. Xavier Isaac, 1B, Rays

I went from being the high guy on Isaac when he was drafted to being the low guy on him this season, as his 41.2 Miss% last year is a massive red flag.

He is still just 22 (turns 23 in December) and his production hasn’t slowed down amid all the whiffs, so he deserved to crack the top 50, even if I’m skeptical of him making enough contact against big league pitching.

Honorable Mentions: Abimelec Ortiz, Spencer Horwitz, James Tibbs, Rafe Perich, Ike Irish, Luke Adams, Eric Bitonti, Yohandy Morales, Andrew Vaughn, George Springer