For a position known for its heavy hitters, first base is generally light on prospects.
That's because so many of the players who wind up there were backed into it, having proven not nimble enough to handle third base or the outfield. It's typically a last-ditch decision made just before the player reaches the majors -- or just after -- and thus too late to be reflected in a rank list such as this.
- Top Prospects: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | P
The 2024 draft was unusual, though, in that two dedicated first basemen went off the board within the first six picks, giving the position two high-end prospects from the jump.
Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that they're the first two in these rankings.
Note: These rankings are intended mainly for Dynasty use, emphasizing long-term value over a quick payoff, but to say proximity holds no weight wouldn't be entirely accurate either. Not all of these players will contribute in 2025 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they're the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know.
1. Nick Kurtz, Athletics
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: Low-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .368 BA (38 AB), 4 HR, 1.283 OPS, 12 BB, 10 K
Taken two spots ahead of Jac Caglianone in the 2024 draft, Kurtz has been the better performer of the two so far, having a better idea of how to launch the ball while tapping into the Athletics' Moneyball roots with his patient approach. In fact, his most favorable comp recounts a player from the organization's not-so-distant past, current Braves first baseman Matt Olson.
2. Jac Caglianone, Royals
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: High-A
Minor-league stats: .241 BA (116 AB), 2 HR, .690 OPS, 7 BB, 26 K
Caglianone can straight-up obliterate the ball and may deliver exit velocities on par with Oneil Cruz someday. Unfortunately, he suffers from the same issue of putting too many balls on the ground, which is why his actual numbers in High-A and the Arizona Fall League have left something to be desired. He may be too good at making contact, actually, which can invite bad swing decisions, but if he learns to make better ones, just imagine what it could mean.
3. Bryce Eldridge, Giants
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2024: Low-A, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .292 BA (446 AB), 23 HR, .890 OPS, 59 BB, 132 K
The 1t6h pick in the 2023 draft spent time at four minor-league levels last year, reaching the highest one prior to celebrating his 20th birthday. That's a particularly aggressive path for a player still growing into his massive 6-foot-7 frame, but it reveals how advanced Eldridge is in other areas, offering a quick stroke and mature approach. The potential for power sort of goes without saying.
4. Xavier Isaac, Rays
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2024: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .264 BA (367 AB), 18 HR, 15 SB, .850 OPS, 58 BB, 145 K
My knee-jerk reaction was to put Isaac at the top of this list, given his existing name value and strong work in the lower minors the past couple years, but for as good as his top-line numbers were in 2024, the strikeout rate took a frightening turn. It settled at 33.3 percent, which might explain why he hit .211 after moving up to Double-A and makes Isaac, for all his ability to impact the ball, less than a sure thing.
5. Deyvison De Los Santos, Marlins
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2024: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .294 BA (538 AB), 40 HR, .914 OPS, 34 BB, 144 K
De Los Santos' monstrous production says something about his upside, and there's no doubting that when he connects with the ball, it can go a long way. His chase rates verge on the outrageous, though, which could pose a problem against major-league pitching. The rebuilding Marlins should offer plenty of runway, at least, and we'll know pretty soon if De Los Santos will sink or swim.
6. Ralphy Velasquez, Guardians
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2024: Low-A, High-A
Minor-league stats: .231 BA (377 AB), 11 HR, .731 OPS, 66 BB, 95 K
Though the scouting reports suggested Velasquez could make it a catcher, the Guardians have already relegated him to first base at age 19, allowing him to focus on the thing he does best: mashing. While the numbers lagged in 2024, particularly in the second half, his pitch recognition and exit velocity readings are impressive for a player his age, creating a glass-half-full outlook for now.
7. Ryan Clifford, Mets
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2024: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .228 BA (435 AB), 19 HR, .793 OPS, 95 BB, 160 K
Clifford's numbers have sagged since the Mets acquired him from the Astros in the Justin Verlander deal, but he's spent most of that time at High-A Brooklyn, a punishing environment for left-handed hitters where he reportedly had trouble seeing the ball. He hit 18 of this year's home runs in just 333 at-bats at Double-A Binghamton, renewing confidence in him as a three-true-outcomes type with some of the most power of anyone on this list.
8. Zach Dezenzo, Astros
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2024: Rookie, Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .300 BA (197 AB), 7 HR, 17 2B, .877 OPS, 26 BB, 51 K
Major-league stats: .242 BA (62 AB), 2 HR, 2 2B, .648 OPS, 3 BB, 22 K
A wrist injury limited Dezenzo to about two months of minor-league action, but he made a strong enough impression during that time to get some late-season looks with the big club, mostly at first base but possibly with an eye toward replacing Alex Bregman at third. The power should play, though there have been questions about Dezenzo's hit tool even while he's mostly kept the strikeouts under control in the minors.
9. Tyler Locklear, Mariners
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2024: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .272 BA (423 AB), 16 HR, .850 OPS, 62 BB, 125 K
Major-league stats: .156 BA (45 AB), 2 HR, .536 OPS, 3 BB, 20 K
Locklear has generally performed well in the minors despite not fully actualizing his power yet, which he'll need to do to become an impact hitter at T-Mobile Park. The initial big-league returns, bleak though they were, probably don't matter in the grand scheme of things, but as a right-handed hitter at the bottom of the defensive spectrum, he'll only get so many cracks at it.
10. Tre' Morgan, Rays
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2024: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .324 BA (373 AB), 10 HR, 20 SB, .891 OPS, 48 BB, 48 K
You could go with C.J. Kayfus or Tyler Black instead of Morgan here, but while all three are disciplined hitters who fall short in the power department, Morgan has the loudest singular tool. He's a total Stretch Armstrong at first base, a defensive whiz at a position that rarely calls for those, and the corresponding athleticism offers hope in him craving out a future as a Yandy Diaz-type hitter, perhaps even with some speed.
