2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: First Base Tiers 1.0

First base might have the most clear-cut tiers of any position

By Scott White

Jan 27, 2026 at 9:30 am ET • 1 min read

You're in the thick of the draft and can't decide between two players. The logical choice is to target the one whose position is nearest to dropping off. But where are the drop-offs? That's what these tiers denote. Players whose impact is essentially the same are bundled together, revealing at a glance how many alike choices remain. With these tiers in hand, you'll have all you need to determine in real time which position is most appropriate to draft next.

Position Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

Below are the first base tiers for 2026, which might offer the greatest interchangeability of any set of tiers, particularly early in drafts. If you can predict with supreme confidence the order of finish for Pete Alonso, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper, Rafael Devers, and Freddie Freeman this upcoming season, you're a better analyst than me.

The Elite: Nick Kurtz, Vladimir Guerrero Jr
The Near-Elite: Pete Alonso, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper, Rafael Devers, Freddie Freeman, Josh Naylor†
The Next-Best Things: Ben Rice, Vinnie Pasquantino, Yandy Diaz†, Tyler Soderstrom, Michael Busch
The Fallback Options: Salvador Perez, Spencer Torkelson, Jonathan Aranda
The Last Resorts: Munetaka Murakami, Spencer Steer, Willson Contreras, Alec Burleson, Sal Stewart, Kyle Manzardo, Christian Walker, (Bryce Eldridge)
The Leftovers: Andrew Vaughn, Luis Arraez, Lenyn Sosa, Jake Burger, Miguel Vargas, Nolan Schanuel, Ryan O'Hearn, Paul Goldschmidt, Josh Smith, Triston Casas, Coby Mayo, Romy Gonzalez, Josh Bell