It’s very hard to be a highly-ranked first baseman across MLB when you consider it’s one of the main positions on the diamond where hitting is valued so highly, and you often have to produce with the bat if you want to get any playing time. Whatever the parameters are for MLB Network’s “Shredder,” which ranks the top-10 best players at each position right now every offseason, Freddie Freeman has cracked the code.
Freddie Freeman is one of the most consistent, durable, and productive players in MLB. He’s running on 17 years of being one of the best hitters in the sport, let alone his position at first base. Freeman has 2431 hits, 547 doubles, and 367 home runs in his career. On Monday, MLB Network announced its top-10 first baseman.
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Freddie Freeman Named Best First Baseman in MLB…Again
MLB Network’s “The Shredder” announced Freddie Freeman as the best first baseman in MLB right now for the third straight season.
This ranking system is always the subject of flak from MLB fans and analysts across the league, so it’s important to mention the rest of the list in order.
Getty(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
- Freddie Freeman 2. Nick Kurtz 3. Matt Olson 4. Bryce Harper 5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 6. Rafael Devers 7. Yandy Diaz 8. Pete Alonso 9. Michael Busch 10. Willson Contreras
So, now you see how loaded the list of players is for this positional group. However, Freeman continues to put up ridiculous numbers at age 36.
Freddie Freeman has been with the Dodgers for four full seasons now, after spending 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He’s made five straight All-Star appearances and has a 2020 NL MVP under his belt. Here is the OPS+ by season for Freeman over the past three seasons: 2023 – 163, 2024 – 141, 2025 – 141.
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Is Freddie Freeman the Best First Baseman?
MLB Network’s list always draws controversy, as mentioned, but it’s also important to note that the list is very subjective, and it’s unclear what MLB Network uses to track this.
It makes itself clear by being very heavy on recent activity in MLB, as Nick Kurtz comes it at the second-best first baseman, despite not even playing a full 162-game season at the position, and then you could certainly make an argument for Matt Olson and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to be a little higher.
The thing that makes everybody a little bit hesitant to criticize Freeman being the top name at this position is his consistency year in and year out. He has black ink all over his Baseball Reference page, including leading the NL in doubles four times, leading the league in runs three times, and he’s also a lifetime .300 hitter, which is so rare in today’s time.
What does 2026 have in store for 2026? Who knows, but there is a sense that he will likely have another highly productive season.
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Freddie Freeman Continues Reign As ‘Best’ First Baseman after MLB Network Announcement