Ranking the NL East: First Basemen
Sep 27, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder
Ryan Zimmerman(11) at first base against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. The Nationals won 5-1. Mandatory Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Nationals won the NL East by a whopping 17 games last season and entered the offseason knowing that they would be favorites to win it again in 2015. And with this month’s acquisition of right-hander Max Scherzer, the team not only ensured that they would enter the season as NL East favorites, but they’ll also start 2015 as World Series favorites.
Of course, as Nationals fans know all too well, none of these labels means anything during the offseason. A team can go from “World Series” to “bust” in a matter of months, and the best team on paper isn’t guaranteed to accomplish anything.
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For this reason, it’s important to keep track of everything that is happening in the NL East and to monitor each team in the division going into the 2015 season.With that in mind, we we want to take a look at this division position-by-position to see who has the edge at certain positions. For this slideshow, we are going to look at the first basemen in the NL East.
First base is usually where some of the team’s best hitters play and, for the Nationals, last year was no exception as Adam LaRoche dominated with the bat all season long. This year, however, LaRoche will no longer be with the Nationals. Instead, former Gold Glove award-winning third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will slide across the diamond to become the team’s permanent first baseman.
Moving Zimmerman to first base is a great move for the Nationals and for Zimmerman because it will help him stay healthier in 2015. But now that the Face of the Franchise finds himself in a new position, how does he stack up to the other first basemen in the NL East? That’s what we’ll find out in this slideshow.
Here are my Top-5 first basemen in the NL East:
Next: Number Five
Oct 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter
Michael Morsereacts after hitting a RBI single against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning during game seven of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
5. Michael Morse (Miami Marlins)
The first player on our Top-5 NL East first basemen countdown is well known to almost every Nationals fan. Michael Morse was a fan-favorite throughout his four years in the nation’s capital and was undoubtedly one of the team’s best hitters while he was here.
Morse, 32, is known for his raw power that, when healthy, has the ability to give him 30+ home runs each season. Unfortunately, ‘The Beast’ has had trouble staying healthy and has only reached the 30 home run mark once – with the Nationals in 2011.
After helping lead the Nationals to their first ever playoff appearance in 2012, Morse was held back by injuries in 2013 and only played in 88 games with the Mariners and Orioles, hitting .213 with 13 home runs and 27 RBIs.
While Morse missed time on the disabled list at the end of his 2014 campaign with the Giants, it was still a nice bounce-back season for him as he hit .279 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs in 131 games – the most he’s played in a season since 2011. Morse was a big part of the Giants’ World Series run and hit a crucial pinch-hit, game-tying home run in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the NLCS against the Cardinals.
Morse has spent most of his career as an outfielder but has plenty of experience at first base, where he’s played 151 career games – including 83 with the Nationals in 2011 and 42 with the Giants last season.
When healthy, Morse has the ability to drive in a ton of runs and carry an offense from the middle of the order. While he could easily have been ranked higher on this list, his injury history is concerning for Miami and he’ll have to stay healthy in 2015 if the Marlins want him to be their full-time first baseman.
Next: Number Four
Sep 8, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman
Ryan Howard(6) hits an RBI single during the fourth inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
4. Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies)
Not long ago, Ryan Howard was considered by many to be not only the best first basemen in the NL East, but also one of the best first basemen in all of baseball. But Howard’s career has been in rapid decline in recent years and the former All-Star and NL MVP is no longer a Top-3 first baseman in the NL East.
After hitting 33 home runs and driving in 116 runs in 2011, Howard’s numbers have never been the same and he’s only played more than 80 games once.
Howard, 35, missed a lot of time in 2012 and 2013, playing in only 71 and 80 games, respectively. During those two years, the Phillies’ first baseman hit just 25 home runs and only drove in 99 runs.
Howard managed to play a full season in 2014 and he improved with the bat, though his batting average and strikeouts are a concern. In 153 games with the Phillies last season, Howard hit .223 with 23 home runs and 95 RBIs while striking out 190 times.
Even if Howard manages to stay healthy in 2015, it’s possible that he won’t see regular playing time with the Phillies and they may very well trade him before the season starts. But as he showed last season, Howard still has the ability to drive in runs and could still be productive in 2015.
Given his dramatic decline in recent years, however, it looks like Howard’s days of dominating NL East first basemen are over.
Next: Number Three
Sep 27, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets first baseman
Lucas Duda(21) hits a walk off two run home run during the ninth inning to win the game against the Houston Astros at Citi Field. New York Mets won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
3. Lucas Duda (New York Mets)
In his fourth year with the team, Mets first baseman Lucas Duda had a breakout season in 2014 and could be poised to be one of the best-hitting first basemen in the National League in 2015.
In 153 games with the Mets last season, Duda hit .253 with 30 home runs and 92 RBIs. It was by far the best season of his career up to this point, as the 28-year-old had not played in more than 121 games and had never hit more than 15 home runs in a season.
After the Mets traded first baseman Ike Davis early last season, Duda secured his spot as the team’s everyday first baseman and was a key part of the Mets’ lineup all season long. In Duda, the Mets have a first baseman who can not only hit for power, but also one who knows how to get on base. Duda posted a .349 on-base percentage and walked 69 times, which is the second-best walk total of the first basemen on this list.
Duda made great strides in 2014 and his performance next season will probably be a crucial factor for the Mets’ chances of making it to the postseason. If he continues to improve next season, it wouldn’t be surprising if his name climbed to the top spot on this list next offseason.
Next: Number Two
Sep 27, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Ryan Zimmerman (11) at first base against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. The Nationals won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
2. Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)
After years of being the Nationals’ everyday third baseman, Ryan Zimmerman will slide across the diamond and become the team’s everyday first baseman starting next season.
Moving to first base should not only help Zimmerman stay healthy in 2015, but his bat should also be able to make up for the production that the team will no longer be getting from LaRoche.
Since Zimmerman has never played a full season at first base, it’s difficult to compare him to the other first basemen in the division. That said, there’s no question that Zimmerman has the potential to be the best-hitting first baseman in the NL East. For that to happen, however, Zimmerman will have to stay healthy – which is something he wasn’t able to do last season.
Hamstring and thumb injuries limited Zimmerman to just 60 games in 2014 and his absence was one of the reasons the Nationals’ offense struggled at times during the season. When he did played, however, he showed flashes of what the Nationals can expect from him if he manages to stay healthy for a full season. In those 60 games, Zimmerman hit .280 with 25 extra-base hits, five home runs and 38 RBIs.
If Zimmerman stays healthy in 2015, he has the potential to carry the Nationals’ offense into October. Zimmerman’s best season came in 2009, when he hit .292 with 33 home runs and 106 RBIs while being named to the All Star Game and taking home Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at third base. At just 30 years old and still in his prime, there’s no reason to believe a healthy Zimmerman can’t replicate those numbers in 2015.
Along with his health, Zimmerman’s defense will also be a big question mark for the Nationals next season. While none of the players on this list are great defensively, Zimmerman is in an interesting position because, while he has never played a full season at first, he was one of the best defensive third baseman in baseball for a long time. And although that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be as good a first baseman as he was a third baseman, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be able to develop into an elite first baseman – especially now that his shoulder issues won’t be a factor in his defense – once he gets used to the position.
We won’t know how Zimmerman will do at first base until the season starts. But if he manages to stay healthy all year long and if he can get accustomed to his new position early in the year, Zimmerman may very well be the best first basemen in the NL East next season.
Next: Number One
Sep 26, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman
Freddie Freeman(5) smiles back at the dugout as he takes the field in the fourth inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
1. Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves)
While the case can be made that either Zimmerman or Duda could be classified as the No. 2 first baseman in the NL East, it’s pretty clear (in my opinion) that the distinction of No. 1 goes to Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Ever since he won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2011, Freeman has not only been one of the best first basemen in the NL East, but he’s also been one of the best first basemen in all of baseball.
At just 25 years old, Freeman has been the Rookie of the Year, he’s been an All-Star twice and he’s finished in the top-5 in NL MVP voting once. Freeman’s best season came in 2013, when he hit .319 with 23 home runs and 109 RBIs.
While Freeman wasn’t quite as strong in 2014, he still hit a solid .288 with 43 doubles, 18 home runs and 78 RBIs while scoring a career-high 93 runs. Last season Freeman also showed one of the biggest advantages he has over the other players on this list: his durability. Not only did Freeman play in more games than any of the other players on this list, but he also managed to play in all 162 games last season.
It’s hard to predict what will happen with the first basemen in the NL East next season. Right now, Freeman claims the top spot. That said, with Duda on the rise and Zimmerman at a new position, there’s no telling what this list will look like after the 2015 season.