An All-Star break tradition, here are my mostly-for-fun 2025 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be 20-game eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with contract options for next year have an asterisk included with their team names.
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Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH
Early 2025 First Baseman and Designated Hitter rankings
| 2025 | First basemen/DHs | Team | 2024 | July |
| 1 DH | Shohei Ohtani | Dodgers | 1 DH | 1 DH |
| 1 | Freddie Freeman | Dodgers | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Blue Jays | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Bryce Harper | Phillies | 4 | 2 |
| 4 | Matt Olson | Braves | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | Pete Alonso | 5 | 6 | |
| 6 | Josh Naylor | Guardians | 7 | 5 |
| 2 DH | Marcell Ozuna | Braves* | 3 DH | 2 DH |
| 7 | Spencer Steer | Reds | 11 | 10 |
| 8 | Vinnie Pasquantino | Royals | 12 | 11 |
| 3 DH | Kyle Schwarber | Phillies | 23 OF | 16 OF |
| 9 | Alec Bohm | Phillies | 17 | 9 |
| 10 | Christian Walker | 13 | 7 | |
| 11 | Triston Casas | Red Sox | 8 | 17 |
| 12 | Cody Bellinger | Cubs* | 6 | 8 |
| 13 | Ryan Mountcastle | Orioles | 20 | 15 |
| 14 | Yandy Diaz | Rays | 16 | 18 |
| 15 | Paul Goldschmidt | 9 | 12 | |
| 16 | Christian Encarnacion-Strand | Reds | 10 | NR |
| 17 | Jeimer Candelario | Reds | 15 | 14 |
| 18 | Salvador Perez | Royals | 25 | 16 |
| 4 DH | Eloy Jimenez | White Sox* | 2 DH | 4 DH |
| 19 | Luis Arraez | Padres | 10 2B | 19 |
| 20 | Jake Cronenworth | Padres | 33 | 21 |
| 5 DH | J.D. Martinez | 5 DH | 3 DH | |
| 21 | Rhys Hoskins | Brewers* | 21 | 20 |
| 22 | Michael Busch | Cubs | 23 3B | 26 |
| 23 | Spencer Torkelson | Tigers | 14 | 34 |
| 24 | Andrew Vaughn | White Sox | 19 | 28 |
| 25 | Jake Burger | Marlins | 15 3B | 27 |
| 6 DH | Giancarlo Stanton | Yankees | 61 OF | 61 OF |
| 26 | Tyler Soderstrom | Athletics | 12 DH | 39 |
| 7 DH | Jorge Soler | Giants | 54 OF | 52 OF |
| 27 | Josh Bell | 26 | 29 | |
| 28 | Nathaniel Lowe | Rangers | 24 | 24 |
| 8 DH | Kyle Manzardo | Guardians | 38 1B | 57 1B |
| 9 DH | Masataka Yoshida | Red Sox | 39 OF | 91 OF |
| 29 | Ben Rice | Yankees | 59 C | 45 |
| 10 DH | Joc Pederson | Diamondbacks* | 78 OF | 79 OF |
| 30 | Tyler Black | Brewers | 48 3B | 56 |
| 31 | Ryan O’Hearn | Orioles* | 35 | 25 |
| 32 | Justin Turner | 22 | 23 | |
| 33 | DJ LeMahieu | Yankees | 31 | 31 |
| 34 | Nolan Schanuel | Angels | 32 | 37 |
| 11 DH | Jonathan Aranda | Rays | 10 DH | NR DH |
| 35 | Anthony Rizzo | Yankees* | 23 | 50 |
| 36 | LaMonte Wade Jr. | Giants | 39 | 40 |
| 37 | Kris Bryant | Rockies | 45 OF | 43 |
| 38 | Spencer Horwitz | Blue Jays | 13 DH | 30 |
| 39 | Carlos Santana | 41 | 35 | |
| 40 | Michael Toglia | Rockies | 59 | 42 |
| 41 | Deyvison De Los Santos | Diamondbacks | 108 3B | 67 3B |
| 42 | Luke Raley | Mariners | 37 | 36 |
| 43 | Gavin Sheets | White Sox | 57 | 44 |
| 44 | Ty France | Mariners | 29 | 32 |
| 45 | J.D. Davis | 39 3B | 33 | |
| 12 DH | Andrew McCutchen | 8 DH | 10 DH | |
| 46 | Mauricio Dubon | Astros | 46 2B | 47 |
| 13 DH | Harold Ramirez | Nationals | 9 DH | 159 OF |
| 47 | Rowdy Tellez | 34 | 48 | |
| 48 | Connor Joe | Pirates | 55 | 46 |
| 49 | Xavier Isaac | Rays | NR | NR |
| 50 | Tyler Locklear | Mariners | 76 | NR |
- There aren’t much in the way of changes at the top here. Pete Alonso’s free agent status has him a little higher in the top 300 than he might otherwise be. His road OPS is 76 points higher than his home OPS in his career, and it’s possible he’ll find himself somewhere better for offense than Citi Field next season.
- 23rd for Spencer Torkelson? Maybe? I imagine the power will come back, but we’re talking about a bad defensive first baseman who has hit .235/.348/.441 in 109 career games in Triple-A and .218/.296/.386 in 323 games in the majors. It’s awfully difficult to project him as a star at this point. On the other hand, we already saw him hit 31 homers and drive in 94 runs at age 23; as long as he can hit .230, he should be adequate.
- The DH field next season could be as crowded as it’s been in several years. One rather surprising name is Kyle Mazardo’s. Even though Josh Naylor is nothing special on defense, the Guardians didn’t have Manzardo start one game at first base during his six weeks with the club. I’m expecting Manzardo to be a starter against righties next year, but that the Guardians think so little of his defense gives me pause.