Freddie Freeman was ranked the top first baseman by MLB Network’s The Shredder for the third consecutive season and the sixth time in his career.
Freeman also topped the list from 2020-2022, and it’s his 13th consecutive season featured in The Shredder’s rankings. He has placed in the top two each year since 2018.
MLB Network host Brian Kenny has Freeman as the No. 2 first baseman going into 2026, and analyst Sean Casey ranked him the sixth-best at his position.
Freeman is coming off a bit of a down year by his standards, but he remains a productive player. He batted .295/.367/.502 with 39 doubles, 24 home runs and 90 RBI in 147 games.
The 36-year-old went on to have another memorable postseason moment as he hit a walk-off home run in the 18th inning of Game 3 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Since the start of the 2022 season, Freeman’s 149 wRC+ ranks first among all first basemen who have logged a minimum of 1,000 plate appearances over that span.
However, he has not posted a .300 batting average or .900 on-base plus slugging since the 2023 season. Freeman has dealt with multiple injuries over the last two years, but is finally back at full health and drew praise from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in Spring Training.
The nine-time All-Star is entering his fifth season as a member of the Dodgers and recently indicated that he wants to finish his career with the organization.
“I would like that, yeah,” Freeman said earlier this year. “I love being here. I’m from Southern California. I’ve had a great time. The fans, you guys treat me great. Everyone’s treating my family good. So that’s out of my control.
“I’m not worried about another contract, not going to bring it up, not going to talk about it. I got two years left. I’m just an employee. I just do my job, and if they want me back, they want me back. But I think Andrew and everyone know that I love being here. So whatever happens, happens.”
Freeman wants to play at least four more seasons, which would give him a chance to become the 34th player in MLB history to reach 3,000 career hits. He is the active leader with 2,431 hits and would need to average about 142 to hit his goal by the end of the 2029 season.
MLB Top-10 First Basemen Right Now for 2026
| Rank | The Shredder | Sean Casey |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) | Matt Olson (Braves) |
| 2 | Nick Kurtz (Athletics) | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) |
| 3 | Matt Olson (Braves) | Pete Alonso (Orioles) |
| 4 | Bryce Harper (Phillies) | Bryce Harper (Phillies) |
| 5 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) | Nick Kurtz (Athletics) |
| 6 | Rafael Devers (Giants) | Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) |
| 7 | Yandy Díaz (Rays) | Josh Naylor (Mariners) |
| 8 | Pete Alonso (Orioles) | Michael Busch (Cubs) |
| 9 | Michael Busch (Cubs) | Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals) |
| 10 | Willson Contreras (Red Sox) | Jonathan Aranda (Rays) |
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