We’ve made it to February! That means that we can turn our attention away a bit from winter and start concentrating on baseball. Of course, that is great news to anyone that loves baseball, both real and fantasy. In the past few weeks, I have been active to writing about starting pitchers and catchers. In this fantasy baseball 1st-base values edition, I turn attention to those that man the first base bag.

As you expect from the title, I will zero in on the players a manager can wait a bit to select on draft day. Even while doing so, those managers can expect an excellent fantasy return from them that will build strong rosters. As always, debate and discussion are strongly encouraged. Do you have others that you consider values? Do you disagree with the selections? Let’s talk about it! Without further delay, these are my choices.

Spencer Torkelson, Detroit Tigers

First out of the gate, I will discuss Spencer Torkelson. A player that couldn’t get things going in his first taste in the big leagues, Torkelson put in a full season in 2023. The Result? He appeared in 159 games and hit 31 homers while driving in 94 runs. Further, he crossed the plate 88 times. Of course, all of those stats would look good on anyone’s fantasy roster.

However, it wasn’t all good news last season. Torkelson hit just .233 and struck out a numbingly amount of times (171). Balancing out those eye sores, though, is that he walked 67 times, which contributed to a .313 OBP. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he can cut down on those strikeouts. In 530 minor league at bats in 2021, Torkelson struck out 114 times.

Truthfully, he is a power hitter and strikeouts, especially in today’s game, are the reality. Those in points leagues will want to keep that in mind. Even so, Torkelson should put much better all-around numbers in 2024. FantasyPros has him ranked just outside the top ten fantasy first basemen. ESPN shows him 17th.

If ESPN is the platform you use, you could wait a bit to select him come draft day. To put it bluntly, a 16th or 17th round draft pick that can hit 30 homers looks good on any fantasy roster. In my estimate, waiting on a player like Torkelson makes for good strategy.

Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals

The second first baseman in this fantasy baseball 1st-base values discussion is Vinnie Pasquantino. Without question, he won’t be a surprise to those knowledgeable in fantasy baseball. After all, he was a player on the rise a year ago. Unfortunately, injury cut into his season, shortchanging everyone that drafted him. This preseason, keeping an eye on him should be a priority for all fantasy managers.

Because of his injury, Pasquantino only played in 61 games. When he went down, Pasquantino was hitting .247-9-26. Don’t let those numbers overshadow what he is capable of. In between the minors and majors in 2022, Pasquantino hit a combined 28 homers and drove in 96 RBIs.

As impressive as those numbers are, Pasquantino sported an even more eye opening stat. In a world where shortstops are striking out 150 times a season, Pasquantino went down 73 times. As awesome as that is, it pales in comparison to his 75 BBs. That’s not the end of the good news, though. In his callup in 2022, Pasquantino put together a 135 OPS+.

As stated at the top, watch Pasquantino closely in the spring. FantasyPros has him ranked 15th and ESPN has him all the way in the top ten. If his shoulder is healthy for the entire season, I think that the ESPN ranking will be where he will finish the season. In the 11th or so round, Pasquantino would present a much better value than anything Guerrero will provide in the second or third round.

Rhys Hoskins, Milwaukee Brewers

No question, Rhys Hoskins is a well known player, having been in the World Series just over a year ago. Despite that, he finds himself on this fantasy baseball 1st-base values edition because of injury. In fact, Hoskins didn’t appear in a single game last season. If managers watch him closely in spring training and he is healthy, drafting Hoskins could become the steal in the draft.

Don’t forget, Hoskins is one of the best power hitting first baseman to be found. In the previous four full seasons prior to his injury, Hoskins hit 34, 29, 27 and 30 homers. Further, he can also score runs. During that same period, he scored 89, 86, 64 and 81 times. When healthy, he is in the lineup, as his 156 games played in 2022 clearly demonstrate.

No surprise, he does strike out quite often, but he does know how to draw a walk. He led the league in BBs in 2019 with 116. His OPS+ over the last three season are strong: 138, 129 and 123. Even though he is entering his seventh season, Hoskins is only 30.

FantasyPros has him ranked 22nd and ESPN 19th. Overall, he is ranked 166th. If healthy, and of course that’s the key, Hoskins’ value will be far above that. If he is playing well in the spring, don’t hesitate to call his name on draft day.

Nathaniel Lowe, Texas Rangers

As a World Series champion, you wouldn’t expect to find someone like Nathaniel Lowe on a list like this. However, seeing where he is ranked this preseason, this is exactly where he belongs. As of this writing FantasyPros has Lowe ranked as the 20th best fantasy first baseman. ESPN has him even lower at 22. In my opinion, both of those rankings are far too low for a player of his stature.

True, Lowe didn’t have as good a season as he had in 2022. Even so, he appeared in 161 games and hit 17 homers, drove in 82 runs while batting .262. His RBIs were actually higher than what he produced in 2022. No doubt about it, Lowe will be in the lineup every day as he played in 157 games each of the two previous seasons. Additionally, he walked 93 times a year ago and scored 89 runs.

Most importantly, Lowe gets on base, as his .360 OBP indicates. When he hits the ball, good things happen. His BAbip was .329. Even better, he has a career .343 mark. He does strike out too much (165), but the walks balance that somewhat.

Ultimately, for a guy that can be had in the 15th round, Lowe will provide solid value at that spot. First base is a position that has fallen off quickly after the first five or so are off the board in recent years. Fortunately, that is not so much the case this season. Unless you snag one of those top players, Lowe will give a nice return when his draft spot comes around.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball 1st-base values edition! Debate and discussion are always encouraged when it comes to my fantasy articles. Do you agree or disagree? Have another first baseman or two in mind? Let’s talk about it.

The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show will be live every Sunday at 8 pm Eastern from here to the end of the fantasy season, at the least. Don’t miss out! In our last episode, we discussed our catchers tiers, risers and players to be cautious of.

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