MLB Top First Baseman in the First Third

Ben Rice and HM: Nick Kurtz

are freaks of nature. There, I said it. Rice leads the league in wRC+ (197) You’re probably thinking… “Ben Rice has only played in 33 games while Nick Kurtz has played in 48 games or Munetaka Murakami has played in 45 games.” To that I’d say, yeah you’re right, but Rice has a higher WAR than Murakami, and Kurtz is 40 ticks down from Rice in wRC+. Rice is at the 98th percentile in batting run value while Kurtz is at the 95th percentile, so while Kurtz has a higher WAR than Rice, I’d argue it’s because he’s played in 15 more games. I mean, Rice has an OPS over 1.000! The one area I think Kurtz is truly better at than Rice, is taking walks. Kurtz is at the 100th percentile, he is the best in the league at drawing walks, and Rice is in the 83rd percentile. I think if Rice had the same volume of playing time as Kurtz, these numbers would look different and Rice would be a clearer favorite for the first third all star nod. So I’m going to give it to him. The question with Rice isn’t production, it’s sustainability. Can he continue this trend through 2026? 

Matt Olson & HM: Bryce Harper

is also the highest in his league in wRC+, and our national league honorable mention Bryce Harper is top 5 in all of MLB first basemen in wRC+. Both have very similar OPS, averages, and home runs. The massive difference here is WAR. Olson leads all first basemen with a 2.4, while Harper trails with a 1.2. Much of that gap comes from defense, where Olson has provided positive value while Harper has struggled significantly.

Harper has a -7.3 dWAR player, whereas Olson is a positive 1.1 dWAR player. Both players have found a better barrel % this season, and it’s paid off. The reason I went with Olson here is because of his overall WAR and value on both sides of the game. He’s the easy choice.