15 Justin Smoak, Seattle Mariners (24)
Smoak, after being traded by Texas to Seattle, is beginning to blossom as one of the game's better first basemen. The power has always been there, but questions of whether he can hit for average still remains. One thing I like about Smoak is that he gets on base, 7th in the AL early into 2011.
14 Carlos Pena, Chicago Cubs (32)
Pena has never been a great hitter for average, but he can hit for power as well as any top 5 first basemen and his defense remains underrated.
13 Ike Davis, New York Mets (24)
Davis has slowly burst onto the scene for the Mets after replacing Carlos Delgado. Davis is a pure hitter, he hits for consistently with both power and average as well as being a solid defender.
12 Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays (27)
Lind is pretty young, and he has been a steady performer for the Jays over the past couple seasons. His defense remains in question, but power wise, he is above average.
11 Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels (27)
When healthy, Morales is a definite top 10, borderline top 5 first basemen. But that's the thing, it's when he is healthy.
10 Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins (30)
Morneau is like Kendry Morales, if he wasn't plagued by injuries, Morneau is still a premier first basemen. Unfortunately, his health has forced him to take a few steps back.
9 Gaby Sanchez, Florida Marlins (27)
I love having Gaby Sanchez on my fantasy team. The guy is a steady performer and plus he is young. Sanchez is hitting in the mid .300's while hitting for power and driving in runs. What more do you want from a first basemen?
8 Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox (35)
Even though he is 35, it seems that Paul Konerko is playing the best ball of his career. He is coming off a monster season last year and thus far in 2011 he is producing the same results. I don't know how long he can last, but as of now Konerko is one of the game's best at first base.
7 Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers (27)
I understand that Fielder could easily crack the top 5, but for me, it's his defense that holds him back. He has the hitting ability to be a top 3 first basemen, but you don't get a ton of good defense from Fielder which is why he is 7.
6 Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (31)
Everyone has negative things to say about Ryan Howard lately, but I don't see what's wrong with Howard. Yes he strikes out a lot, but that's not a surprise. He consistently puts up huge numbers and plays adequate defense for a achieving Phillies squad.
5 Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees (31)
Teixeira is an outstanding defender and a great hitter. He is your do it all first basemen, which is why he is number five.
4 Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (28)
Cabrera is one of the best and most underrated hitters of this generation. His personal problems diminish what this guy does on the field night in and night out.
3 Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox (29)
I love watching this guy play the game. He has a beautiful swing. I could easily put him number one, but I will wait a year or two and see how he handles the pressures of the postseason (if they even make it) with the Red Sox.
2 Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (27)
There is a reason why Joey Votto was the NL MVP last season. He put the Reds on his back and through defense and clutch hitting he led them to the postseason. Joey Votto and the Reds have a bright future over the next few years.
1 Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (31)
Even though he is off to surprisingly slow start this season, Pujols remains the game's best player. He will go down in history as the best player in this generation and one of the greatest to ever play the game. At 31, he only has so many great years left, so we should all enjoy them while they last.
Future All-Star First Basemen
Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants
Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox
Yonder Alonso, Cincinnati Reds
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