We aren’t playing around anymore, it’s time for the big dogs to come out and play! The Dynasty Guru’s top tiers of consensus first base prospects are loaded with star power that like to flex their muscles. Behold the stars of tomorrow along with comments and thoughts from Brian and Daniel Labude.

Tier 1 #1 – 3

This tier has a lot of major league ready talent and maybe the player with the biggest upside is Bryce Eldridge. Unlike Samuel Basallo, Eldridge should have a direct path to playing time and has even started taking some outfield reps. He may be a DH/1B for a year or so, but his power is well worth rostering. He hit .260/.333/.510, with 25 home runs over 102 games between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. Standing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, he has mammoth light-tower power and is just scratching the surface of his true potential. His 29.3% strikeout rate in the minor leagues during the 2025 season was down in the 20th percentile for prospects. He will need to improve that, but his Triple-A zone-contact rate of 82.4% shows a hitter who will make enough contact to see his power numbers take off in the major leagues. His average exit velocity of 95.7 MPH at Triple-A really stands out and cements the type of hitter who, if he can make enough contact, will put up big numbers, possibly similar to Nick Kurtz. He just needs to be more patient at the plate. (Daniel Labude)

This first tier of our consensus first base rankings is separated from the other tiers by much more than what it appears. Samuel Basallo, Bryce Eldridge, and Sal Stewart are light years ahead of their fellow peers on this list. All three made their major league debut last year and are looking to break out in big ways in 2026. At Triple-A in 2025, each of the three posted top tier Statcast numbers: average exit velocities over 93 mph, launch angles between 13 and 15 degrees, and hard hit rates over 50%. If I were forced to choose just one of these players to stake a claim to as having the best career, I would choose Eldridge. The reason is, Basallo has a higher chance of being labeled as a platoon bat much earlier in his career than Eldridge does. Basallo slashed .193/.287/.410 against left handed pitching in 2025, while Eldridge hit .264/.323/.484. This is obviously splitting the thinnest of hairs, but you have to when looking at the elite three. Stewart should provide easily more stolen bases than the other two, but also hits the ball on the ground more. In fact, if you want the safest floor for fantasy production, Stewart is your guy. He’ll provide above average stats across the board and has the added benefit of playing in the more hitter friendly ballpark of the three, by far. (Brian Labude)

Tier 2 #4 – 11

In tier two, Xavier Isaac is the prospect we all should be rooting for and could make a jump to the major leagues in a year or two, especially as a strong side platoon first baseman. For a more detailed look into his profile, check out my prospect spotlight on him that is coming out this afternoon. The other two prospects in this tier that stand out to me are Ralphy Velazquez and Charlie Condon. Over 101 games in 2024, Velazquez showed some power potential by hitting 11 home runs, but a slash line of .231/.347/.385 left a lot to be desired for a breakout prospect. Then came 2025 and he would stand out with a slash line of .265/.342/.496, with 22 home runs. His 188 wRC+ as a 20-year-old over 28 Double-A Akron games was attention grabbing for sure. He doesn’t strike out a lot either, like many first basemen, only having a 19.1% strikeout rate in 2025 to go with a walk rate of 9.6%. He has a big frame with raw strength that should age well power wise. If he can put up another stellar season in 2026, look for him to move up into the top five of first base prospects quickly. Condon has been a bit of a mystery, but he pulled out of a funk in the minor leagues at the start of 2025. At High-A Spokane, he hit .312/.431/.420 and was showing some of the talent that he was lauded for in college. His 134 wRC+ was actually similar to his 132 wRC+ he had later in the season at Double-A Hartford, but the hit tool took a tumble. He only managed to hit .235/.342/.465. The wRC+ was fueled by 11 home runs over 55 games. The power finally started showing up, but the strikeout rate rose and the walk rate declined. If he is to remain a prospect with star power potential, he will need to limit strikeouts and make more contact like he did in High-A. (Daniel Labude)

When rankers see a big power bat that might have some struggles against velocity and has possible contact issues, they run for the hills like the player is a zombie from the Walking Dead series. Not me, there are times to take risks, because if you stay in lock-step with general industry thoughts, it’s tough to break ahead in your leagues. While it is very important to pick and choose where to break, I for one am breaking with regards to Munetaka Murakami. He has big time power in his bat, topping out at 56 home runs in Japan during the 2022 season. Even last year, during what some have been calling a dead ball era in Japan baseball, he was on pace for over 40 home runs, nearing 50. His strikeout rate last year and in the previous few seasons is where the major red flags come from, 27%, 29.5%, and 28.1%. He wasn’t always that way though, having a 20.9% and 21.6% strikeout rate in 2022 and 2021 respectively. When the White Sox signed him, they had announced there were a few areas that they identified which could help increase his contact rate and reduce his swing and miss issues. Give me him all day over the other hitters in this second tier, really only Josue Briceño is the only other player from this grouping that has a chance to have a similar upside as Murakami. Briceño tore up High-A West Michigan in 2025, hitting 15 home runs, slashing .296/.422/.602. However, he slipped some at Double-A Erie, only adding five more home runs and slashing .232/.335/.381. He’s the next in line to be in tier one after this season, but only if he can bounce back at Double-A and ride it into a solid Triple-A debut. (Brian Labude)