Fantasy managers at first base have a problem: too much good talent to choose from. The Early 2027 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for the position open with a warning. “Even with Kyle Schwarber, Yandy Diaz, Cody Bellinger, Tyler Soderstrom, Isaac Paredes, Kazuma Okamoto and Luis Arraez (to name a few) losing eligibility at the position, the surplus is still unlike anywhere else,” the writer argues.
A deep pool sits beneath this ranking, and it barely gets touched. Some multi-eligible players will go to the draft to play other positions, and in a 15-team Rotisserie league, a late pick could end up with nothing at all. Still, the surplus is so vast that every player appears merely average by comparison.
Nick Kurtz Leads the Way
Nick Kurtz of the Athletics opens the top 20 at first base. His .256 batting average is tempting evidence that his sky-high strikeout rate finally brought him back down to earth. But the writer argues otherwise. On June 18, when the thumb sprain that ended his season was first reported, Kurtz was batting .280 with a .951 OPS. That is not far off from his historic rookie season.
“When the injury was first reported on June 18, he was batting .280 with a .951 OPS, which isn’t far off from his historic rookie season.”
A hitter who can produce a consistent OPS close to 1.000 is a rare breed, indeed.
Miguel Vargas Gets the Easy Call
Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox ranks second, and while he is eligible at third base, which is a far rarer position for 2027, the writer calls that his most obvious choice. The writer warns Vargas may draw suspicion as a potential one-hit wonder, but argues his power is real. He was the biggest gainer in average bat speed this year, and his on-base ability and, by the standard of corner infielders, his speed stand out.
Sal Stewart and Ben Rice Round Out the Top Five
Third place belongs to Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds, a ranking boosted by his third base eligibility. He may face more doubt than Vargas, because his Baseball Savant page isn’t as red and his triple slash line doesn’t match his counting stats. The writer believes there is still room for improvement in his batting average and home runs. We have already witnessed better line drive and pull-air rates from Stewart.
Ben Rice of the New York Yankees rounds out the top five at fourth place. The writer’s initial selection for No. 1 at this position lands on No. 4, largely due to a desire for players who fill more than one roster spot. Rice is giving up his catcher status, yet the writer urges readers not to believe he is losing his Fantasy value. If he can return his strikeout and pull-air rates to what they were in 2025, his best is still ahead of him.
Pete Alonso and Matt Olson Back to Back
Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles follows at fifth. His first month with the Orioles was disastrous, but the Alonso who showed up from May 1 on was about the best version we have ever seen. Expected stats suggest he has a chance to be a plus for batting average now that he is not so pull-heavy. The full-season numbers offer the safest projection, and they are plenty good enough.
Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves ranks sixth. For years, the two perennial stars have traded the top spot back and forth, and 2027 appears to be another chapter in that ongoing rivalry. Olson began 2026 with a strong start but faded badly toward the finish, while Alonso endured an early slump before regaining his form. Both players hit 40 home runs and accumulated a large number of plate appearances. Alonso currently appears to be the more likely option for batting average, which is why he holds the advantage here, though their careers have both featured enough peaks and valleys in that category to keep the outcome uncertain.
Rafael Devers and Bryce Harper
Devers of the San Francisco Giants sits at number eight. The writer had already given up on him as a one-dimensional slugger like Jake Burger, but he returned strongly in the second half, much like his Boston days. He has trimmed his swing to reduce his strikeouts without losing his power. He is more erratic than Alonso and Olson, yet his potential is not so far apart, especially since he does not appear bothered by the dimensions of Oracle Park.
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies comes ninth. The writer senses a collective eagerness to write him off at 34, but he quietly had a banger of a 2026. He avoided the usual IL stints while reemerging as a preeminent on-base threat. He is outfield-eligible again, which is no small development given the depth at first base. Further decline is possible, but Alonso and Olson are not exactly spring chickens themselves.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Controversy
The Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stands as the most disputed first baseman for 2027. His argument rests on the fact that he has been playing through a bad back since the beginning, which would not make him the first hitter to suffer from such an ailment. His bat speed and plate discipline remained largely the same, yet the writer remains hesitant to fully excuse his struggles. His 2025 barely improved over the season Alec Burleson just had.
Jac Caglianone and the Final Stretch
The Kansas City Royals’ Jac Caglianone completes the top 10. Only in June did he start matching his massive exit velocities, pacing out to a .300 hitter with roughly 35 homers from that point onward. Should he lift the ball into the air more in 2027, he could push past Kurtz and take over the top spot at the position.
The list omits several players who don’t make the top 20, including Josh Naylor, Michael Busch, Kyle Stowers and Spencer Steer — all recent standouts left out for good reason, though anyone ruling out a bounce-back season for any of them is missing either perspective or imagination. Ty France and TJ Rumfield were both steady in 2026, yet neither had a chance of cracking this top 20.
The method stays the same from start to finish. Every player gets their own review, and when two players tie, they’re sorted by multi-eligibility, reliability and potential value, in that exact sequence. The main system uses standard 5×5 scoring, though the rankings also apply to points formats.
The excess is so vast that it causes every individual to appear below their true standing when ranked against one another. The author admits the challenge of the assignment, writing that “Consider all the recent standouts that (spoiler alert) don’t appear in this top 20,” the undertaking presents.
These 20 names only scratch the surface of CBS Sports’s ranking, with the pool of talent stretching far beyond them.
Source material: “Early 2027 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at first base barely scratches surface at a deep position,” CBS Sports.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.