Best Player Series: MLB 1st Baseman

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

This is the third in a series of threads about the best players in the MLB at their positions. I'm going to use the past 5 years as the criteria, that eliminates one hit wonder and life time acheivement award type players.

1st Baseman will be the third position in the series.

The question is who do you think the best 1st baseman in the MLB is and why?

Be ready to defend your choice.




My choice is Albert Pujols.

The stats don't lie, he is great at the dish and in the field. Pujols has won 3 MVP awards and a Gold Glove to go along with them.

 

[Baller]

I don't really know how anybody can debate this one. This is 100% Albert Pujols. He has one of the best gloves, and he is the best hitter in baseball. PERIOD. Case closed, simple as that.

 

[The Brain]

This obviously goes to Albert Pujols. He has three MVP awards in the past five years. That should pretty much be the end of the argument. His worst year of the past five was 2007. He hit .327 32 103. That was his worst year.

My next choice is a tough call between Ryan Howard and Mark Teixeira. I love Tex and he is much better with the glove, but I have to go with Howard for my second choice. He was rookie of the year and MVP in back to back seasons. In the last four years he has had at least 45 home runs and 135 RBI. I could be easily convinced of putting Teixeira ahead of Howard, but it doesn’t matter because this category belongs to Pujols.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Pujols is the easy choice. So I'll go with Ryan Howard, simply because he changes the game with his power, speed, and has light years ahead of him. Pujols may be at or nearing the end of his peak at this point... and Ryan Howard still contends with him in nearly every statistical category offensively.

And I'm also partial to Derek Lee. Chicago Cubs 1st basemen was injury plagued, but still had a few stellar seasons with 30 + Home Runs and 100 + RBI's. Not too bad.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Pujols is the easy choice. So I'll go with Ryan Howard, simply because he changes the game with his power, speed, and has light years ahead of him. Pujols may be at or nearing the end of his peak at this point... and Ryan Howard still contends with him in nearly every statistical category offensively.

Pujols is a little younger than Howard, Pujols just made his Major League debut a few years before. Pujols is better though, 150 Ks a year versus around 50 Ks. I like that your going outside the box though.

And I'm also partial to Derek Lee. Chicago Cubs 1st basemen was injury plagued, but still had a few stellar seasons with 30 + Home Runs and 100 + RBI's. Not too bad.

Yes Derek Lee has a good glove and a high average, but he's not really in the upper echelon anymore. Lariat I thought you were a smart guy, til I learned you were a Cubs fan I'm just messin' though, well til the Cards play the Cubs, then we just won't talk for a few days.

 

[Theo Mays]

Well Pujols is the obvious answer, but like Lariat I will try and make a case for my guy...Ryan Howard. Before you think of throwing it out there and use the "oh he strikesout too much" argument, an out is an out no matter if it is on the ground, in the air, or a K. No one in the last five years has hit more homers or driven in more runs than Ryan Howard. In his rookie campaign (which was only half a season) Howard put up 22 HR, 63 RBI, and .288 average. And he followed that up with a MVP performance the following season. .313 average, 58 HR and 149 RBI. Howard changes the game more than any player in baseball. Pujols has him beat in average, but Howard beats him in run production and power. Pujols is better in the field, but Howard has improved drastically with the leather. Howard is a late bloomer and Pujols is only a little less than a year older than him, but it still doesn't mean an argument can't be made for Howard. Pujols is the answer, no doubt, but it isn't as decisive as you'd think. Howard has the stats, the production, 2 world series appearances, 1 world series win, and a MVP award. Howard in my mind is the only guy a case could be made for besides Pujols.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

Theo, the difference between a strike out and a ground/fly out is that a strike out cannot be a productive out. It can't advance a runner. All it does is kill momentum and boost a pitcher's confidence.

 

[Smooth Sexual Chocolate]

Since Pujols is as unanimous as it gets, I'll go with who should be the obvious choice for runner up to Pujols, and that's Adrian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez plays in Petco Park, the ultimate pitchers park, and has managed to average 35 home runs and over 100 rbi's the last three seasons playing at petco. Gonzalez has also done it without any type of lineup backing him up, he's the only threat in the lineup, and he manages to go out and deliver all the time. Throw in his two gold gloves and I have a tough time seeing how anyone else besides Gonzalez can follow Pujols.

 

[Stormtrooper]

It is going to be hard to make a case AGAINST Pujols, so I will just make a case for the 2nd best 1st Baseman in the Majors from 2005-2009.

The player I am adding to this discussion would have won countless more awards, but spend 2 seasons being traded Mid-season between leagues. I'm talking about Mark Texiera.

Here are Tex's numbers from 05-09:
2005 (TEX): .301 Average, 144 RBI, 43 HRs, 162 games played
2006 (TEX): .282 Average, 110 RBI, 33 HRs, 162 games played
2007 (TEX/ATL): .306 Average, 105 RBI, 30 HRs, 132 games played
2008 (ATL/LAA): .308 Average, 121 RBI, 33 HRs, 157 games played
2009 (NYY): .292 Average, 122 RBI, 39 HRs, 156 games played
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Average: .297 Average, 120 RBI, 36 HRs, 154 games played

Twice Texiera led the AL in Total Bases (2005 and 2009), and his 2009 homers and RBI led the American League as well. He is a 2-time (2-time) Silver Slugger at First Base, and his 2009 season was good enough to give him 2nd in the AL MVP race behind Joe Mauer.

However, as great as his numbers are, the best part about his game is his defense. Texiera won 3 of the past 5 Gold Glove awards, and likely would have won the other 2, but split his time between the AL and NL. Texiera has been considered one of (if not the) best defensive 1st basemen in all of baseball. Add his stellar defense (and his 2009 World Series championship) to his excellent offensive production, and you've got yourself the best 1st baseman not named Pujols.