Pete Alonso leads a stacked class of MLB Free Agent first basemen

In every free agent class in the MLB, some position groups are stronger than others. This offseason will have some heavy hitters – both literally and contractually – at first base. These are the big names that will appear on the market in the cold corner next month.

Pete Alonso

Alonso has already hit 226 home runs in the first six years of his career, all with the New York Mets. He set a rookie record with 53 bombs in 2019 and has become a four-time All-Star. He rose to further prominence by winning the 2019 and 2021 Home Run Derbies. Over his career, he has an impressive batting line of .249/.339/.514 and 134 OPS+, indicating his offense is 34% better than league average.

Besides his prodigious power bat, Alonso has two factors that give him an edge over his free agent competition. The first is age. He turns 30 in December, making him the youngest player in the highest level of his position group. The second is sustainability. He played all 162 games in 2024 and has not missed more than 10 games in any of his six seasons.

However, there are some red flags surrounding Alonso’s production. His 34 home runs in 2024 were the lowest single-season total of his career outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and his slugging percentage of .459 was his worst ever. He also hit as many grounders as flyballs for the first time in his career, showing that he’s not making the same kind of quality contact he used to. He is also a negative asset in defense.

Due to his age and previous production, Alonso will look for a long-term contract in his first opportunity as a free agent. However, clubs sign players for future value, and there may be some incongruity between his representation and MLB teams on what he can offer in his 30s, leading to a potential long-term stay on the market.

Paul Goudschmidt

Goldschmidt is a likely future Hall of Famer. In eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and six with the St. Louis Cardinals, he has 62.8 rWAR (Baseball-Reference version), a .289/.381/.510 batting line and 362 home runs. He is a seven-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove recipient, the 2022 National League MVP and two-time MVP runner-up.

At 37, there’s no doubt he’s slowing down. Last year he hit just .245/.302/.414 with a 98 OPS+, making his offensive production below average in 2024 for the first year. However, he hit 22 home runs and went 11-11 on stolen base attempts, and his durability is impeccable. He hasn’t missed more than 11 games in a season since 2014.

Katie Woo of The Athletic recently reported that the Cardinals were not interested in retaining Goldschmidt. Given his age, he will struggle to find a multi-year guarantee, but a one-year contract with a team or a vest option for 2026 could be in his future.

Christian Walker

Walker became the starter in Arizona in 2019 after Goldschmidt was traded, and at this point in their careers he has become the better player. He has 95 home runs over the last three years and a batting line of .250/.332/.481 with a 123 OPS+. He is also the best defensive first baseman in the league, having won Gold Gloves in 2022 and 2023, with a third potentially on the way this season.

This is Walker’s first time becoming a free agent – ​​even though he is almost four years older than Alonso – as he didn’t become an established Major League player until the age of 28. He turns 34 just before Opening Day at the end of March, and he was out for the entire month of August with an oblique strain.

At age 34, most right-handed first basemen begin to slow down. Goldschmidt and Jose Abreu were both MVPs at 33 or 34, but went downhill quickly after that. Walker will want to guarantee as long a guarantee as possible to ensure he has a job and is properly compensated during his decline.

Additional names

Ryan O’Hearn could join this free agent class, depending on whether the Baltimore Orioles decline his $8 million option. The 31-year-old hit .264/.334/.427 in 2024 and has some versatility to play right field, but he is strictly a platoon bat who can handle left-handed pitching.

Josh Bell is a switch-hitter with no such platoon concerns. He is looking for a consistent home after being traded mid-year in each of the past three seasons. However, his OPS+ is only 99 as of early 2023, and he is a huge burden on defenses that are better suited as a restricted hitter.

Another switch-hitter, Carlos Santana, will hit the market with his 39th birthday looming. His strong 10.9% walk rate kept his on-base percentage afloat, and he hit 23 home runs for the Minnesota Twins this season. He presents a cheaper one-year deal to teams that lack younger options.