MLB The Show 20: Best first basemen (1B) in Franchise Mode, RTTS, March to October & more

First base is one of the most important offensive positions in MLB The Show 20.

It's an in-field position that is less emphasized on speed and throwing and more on fielding technique and offensive potency. Legends like Albert Pujols, Jeff Bagwell, and more all held down the spot, and it has plenty of strong talent today (including Pujols!)

First base comes up quite often defensively, so making sure you have the right player for the job is important.

Let's go over the best options at first base for Franchise Mode and more.

Freddie Freeman - 91 OVR

Freddie Freeman is reaching his prime, and that's a scary thing for anyone facing the Braves. On a team stacked to the brim with young superstars, Freeman doesn't always get the respect he deserves. But he's without a doubt the best Franchise Mode first baseman in The Show 20.

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Freeman's most standout talents are his 99 Clutch, 97 Durability, and 90 Discipline. He's a contact heavy lefty that excels against righties. Freeman is about as slow as you expect from the first base position, but he's a great batter and good fielder.

Paul Goldschmidt - 91 OVR

Paul Goldschmidt is very close to Freddie Freeman for top spot on this list, but some small differences put him behind. Still, Goldschmidt is a legendary first baseman in his own right.

At 32 years old we have already seen the peak of Goldschmidt's career. He's entering his second year for St Louis after spending his career in Arizona. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Goldschmidt's first year was his worst batting avg and on-base percentage since being a rookie.

Goldschmidt is still a dangerous player on the downswing of his career. His best talents are his 98 Durability, 94 Discipline, and 91 Power vs L.

Pete Alonso - 89 OVR

Pete Alonso is next in line for the title of best first baseman in the league. A 25-year old with the strongest bat today, you'll be hearing his name plenty over the next few years.

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Alonso's 99 Power vs L and 99 Power vs R is unprecedented, and he still has time in his career to hone his contact and other faces of his game. He also has 98 Durability, so it'll be hard to slow him down.

Pete Alonso is the single best first baseman for any franchise looking to do a long term rebuild. He'll be a top name for almost a decade.

Max Muncy - 88 OVR

Max Muncy is entering his third year with the Dodgers, coming off his career best numbers for RBIs and doubles. While he's stuck in between a prospect and a veteran, Muncy can still be a solid fit for your franchise in either direction.

Muncy brings to the table 99 Discipline, 88 Power vs R, and 86 Durability. He's an all-rounder with good power, meaning it's rare you'll find a situation he is bad in.

Carlos Santana - 87 OVR

Carlos Santana has averaged more than 150 games every year since 2011, and the longtime veteran is still going strong. He's coming off a career-best year for batting by a large margin.

Santana's career has had an interesting path, spending 2010 to 2017 with the Cleveland Indians before going to Philadelphia for one year in 2018, and returning to Cleveland in 2019.

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On the field, Santana has always been a consistent all-rounder minus some speed. It shows in his best talents, which are his 99 Discipline, 97 Durability, and 86 Contact vs L with plenty of good stats around them.

Josh Bell - 86 OVR

Josh Bell has been a franchise face for the Pittsburgh Pirates since he arrived in 2016. He's done most of his work from the plate.

Bell's best talents are his 88 Discipline, 87 Clutch, and 87 Durability. He massacres righties and puts in solid work against lefties. Other than his batting Bell is good to okay everywhere else, something he can hopefully develop at just 27 years old.

Bell is a great pick for first base whether you're looking to rebuild or go straight for a World Series. We haven't seen his best just yet.

Jose Abreu - 86 OVR

Jose Abreu on first base and the Chicago White Sox. Name a more iconic duo.

Abreu has been an important piece to the Chicago White Sox since he joined in 2014 after defecting from Cuba. After a down 2018, Abreu slugged his way back to his usual standard in 2019, and we expect the same in 2020.

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Abreu's best talents are his 99 Contact vs L, 99 Clutch, and 97 Durability. While he's a veteran at 33, he's a ruthlessly efficient batter to this day that gives lefties real problems.

Abreu is a great pickup for any franchise looking to chase down a pennant early.

Matt Olson - 86 OVR

Matt Olson is an important player for a pretty stacked Oakland Athletics roster. He's a dangerous power hitter with exceptional fielding to back it up. Even better, he's only 26.

Olson's best talents are his 94 Power vs R, 94 Reaction, and 90 Fielding.

Olson's skillset really takes advantage of the freedoms of first base. The limited mobility required allows Olson to utilize his fantastic fielding despite being very slow, and this unlocks his power batting at the plate.

Olson is a great pickup for any growing franchise, and we will certainly see him grow better over the next few entries of The Show.

Edwin Encarnacion - 85 OVR

Edward Encarnacion has made the jump to the Chicago White Sox amid a number of team changes over the last 2 years. But don't think this 37 year old is beyond doing damage at the plate.

Encarnacion plays how you would expect a 37 year old 15-year veteran to. He's the slowest player on the list, and he can only do so much in the field. But when Encarnacion gets his hands on the bat, he's a problem.

Encarnacion's best talents are his 95 Discipline, 89 Power vs R, and 86 Power vs L.

Anthony Rizzo - 81 OVR

Anthony Rizzo is a strong talent that overperforms his OVR at first base for the Chicago Cubs. Despite being 30, he's coming off his best ever batting avg, and on-base percentage.

Rizzo is slow, but he's a great fielder and batter that's very consistent. His best talents are his 89 Durability, 87 Discipline, and 83 Clutch.

While Rizzo's age may be a red flag, it's really a red herring. Rizzo is a great talent that is coming off the best year of his career, making him a good pickup for short term goals in Franchise Mode.