“I’m at the corner of First and First. How can the same street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe!”

This week, we’re diving into Rhys’ favorite fantasy baseball position: First Base! And by favorite, I mean the one he’d most like to punt. It’s understandable—first basemen rarely steal bases, often give you either power or batting average (but not both), and are limited in positional flexibility. They’re your classic one-trick ponies.

But, like it or not, they’re essential to your dynasty roster. So let’s talk about them.

Here are three first basemen rising in dynasty value and three whose stock is falling.

3 Up, 3 Down - Prospects Live
Prospects LiveTom Gates


3 up

Josue Briceno, 1B DET (High-A)

.264/.387/.604 13 HR 17.9% BB, 19% K

Briceno has been splitting time between first base, catcher, and DH—but his bat is loud enough that I could see Detroit moving him full-time to first to accelerate his timeline.

After showcasing his power with a monster .867 SLG in the AFL, he’s backed it up with a hot start in High-A. His ground ball rate is down 17%, and those have mostly turned into fly balls. His overall contact rate has dropped about 7%, likely due to a power-focused approach, but he’s still walking nearly as much as he strikes out. His 40% pull rate is healthy, and his whiff rate remains manageable.

Briceno is a power bat with strong plate discipline, capable of hitting for average. He can go the other way with pitches on the outer half and turn on the inside heat thanks to quick hands. Hitting .260+ with OBP upside and 25+ HR potential isn’t far-fetched.

He’ll need to improve against lefties—he’s not doing damage yet—but he’s not overmatched, either. I’ve moved Briceno into my top 50 prospects for our next update. The power is real, and the approach is sound.