Bases Loaded Fantasy Baseball Podcast · Fantasy Baseball | Mike Kurland | Age of Radio

Ep. 185: First Base Breakdown - Top 20, Sleepers, and More!

·1 hr 10 min·4 clips

Mike says Anthony Rizzo would have hit .243 last year if his pulled ground balls had a .220 BABIP without the shift.

1. Bases Loaded Fantasy Baseball Podcast episode 185 focuses on first base rankings and draft prices. 2. Mike Kurland hosts with George, and both matter because they compare NFBC Draft Champions ADP against their own rankings. 3. The episode asks which first basemen fit specific roster builds when speed, batting average, and power all matter. 4. Mike says Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, Freddie Freeman, and Paul Goldschmidt sit in a separate top tier. 5. George says he is not taking Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first round because he still wants speed there. 6. Mike pushes back by saying Pete Alonso gives 40-homer power with a rising batting-average profile. 7. Freddie Freeman comes up as a safer option because he still contributes steals and a strong average. 8. Paul Goldschmidt is discussed as the 35-year-old bat who keeps producing runs, RBI, and useful speed. 9. Mike and George then compare Matt Olson, José Abreu, and Vinnie Pasquantino as the next value pocket. 10. Mike says Matt Olson may benefit from the shift ban and could move into the .260-.265 range. 11. George points out José Abreu's move to Houston and the Crawfords Boxes, which could restore some of his home run output. 12. Vinnie Pasquantino stands out for a 92 zone-contact rate and strong hard-contact numbers in Kansas City. 13. Mike says Pasquantino's counting stats are the main concern because the Royals lineup may not put enough runners on base. 14. Nathaniel Lowe enters as the next all-around bat, with a likely batting-average regression from a .363 BABIP. 15. Mike notes Lowe's second-half line of .339/.399/.566 and says his improved aggressiveness mattered. 16. The lower tier includes Rhys Hoskins, C.J. Cron, Anthony Rizzo, Christian Walker, Ryan Mountcastle, and Rowdy Tellez. 17. The tone stays analytical and conversational, with the hosts openly revising opinions and using draft-strategy examples. 18. The format mixes rankings, ADP references, and specific skills like plate discipline, BABIP, and pull-side power. 19. Listeners who play fantasy baseball drafts and want first-base tiers will get the most from it. 20. Listeners who want narrative storytelling or player news may skip it.

As heard by us

A dense but useful first-base rundown that turns skill indicators into draft decisions.

Episode 185 reads like a practical first-base planning session, with Mike Kurland and George working through where the board thins out, where the upside still sits, and how much risk remains in the middle tiers.

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Why you'd press play

You want first-base tiers that actually help you sort the middle rounds.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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