Heading into 2026, first base is in a marginally better position than it was a year ago. And that's almost entirely due to one man: Nick Kurtz .

First basemen as a whole had just a 107 wRC+ in 2024, the lowest mark since at least 2002. In 2025, that bounced back a bit to a 109 mark, though that is still the fourth-lowest mark at the position in that span. The number of legitimate four-category contributors at the position continues to shrink, and what might be most concerning is that the ones who remain are, by and large, on the wrong side of 30 or about to get there.

Among the top 10 finishers at first base in 2025, only Nick Kurtz, Vladimir Guerrero, and Vinnie Pasquantino are younger than 28 (and Pasquantino turns 28 this offseason); raise that bar to 30, and Rafael Devers and

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