Great baseball teams have a first baseman who puts up big power numbers and carries the offense. MLB The Show 24 is no different, and you’ll want one of the best first basemen in the game if you want to compete. We’re only listing players with 1B as their primary position, so you won’t find any 1B secondaries here.
These are the best players available at the beginning of Season 1. As more players get released, there will likely be better options.
José Abreu, 89 Overall, Chicago White Sox
Abreu’s Rookie Series card is back from the 2014 season when he broke in with the White Sox. This card, at 89 overall, can absolutely mash. It also gets boosted with the Nolan Arenado Cornerstone card. The best part, though, is that this Abreu card is really easy to get.
The impressive power and decent vision for this early in the game cycle help set this card apart. He’s really slow with only 29 speed, but if you have the Arenado Cornerstone card, it’ll make Abreu an even better offensive weapon.
How to get it:
To earn the Abreu card, work your way through Team Affinity Chapter 1. At 60,000 TA points in the AL Central program, you’ll earn your first AL Central Boss Pack. Even if you take Emmanuel Clase with your first boss pick (it’d be hard to blame you), you will earn another of these packs at 100,000 TA points.
Matt Olson, 88 Overall, Atlanta Braves
Olson’s Live Series card is a beast. Lower vision and speed are compensated for with high power. Matt Olson is a big-time threat at the plate, but his defense at 1B is average at best. The bronze defense represents that, but the good news is that defense is only a little important at first base in MLB The Show 24.
The best thing about Matt Olson is that he’s an elite player who gets boosted by two different Season 1 Cornerstone Cards. His low vision allows him to be boosted by Byron Buxton, and his low speed makes him eligible for the Nolan Arenado boosts.
How to get it:
This Matt Olson card is in the Live Series, so there are a couple of ways to get it. If you pull it from a pack, that’s a great pull! The other option is to purchase it from the marketplace. For a high-end card, it’s relatively cheap in the store. Currently, you can get it by bidding just over 10,000 stubs.
Richie Sexson, 90 Overall, Milwaukee Brewers
Sexson isn’t a current player, but he’s one of the many legends in MLB The Show 24. His Hyper Series card was in a pre-order bonus pack, and it has the distinction of being a Core card. That means it can be played in every season without using up a Wild Card slot. With great power and solid contact, this Richie Sexson card will definitely play.
Like Matt Olson, Richie Sexson is boosted by both the Nolan Arenado and Byron Buxton Cornerstone cards. Pair him with one of them, and you can get massive boosts in key attributes.
How to get it:
If you didn’t select Richie Sexson in a pre-order bonus pack, the only way to get him now is to purchase the card in the marketplace. Look to see if you can purchase him on a bid of a little more than 20,000 stubs; that’s probably a good deal. If you have to spend more than 24,000, you’re probably paying too much.
Freddie Freeman, 90 Overall, Los Angeles Dodgers
Freeman is arguably the best and most consistent hitter in Major League Baseball. He doesn’t have massive power attributes, and he doesn’t get boosted by Cornerstone cards. However, on a team that also has Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani at the top of the lineup, Freeman should see plenty of Supercharge Boosts for his on-field performance this season.
Freeman’s Live Series card boasts elite contact against both RHP and LHP, and a massive clutch rating. Vision isn’t elite but its really solid for a Live Series card. Plus, I feel his swing plays really well in MLB The Show 24.
How to get it:
Like Matt Olson, this Live Series card must be pulled from a pack or purchased in the marketplace. If you can get Freeman on a bid of less than 40,000 stubs, you’re doing well. Once you’re over 45,000, you might be paying too much.
Rafael Palmeiro, 95 Overall, Texas Rangers
Palmeiro’s 85 overall card played really well in the first week, and this 95 overall version of him is a monster. This Standout Series card is a Core card, so it’s eligible in every season. It won’t be easy to get, though. You’ll have to get collecting if you want it.
An elite first baseman when he played, Palmeiro has massive power and really solid contact. On top of that, he has top-end vision that allows you to see and detect pitches better, Being slow is normally not great, but Palmeiro’s speed attribute qualifies him for the Arenado Cornerstone card boost.
How to get it:
You can’t purchase the Palmeiro 95 overall card in the marketplace. The only way you can acquire this card is to complete the entire American League Live Series collection. It’ll take some work (and stubs), but it’s worth it.
