Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz Makes MLB Network's List of Top 10 First Basemen

Yandy Díaz may have taken a step back in 2024, but the Tampa Bay Rays veteran stayed put at No. 5 on the list of top first basemen that MLB Network revealed on Tuesday night.

Sep 22, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pinch hitter Yandy Diaz (2) reacts after hitting a double in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Even coming off a down year, Tampa Bay Rays veteran Yandy Díaz is still viewed as one of the best at his position.

MLB Network continued its annual "Top 10 Players Right Now" series on Tuesday, tackling first basemen in the penultimate episode. Past performance, advanced metrics, traditional stats and input from the MLB Network research team were all taken into account, resulting in Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman claiming the top spot for the fifth time in six years.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, the Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson and the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took up the next three spots, followed by Díaz at No. 5.

Díaz hit .281 with 14 home runs, 65 RBI, a .755 OPS and a 1.6 WAR across 145 games in 2024.

That fell well short of what Díaz put out in 2023, when he hit .330 with 22 home runs, 78 RBI, a .932 OPS and a 5.2 WAR. Díaz won the AL Batting Title and a Silver Slugger that season, making his first career All-Star appearance and placing sixth in the AL MVP race.

Even in 2022, Díaz hit .296 with an .824 OPS and 3.4 WAR, finishing 20th in AL MVP voting.

The 33-year-old is under contract for $10 million in 2025. The Rays hold a $12 million club option on him for 2026.

With two elite first base prospects waiting in the wings – Xavier Isaac and Tre' Morgan – perhaps Tampa Bay could look to trade Díaz and his team-friendly contract if they are outside of the playoff picture come July. The Rays could net a solid return for a top-five first baseman in the sport, even if he is in his mid-30s.

Here is the full list of top 10 first basemen that MLB Network compiled for 2025:

1. Freddie Freeman, LAD
2. Bryce Harper, 1B
3. Matt Olson, ATL
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
5. Yandy Díaz, TB
6. Wilson Contreras, STL
7. Christian Walker, HOU
8. Pete Alonso, FA
9. Nathaniel Lowe, WAS
10. Paul Goldschmidt, NYY

For the second consecutive year, Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz is #5 on The Shredder's #Top10RightNow at the position. pic.twitter.com/JV7gxxzJKn

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 29, 2025

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