2024 Depth Charts: 1b

The Dangerfield Position

Photo Credit: Trey Wilson | Richmond Flying Squirrels

So far in this year’s Depth Charts series, we’ve covered:

• 2b

• RHP - Starters

• Corner Outfielders

• Catchers

• Center Fielders

• LHP - Starters

• RHP - Relievers

• Shortstops

If our last Depth Chart focused on the position that baseball evaluators tend to prioritize most (at least on the position player side of things), today’s looks at the spot on the diamond that gets the least amount of love these days within the industry. While the Freddie Freemans and Pete Alonsos and Matt Olsens of the world take star turns in the majors, there’s still an underlying skepticism with regards to 1b-only prospects among many evaluators in the game, who love to see versatility and athleticism. “If only they could play another position….” is a phrase I’ve heard more than once about 1b prospects from scouting types. In retrospect, it’s somewhat astonishing that the Dodgers waited as long as they did to whole-heartedly move Cody Bellinger off the 1b position (though they started experimenting with him in the OF as early as his Low-A year at 19, he didn’t have a season in which he played more games in the OF than 1b until his NL MVP season in 2019).

The two-fold logic for this disrespect is perfectly understandable. Players who are athletic enough to line up at shortstop, as we discussed in the last post, have a lot of room to slide down the defensive spectrum. Marco Luciano and Walker Martin have the luxury of a wide swath of potential moves if they aren’t quite up to major league standards — 3b, 2b, corner OF, why even 1b is a possibility. But players whose athleticism limits them to 1b to begin with have nowhere to go but DH if that position proves too difficult for them. Of course, there are solid athletes (like Bellinger) who play the position mostly because they throw left-handed, and for those players, it’s always worthwhile to see if the OF is a possibility.

The second reason why 1b tend to be discounted, of course, is that all of that defensive value they aren’t providing must be made up with the bat, which means these prospects have little to no leeway in their development — they HAVE to hit something like their best case outcome with the bat to thrive. When they do, we get stars like the Hall of Fame bound Freeman (and maybe Olson will project himself that way as well, if he wants to keep belting 50 HR a year). When they don’t….well….it’s harder to get a foothold on the position. Consider the case of our own beloved (at least for me) Brandon Belt, who’s spent a career being about 25% better than the major league hitter on offense, is closing in on his 200th career HR….and spent his entire time in San Francisco being complained about by a vocal (EDITOR’S NOTE: and ill-informed) segment of the fanbase. It’s a tough gig! (Maybe the Giants should have tried Belt in CF, since, by his own admission, he was always the best athlete on the team!)

So today we look at maybe the thinnest position in the org. There won’t be a lot of color in today’s post — though perhaps there’s a plot-twist in the end that might change things up a bit. The guys who pick it clean, help shortstops win Gold Gloves, and, hopefully, launch some balls towards the Cove. Let’s take a look at the first sackers growing up on the farm.