The 25 Greatest First Basemen in MLB History

The WAR number is a combination of B-Ref and Davenport, the best WAR that exists for historical comparison.  Additional numbers are OPS+, plate appearances, WAR/Plate appearance, and the number of Most Valuable Player Quality Seasons (8 WAR seasons - 8 WAR is an MVPQ, 10 WAR is an EMVPQ, 12 WAR an EEMVPQ, 14 WAR an EEEMVPQ)

I've got each position carried out to 32 slots for a project that I don't believe fits this space, so I'll just include the top 25 here.  I'll also include last player out.  For some players, it's hard to slot them at a particular position (where does King Kelly go, for example) so I just chose one (if you don't see a first baseman in the top 25 who you know should be there, maybe he's a third baseman instead). 

Each player is only listed with one team - the team that is most representative of his MLB performance.  This is just merit, that's the only way I rank stuff - it's not social impact or the quality of their character.  It's performance.

1. Lou Gehrig (1923-39, Yankees) WAR 105.25 OPS+179 PA 9663 (WAR/PA .0109) EMVPQ: 27 MVPQ: 28, 35, 34, 30, 36 

2. Albert Pujols (2001-, Cardinals) WAR 107.85 OPS+152 PA 11188 (.0097) EMVPQ: 09
MVPQ: 08, 07, 03, 04, 06, 05, 10, 

3. Jimmie Foxx (1925-45, A's) WAR 88.5 OPS+ 163 PA 9676 (91) EMVPQ: 32 MVPQ: 33, 34,

4. Cap Anson (1871-97, White Stockings) WAR 95.45 OPS+ 142 PA 11331 (84)

5. Frank Thomas (1990-08, White Sox) WAR 84.05 OPS+ 156 PA 10075 (83) MVPQ: 91

6. Dan Brouthers (1879-04, Bisons) WAR 81.3 OPS+ 171 PA 7691 (.0106) MVPQ: 92, 86, 82,

7. Roger Connor (1880-97, Giants) WAR 87 OPS+153 PA 8847 (98) MVPQ: 85, 88,

8. Jim Thome (1991-2012, Indians) WAR 81.6 OPS+ 147 PA 10313 (79) MVPQ: 02,

9. Johnny Mize (1936-53, Cardinals) WAR 71.35 OPS+158 PA 7370 (97) MVPQ: 40,

10. Mark McGwire (1986-01, Athletics) WAR 68.65 OPS+ 163 PA 7660 (90) MVPQ: 98,

11. Jeff Bagwell (1991-05, Astros) WAR 75.55 OPS+149 PA 9431 (80) MVPQ: 94,

12. Todd Helton (1997-2013, Rockies) WAR 66.8 OPS+133 PA 9453 (71) MVPQ: 00, 04,

13. Willie McCovey (1959-80, Giants) WAR 65.9 OPS+147 PA 9692 (68)

14. David Ortiz (1997-16, Red Sox) WAR 66.9 OPS+141 PA 10091 (67)

15. Rafael Palmeiro (1986-05, Rangers) WAR 73 OPS+ 132 PA 12046 (61)

16. Eddie Murray (1977-97, Orioles) WAR 69.95 OPS+ 129 PA 12817 (55)

17. Joey Votto (2007-, Reds) WAR 59.9 OPS+ 158 PA 6141 (98) MVPQ: 17

18. Hank Greenberg (1930-47, Tigers) WAR 54.4 OPS+158 PA 6098 (89) MVPQ: 37

19. Will Clark (1986-00, Giants) WAR 60.1 OPS+ 137 PA 8283 (73) MVPQ: 89

20. John Olerud (1989-05, Blue Jays) WAR 63.85 OPS+ 129 PA 9063 (70) MVPQ: 93,

21. Keith Hernandez (1974-90, Cardinals) WAR 63.25 OPS+ 128 PA 8553 (74)

22. Jason Giambi (1995-14, A’s) WAR 60.7 OPS+ 139 PA 8908 (68) EMVPQ: 01 MVPQ: 00, 02

23. Mark Teixeira (2003-16, Yankees) WAR 58.9 OPS+ 126 PA 8029 (73)

24. Bill Terry (1923-36, Giants) WAR 50.7 OPS+ 136 PA 7108 (71)

25. Fred McGriff (1986-04, Blue Jays) WAR 54.3 OPS+ 134 PA 10174 (53)

(last out - Adrian Gonzalez)

2017-2018 College Bowl Predictions

As one does, I'm picking all the bowl games for the 2017-2018 season, both straight up and against the spread.  I've got Alabama winning the whole thing.

Celebration Bowl NC AT over Grambling  Win 1-0 Money Line
New Orleans Bowl Troy -7 over NTex        Win Money Line 2-0, Win ATS 1-0
Cure Bowl WKY over Georgia St +6          Loss ML 2-1, Win ATS 2-0
Las Vegas Bowl Oregon over Boise +7.5    Loss ML 2-2, Win ATS 3-0
New Mexico Bowl Colorado St over Marshall +5.5 Loss ML 2-3, Win ATS 4-0
Camellia Ark St  over Mid Tenn St +3.5     Loss ML 2-4, Win ATS 5-0
Boca Raton Bowl FAU -22.5 over Akron    Win ML 3-4 Win ATS 6-0
Frisco Bowl SMU -5  over La Tech             Loss ML 3-5, Loss ATS 6-1
Gasparilla Bowl Temple over FIU +7          Win ML 4-5, Loss ATS 6-2
Bahamas Bowl Ohio -7.5 over UAB           Win ML 5-5, Win ATS 7-2
Potato Bowl Wyoming over CMich +1       Win ML 6-5, Loss ATS 7-3
Birmingham TTech +2.5 over SFlorida       Loss ML 6-6, Loss ATS 7-4
Armed Forces SD St -7 over Army             Loss ML 6-7, Loss ATS 7-5
Dollar General  Toledo over App St.  +7.5 Loss ML 6-8, Win ATS 8-5
Hawaii Bowl Fresno +2.5 over Houston    Win ML 7-8, Win ATS 9-5
Heart of Dallas Utah over WVA +7            Win ML 8-8, Loss ATS 9-6
Quick Lane Duke over NIU  +4.5               Win ML 9-8, Loss ATS 9-7
Cactus K St -2  over UCLA                         Win ML 10-8, Win ATS 10-7
Independence FSU -15.5 over SMiss          Win ML 11-8, Win ATS 11-7
Pinstripe Iowa -3 over BC                            Win ML 12-8, Win ATS 12-7
Foster Farms  Arizona over Purdue  +3.5     Loss ML 12-9, Win ATS 13-7
Texas Bowl  Texas +3 over Missouri           Win ML 13-9, Win ATS 14-7
Military Navy +1.5  over Virginia                Win ML 14-9, Win ATS 15-7
Camping World OK St -5.5  over VT           Win ML 15-9, Win ATS 16-7
Alamo TCU  over Stanford +2.5                  Win ML 16-9, Win ATS 17-7
Wash St over Mich St  +3                             Loss ML 16-10, Win ATS 18-7
Belk Wake -3 over A&M                     Win ML 17-10, Push ATS 18-7-1
Sun NC St over Ariz St +6.5                        Win ML 18-10, Loss ATS 18-8-1
Music City Nwestern over UK   +7              Win ML 19-10, Win ATS 19-8-1
Arizona Utah St -4  over NMex St               Loss ML 19-11, Loss ATS 19-9-1
Cotton  Ohio St -7  over USC                      Win ML 20-11, Win ATS 20-9-1
Taxslayer Louisville over Miss St +6.5        Loss ML 20-12, Win ATS 21-9-1
Liberty Memphis  -3.5  over Iowa St           Loss ML 20-13, Loss ATS 21-10-1
Fiesta Penn St over Wash  +2                       Win ML 21-13, Loss ATS 21-11-1
Orange Wisconsin over Miami  +6.5            Win ML 22-13, Loss ATS 21-12-1
Outback  Michigan over S Carolina  +7.5    Loss ML 22-14, Win ATS 22-12-1
Peach  Auburn over UCF  +9.5                    Loss ML 22-15, Win ATS 23-12-1
Citrus ND +3  over LSU                              Win ML 23-15, Win ATS 24-12-1
Rose Georgia over OU +2                            Win ML 24-15, Loss ATS 24-13-1
Sugar Alabama over Clemson +2.5              Win ML 25-15     Loss ATS 24-14-1