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The MLB Network is back at it again with their Top 9 lists of the decade. The shift focuses to the offensive side of the game as the Top 9 first basemen were ranked. Let’s get to it:

9. Jim Thome – Despite primarily being a DH since his trade to the Chicago White Sox after the 2005 season, Thome finds his name on this list due to being a consistent power hitter over the decade. As an everyday first basemen with the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies, Thome averaged 45 home runs a year and set the stage for his entrance into the 500 home run club in 2007. He finished the decade  as one of the premier sluggers in the game with a .271 AVG, 368 HR, and 986 RBI.

8. Mark Teixeira – Teixeira started his career in 2003 as a highly touted prospect for the Texas Rangers. He did not disappoint as he is one of the best first basemen in the game both offensively and defensively. For his career, Teixeira has an .290 AVG, 242 HR, and 798 RBI along with 3 Gold Glove Awards. He has had at least 30 HR and 100 RBI in each season except for his rookie season in ’03. Last season with the New York Yankees, Teixeira led the AL in both HR’s and RBI’s and won his 3rd Gold Glove Award as he was an integral part of the Yankees 27th World Championship.

7. Justin Morneau – Like Teixeira, Morneau started his career in 2003 and lived up to his potential with the Minnesota Twins with much success. In the 2006 season, he established himself as a premier player by winning the AL MVP Award with a .321 AVG, 34 HR, and 130 RBI. Morneau continued his success with 3 consecutive All Star appearances to finish the decade and is a cornerstone player for the Twins franchise along with 2009 AL MVP, Joe Mauer. For his career, Morneau is a .280 hitter with 163 HR and 623 RBI’s.

6. Prince Fielder – The son of former slugger Cecil Fielder, the “portly” Prince has been known to launch quite a few of his own tape measure shots during his brief career. Prince started his career in 2005 as a late season call-up and became the full-time starter at first for the Milwaukee Brewers the following season. In 2007 at the age of 23, he became the youngest player to reach 50 HR in a season. Last season, Prince tied for the NL lead in RBI’s with 141 and also produced his best AVG at .299. For his career, he has a .284 AVG, 160 HR, and 453 RBI.

5. Ryan Howard – The man who succeeded Thome in Philadelphia finds himself 4 spots ahead of the man he replaced on this list. Howard has built an impressive resume so far in his career as he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 with a .288 AVG, 22 HR, and 63 RBI in only 88 games that season (312 AB). He built off his rookie campaign by winning the NL MVP Award in his first full season with a .313 AVG, 58 HR, and 149 RBI. Last season, Howard became the fastest player in MLB history to hit 200 home runs in his career, which he beat by 48 games. For his career, he has a .279 AVG, 222 HR, and 640 RBI.

4. Carlos Delgado – Like most of the first basemen on this list, Delgado is most recognized by the power numbers he has put up over the decade. He has showed off his power in both leagues this decade as he hit 187 HR in the AL with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2000-2004 and 137 HR in the NL with the Florida Marlins and New York Mets from 2005-2009. He finished the decade as a consistent power threat with an average of 30 HR and 100 RBI a season. For the decade, he had a .286 AVG, 324 HR, and an impressive 1,045 RBI.

3. Jason Giambi – Giambi’s spot on this list is debatable as much of his success came as a user of steroids. In 2000 with the Oakland A’s, Giambi was awarded the AL MVP Award as he finished with a .333 AVG, 43 HR, and 137 RBI. Giambi was a 5-time All Star this decade and had 7 seasons of at least 30 HR. He also did a good job of getting on base as he finished the decade with the 3rd best OBP (.418) of all first basemen. He finished with a .275 AVG, 303 HR, and 912 RBI. Giambi currently finds his career at a crossroads as his chances of being an everyday player in the league are slim to none.

2. Todd Helton – Despite seeing his power numbers decline in recent years, Helton has been both a steady hitter and defender throughout the decade. From 2000-2004, Helton put up prolific power numbers with his best season coming in 2000 when he led the NL in AVG (.372), hits (216), doubles (59), and RBI (147). During that span, Helton made 5 consecutive All Star appearances and also won 2 of his 3 Gold Glove Awards this decade in 2001 and 2002. He finished the decade with a .331 AVG, 260 HR, and 981 RBI. Helton’s name is often overlooked with the current crop of power hitting first basemen, however, his consistency throughout his career has been quite remarkable.

1. Albert Pujols – This is a no-brainer choice for the No. 1 spot on this list as Pujols has established himself as the best hitter in the game today. Pujols started his career in 2001 with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award with a .329 AVG, 37 HR, and 130 RBI. Pujols would go on to win 3 NL MVP Awards this decade (’05, ’08, ’09) including being the NLCS MVP in 2004. He also has turned himself into a very solid defensive first basemen as he won a Gold Glove in the 2006 season. Pujols would finish the decade with the best AVG (.334) and most RBI (1,112) of any first basemen. He also has 366 HR in his career and barring injury should challenge for the all-time home run crown before his career is over. It truly is remarkable what Pujols has done so far in his career.

The biggest thing that sticks out when looking at this position is power. In my opinion, the first base position is the deepest position in all of baseball and is full of talented hitters. When teams are scouting first basemen, they look for them to be a big source of power and run production and the group of guys on this list meet that criteria. I feel all of the guys on this list deserve to be on it, however, Giambi’s and Helton’s ranking on this list can be debated.

Up Next: Top 9 Second Basemen