We all remember how stacked the game was with shortstops in the mid- to late-90s. That's hardly the case anymore. Second basemen have stolen the show of late, and there are several good, young catchers coming up through the ranks, threatening to follow Joe Mauer's lead and make that a star-studded position once again. Currently, several of the more outstanding offensive players are first baseman, one of which is targeting the biggest contract in the sport's history.
In addition to putting up gaudy numbers, there are many first basemen who have improved the position from a defensive standpoint. While guys like Don Mattingly and Keith Hernandez produced plenty of web gems back in the day, first base has been utilized from time to time as a place to stick subpar defenders. That was often a mistake — just look at how much the Yankees' infield defense improved when Mark Teixeira took over where Jason Giambi once "played," one of the keys to their 2009 World Series title. First basemen are generally more complete than they were years ago.
The Red Sox are fortunate to have two of the best first basemen in the game on one roster, if we allow Kevin Youkilis to still be considered one.
For the sake of argument, let's leave Youkilis in the hot corner, and take a look at the top 10 first basemen in baseball, a list sure to leave out some very good players.
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