Who was the greatest first baseman in the history of the Dodgers? For some people of a certain age, the answer is Steve Garvey. For older fans, it’s Gil Hodges. But for fans basking in the most recent World Series titles, it might be Freddie Freeman.
A few well-timed postseason home runs aren’t the only reasons Freeman could be the best Dodger first baseman ever. The big guy is putting up great numbers so far in Dodger blue.
In only four seasons as a Dodger, Freddie already has set the single-season records for runs and hits by a first baseman, breaking marks held previously by Jackie Robinson and Steve Garvey.
Freeman joins Hall of Famer Gil Hodges as the only first basemen to win two World Series titles in a Dodger uniform. Freddie’s is the only one to do it twice in Los Angeles.
Which Brooklyn or Los Angeles Dodgers first sackers rate the best in franchise history? There are, surprisingly perhaps, many excellent ones in team history.
Records of Top Dodgers First Basemen
| PLAYER | YRS | HITS | RUNS | HR | RBI | SLASH | WAR |
| Freddie Freeman | 2022- | 727 | 410 | 96 | 381 | 310/391/516 | 21.2 |
| Steve Garvey | 1969-1982 | 1968 | 852 | 211 | 992 | 301/337/459 | 36.7 |
| Gil Hodges | 1943-1961 | 1884 | 1088 | 361 | 1254 | 274/360/488 | 43.2 |
| Dolph Camilli | 1938-1943 | 809 | 540 | 139 | 572 | 270/392/497 | 29.8 |
| Eric Karros | 1991-2002 | 1608 | 752 | 270 | 976 | 268/325/457 | 11.9 |
| Adrian González | 2013-2017 | 752 | 323 | 101 | 448 | 280/339/454 | 14.4 |
| Jake Daubert | 1910-1918 | 1387 | 648 | 33 | 415 | 305-365/395 | 27.4 |
| Jack Fournier | 1923-1927 | 629 | 322 | 82 | 396 | 337/421/552 | 18.7 |
Missing on that list is the only first baseman in franchise history to win as many as five Gold Glove Awards: Wes Parker, who won six between 1967 and 1972. Parker wasn’t the offensive force the other great Dodgers were. But he deserves to be mentioned.
Neither Jake Daubert or Jack Fournier are remembered by many folks. Both played well before integration, but both were excellent hitters. Sure, Fournier only spent five seasons in a Brooklyn uniform, but that .337 average is gaudy, even if it occurred during the live ball era. Fournier’s 973 OPS is the highest for Dodgers’ first sackers. Freeman ranks second with a 907 OPS as a Dodger, through the 2025 season.
Only one Dodger has won the Most Valuable Player Award as a first baseman: Garvey in 1974. That season, the popular infielder was voted a starter in the All-Star Game as a write-in candidate. He eventually was selected for 10 All-Star Games, and MVP votes in nine separate seasons. Though not a strong candidate by sabermetric standards, Garvey is one of the most talked-about Hall of Fame candidates. He was certainly one of the most famous, important, and notable players of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Gil Hodges holds the Dodger career records for RBI, home runs, and Wins Above Replacement by a first baseman. He was part of the iconic “Boys of Summer” group that finally broke through to vanquish the Yankees in the 1955 World Series. He played 39 World Series games for the Dodgers, a figure exceeded by only two players: Pee Wee Reese and Carl Furillo.
Who holds the record for most home runs as a Los Angeles Dodger?
The answer is Eric Karros. Yes, really. Karros smacked 270 four-baggers as a LA Dodgers, which is 42 more than Ron Cey, and 61 more than the next-closest active Dodger, Max Muncy.
Karros wasn’t as sexy of a baseball superstar as Garvey or Hodges or Freddie, who now has a pair of world championships and a few brilliant post-season moments on his ledger as a Dodger. But Karros was good for a long time in sunny LA.
In order for Freeman to challenge Hodges and Garvey as the preeminent Dodger first baseman, he will need to have a few MVP caliber seasons in the two remaining years left on his LA contract. If he puts up, say two 5-6 WAR seasons, he would slide into the 30+ WAR territory as a Dodger. If another title is in the cards, that would help too.
