After the Yankees got a 76 wRC+ and -1.1 fWAR from the first base position last season, it should come as no surprise that they’re monitoring the market at that position group. While checking in on Pete Alonso comes off more as due diligence than an indication that they’re serious about him, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale is reporting that the team plans to aggressively pursue Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker Teams like the Mets, Nationals, and the incumbent Diamondbacks are interested as well, with more teams expected to join the fray.
Last season, Walker hit 26 home runs in 130 games with a 119 wRC+ and 3.0 fWAR, just falling short of what would have been his third consecutive 30-HR season.
Christian Walker Could Be a Perfect Fit For the Yankees’ First Base Woes
Few first basemen are as well-rounded as Christian Walker, who provides both offensive and defensive value at a high level. He’s by far the best defensive first baseman in the game, leading the position in Defensive Runs Saved (+33), Outs Above Average (+39), and Fielding Run Value (+29). The Yankees were a question mark not just offensively, but also defensively at first base, as the team had -2 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average there this season.
A premier defensive first baseman, the Yankees could greatly benefit in the run prevention department from his services, and if they retain Jazz Chisholm and Anthony Volpe at their projected positions, they could run out one of the best defensive infields in the sport. Their current options at second base are also renowned defenders, with Oswaldo Cabrera, Jon Berti, and rookie Caleb Durbin all in the mix for the job barring an external addition this winter.
Christian Walker also packs a massive punch with his bat, as the right-handed slugger has posted an OPS of at least .800 in each of the last three seasons. He also has the 11th most home runs hit in baseball over that stretch (95), and his right-handed power could help the Yankees after they struggled to do much damage against LHP last season. There’s also reason to believe that Walker could have an even better season next year than he had this past season.
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He improved his quality of contact, swing decisions, and contact rates, and yet his wRC+ didn’t improve from his 2023 season. If these changes stick, Christian Walker could have closer to a 125 or even 130 wRC+ in 2025, and while age regression is important to factor in here, it is encouraging to see the power and plate discipline improve in his age-33 season.
On Opening Day next season, Walker will be 34 years old, which certainly raises questions about whether teams will be comfortable handing him a deal greater than two guaranteed years. Perhaps the third year could be a club option, similar to what Anthony Rizzo’s contract looked like after posting a 132 wRC+ with 32 home runs in 2022. There’s no denying how valuable Christian Walker can be to a team, he’s one of just seven first basemen with at least 10 WAR over the last three seasons.
Landing a three-time Gold Glover with 30 home run potential is exactly what the Yankees would want at first base, but whether the price is right or not remains to be seen. The team’s pursuit of Juan Soto leaves a lot of their financial outlook unknown at the moment, but the team has a clear need at first base and few players would better fit the mold of what this team needs than Christian Walker.