Despite a second-half slump, Paul Goldschmidt was still the cream of the first base crop

It’s time to wrap up the 2015 season and even to take a sneak peak at the 2016 fantasy season. Here is a review of the first base position.

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

Goldschmidt is the easy pick here, but there is cause for concern in the precipitous drop in his numbers in the second half of the season. Nothing was overly concerning in his underlying stats, though he did swing and miss more, hit less fly balls and hit more infield pops in that stretch. Altogether, this created far fewer possibilities for the ball to get out of the park and resulted in only half the amount of home runs for Goldschmidt in the second half. This is a common phenomenon, as many power hitters slow down tremendously in the second half. Plus, playing for a team that was never seriously in the playoff race may make it challenging to bring intensity to the game every day. Regardless of the reason for his slump, it shouldn’t be a huge concern entering next season.

Best Surprise: Joey Votto

Votto’s individual skills threw back the clock to the 2010 and 2011 seasons but his numbers don’t like quite as good because the Reds were awful this season. There was doubt about Votto’s skill set as a fantasy asset and health entering the season, and they were surely answered. However, the same questions will likely surround his fantasy value next year considering he is 32 and may be too patient for his own good at the plate.

Biggest Bust: Victor Martinez

I hesitate to call Victor Martinez a bust because there were a lot of concerns surrounding him entering the season, mostly involving his power surge last season. Sure enough, nothing went right for him this season starting with injuries, though a strong performance in September and October gives some hope for a bounce back next year even at an advanced age.

Player to Watch Entering 2016: Mitch Moreland

Moreland was able to top 500 plate appearances in a season for only the third time in his major league career. With this health came a solid, if unspectacular, stat line. The big improvement from 2013 (the last time he topped 500 PA), was his average, which was helped by an increased BABIP. This wasn’t just luck, however, as it was clear Moreland was concentrating on pulling the ball more frequently and being more aggressive at the plate. This led to more line drives and a career high HR/FB rate, beside his brief stint in the majors during the 2010 season. Going into next season, Moreland still shouldn’t be considered a starting option at first base due to the depth of the position. However, he should be one of the best options to fill a utility spot or corner infield spot on your roster, as he will be a solid contributor in every category besides stolen bases.

Daniel Marcus is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Daniel, check out his archive or follow him @danmarcus3.