MLB The Show 17 released on Tuesday, bringing the newest installment of the franchise to baseball fans and Playstation 4 players worldwide. Each year’s update brings new player ratings, and 2017 has some surprises.
MLB The Show 17‘s annual player ratings are conversation fodder for fans each year, debating which players’ scores are too high or too low. While obviously somewhat subjective based on the game developers’ opinions, the game’s team usually hits a high average.
Following are the top five players at each position in MLB The Show 17. The position for each player is as it is listed in the game, not necessarily where that player will physically play this season.
Starting pitcher
1) Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers – Kershaw is one of only two players rated at 99 this season. Arguing that Kershaw isn’t the best starting pitcher in baseball right now is a challenging case to make.
2) Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox – Sale comes in at 93, making him the top-rated pitcher in the American League.
3) Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals – The Nationals’ ace is basically a push with Sale, ranking higher than Sale in some of the individual metrics in the game but lower in others to produce an identical overall rating of 93.
4) Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets – Showing the strength of the starting pitching in the National League East division, Syndergaard is just a tick below Scherzer at 92.
5) Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians – Kluber’s 92 puts him in a tie for the third-highest starting pitcher in this year’s game, but this isn’t the only time that a Cleveland player will appear in this article.
Honorable mentions: Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs and Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants also have overall ratings of 92, but Kluber and Syndergaard rank higher in more of the individual metrics in the game. Any team in the game would do very well with Arrieta or Bumgarner on the mound, however.
Relief pitcher
1) Andrew Miller, Cleveland Indians – A World Baseball Classic performance that wasn’t up to Miller’s lofty standards didn’t affect his rating in the game, as he is the highest-rated reliever and third-highest rated player at any position at 96.
2) Dellin Betances, New York Yankees – The arbitration drama is behind him, for this season anyway, allowing him to work on earning his 90 rating.
3) Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox – One of the best set-up men in the real game gets an 85 rating in The Show.
4) Sean Doolittle, Oakland Athletics – The former A’s closer still has tremendous value, as demonstrated by his 84 rating.
5) Will Harris, Houston Astros – Harris matches Doolittle’s 84 rating this year.
Honorable mentions: Boston’s Carson Smith and the Miami Marlins’ Kyle Barraclough also scored ratings of 84.