MLB 13 the Show Player Ratings: Underrated Stars Who Deserve Immediate Boost

As with any sports video game release, the first thing a lot of gamers will do when they pick up MLB 13: The Show is check the ratings of all the players on their favorite team. It's the first chance to gripe about where the game's creators went wrong.

For the most part, those in charge of MLB 13: The Show did a pretty solid job. Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout were among the players who received top billing and everybody else fell in line behind the top-tier superstars.

There were a couple of ratings that immediately stood out for being too low, though. Let's take a look at three players who deserve better ratings before getting too involved in any game modes. Ratings listed are provided by OperationSports.com.

R.A. Dickey (SP, Toronto Blue Jays, 93)

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner checks in outside the top 15 among starting pitchers. It's not like Dickey has only had one good season, either. He finished with an ERA below 3.30 for three straight years.

What makes the rating so off base is the group of starters ahead of him. He's behind both veterans like Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson, who had disappointing seasons, and one-year top producers like Yu Darvish and Kris Medlen.

It doesn't matter whether you look at it from an accomplishments standpoint or just based on last season, Dickey deserves better. Maybe it's partly due to the fact he's a knuckleball pitcher, but he should still be one of the top starting options in the game.

Hanley Ramirez (SS, Los Angeles Dodgers, 88)

Even though Ramirez is coming off a down season, he still managed to produce 24 home runs and 21 stolen bases while splitting time between the Miami Marlins and Dodgers. His on-base percentage dropped, but he's still putting up really solid numbers.

What's more, he's still one of the elite shortstops in terms of a power-speed combination, and that's exactly the type of player that shines in video games. Plus, he's only a couple of seasons removed from some monster numbers that would have him battling for the top spot at the position.

Although he doesn't deserve that high of a rating based on the last two years, he should still be in the mid-90s. There's no way he should be so far behind Jimmy Rollins and tied with a player like Rafael Furcal, who doesn't have as much performance upside.

Justin Upton (OF, Atlanta Braves, 86)

Upton became one of the most talked about players of the offseason after he was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Atlanta Braves. He joined brother B.J. and, along with Jason Heyward, gave the team an extremely dangerous outfield.

Over the past four seasons, the younger Upton brother's worst season featured 17 home runs, 18 stolen bases and a .785 OPS. Again, that's his worst season. He's mixed an MVP-caliber campaign as well, which came in 2011.

A player with his type of ability shouldn't be rated in the same area as Alfonso Soriano and David Murphy. While both of those veterans are solid players, especially the often overlooked Murphy, Upton has shown he's in another league when in top form.