MLB The Show 18 Player Ratings for Top Pitchers and Sluggers on Release Day
Any student would hate getting graded on the same curve as MLB The Show 18's player ratings.
Fans waiting for Thursday's Opening Day can fill the remaining time with the PS4 video game, which was released on Tuesday. Before the unveiling, Ramone Russell revealed each position's top-10 players on the PlayStation Blog. MLB's elite performers may not like what they see.
A handful of superstars, including 2017 National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton, fell short of an "A" designation. Mike Trout, essentially the perfect baseball player, tops everyone at a mere 93.
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For those not already glued to their controllers, let's run through The Show's top ratings by position.
Catcher
1. Buster Posey, SF: 87
2. Gary Sanchez, NYY: 84
3. Salvador Perez, KC: 83
4. Willson Contreras, CHC: 83
5. Yadier Molina, STL: 81
6. J.T. Realmuto, MIA: 80
7. Kurt Suzuki, ATL: 79
8. Jonathan Lucroy, OAK: 79
9. Brian McCann, HOU: 78
10. Wilson Ramos, TB: 78
This could be the last year Buster Posey tops the catcher ratings.
Gary Sanchez made a compelling case for the honor by hitting .278/.345/.531 with 33 home runs last season. Despite an overwhelming power advantage, the New York Yankees star narrowly topped the 2012 NL MVP in weighted on-base average (.368 to .366) and WAR (4.4 to 4.3) because of Posey's .320 batting average and .400 on-base percentage.
Sanchez dethroned Posey as the undisputed top-ranked catcher in fantasy baseball, but a refined plate approach and superior defensive presence extend his valid claim for the game's No. 1 spot. The gap between the two, however, should be no more than a point.
First Base
1. Joey Votto, CIN: 87
2. Paul Goldschmidt, ARI: 86
3. Anthony Rizzo, CHC: 85
4. Freddie Freeman, ATL: 85
5. Cody Bellinger, LAD: 83
6. Miguel Cabrera, DET: 82
7. Eric Hosmer, SD: 82
8. Jose Abreu, CHW: 82
9. Ryan Zimmerman, WAS: 81
10. Justin Smoak, TOR: 78
There's a pattern of bias toward former superstars past their peak. After years of dominant offensive production, Miguel Cabrera received a mulligan for last year's uncharacteristic .249/.329/.399 slash line.
While he fell a step behind the top tier, the former Triple Crown winner shares the same rating as the perennially under-appreciated Jose Abreu, a career .301/.359/.524 hitter who has never veered lower than a .290 average, 25 home runs or 100 RBI in a single season.
At least he made the top 10. Unless ranked higher as an unlisted designated hitter, Edwin Encarnacion has a major gripe. Carlos Santana, who owns a .365 career on-base percentage, also deserves a rating of 80 or higher.
Second Base
1. Jose Altuve, HOU: 91
2. Daniel Murphy, WAS: 83
3. Brian Dozier, MIN: 83
4. Dustin Pedroia, BOS: 81
5. Robinson Cano, SEA: 81
6. Ian Kinsler, LAA: 80
7. Jonathan Schoop: 80
8. Cesar Hernandez, PHI: 78
9. Whit Merrifield, KC: 78
10. D.J. LeMahieu, COL: 78
There was never any doubt over who would occupy the top spot at second base. Following a year in which he netted AL MVP honors with a .405 wOBA and 7.5 WAR, Jose Altuve is rightfully the second-highest rated position player after Trout.
Beyond the Houston Astros' superstar belies another case of a former MVP getting a free pass. Dustin Pedroia, the 2009 video game's cover man, ties Robinson Cano for a top-five spot despite registering a .392 slugging percentage in 105 games last year. The 34-year-old will miss the start of 2018 recovering from an offseason knee surgery.
It's hard to make a case for him over Cesar Hernandez, who has hit .294 with an on-base percentage above .370 in each of the past two seasons. He's essentially a younger, faster and healthier version of Pedroia.
Third Base
1. Nolan Arenado, COL: 90
2. Josh Donaldson, TOR: 86
3. Kris Bryant, CHC: 86
4. Jose Ramirez, CLE: 85
5. Adrian Beltre, TEX: 85
6. Justin Turner, LAD: 85
7. Anthony Rendon, WAS: 84
8. Alex Bregman, HOU: 83
9. Mike Moustakas, KCR: 82
10. Zack Cozart, LAA: 81
Per Sporting News' Bryan Wiedey, Kris Bryant netted a 94 rating—the third-highest mark among position players behind Trout (99) and Altuve (97)—after 2016's MVP season. He followed up that season by boosting his wOBA from .396 to .399.
The bigger question is why MLB The Show suddenly stopped handing out elite ratings to elite stars, but the Chicago Cubs third baseman is no B-plus player. Take away Nolan Arenado's Coors Field advantage, and most fans would probably build a team around Bryant before anyone else at the hot corner.
Here's a comprehensive list of every third baseman who posted a higher WAR than Anthony Rendon in 2017: Oh, wait, nobody did. At least bump him up to 85 with Jose Ramirez, Adrian Beltre and Justin Turner.
Shortstop
1. Manny Machado, BAL: 86
2. Francisco Lindor, CLE: 85
3. Carlos Correa, HOU: 85
4. Corey Seager, LAD: 85
5. Trea Turner, WAS: 82
6. Andrelton Simmons, LAA: 82
7. Didi Gregorius, NYY: 81
8. Xander Bogaerts, BOS: 81
9. Elvis Andrus, TEX: 80
10. Jose Reyes, NYM: 79
The top-ranked shortstop did not play a single inning there last year.
In a contract year, the Baltimore Orioles are moving Manny Machado from third base to his original position. Per an Associated Press report, the 25-year-old voiced his excitement over changing spots.
"It's my natural position, that's where I think I can be the best," Machado said. "I know a lot of the talk has been (about) 'Oh, is he going to be worth more there? More money.' It's not about the money. It's not about going out there and signing a 20-year deal. This is where my heart has always been, this is what I want to do, this is what I've always wanted to do."
Last year's .259 batting average came with no decline in strikeout or contact rate, so the game is apparently expecting a return closer to 2016's .294/.343/.533 slash line with top-shelf defense at a premium position. Yet young studs Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa also deserve ratings closer to 90 than 85.
Left Field
1. Giancarlo Stanton, NYY: 85
2. Yoenis Cespedes, NYM: 84
3. J.D. Martinez, BOS: 82
4. Marcell Ozuna, STL: 82
5. Christian Yelich, MIL: 82
6. Michael Brantley, CLE: 81
7. Justin Upton, LAA: 80
8. Michael Conforto, NYM: 79
9. Andrew Benintendi, BOS: 79
10. Brett Gardner, NYY: 78
Sorry, Stanton. You should have hit 69 home runs instead of 59 if you wanted that elusive 90-plus rating.
Despite popping 45 long balls in 119 games, J.D. Martinez only received an 82. That's one point higher than Michael Brantley, who has played 101 games with mixed results over the last two seasons.
Center Field
1. Mike Trout, LAA: 93
2. Charlie Blackmon, COL: 85
3. George Springer, HOU: 84
4. Lorenzo Cain, MIL: 82
5. Tommy Pham, STL: 82
6. Kevin Kiermaier, TB: 82
7. Starling Marte, PIT: 81
8. Ender Inciarte, ATL: 81
9. Chris Taylor, LAD: 80
10. A.J. Pollock, ARI: 79
Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Rogers Hornsby and Jimmie Foxx are the only players to accrue more WAR by age 26 than Trout (54.4). His WAR through six seasons already exceeds that of recently elected Hall of Famer Jim Thome. Just give him the 99.
Gamers may not prioritize defense when assembling a dream lineup, but Kevin Kiermaier's elite defense rises him up the leaderboard. Although Byron Buxton's glove should have also elevated him into the top 10, the 24-year-old will comfortably rise above 80 by next year's installment.
Right Field
1. Bryce Harper, WAS: 88
2. Mookie Betts, BOS: 87
3. Aaron Judge, NYY: 86
4. Nelson Cruz, SEA: 81
5. Andrew McCutchen, SF: 81
6. Ryan Braun, MIL: 80
7. Yasiel Puig, LAD: 79
8. Josh Reddick, HOU: 79
9. Avisail Garcia, CHW: 79
10. Jay Bruce, NYM: 76
Apparently gracing the cover does not yield any bonus points. After hitting 52 home runs with a 1.049 OPS, Aaron Judge's rating only rose to 86.
Courtesy of MLB, the AL Rookie of the Year didn't take his grade as a slight:
The ratings dry up in a hurry, so anyone conducting a fantasy draft in Franchise Mode may want to consider Judge or one of the other elite right fielders with an early pick.
Starting Pitcher
1. Clayton Kershaw, LAD: 92
2. Max Scherzer, WAS: 90
3. Corey Kluber, CLE: 89
4. Chris Sale, BOS: 89
5. Stephen Strasburg, WAS: 87
6. Noah Syndergaard, NYM: 86
7. Jacob deGrom, NYM: 85
8. Madison Bumgarner, SFG: 85
9. Carlos Carrasco, CLE: 85
10. Justin Verlander, HOU: 84
In a virtual world where one can simply turn off injuries, Clayton Kershaw remains baseball's best ace. Back injuries have limited his exposure during the last two seasons, but he recorded a 2.03 ERA over those 324 innings.
Accounting for durability, Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber and Chris Sale all have valid claims for the top spot. All three of them worked 200-plus innings in each of the last two seasons. Scherzer will probably prefer his consecutive NL Cy Young Awards to a higher video-game rating.
An ace was bound to get shunned outside the top 10, but Zack Greinke and Luis Severino shouldn't settle for much lower than an 84.
Relief Pitcher
1. Kenley Jansen, LAD: 92
2. Andrew Miller, CLE: 91
3. Craig Kimbrel, BOS: 87
4. Aroldis Chapman, NYY: 85
5. Roberto Osuna, TOR: 84
6. Ken Giles, HOU: 82
7. Dellin Betances, NYY: 82
8. Chad Green, NYY: 82
9. Brad Hand, SD: 81
10. Felipe Rivero, PIT: 81
Apparently, Kenley Jansen is better than everyone but Trout, and Andrew Miller is equal to Altuve.
Let's at least give the game props for rewarding the best relievers regardless of role. While a knee injury blocked Miller from submitting his fourth straight 100-strikeout season, he still stockpiled 95 punchouts in 62.2 innings with a 1.44 ERA.
It's weird to appreciate a star reliever more than a superstar slugger, but the Cleveland Indians' fireman deserves respect as an elite fireman despite typically pitching before the ninth inning.
All advanced stats via FanGraphs.
