Breaking Down What MLB the Show 2021 Got Right, Wrong with Final Player Ratings
Who's ready for a deep dive into the end-of-year player ratings on MLB The Show 2021?
With the regular season now in the rearview, the current ratings for the online Diamond Dynasty mode in MLB The Show can be viewed as the official end-of-year version for each player.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Diamond Dynasty mode, you can build your own roster by unlocking players who are updated as the season progresses. Their individual ratings are adjusted based on their on-field performance in real life.
Players in Diamond Dynasty are lumped into four basic categories—diamond, gold, silver and bronze—with baseball's elite making up the diamond tier and moving down in quality to a bronze tier comprised of role players and minor leaguers.
What follows is a position-by-position look at how MLB The Show ranked the top players at each position, with each position's diamond and gold players list. That is followed by my own thoughts on what they got right, what they got wrong, and who the most underrated player at the position is in the game.
Away we go!
Catchers
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Diamond Tier: Yasmani Grandal, CWS (89 overall); Buster Posey, SF (87); Salvador Perez, KC (87)
Gold Tier: Will Smith, LAD (84); J.T. Realmuto, PHI (83); Mike Zunino, TB (83); Yadier Molina (81); Yan Gomes (81)
There's an argument to be made for Buster Posey and Salvador Perez to be the highest-rated catcher, but the six highest-rated catchers are exactly who deserve to headline the position based on their performance in 2021. It's after those top six that things get a little squirrely.
While it's no big surprise to see Yadier Molina highly rated, he's simply not a top-10 catcher in the league anymore. An 86 OPS+ and 1.8 WAR this year put him closer to the No. 20 spot overall.
And what in the world is Yan Gomes doing in the gold tier? The 34-year-old had a nice start to the season, but he finished with a thud in Oakland. There are more than a few backstops that belong ahead of him, including Omar Narvaez, Mitch Garver, Carson Kelly and the guy listed below.
Most Underrated: Willson Contreras, CHC (78 overall, silver)
Along with the eight guys in the diamond and gold tiers, Austin Nola (79) and Jacob Stallings (79) also checked in ahead of the Chicago Cubs backstop. The 29-year-old had a 108 OPS+ with 21 home runs and a career-high 4.1 WAR, and he should be slotted behind Mike Zunino in the gold tier.
First Basemen
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Diamond Tier: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR (94 overall); Max Muncy, LAD (89); Matt Olson, OAK (89); Freddie Freeman, ATL (88); Paul Goldschmidt, STL (86); Joey Votto, CIN (85)
Gold Tier: C.J. Cron, COL (84); Brandon Belt, SF (84); Yuli Gurriel, HOU (83); Pete Alonso, NYM (83); Frank Schwindel, CHC (82); Jose Abreu, CWS (82); Josh Bell, WAS (81); Jared Walsh, LAA (81); Ryan Mountcastle, BAL (81); Jonathan Schoop, DET (80)
The gold tier looks good. Those are the six guys who deserve to be part of that top group, though Yuli Gurriel deserves to be part of that conversation as well after winning the AL batting title (.319) while tallying 31 doubles, 15 home runs, 81 RBI and 3.7 WAR.
Jose Abreu feels low relative to the players who are ranked ahead of him, and Ryan Mountcastle probably doesn't belong in the gold tier with a .309 on-base percentage, 161 strikeouts and 0.9 WAR in 144 games. The power attribute goes a long way in boosting a player's overall rating, though.
Most Underrated: Ty France, SEA (78 overall, silver)
France had one of the best under-the-radar seasons of 2021, hitting .291/.368/.445 for a 128 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 18 home runs and 73 RBI after an injury to Evan White opened the door for him to be Seattle's everyday first baseman. His 4.2 WAR ranked seventh among all first basemen, yet he checked in 20th at the position in the final ratings.
Second Basemen
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Diamond Tier: Trea Turner, LAD (91 overall); Marcus Semien, TOR (87); Jose Altuve, HOU (86); Ozzie Albies, ATL (85)
Gold Tier: Javier Baez, NYM (84); Jean Segura, PHI (84); Kolten Wong, MIL (83); Brandon Lowe, TB (81); Tommy Edman, STL (81); Jorge Polanco, MIN (81); Adam Frazier, SD (80)
The diamond tier is spot on, and it's hard to argue anyone at the gold tier does not deserve to be at least an 80 overall, so second base really comes down to nit-picking.
Brandon Lowe has a strong case for diamond status after posting a 142 OPS+ with 39 home runs and 99 RBI in a 4.8-WAR season. His struggles against left-handed pitching tank his attributes, but he deserves to be higher.
Most Underrated: Jonathan India (75 overall, silver)
Whit Merrifield (78 overall, silver) and Enrique Hernandez (78 overall, silver) both feel underrated, especially considering they're slotted behind David Fletcher, Nico Hoerner and Brendan Rodgers in the rankings. Heck, they don't even have a Red Sox picture for Hernandez.
Also, how in the world is Jazz Chisholm (74 overall) a bronze player?
That said, the most underrated second baseman has to be India. The NL Rookie of the Year favorite had a 113 OPS+ with 34 doubles, 21 home runs, 12 steals and 3.9 WAR in his debut, yet he ranks 28th among second baseman, just behind utility man Ronald Torreyes.
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Third Basemen
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Diamond Tier: Nolan Arenado, STL (89 overall); Jose Ramirez, CLE (89); Manny Machado, SD (87)
Gold Tier: Anthony Rendon, LAA (83); Eduardo Escobar, MIL (83); Rafael Devers, BOS (82); Alex Bregman, HOU (82); Evan Longoria, SF (81); Justin Turner, LAD (80); Austin Riley, ATL (80); Josh Donaldson, MIN (80)
The most glaring omission from the diamond tier has to be Rafael Devers. It's fair to take a wait and see approach with Austin Riley after a breakout 2021 season, but Devers has been one of the game's most productive run producers for years now. His 72 vs. RHP and 71 vs. LHP contact ratings are a joke.
Veteran Eduardo Escobar needs to slide to the bottom of that gold-tier list, while Riley needs to at least be knocking on the door for a spot in the diamond tier, if not busting it down to take his rightful spot on the other side.
Most Underrated: Yoan Moncada, CWS (74 overall, bronze)
There are not 26 third basemen better than Yoan Moncada!
It's laughable that he is still a bronze-tier player when he had a 117 OPS+ with 48 extra-base hits and 4.0 WAR in 144 games in 2021. I'm working on my end-of-the-season positional rankings right now, and I have him in the No. 6 spot at the hot corner.
MLB The Show has him slotted between Josh Fuentes and Charlie Culberson.
Shortstops
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Diamond Tier: Fernando Tatis Jr., SD (95 overall); Jake Cronenworth, SD (85); Bo Bichette, TOR (85); Brandon Crawford, SF (85)
Gold Tier: Carlos Correa, HOU (84); Trevor Story, COL (83); Tim Anderson, CWS (83); Francisco Lindor, NYM (81); Nicky Lopez, KC (81); Corey Seager, LAD (81); Dansby Swanson, ATL (81); Isiah Kiner-Falefa, TEX (81); Xander Bogaerts, BOS (81); Wander Franco, TB (81); Willy Adames, MIL (80)
Jake Cronenworth played more games at second base (94) than shortstop (41), so it's odd to see him listed here. He was shifted when Fernando Tatis Jr. was sidelined, but never shifted back to his primary position.
There's really no reason Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts shouldn't both be diamond-tier players, and Corey Seager belongs in that conversation as well, despite missing time to injury. And while it's nice to see Nicky Lopez rewarded for his breakout season, having him rated higher than Austin Riley (80) is a bit much.
The biggest head-scratcher of all? Isiah Kiner-Falefa wearing catcher's gear in his player card picture. He hasn't caught a game since Sept. 21, 2019. They couldn't find a more recent picture?
Most Underrated: J.P. Crawford (77 overall, silver)
There is no glaringly underrated player at the shortstop position, but Crawford feels a bit low checking in behind Amed Rosario, Miguel Rojas, Jose Iglesias and Gio Urshela. At the very least, his fielding attribute (80) and arm (68) both deserve a significant boost.
Left Fielders
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Diamond Tier: Tyler O'Neill, STL (86 overall); Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (85)
Gold Tier: Kyle Schwarber, BOS (84); Austin Hays, BAL (81); A.J. Pollock (81); Adam Duvall, ATL (81); Joey Gallo, NYY (81); Jesse Winker, CIN (81); Lourdes Gurriel Jr., TOR (81); Yordan Alvarez, HOU (80); Randy Arozarena, TB (80)
Left field was arguably the weakest position in baseball this year, so it's not surprising to see a thin list of players at the diamond and gold levels.
Seeing Austin Hays get some recognition for a quiet 3.2-WAR season is a pleasant surprise, and seeing Yordan Alvarez listed among the left fielders is timely since Houston's everyday DH will have to dust off his glove with the World Series shifting to an NL ballpark.
All in all, the top-tier picks feel reasonable, though there are a couple worthy exclusions.
Most Underrated: Michael Brantley (78 overall, silver)
Another player whose overall rating was dragged down by his platoon splits, Brantley has a 117 contact rating against right-handed pitching and a 50 contract rating against left-handed pitching.
He hit .363/.418/.507 with the platoon advantage, compared to .219/.261/.314 without it, so it's hard to argue with those skill ratings, but it doesn't seem right to have him rated below an 80 overall.
Perpetually overlooked Mark Canha (75 overall, silver) also deserves a mention.
Center Fielders
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Diamond Tier: Mike Trout, LAA (96 overall); Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL (94); Byron Buxton, MIN (89); Luis Robert, CWS (88); Ketel Marte, ARI (87); Harrison Bader, STL (86); Starling Marte, OAK (86); Cedric Mullins, BAL (86)
Gold Tier: Bryan Reynolds, PIT (84); Ramon Laureano, OAK (83); Adam Engel, CWS (82); Trent Grisham, SD (81); George Springer, TOR (81); Alex Verdugo, BOS (81); Brandon Nimmo, NYM (80)
It's a bummer for baseball fans in general when you consider the five highest-rated center fielders in the game all missed significant time this year. Injuries took a toll on the sport's star power in 2021.
Elite fielding (95 rating) and speed (95 rating) boosted Harrison Bader's overall rating higher than expected. He seems a bit high, slotting in ahead of Starling Marte and Cedric Mullins, as well as gold-tier guys like Bryan Reynolds and George Springer.
The rest all seems reasonable, aside from Adam Engel. His speed (99) and defense (92) make him a gold-tier player, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks he's better than Trent Grisham, George Springer, Alex Verdugo and a number of others who check in below the gold-tier level.
Most Underrated: Myles Straw, CLE (74 overall, bronze)
Considering several other players received a healthy overall rating bump from their speed and defense, it's surprising to see Straw still ranked as a bronze-tier player.
He's one of the fastest players in the sport and was terrific defensively (5 DRS, 8.5 UZR/150), yet his speed (88) and fielding (78) ratings don't quite reflect that. He should be what Adam Engel is in the game.
Right Fielders
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Diamond Tier: Aaron Judge, NYY (91 overall); Bryce Harper, PHI (90); Juan Soto, WAS (90); Mookie Betts, LAD (89); Teoscar Hernandez, TOR (87); Kyle Tucker, HOU (86)
Gold Tier: Avisail Garcia, MIL (84); Hunter Renfroe, BOS (84); Nicholas Castellanos, CIN (83); Mitch Haniger, SEA (81)
There are only eight position players in the game with an overall rating of 90 or higher, and three of them are right fielders. All three are more than deserving. I'd have them in reverse order with Soto at the top and Judge at the bottom, but that's nit-picking.
The only thing that stands out is Nicholas Castellanos behind Avisail Garcia and Hunter Renfroe. He has elite offensive ratings, but his arm (45) and fielding (54) drag down his overall rating enough that he slides behind those two guys. He's never going to win a Gold Glove, but Castellanos was actually much better defensively this year, to the point that those ratings both deserve a bump.
Most Underrated: Anthony Santander, BAL (74 overall, bronze)
After a mediocre first half, Santander turned it on after the All-Star break, posting a .793 OPS with 12 home runs and 27 RBI in 52 games.
He had a huge month of August (.309/.350/.617, 8 HR, 13 RBI), and it's surprising that it was not enough to at least bump him up to silver-tier status. The 27-year-old is controllable for three more years, and he has a chance to be a long-term piece in Baltimore.
Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
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Diamond Tier: Jacob deGrom, NYM (96 overall); Max Scherzer, LAD (92); Corbin Burnes, MIL (90); Brandon Woodruff, MIL (89); Gerrit Cole, NYY (89); Trevor Bauer, LAD (89); Justin Verlander, HOU (88); Zack Wheeler, PHI (87); Shohei Ohtani, LAA (87); Freddy Peralta, MIL (87); Kevin Gausman, SF (86); Walker Buehler, LAD (86); Tyler Glasnow, TB (85); Shane Bieber, CLE (85); Joe Musgrove, SD (85)
Gold Tier: Lance Lynn, CWS (84); Aaron Nola, PHI (83); Jack Flaherty, STL (83); Stephen Strasburg, WAS (83); Charlie Morton, ATL (83); Yu Darvish, SD (83); Mike Clevinger, SD (83); Noah Syndergaard, NYM (82); Jose Berrios, TOR (82); Sandy Alcantara, MIA (82); Alek Manoah, TOR (81); Lucas Giolito, CWS (81); Chris Bassitt, OAK (81); Dylan Cease, CWS (81); Adam Wainwright, STL (80); Huascar Ynoa, ATL (80); Frankie Montas, OAK (80); Mike Soroka, ATL (80); Marcus Stroman, NYM (80); Pablo Lopez, MIA (80); Luis Garcia, HOU (80); Nathan Eovaldi, BOS (80); Tyler Mahle, CIN (80); Anthony DeSclafani, SF (80); Lance McCullers Jr., HOU (80)
A lot of injured pitchers in the diamond-tier group, including 38-year-old Justin Verlander who has not pitched since July 24, 2020.
No glaring omissions from the diamond group, though Sandy Alcantara has an awfully strong case to join them after back-to-back seasons as a bona fide ace atop a really good Miami rotation.
Huascar Ynoa benefited from his surprising hot start, but with a 4.05 ERA in 91 innings he looks more like a good No. 4 starter than a gold-tier level pitcher. Alek Manoah ranked ahead of Luis Garcia, Ian Anderson and Casey Mize from this year's crop of rookie pitchers is a bit surprising, though it's hard to argue with his results.
Most Underrated: Logan Webb (79, silver)
Webb went 7-0 with a 2.71 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 96.1 innings after the All-Star break. He should have been bumped up to the gold tier at least a month ago, and failing to push him across the 80 overall threshold in the final update was a big whiff.
Cal Quantrill (76 overall, silver) also stands out as an underrated starter after he logged a 2.89 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 149.2 innings this year.
Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
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Diamond Tier: Carlos Rodon, CWS (87 overall); Robbie Ray, TOR (87); Clayton Kershaw, LAD (86); Chris Sale, BOS (86)
Gold Tier: John Means, BAL (83); Julio Urias, LAD (83); Ranger Suarez, PHI (81); Max Fried, ATL (81); Trevor Rogers, MIA (81)
Carlos Rodon had a great, out-of-nowhere season for the Chicago White Sox, and he deserved the bump up to the diamond tier during his brilliant first half. However, he threw just 43 innings after the All-Star break, and having him level with AL Cy Young favorite Robbie Ray doesn't quite feel right.
Besides that one small gripe, nothing really stands out here.
Props to the player ratings people for recognizing how good Ranger Suarez was in a wide variety of roles for the Philadelphia Phillies. The 26-year-old went 8-5 with four saves and 1.36 ERA in 106 innings spanning 12 starts and 27 relief appearances.
Most Underrated: Framber Valdez (76 overall, silver)
After a terrific 2020 postseason run, Valdez continued his quiet emergence as one of the best young lefties in the game during the regular season, going 11-6 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 125 strikeouts in 134.2 innings. An 80 overall and a bump up to gold-tier status seems appropriate for a pitcher who has proven himself to be a frontline option.
Right-Handed Relief Pitchers
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Diamond Tier: Liam Hendriks, CWS (89 overall); Craig Kimbrel, CWS (87), Nick Anderson, TB (87); Raisel Iglesias, LAA (85); Kirby Yates, TOR (85)
Gold Tier: Giovanny Gallegos, STL (84); Devin Williams, MIL (82); Paul Sewald, SEA (82); Ryan Tepera, CWS (82); Matt Barnes, BOS (82); Ryan Pressly, HOU (81); Collin McHugh, TB (81), Kendall Graveman, HOU (81), Kenley Jansen, LAD (80); Jordan Romano, TOR (80); Diego Castillo, TB (80), Chad Green, NYY (80), Michael Kopech, CWS (80), Blake Treinen, LAD (80)
Great work by MLB The Show giving Paul Sewald, Kendall Graveman and Jordan Romano their due in breakout seasons, though there were several other worthy relievers omitted from the gold tier.
The ongoing love for Kirby Yates is a bit confusing. He had a 12.46 ERA in six appearances in 2020 before he underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Then he signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, only to suffer a flexor strain in March and undergo Tommy John surgery before the season began.
Other than that, well done on the right-handed reliever front.
Most Underrated: Jonathan Loaisiga (75, silver) and Garrett Whitlock (75, silver)
There are plenty of relievers with a case for entry into the gold tier, including Emmanuel Clase (79 overall), Andrew Kittredge (79 overall), David Bednar (79 overall) and Drew Steckenrider (76 overall).
However, the two AL East rivals who emerged as the most important reliever in their respective bullpens hold the co-honor of most underrated right-handed reliever in the game. At the very least, Whitlock should be ahead of his teammate Matt Barnes and Loaisiga should be on par with his teammate Chad Green.
Left-Handed Relief Pitchers
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Diamond Tier: Josh Hader, MIL (89 overall)
Gold Tier: Aroldis Chapman, NYY (83); Taylor Rogers, MIN (81); Drew Pomeranz, SD (80)
There's a reason good left-handed relief pitching is always in demand.
It's hard to find a reliable southpaw who can pitch in high-leverage situations in the late innings, and that is perfectly reflected here by the fact that there are only four top-tier lefty relievers in the entire game.
Josh Hader deserves to be part of the exclusive 90 overall club, or at the very least should be the highest-rated reliever all by himself, rather than tying for that honor with Liam Hendriks. He is the best in the business, and he has been for several years running.
Most Underrated: Aaron Loup (72 overall, bronze)
Loup had a minuscule 0.95 ERA in 56.2 innings in 2021, the lowest mark in baseball among the 338 pitchers who threw at least 50 innings. The 33-year-old also had a 0.94 WHIP, 9.1 K/9 and 17 holds in 65 appearances, yet he wasn't even bumped up to silver-tier status. Harsh.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, while player ratings reflect Diamond Dynasty ratings as of Oct. 29.
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