Anytime a sports game is about to debut, its fans will excitedly predict what rating their favorite players will get. ForMLB The Show 22, the speculation builds anticipation that isn’t extinguished until the game becomes available and gamers excitedly scroll to see how close they were.
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While many fans will debate the order of the top players, few disagree on who these best players will be. After getting to watch a season of baseball, experts go over the film and statistics, then analyze and carefully place the results intoMLB The Show 22in the form of attributes. According to those who exhaustively studied the tape and examined the data, these players should be the best of the best this year.
10Nolan Arenado - 95 OVR
If a player wins a Gold Glove award, it’s usually a big deal. For Nolan Arenado, he probably has no more room on his shelf for another. He’s won nine straight Gold Glove awards and five straight Platinum Glove awards for the overall best fielder at any position.
But Arenado is not here solely due to his highlight-filled defense. The man has led the league in home runs three times, and RBIs twice. The Cardinals are looking for another title and Arenado is hoping St. Louis is the place that will make him a world champ.
9Shohei Ohtani - 95 OVR
This year’s cover athlete played for Japan in the first part of his career and they recognized how special he was there with countless pieces of hardware. So perhaps it should have been no surprise that Ohtani rivaled Babe Ruth in terms of pitchers that could hit.
Last year, Ohtani was an All-Star, MVP, Silver Slugger Winner, triples leader, and the AP Athlete of the year. Ohtani is not just special to baseball as one of itsbest starting pitchers, he’s being recognized as one of the all-time greats in any sport.
8Bryce Harper - 95 OVR
There is often a bias toward previous cover athletes, but it can be argued that Bryce Harper deserved to be a few spots higher on this list. Harper was, after all, the MVP in the NL last year. Apparently, the ratings adjusters aren’t the only ones sleeping on Harper, the MVP did not make it to the All-Star game last year.
Not that Harper needs these honors to justify himself as one of the best in baseball. His second Silver Slugger says it all. The Phillies are considered one ofthe best teams in the gameand they will be serious contenders for a title if his production in 2022 matches 2021.
7Aaron Judge - 96 OVR
Aaron Judge has long been known as a power threat, but it is his fielding in 2021 that boosted his OVR. He took the next step and became an elite player on both sides of the ball on the say to his third All-Star game.
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Remember that not only is Judge a slugger, but he’s a slugger for the Yankees. With that stadium and the prestige of the organization, Judge could be looking at putting his name next to the likes of Ruth and Gehrig before he calls it a career.
6Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - 96 OVR
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a good player for his first two years in the big leagues, but 2021, his third year, was an offensive explosion. He was an All-Star and Silver Slugger recipient. Most notably, he led both leagues in home runs.
If Guerrero steps into the box, it’s smart towork on some mechanics on the mound. If first base is open, consider walking him. Guerrero should be considered in scoring position the instant that his bat makes contact with the ball.
5Marcus Semien - 97 OVR
Before 2021, it would have been fair to ask who Marcus Semien was, despite him having been in the league for a while. It all came together in 2021 for Marcus Semien, who got an All-Star nod, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger award.
It was not just a great year, it was historic. He broke the MLB record for home runs by a second baseman, adding some power to a position that is usually obsessed with finesse. He’s changed uniforms, leaving Toronto for Texas, so hopefully the progress made with the Blue Jays translates well to the Ranger.
4Max Scherzer - 97 OVR
Trying to fit all of the accolades Max Scherzer has earned into a brief paragraph is a fool’s errand. Aside from season and career accomplishments and trophies, Scherzer has no-hitters, immaculate innings, and a 20-strikeout game to his name. Players will need lots ofadvice for hittingwhen Scherzer takes the mound.
The ratings folks must be excited to see what Scherzer can do for the Mets in their starting rotation. It’s incredible to think that Scherzer is tied for fourth-highest in the game and is the second-highest rated pitcher and yet isn’t the ace in New York (more on that in a moment.
3Mike Trout - 99 OVR
This cannot be overstated; the best player in the last decade of baseball has been Mike Trout. After a shortened season in 2020 had analysts thinking Trout was on the decline, he returned to form in 2021 with another All-Star selection.
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Fans love Trout because he does it all and he does it well. This isn’t a typical five-tool player that does a serviceable job in every facet of the game. He does have all five tools, but he does them at an elite level. Those three MVP awards aren’t just for decoration.
2Ronald Acuna Jr - 99 OVR
Players that want towin the World Series in Road to the Showthis year should seriously think about playing for the Braves. Keep in mind that this underdog team won the championship last year without Ronald Acuna Jr, who tied for being the top-rated player in all of baseball.
With him back on the Diamond, the Braves might still be missing a few pieces of last year’s squad, but the piece they are getting back has the power to compensate for all of these losses and then some.
1Jacob deGrom - 99 OVR
Jacob deGrom is tied for the top spot for all ballplayers and is the only pitcher given a perfect 99 OVR this year. He was well on his way to an easy and likely unanimous Cy Young award when an injury cut his season short. But at the time of the injury, he was leading pitchers in about everything.
Unfortunately for fans, deGrom has started off on the injury list once again this year. he may have some catching up to do as far as the Cy Young goes, but regardless of where he finishes, he’s the most feared man on the mound whenever he’s on it.
MLB The Show 22was released on April 5th, 2022, and is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PlayStation 5.
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