Amateur gamers might think that pitching isn’t “sexy” enough inMLB The Show 22. There’s nothing wrong with smacking big flies, rounding the bases, and hearing the sold-out stadium cheer. But the experts know that what happens on the mound matters first and foremost.
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This isn’t to say that pitching is boring. The intensity of carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning gets the heart rate going more than any do-or-die at bat. For those who crave this aspect of the game, these are the best pitchers to use inMLB The Show 22.
Updated on July 13th, 2022 by Hodey Johns:This list first came out before the season started. All-Star week marks the halfway point of the season. So, how did the analysts do? Of course, nobody is perfect. Some players that were expected to do poorly ended up putting together a fantastic first half, so they needed to be added to the list. Others that were well-hyped didn’t quite hit the expectations of the experts, so they had to be dropped. A hot or a cold streak could see even the worst-ranked player make this list or the number one ranked player fall out of favor entirely. This is how things have shaken out so far.
10Joe Musgrove - 92 OVR
This list did not feature Joe Musgrove at the start of the season, but he has earned his spot. The Padres are having an impressive season in large thanks to Musgrove’s pitching. This team is used to thriving on hitting, this is a nice change of pace for the San Diego ballclub.
He has five pitches and all of them are within 9 MPH of each other. The cherry on top is his perfect 99 breaking ball rating. So not only do these pitches look the same in terms of speed, they end up in wildly different places. He is not fun to hit against.
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8Aaron Nola - 93 OVR
Aaron Nola has been a talented pitcher with a fascinating quirk. He’s got five pitches, but only two of them are offspeed and neither of those two is a slider. The three fastballs give him a rare ability to pitch well against lefties as a right-handed pitcher.
Although no individual attribute jumps off of the page, it is notable that Nola has a 67 rating or better in every pitching category.Getting called up to the showas a starter for the Phillies isn’t impossible, but Nola has that “ace” spot locked up.
7Chris Sale - 93 OVR
There is a reason opponents hate to play against Chris Sale. His pitches all look the same at the point of release. His 4-seam stays high and his sinker dives low. There is only a 2 MPH difference between the two, making them virtually indistinguishable.
Players may want to consider changing positionsto pitching after a few at-bats against Sale. It’s not fun and he’s a big reason the Red Sox are never out of the mix.
6Shane McClanahan - 95 OVR
Every year has to have a few surprises and Shane McClanahan is the guy to shock the world as a starting pitcher. He wasn’t even on this list to start the season, now he’s nestled in between Hall of Famers and Cy Young recipients.
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Players that want toimprove in the Road to the Showwould be wise to copy McClanahan’s strategy. He has three non-fastballs that all go for over 83 MPH, including a curveball. That’s too fast for hitters that are trying to track the offspeed arsenal.
5Clayton Kershaw - 96 OVR
Clayton Kershaw started this year already on the top ten list but he’s done some serious climbing with his OVR, up to 96 from a 93. Turns out the perennial Cy Young contender just needed to string together some games where he was healthy for people to remember why he’s one of this generation’s best.
The secret to Kershaw’s glory was never in digits. He has four pitches that are wildly different from one another, so hitters have to guess when to swing before the ball is released. His windup and delivery motions trick baserunners and batters alike.
4Shohei Ohtani - 96 OVR
Last year’s AL MVP was notable for being the first two-way player to make it since Babe Ruth. Ohtani has a 96 OVR as a pitcher. Gamers should keep in mind that this OVR measures only his pitching ability, the hitting business is all gravy.
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Ohtani received perfect scores in breaking balls and pitching from the clutch. His 79 MPH curveball can leave opponents looking as silly as they deal with his 97 MPH fastball. This season, he’s in the mix to win a Cy Young award in addition to his usual hitting accolades.
3Corbin Burnes - 94 OVR
The perfect velocity rating for Corbin Burnes is just the tip of the iceberg. All five of his pitches go for over 81 MPH. The guy is fast on fast with some more fast mixed in. All of his pitches have movement, too, as he passes on a 4-seam fastball in exchange for fastballs with movement.
The highlight has to be his 88 MPH slider, only attainable due to his 99 Velocity rating. Use this whenplaying against friendsand watch how silly they look trying to square up against Burnes.
2Max Scherzer - 97 OVR
It’s unfair that the top two players are both on the same team, but the Mets made it clear they wanted to prioritize starting pitching with their offseason expenditures. Scherzer’s maxed-out 99 H/9 rating means the majority of the time that opponents make contact, the ball’s not going anywhere special.
Gamers will need towear equipmentto counter for this if they face off against Scherzer. His offspeed pitches are a severe break (27 MPH) from his fastball and make timing pitches up a real shot in the dark.
1Jacob deGrom - 99 OVR
Last season, Jacob deGrom was on base to destroy every single-season record the MLB has ever known from the mound before his injury. His ERA was just over one (that’s not a typo) and he was genuinely unhittable in many of his performances.
The ratings adjusters have decided to leave deGrom alone for now, despite having no evidence of how he’ll pitch this season due to starting out on the injured list. However, fans are soon to get a taste of deGrom again. Hopefully, they’ll see why he’s got that perfect 99 OVR.
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.
