MLB The Show 23 is the latest iteration of the acclaimed baseball series and features up-and-coming star Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the cover. While baseball fans might be more enamored with players hitting home runs and teams scoring runs, it’s the pitchers who are most important to winning.
If you have a pitcher who can limit opposing lineups and keep the number of baserunners to a minimum, you’ll be on your way toward success. Let’s take a look at the pitchers who give all hitters nightmares on the mound.
10 Clayton Kershaw - 91
Although Clayton Kershaw has been in the league since 2008, he didn’t truly establish himself as a dominant pitcher until 2011. From then on, Kershaw was a demon against hitters. The Los Angeles Dodgers ace was named an All-Star in seven straight seasons and was the first National League pitcher to win MVP since Bob Gibson in 1968.
Kershaw has declined due to Father Time but the 35-year-old is still a menace on the mound. He still has high marks in stamina (85), hits allowed through nine innings (83), and the break on his pitches (80). His velocity (56) is among the lowest of his attributes but with a perfect rating in pitching clutch (99) Kershaw is still the guy you’d want in a tight situation.
9 Aaron Nola - 91
In eight years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Aaron Nola worked his way to the top of the rotation. Equipped with five different pitches, Nola fools hitters by changing speeds and throwing pitches with a lot of movement.
Nola might have a fastball in his arsenal, it’s his offspeed pitches that inflict the most damage. The 29-year-old deploys a knuckle curve, sinker, circle change, and cutter with extreme effectiveness (96). The Phillies ace might get himself in a jam more often than others (78 H/9) and has a relatively low clutch rating (50), but he can eat up innings (92) and keeps his team in the game.
8 Shane McClanahan - 93
It shouldn’t surprise anyone anymore that the Tampa Bay Rays continue to develop outstanding talent. Shane McClanahan is just one of many gems the team has produced, and the left-hander was poised to lead the Rays back to the postseason for the fifth season in a row.
McClanahan made an impact immediately during his rookie season in 2021, winning ten games behind a 3.43 ERA. He proved it wasn’t a fluke season by winning 12 games with a 2.54 ERA and was named an All-Star in 2022. McClanahan excels at picking off baserunners and playing on the road. And while some pitchers lose their composure when their team is behind, McClanahan performs better in those situations.
7 Carlos Rodon - 93
The major difference between baseball and other sports is the possibility of star players emerging late in their careers. Carlos Rodon made his major league debut in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox and experienced six seasons of decent performance. In 2019 and 2020, Rodon suffered elbow injuries that derailed much of those two seasons.
Rodon rebounded from his elbow injuries in a big way, recording double-digit wins in 2021 and 2022 for the first times in his career, which earned him two All-Star selections. Rodon doesn’t specialize in one area but is above average across the board. His velocity (83) and break (82) keeps hits down (84), while keeping his stamina high (85).
6 Spencer Strider - 94
Spencer Strider is the youngest pitcher among the top ten. The Atlanta Braves ace made two appearances in 2021, but didn’t truly make an impact until 2022. Strider racked up 11 wins with a 2.67 ERA and quickly cemented himself as one of the best young pitchers in the National League.
Strider utilizes his high velocity (99) to blow hitters by. Sure, Strider has a slider and circle change to keep hitters on their toes, but his four-seam and two-seam fastballs are his bread and butter. Atlanta’s ace might lose energy quickly (75) because of how hard he throws, but that’s the trade-off for limiting hits (90) and striking out batters (92).
5 Corbin Burnes - 96
The Milwaukee Brewers have experienced recent success since 2018, making the postseason in three of the past five seasons. Much of the team’s success is credited to the emergence of Corbin Burnes. The right-hander began his major league career in the bullpen, earning a 7-0 record with a 2.61 ERA.
Burnes became a staple in the starting rotation in 2020, and then established himself as a top pitcher in 2021 and 2022. Burnes led the National League in ERA in 2021 (2.43) and has been selected for back-to-back All-Star games. He doesn’t have a standard fastball but has a perfect rating in velocity (99) for his cutter and sinker.
4 Max Scherzer - 96
After the Arizona Diamondbacks gave up on Max Scherzer after only two seasons, the pitcher transformed into an unstoppable machine in Detroit. He continued his reign of terror for several seasons with the Tigers and then Washington Nationals. Now with the New York Mets, Scherzer aims to win a championship for New York’s “other team.”
Officially in the twilight stage of his career, Scherzer has relied on his offspeed pitches (99) like his slider, circle change, and slurve to punch hitters out. His overall ability to strike hitters out has regressed (78) but the 38-year-old still limits hits (89) and walks (88) while maintaining high stamina (92) on the mound.
3 Justin Verlander - 98
The New York Mets are the only team in MLB The Show 23 to have two starting pitchers with above 90 ratings. After winning his second World Series championship with the Houston Astros, Justin Verlander took his talents to the Big Apple, where the future Hall of Famer will pitch for a National League team for the first time in his career.
Verlander might be the oldest pitcher among the top ten, but he’s still a workhorse on the mound. At 40 years old, Verlander still possesses high stamina (93) and hits per nine innings (94). As he’s aged, Verlander has honed on improving his break (90) on his pitches to confuse batters at the plate.
2 Jacob deGrom - 99
After spending nine seasons with the New York Mets, Jacob deGrom signed a large contract with the Texas Rangers to lead their rotation. For much of his career, deGrom has been routinely mentioned as one of the best pitchers in the major leagues.
The Rangers ace is one of the hardest throwing pitchers with a perfect velocity rating (99) and having the Outlier Quirk, meaning that his primary pitch exceeds the max velocity limit. Despite having a circle change and curveball, deGrom will simply try to blow hitters by with immense speed.
1 Shohei Ohtani - 99
The previous cover athlete for MLB The Show is still the best pitcher in the game. Shohei Ohtani’s mere presence has caused some to change their thinking on the concept of two-way players, and while Ohtani hasn’t experienced much MLB success with the Los Angeles Angels, he was a major factor in Japan winning their third World Baseball Classic title over the United States.
Ohtani has five different pitches that utilize both his high velocity (90) and break (99). The 28-year-old has above-average ratings in stamina (86), allowing hits (88), and striking out batters (84). On top of pitching a lot of innings, Ohtani doesn’t lose much of his break on his pitches as he gets tired. Even if you removed Ohtani’s impact as a hitter, he’s still the best pitcher in the majors, and in MLB The Show 23.