The return of MLB The Show is a joyous occasion for any baseball fan. And for the first time, not just PlayStation baseball fans. The popular baseball sim from San Diego Studio is launching on the Xbox Series and will be available on Game Pass.
MLB The Show 21 caters to any baseball fanatic, whether it’s testing your front office skills in building a World Series contender in Franchise mode or creating your own player and embarking on your MLB journey, there’s plenty to satisfy all. The first thing any player wants to know is which teams are the best and which ones to avoid at all costs. These teams bring up the caboose in MLB The Show 21.
10 San Francisco Giants
In the 2010s, the San Francisco Giants were just that – giants. The team won three World Series titles in five years, establishing a dynasty in the Bay area. But just as the old saying goes, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” the Giants fell hard. Since losing in the National League Division Series in 2016, San Francisco has finished below .500 every season. The Giants are well below the league average in power hitting (twentieth), pitching (nineteenth), and defense (twenty-sixth), and are last in speed (thirtieth).
The lone bright spot on the team is right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski (85). The highest-rated player on the team, Yastrzemski had a .297 batting average and career-high four triples last year. San Francisco is rated fifth in contact hitting, thanks to the bat of Yastrzemski. The Giants also welcome the return of All-Star catcher Buster Posey (82), who opted out of the 2020 season out of health concerns for his twin baby girls.
9 Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays took advantage of the extended playoffs format last season and qualified for the postseason. Toronto got bested in the Wild Card Series by the eventual winner of the American League, Tampa Bay Rays. Following the postseason letdown, the Blue Jays signed three-time All-Star George Springer (83).
Alongside Springer in the outfield is 27-year-old Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (87), the sixth-best center fielder in the league. Toronto’s power-hitting (nineteenth) ranks the highest among the bottom-tier teams, in large part to the young centerfielder. Gurriel Jr. is coming off a year hitting .308 with 11 home runs and 14 doubles. The Blue Jays are also home to one of the most underrated players in the game, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Criminally underrated at 74, Guerrero Jr. appeared in every game last season hitting .262 with nine home runs and 33 RBI.
8 Miami Marlins
Similar to the Blue Jays, the Miami Marlins snuck into the postseason behind the expanded playoff format last season. The postseason appearance snapped a 16-year playoff drought for Miami when the team won the 2003 World Series. Miami acquired its highest-rated player in a midseason trade last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Starling Marte (84). Meant to boost the team’s offensive effectiveness, Miami still struggled in power hitting (twenty-sixth). However, the Marlins have exceptional speed (fourth) and were second in the league in stolen bases (51) last season.
7 Colorado Rockies
For the first time since 2012, the Colorado Rockies are entering the season without third baseman Nolan Arenado (98). With Arenado being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Rockies turn to Trevor Story (91) as the team’s new best player. The highest-rated player among the bottom-tier teams, Story is the second-rated shortstop in the game behind only the cover athlete himself, Fernando Tatis Jr. (95).
Despite being one of the lowest-rated teams in MLB The Show 21, the Rockies are rated first in speed. Last season, Story stole 15 bases that ranked him fourth in the league. The Rockies have slightly above-average ratings in contact hitting (eleventh) and defense (thirteenth). Returning for his eleventh season with the club, right-fielder Charlie Blackmon (81) remains a threat in the lineup. In 2020, four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner Blackmon had a .303 batting average.
6 Arizona Diamondbacks
Through the 2010s, the Arizona Diamondbacks tried valiantly to end the reign of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but alas, fell short. After shipping out icon Paul Goldschmidt (89) in 2018 then Zack Greinke (90) a year later, Arizona was lacking in star power. Luckily, players like Zac Gallen (86), Ketel Marte (83), and Nick Ahmed (81) have either stepped up in their bigger roles or simply continued to perform at a high level to keep the Diamondbacks somewhat competitive.
Although Arizona is twenty-fourth in pitching, Gallen has all the makings to be the team’s future ace. Last season, the 25-year-old had an ERA of 2.75 and averaged ten strikeouts per game. Outfielder Ketel Marte had a breakout year in 2019, finishing fourth in MVP voting. Rated the seventh-best centerfielder in MLB The Show 21, Marte hit 32 home runs and had a .329 batting average last season. Unlike Marte, Ahmed struggles offensively but makes up for it on defense, as he is one of the top-rated defensive infielders in the game.
5 Detroit Tigers
After winning four straight division titles from 2011 to 2014, the Detroit Tigers have finished second-to-last or last in the AL Central division five times. Rated the fifth-worst team in the game, the one area the Tigers continue to show some signs of life is in contact hitting (ninth).
Although Miguel Cabrera (75) might’ve lost a step or two, he still poses a threat at the plate. Against left-handed pitching, Cabrera has a perfect 99 contact rating. Other than the hitting, Detroit is hurting. A bottom three team in power hitting and pitching, the Tigers are desperate for some young talent.
4 Texas Rangers
Making back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, the Texas Rangers looked poised to seize control of the American League for a long time. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Since losing that second World Series, the Rangers have only made the postseason three times, failing to advance to the Championship Series and bringing up the rear in the AL West two of the past four seasons.
Unlike most teams featured this low in the ratings, the Rangers have a top player in Joey Gallo (89). The fourth-best right fielder, Gallo crushes the ball with a perfect 99 power hitting rating against all pitchers. But Gallo isn’t just a big bat. The right-fielder is tremendous defensively and one of baseball’s top outfield defenders. In addition to Gallo, Texas has one of the best infielder defenders in shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa (80), justifying the team’s seventh-rated defense.
3 Seattle Mariners
In 2001, the Seattle Mariners won a record 116 games in the regular season. Thought to be the beginning of a dynasty, the Mariners still haven’t returned to the playoffs since. Even with the great Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle drifted into baseball irrelevancy. But with all the losing, fans can hope for the next great franchise player and it could be centerfielder Kyle Lewis (78).
Last season, Lewis won Rookie of the Year being a .262 batting average, 11 home runs, and 28 RBI. In MLB The Show 21, Lewis has an A potential, indicating he’s exactly the type of player to build a franchise around. While Seattle is disastrous in nearly every category, the team does rate among the best in speed (sixth).
2 Baltimore Orioles
Despite the team ratings, the Baltimore Orioles are arguably the worst team in the game. Baltimore has finished in last place of the AL East three out of the last four years. The Orioles are thirtieth in pitching and defense, the only team among the bottom-tier to be dead last in more than one category.
Every team in MLB The Show 21 has at least one player rated 80 or above…except the Orioles. Baltimore’s best player is right-fielder Anthony Santander at 77. It’s nothing against Santander, as the 26-year-old is coming off a .261 batting average season with 11 home runs and 32 RBI.
1 Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made the postseason only six times since 1990. Finishing in last in the NL Central two of the past three seasons, the Pirates are seeking the light at the end of the tunnel. Pittsburgh does have one of the best defensive catchers in the game in Jacob Stallings (82), and a great young player in third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes (81). With an A potential, Hayes has above-average ratings in fielding (82) and reaction time (85). Even with Stallings and Hayes in the mix, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a mess all over the diamond and claim the title as the worst team in MLB The Show 21.
NEXT: MLB The Show 21: 10 Best Teams
