MLB The Show 23: 10 Best Starting Pitchers, Ranked

There is very little more valuable in baseball than having a true ace on the pitching squad. Even if they only pitch one out of every five games in the regular season, being highly likely to win twenty percent of the time is a significant advantage in MLB The Show 23.

And that's only the start. In the playoffs, squads will often prune their rotation down to their best three pitchers, Meaning a superstar starting pitches can almost win the World Series in MLB The Show 23 by themselves. Yet only a few of these pitchers can truly be considered a near lock to win every game they pitch; it's what makes them so valuable.

10 Clayton Kershaw - 91

MLB The Show 23 Clayton Kershaw Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	85
Hard Contact Reduction	83
Swing & Miss Potential	64
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	86
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	66
Clutch Pitching	99
Control	75
Velocity	56
Break	80
Fielding	65
Arm Strength	75
Throwing Accuracy	45
Reaction	67

Slider: 87 MPH
4-Seam Fastball: 91 MPH
12-6 Curve: 74 MPH
Circle Change: 87 MPH

Kershaw may be older than he used to be and he's no longer winning every single Cy Young award, but his delivery and coolness under pressure are unrivaled.

9 Aaron Nola - 91

MLB The Show 23 Aaron Nola Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	92
Hard Contact Reduction	78
Swing & Miss Potential	69
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	91
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	64
Clutch Pitching	50
Control	67
Velocity	81
Break	96
Fielding	66
Arm Strength	62
Throwing Accuracy	68
Reaction	38

4-Seam Fastball: 93 MPH
Knuckle-Curve: 79 MPH
Sinker: 92 MPH
Circle Change: 86 MPH
Cutter: 87 MPH

The national League champions leaned heavily on Nola and their pitching, but they'll need some improvement at the center field position to win the World Series next time.

8 Carlos Rodon - 93

MLB The Show 23 Carlos Rodon Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	85
Hard Contact Reduction	84
Swing & Miss Potential	81
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	69
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	74
Clutch Pitching	82
Control	73
Velocity	83
Break	82
Fielding	58
Arm Strength	88
Throwing Accuracy	56
Reaction	32

4-Seam Fastball: 96 MPH
Slider: 85 MPH
Circle Change: 85 MPH
12-6 Curve: 80 MPH

The Yankees are a complete roster, but those who want to help Rodon with run support will find they could use a better shortstop.

7 Shane McClanahan - 93

MLB The Show 23 Shane McClanahan Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	86
Hard Contact Reduction	87
Swing & Miss Potential	75
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	79
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	65
Clutch Pitching	89
Control	76
Velocity	87
Break	92
Fielding	50
Arm Strength	65
Throwing Accuracy	55
Reaction	40

4-Seam Fastball: 97 MPH
Circle Change: 88 MPH
Curveball: 82 MPH
Slider: 89 MPH

McClanahan is carrying a Rays team on the pitching end but Tampa Bay needs a strong first baseman to hit some long balls to back up the pitching staff.

6 Spencer Strider - 94

MLB The Show 23 Spencer Strider Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	75
Hard Contact Reduction	90
Swing & Miss Potential	92
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	60
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	80
Clutch Pitching	76
Control	65
Velocity	99
Break	88
Fielding	35
Arm Strength	83
Throwing Accuracy	35
Reaction	32

4-Seam Fastball: 98 MPH
Slider: 86 MPH
Circle Change: 88 MPH
2-Seam Fastball: 97 MPH

It's impossible to deny that Strider has made the Braves one of the best teams in baseball. They enter the season ranked number one.

5 Corbin Burnes - 96

MLB The Show 23 Corbin Burnes Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	90
Hard Contact Reduction	88
Swing & Miss Potential	80
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	75
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	76
Clutch Pitching	80
Control	76
Velocity	99
Break	86
Fielding	54
Arm Strength	56
Throwing Accuracy	37
Reaction	38

Cutter: 95 MPH
Curveball: 82 MPH
Circle Change: 88 MPH
Slider: 88 MPH
Sinker: 95 MPH

Burnes is on top of his game but he could use some support. The Brewers have an opening at the second base position for players interested in the team.

4 Max Scherzer - 96

MLB The Show 23 Max Scherzer Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	92
Hard Contact Reduction	89
Swing & Miss Potential	78
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	88
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	64
Clutch Pitching	85
Control	80
Velocity	73
Break	99
Fielding	48
Arm Strength	88
Throwing Accuracy	39
Reaction	36

4-Seam Fastball: 94 MPH
Slider: 85 MPH
Circle Change: 84 MPH
Slurve: 75 MPH
Cutter: 89 MPH

Gamers that want to be on the Mets with Scherzer should know the team is looking for an upgrade at left field.

3 Justin Verlander - 98

MLB The Show 23 Justin Verlander Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	93
Hard Contact Reduction	94
Swing & Miss Potential	70
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	89
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	74
Clutch Pitching	87
Control	82
Velocity	78
Break	90
Fielding	37
Arm Strength	96
Throwing Accuracy	53
Reaction	25

4-Seam Fastball: 95 MPH
Slider: 87 MPH
12-6 Curve: 79 MPH
Circle Change: 86 MPH

Last year's American League Cy Young winner and World Series champ needs a good catcher on the team for the Mets to win a title.

2 Jacob deGrom - 99

MLB The Show 23 Jacob deGrom Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	88
Hard Contact Reduction	96
Swing & Miss Potential	96
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	90
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	67
Clutch Pitching	74
Control	87
Velocity	99
Break	74
Fielding	58
Arm Strength	54
Throwing Accuracy	56
Reaction	37

4-Seam Fastball: 99 MPH
Slider: 92 MPH
Circle Change: 88 MPH
Curveball: 83 MPH
2-Seam Fastball: 97 MPH

Now that deGrom has gone to Texas, players who want to follow him should make a third baseman to fill the team's needs.

1 Shohei Ohtani - 99

MLB The Show 23 Shohei Ohtani Preseason Player Card

Category	Rating
Stamina	86
Hard Contact Reduction	88
Swing & Miss Potential	84
Walk & Hit By Pitch Reduction	77
Keeping The Ball On The Ground	74
Clutch Pitching	99
Control	80
Velocity	90
Break	99
Fielding	62
Arm Strength	94
Throwing Accuracy	66
Reaction	55

Slider: 85 MPH
4-Seam Fastball: 97 MPH
Splitter: 89 MPH
Cutter: 90 MPH
Curveball: 78 MPH

Ohtani tops the list in part because he's an excellent pitcher and also because he's an excellent hitter, the best to do both since Babe Ruth. The Angels are a team in need of a closer for gamers who want to play next with Ohtani.

MLB The Show 23 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Every Player to Appear on the Cover of MLB The Show