On one hand, the best team is subject to the ever-true observation, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Gamers all bring different talents, strengths, and weaknesses to their gameplay experience in MLB The Show 21. In doing so, virtually every team is perfect for a player with particular tendencies.

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But on the other hand, the game doesn't decide to leave much to the realm of opinion when it ranks the best teams according to their own metrics. Each team in MLB The Show 21 has a corresponding OVR and numerical ranking from first to thirtieth. This list will go over these top ten teams in the game, but know that individual experience may differ.

Updated on September 5th, 2021 by Hodey Johns: With October looming large, the playoff picture is taking shape. This list is getting another update to reflect the latest figures and estimates. Some teams, like the Mets, lost Jacob deGrom to injury and that has sent them reeling. Other teams, like the Red Sox, got what they needed before the trade deadline and have begun to make a run for a wild card spot. Sony San Diego has used all of these factors to estimate their rating across a variety of subjects and this list has been altered to reflect the latest ranking as they perform in the game.

14 Boston Red Sox

MLB The Show 21 Red Sox Ranked Tenth

The Red Sox are an excellent team when learning to play with friends because, aside from speed, they are ninth or higher in every category. They are all a well-rounded team that can win in a number of ways and their pitching staff gives them a chance to win every game.

Boston's stock continues to grow, though it's odd to see them making this list and not Tampa Bay. The Rays lead the division in the final season, yet the Yankees and Red Sox are both on this list. Regardless, the Red Sox are hoping the developer rankings know more than the record implies and they're hoping for a nice boost in the final stretch to get a wild card spot.

13 Atlanta Braves

MLB The Show 21 Braves Ranked Ninth

Although Atlanta is considered one of the smaller-market teams, they've invested their cash wisely and bought some talent. In addition to all the categories that they rank highly in, the majority of the players excel in clutch situations and with runners on base.

Ronald Acuña Jr, Freddie Freeman, and Marcel Ozuna are RBI machines, which is a scary combination to go along with a pitching staff that is eighth-best. And don't dare forget about ace Charlie Morton leading the charge on the mound.

12 Toronto Blue Jays

MLB The Show 21 Blue Jays Ranked Eighth

Most of the best teams can sometimes fall into the trap of being boring. They have a great pitching staff and bullpen, then hope the hitters hold up their end of the bargain. The Blue Jays are great for players tired of that formula.

Playing in a hitter-friendly park, the Blue Jays are second in contact, third in power (an appeal to players who love to hit more home runs), and so they know how to manufacture runs in a hurry. The pitching staff is slightly above average and that's all the offense requires them to be.

11 San Francisco Giants

MLB The Show 21 Giants Ranked Seventh

Giants fans had every right to feel disrespected by this list before. They've been the best team in the MLB's toughest division for most of the year and are all but guaranteed a playoff spot, yet this is the first time they've even been listed as a top ten talent.

Despite having the worst speed in baseball, the game is now all about power and the Giants are the best-ranked team in that category. Factor in a fourth-ranked contact statistic, and the team doesn't need to steal bases when they score by putting balls over fences.

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8 Houston Astros

MLB The Show 21 Astros Ranked Sixth

Many fans won't be able to get over the cheating scandal. When the scam was exposed, every player on the team had their reputations shattered. But that didn't take away from their natural talent. Indeed, they've had their stats increase since the season began.

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The Astros are in the top half of every category, but the secret to the sauce is the team batting average. As the best team in baseball at contact hitting, they give opposing pitchers problems every game and each batter gets a chance to get on base and score no matter how many outs or innings are left.

7 Milwaukee Brewers

MLB The Show 21 Brewers Ranked Fifth

With average power and contact and rather poor speed, it's shocking to see a team with so little offense ranked as high as fifth. But the Brewers have the win-loss record to prove they belong and lead their division convincingly.

Having Christian Yelich makes up for a lot on the hitting side because it adds some zest to a listless lineup. And the pitching staff is ranked third overall, so it doesn't take much magic from the offense to pull off a string of wins.

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4 New York Yankees

MLB The Show 21 Yankees Ranked Fourth

Nothing is more classic Yankees than being close to the league's worst with speed and contact, but top four in power. This is a team built to play in the spotlight. Every hitter, from top to bottom, risks sending the next ball over the fence.

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And that adds up. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Luke Voit all contend to lead the league in home runs. With pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber, it's a wonder that anybody pulls off a victory as a visitor in the Bronx.

3 San Diego Padres

MLB The Show 21 Padres Ranked Third

Is there are hometown bias for San Diego from the developers? The Padres are a great team, but they stand double-digit games behind their division rival Giants, who rank lower on this list. They did make Fernando Tatis Jr the cover athlete for MLB The Show 21, and this electrifying player does make a convincing case for the Padres to take a step forward.

He joins Manny Machado on the infield and this whole team is the fastest in baseball. The real seller, though, is their pitching staff, loaded with Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Blake Snell. They rank eleventh or above in every category, giving them a complete arsenal of tools to win tight ballgames.

2 Chicago White Sox

MLB The Show 21 White Sox Ranked Second

Newcomers to the MLB The Show series should seriously consider playing with the White Sox. This team has risen up on this list and was already considered a top-ten talent going into the season thanks to some unexpected power hitting. Players looking to farm up stubs really fast can milk this team for some easy wins.

The White Sox are in the top half of all categories, which makes them above average. But the reason they rank so highly on this list is due to their number one pitching staff, which was best in the league halfway through the year and has not tapered off since. If the rest of the staff continues to play above average, this staff could wind up with a pennant.

1 Los Angeles Dodgers

MLB The Show 21 Dodgers Ranked First

It's odd that the defending champions started off as only ranked second-best. This has since been rectified and they now reside on top of the world on most expert rankings after ironing out a slightly rocky start to the season.

The Dodgers are a top-five team in every single category. It's not surprising, considering their payroll, but the lineup has played up to their paychecks and they are a consensus favorite to win the World Series barring any upsets.

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