The unquestioned king of baseball video games for the past decade or so has been the MLB The Show franchise. This year's iteration, MLB The Show 20, was once again met with high praise from gamers and critics alike. Things like realism, graphics, gameplay, and modes are all loved.
Of course, one of the most discussed topics whenever a sports game arrives involves the ratings for the players. Fans are eager to see who was given too much love in that department, who was rated too low, and everything in between. These impressive players had the highest ratings and are among the best in the world.
10 Christian Yelich/Ronald Acuna Jr./Justin Verlander (94)
There are three players tied with a 94 overall rating when the game starts. Each of them is worthy of this number for different reasons. First up, there's Christian Yelich, who is rated too low. He won MVP in 2018, was runner-up in 2019, and won back to back batting titles. He's incredible.
Ronald Acuna Jr. might be the best young player in the game. He's a 40 homer/40 steal threat who is the key player for a very good Atlanta Braves squad. Lastly, you've got Justin Verlander. He's the elder statesman of this trio but is coming off of a Cy Young winning season.
9 Alex Bregman (95)
Before this season, the name Alex Bregman was held in high regard in baseball. The Houston Astros third basemen was coming off of two straight top-five finishes in AL MVP voting. That's on top of winning a championship in 2017 and helping to lead a relentless Astros offense.
However, his strong numbers (.296, 41 HR, 112 RBI) now look rough because of the cheating scandal surrounding the franchise. That being said, Bregman is still a threat and his combination of power and strong fielding make his 95 overall rating one that is understandable.
8 Mookie Betts (95)
Mookie Betts was seemingly in the news more than any other player during this past MLB offseason. First, the Boston Red Sox refused to pay him the big money and dealt him to the already stacked Los Angeles Dodgers. Then, the Dodgers paid up and gave him more than $300 million.
Betts is absolutely worth it. The 27-year-old finished in the top-ten in AL MVP voting each of the past four seasons, winning it with a monster 2018 (.346, 32 HR). Betts combines power, speed, and fielding while also bringing leadership to the table. He's a fantastic person to control in MLB The Show 20.
7 Anthony Rendon (95)
Anthony Rendon is probably the league's quietest superstar. Last season, he had an incredible run. Rendon hit .319, belted 34 homers, and led baseball with a whopping 126 RBI, as well as 44 doubles. He was just getting warmed up before leading the Washington Nationals to a World Series victory.
Nobody was more clutch than Rendon with a bat. He homered in three straight elimination games in the playoffs, all coming in the seventh inning or later. Nobody else in history has ever done that. Rendon moved on to join the Los Angeles of Anaheim in the offseason.
6 Cody Bellinger (96)
As noted earlier, Christian Yelich was the runner-up for National League MVP. The winner in 2019 was Cody Bellinger and rightfully so. At 21-years-old, he won NL Rookie of the Year honors and has continued to get better. His 2019 (.305, 47 HR, 115 RBI) was pretty spectacular.
Bellinger is the main offensive cog for arguably the most talented team in baseball. That's saying something. He is also a Gold Glover winner. When playing as the Dodgers, you'll have plenty of options to get big hits but Bellinger will top them all in MLB The Show 20.
5 Aaron Judge (97)
An argument could be made that Aaron Judge is rated way too high. He is a former cover boy for the series, so that might have played into it. Plus, he's a member of the New York Yankees and they typically get someone at this high level. Judge is majorly talented, though.
His rookie season was phenomenal (.284, 52 HR, 114 RBI) but Judge hasn't sniffed that kind of output since. Things like injuries and his high strikeout rate have continued to hamper him. He's still worthy of an overall above 90 but 97 is a bit much for someone with his production.
4 Jacob deGrom (99)
The list has reached the "99 club." Four players are tied with a 99 overall rating at the very top of the game and they are four of the most important players in the league. First up, there's Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets. deGrom won Rookie of the Year and has been dominant ever since.
In 2018, deGrom won his first NL Cy Young award (10-9, 1.70 ERA, 269 K). He was untouchable despite his team not being great. He followed it up with another Cy Young win in 2019 (11-8, 2.43 ERA, 255 K) and is arguably the best pitcher around today.
3 Nolan Arenado (99)
Third base is a position filled with top talent but somehow, Nolan Arenado has managed to top them all. The Colorado Rockies star arrived in the league in 2013 and has wowed with his defense. He's won every Gold Glove award at his position since his debut, totaling seven.
Of course, playing in Colorado is usually a boost to offensive numbers. Since his breakout 2015, Arenado has averaged about 40 homers and 124 runs batted in each season. Throw in multiple top-ten MVP finishes and you've got someone who would be ideal to play as.
2 Max Scherzer (99)
While Jacob deGrom has an argument for the best pitcher right now, Max Scherzer has pretty much been the best for a long time. One of only a few players to win the Cy Young award in both the American and National Leagues, Mad Max is as dominant as it gets.
Since winning his first Cy Young in 2013, Max has finished in the top five each season. In fact, some might argue that injuries are all that has kept him from winning four straight over the past few years. In 2019, Scherzer gutted past the injuries to win his first championship. If you need a big game pitcher in MLB The Show 20, might as well go with him.
1 Mike Trout (99)
There is no question about who the best player in baseball is. Mike Trout unanimously holds that crown and it's actually not really all that close. The 28-year-old has won three MVP awards in his eight seasons, finished as the runner-up four times, and saw his "worst" season being one where he was hurt and still finished fourth.
Mike Trout does it all. He has developed unbelievable power, can drive in runs, is a smart baserunner, plays great defense, and more. He's the definition of a five-tool player. The only thing missing from his resume is a strong playoff run. There are no holes in Trout's game.