Hitting a .299 clip with 41 home runs and 90 RBI, Mike Trout being ranked the No. 1 center fielder in all of MLB the Show 16 with a 99 overall rating shouldn't surprise anyone, whether they are baseball fans, gamers or both.
That being said, you may be surprised to learn some of the other top-rated players by position. Late last week, Operation Sports released the top-rated players by position in the impending video game, which is slated to hit stores March 29.
Let's check some of these rankings out. After Trout, whom nobody with a mind for baseball would argue about being the clear-cut best center fielder, who do you think is the top-ranked first baseman? That would be none other than the Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt. Credit 33 homers and 110 RBI last season for his 96 rating, which he actually shares with Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera.
The top-rated second baseman in the game is Houston Astros stud Jose Altuve, while the best at the hot corner is the Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson, who hit a red-hot .297 with 41 home runs and 123 RBI to deservedly grace the cover of MLB the Show 16.
Move around to behind the plate for catchers, and again, it's pretty clear-cut. San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, who hit .318 with 19 home runs and 95 RBI, was given a 94 overall rating, seven points higher than the New York Yankees' Brian McCann at the same position.
As far as starting pitchers go, how's this for a top five? Clayton Kershaw (99 overall rating), Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke and Jake Arrietta (all of whom received 95), and Chris Sale (94). The Yankees will be happy to know that their bullpen studs in Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller were each given a 90 overall rating to top the relief pitchers' list.
For closers, Craig Kimbrel, Wade Davis and Kenley Jansen were each given a 93 overall rating, trumping their competition.
Remember, this installment of MLB the Show is giving gamers more control — whether it's on the mound pitching or at the plate hitting — than ever before, as previously explained last month.
"So, what we've done is we have really prioritized user skill over everything," SCE San Diego's Ramone Russell told Game Informer at the time. "What would happen in previous games is you'd be playing and you'd be like, 'Man I squared up on that ball, I thought I hit it hard and it's a pop-up or bad fly ball.' Now, when you square up on the ball and make good contact, you're more often than not going to get good results.
"It doesn't mean you're going to hit 60 home runs and it does not mean you're going to bat .600," he continued. "That's just archaic baseball. That's not us. Your input is going to mean a lot more now, and it will mean a lot more in the positive and negative, so if you're more accurately pitching, the pitching is going to go more where you want them to go."
Can't wait to play ball yet?
