Every season when MLB the show reveals their annual player rankings, fans rush to see how their favorite teams and players stack up. This year is no exception as some of the rankings for the upcoming game have been released. With the game hitting stores in less than two weeks, I thought it would be intriguing to take a look at MLB the show’s Cub’s player rankings. Here are the top five Cubs according to MLB The Show:
1. Kyle Tucker – 93 Overall
No surprises here. Kyle Tucker was brought in to be the “Star” of the Cubs MLB the Show agreed. Despite his spring training struggles thus far, Tucker profiles as an elite hitter, good fielder, and solid baserunner. His time in Houston was outstanding and the Cubs hope the change in scenery will not hinder his ability.
2. Justin Steele – 86 Overall
This one feels a bit disrespectful. Justin Steele has quietly been one of the best pitchers in Major League baseball for several seasons now. His 3.07 ERA last season would’ve ranked him 10th in the major leagues if he had enough games to qualify. Since 2022 he has a 134 ERA+, a 3.10 ERA, and a 3.5 K/BB ratio. Justin Steele feels like he should be rated much higher, but given his injury last season, it does make some sense why MLB the Show is cautious with him for now.
3. Dansby Swanson – 86 Overall
Some may scoff at the idea of Dansby Swanson ranking as high as an 86 overall given his low offensive output. Swanson indeed produced a measly .708 OPS and a 98 OPS+ last season. But Dansby Swanson provides the majority of his value to the Cubs with his glove and his legs. According to Baseball Savant, Swanson’s defensive Fielding run value was 97th percentile and his baserunning was 94th percentile. He plays consistent gold glove-caliber defense at short and runs the bases like one of the game’s best. His offense has mostly been league-average in his career, which hurts his overall, but he certainly is one of the best shortstops in the majors. This ranking feels pretty accurate.
4. Seiya Suzuki – 86 Overall
Ironically, Seiya Suzuki achieves the same ranking as Dansby for the complete opposite reason. Suzuki had his best offensive season for the Cubs last year batting .283/.366/.482 for an .848 OPS. That mark ranked him eighth in the national league last season. Additionally, he hit 21 homers and stole 16 bases, both career highs. So why isn’t Seiya ranked in the 90’s? In short, his defense has been a massive disappointment. While he was a recipient of the Golden Glove five times in Japan, he has not played well in Right Field for the Cubs. His fielding run value was 30th percentile in 2024 and his baserunning was also poor at the 45th percentile according to Baseball Savant. He has been demoted from his starting right field spot in favor of newcomer Kyler Tucker, so he will have to justify his high overall strictly with his bat this season.
5. Shota Imanaga – 85 Overall
Similarly to Justin Steele, this ranking seems a bit low. Last season Shota Imanaga was fifth in all of MLB with a 2.91 ERA and pitched in over 173 innings. Where he lacks in MLB experience, he made up for in dominance. For context, his rating of 85 overall is five less than fellow pitcher Logan Webb, who had an ERA a half run higher (3.47). In his rookie year in MLB, Shota Mania took over the world as he looked like the best pitcher on the planet in the early parts of the year. The 2024 All-Star won National League Rookie of the Month for March/April and looks to build off his great start this season for the Cubs.
These are the top
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