If you are a person who just wants to grab a team and get wins in MLB The Show 22 then this article is for you. The teams here are riddled with star power that have the ability to lead you to victory. These teams are the best of the best that MLB The Show 22 has to offer you.
10. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays made the playoffs for the 2022 season and faced off against another team on this list in the postseason! Unfortunately, they did not make it out of the wild card weekend and were elimated by the Mariners. The Jays held a record of 92 wins and 70 losses for the season and came in 2nd in the American League West. Their performance on the real diamond is accurately reflected in the show as well.
Why you should ride with the Jays:
- Their pitching is their bright spot. With an average of 74 overall with their pitching, they have solid starting pitching and a good bullpen that has the ability to hold a lead
- They have really good contact hitting, with okay power hitting. With the combination of contact and speed it makes base hits easy to come by
- The Jays also have really good defense which helps secure and keep leads as well
Check out their lineup here
9. San Diego Padres
The Friars are back in the postseason here, but just by a hair. Between injuries and poor performance, they almost lost their wildcard spot despite having 89 wins and 73 losses and coming in second place in the National League West. According to ESPN, the Padres were an underdog coming into the wild card, and had been projected to be eliminated within the weekend. Needless to say, they thumped the projections and ended up knocking out the favorite Dodgers to make it to the National League Championship Series.
The Padres and You, why it works:
- Their strength has been pitching all year. With multiple All Star pitching the ability to have quality starts and a bullpen that can come in clutch and hold their own is a big factor into the success of this team.
- The Padres offense has a lot of potential, and can be explosive when Machado and Soto are on fire. They have the contact and power to cause issues for other teams if their pitching is having a rough day.
- With Tatis Jr not in the line up, their defense at shortstop isn’t as flashy as it could be, but Kim can hold his own and provide a solid bat to the lineup, so don’t let that scare you.
Check out their lineup here
8. Philadelphia Phillies
For the first time since 2011, the Phillies are in the playoffs again! Taking advantage of the star defensive abilities of right fielder Bryce Harper and catcher J.T. With Relmuto, the Phillies hope to make it past another team on this list, the formidable St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies ended the season with 87 wins and 75 losses on the season and placed 3rd in the National League East.
Why you should be a Philly Fanatic:
- The Phillies have a solid pitching staff, with a player whom is considered the best catcher in baseball behind the plate working with them
- The defensive ability of this team is a pleasant surprise, with them being able to keep errors low, and keep scores low as well.
- The hitting power as a team is on the lower end, but the contact and speed is above average and generates base and extra base hits with ease
Check out their lineup here
7. Seattle Mariners
It has been a whopping 21 years since the Mariners were last in the playoffs. The last time the Mariners were in the playoffs, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was the number one movie in theaters, the iPod was barely announced, and iPhones were not released yet. In October 2001, there were also a whopping 5,273 Blockbuster Video stores in the USA, and now there is only 1 left standing. The Mariners have been proving why they deserve to be back in the playoffs this year after coming off a season with 90 wins and 72 losses. Unfortunately, the Mariners didn't make it past the Division Series and were swept by the Astros.
Why you should trust Seattle:
- If you are looking for a team you can hold onto for a while then this is it. The Mariners have one of the youngest rosters, and they have developed into some stars and superstars.
- Mariners have fantastic pitching, with 2 aces in the starting lineup followed by a great bullpen that can hold your lead for you
- They have great power coming off the bat. Between the power, and fairly high team wide contact the ability to score runs is there for you to take advantage of.
Check out their lineup here
6. New York Yankees
With Aaron Judge just breaking the record for most home runs in a season, you would think that the Yankees would be higher on this list. The record 62 home runs by Judge have really helped the Yankees make it to the playoffs this year, and they hope that it can continue in the postseason to take them all the way to the World Series. With a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, they took first place in the American League East.
Why the Bronx should bomb for you:
- Their hitting is no joke. They have the power and contact to score a lot of runs, and to keep the defense on their toes.
- The Yankees also have great pitching, with a fantastic core of starting pitchers, as well as a really strong bullpen to hold your lead down
- Along with a great bullpen to hold a lead, they also have very strong defense that provides support as well
Check out their lineup here
5. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are a dark horse of potential this year, riding on fantastic offensive and defensive play all season. The Cardinals went head to head against the Phillies in order to try to make it out of the wild card and keep going into the playoffs, but ended up getting knocked out. This is the third season in a row that the team has advanced to the Wild Card round. The Cardinals ended the season with 93 wins and 69 losses, giving them the 1st place win in the National League Central.
What makes St. Louis so good:
- The Cardinals are one of the well rounded teams, with great hitting, defense and pitching
- With their contact hitting and power hitting almost identical, that means that they can get base hits, extra base hits and even hit it out of the park, making their offensive potential very high.
- Their pitching is the weakest spot of the team, but for what they lack in starting pitching they make up for in their excellent bullpen
Check out their lineup here
4. Houston Astros
The Astros are coming back to the postseason. With a stellar year out of Verlander and fantastic play by their offense, it was almost like they didn't even miss Carlos Correa! The Astros broke 106 wins this season, but still couldn’t keep up with the number one team on this list! Between Verlander’s comeback season and Yordan Alverez having an MVP kind of year, the projected chance of the Astros winning the World Series again is sitting at a 23 percent chance.
The benefits of the Astros:
- Aside from Verlander, the Astros have a great core of starting pitching as well as a great bullpen that can continue where the starting pitching leaves off
- The Astros offense has a very high upside of potential between the high power and contact ratings that they have, as well as the high speed average.
- Astros also have a fantastic defense that can hold teams to low scores and generate a lot of wins for you
Check out the lineup here
3. New York Mets
For the first time since 2016, the Mets were back in the playoffs, and for the first time since 2006, both New York teams brought postseason baseball to the Big Apple! In a season that showed the emergence of faces that fans have been waiting for, the Mets were a surprise this year for all of MLB. With 101 wins this year, after only winning 77 last year, the Mets secured a first place finish in the National League East. Unfortunately, they didn't make it out of the wild card and were eliminated by the Padres.
Why the Mets are a good choice for you:
- The Mets have one of, if not the best one-two punch for starting pitching in MLB with Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer being their one and two.
- Not only do they have a fantastic starting rotation, they have one of the more potent bullpens in baseball
- What they lack in power they make up for in contact and defense to help generate leads with good hitting and good defense.
Check out the lineup here
2. Atlanta Braves
The reigning 2021 World Series champs are back in the playoffs and for good reason. The Braves continued their strong season by retaining most of their core players, except Freddie Freeman, and gaining Acuna Jr. from his torn ACL last year. The Braves ended the year in first place in the National League East with a record of 101 wins and 61 losses. As of now, even though they have had a great season, they are sitting at a 14% chance of repeating a World Series win this year. But even giants must fall, and the Braves were eliminated by the Phillies in the Division Series.
Why the Braves are great for you:
- They have a solid, young rotation that can hold their own deep into games, and that doesn’t give up a lot of runs.
- They also have a great veteran bullpen that provides support to the starting rotation and helps secure the wins
- Their hitting is well rounded and they can create contact and power throughout the field, and have speed to generate extra base hits as well
Check out the lineup here
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The favorite to win it all. The star-studded Dodgers are your top team to use in MLB The Show 22. There is too much upside and star power on this team to not want to use them. After winning a whopping 111 games and only losing 51, the Dodgers are on pace to waltz right through the playoffs and bring another World Series ring back to LA. Yet for all the hype and hope, the Dodgers couldn't take their star-studded lineup past their rivals, the Padres.
What the Dodgers do for you:
- They have a world class pitching rotation. Despite the injuries that they have had in it, the replacements have filled their shoes perfectly and helped keep the momentum going.
- Their bullpen is just as good as their starting rotation. Their bullpen has the ability to hold opponents down and not allow them to try to make a comeback on them.
- They have a very potent offense, with the ability to make contact, hit home runs and extra base hits, and steal bases with the amount of speed they have on the team as well.
Check out the lineup here
