The bullpen this year is started. Players who want to be a featured ace inMLB The Show 22are in a tough spot. The only teams in need of bullpen help are generally not going to have many save opportunities since the team will be losing.
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The converse side is that the best teams verify to have at least one star in the pen. So is there no hope? Actually, gamers have a few selections that make sense if they’re trying to break into the big leagues. Don’t let a good fireballer go to waste inMLB The Show 22.
Oakland Athletics
If the goal is toget the call up to the main stage as fast as possible, then the Oakland Athletics are the way to go. There is one gravely serious drawback; the Athletics are considered the worst team in the league by ratings going into the season.
That’s going to be too tough a pill to swallow for some gamers. But think of it this way: With starts as bad as the Athletics have, there will be more opportunities. More opportunities mean more chances to improve. It’s reasonable to use Oakland and then request a trade after becoming a star.
Colorado Rockies
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Pitchers don’t like to pitch at Coors Field because it’s a hitter’s ballpark. Many would ratherchange positionsthan try to make a career in Colorado. But the Rockies may quietly be the most underrated team in the game this year.
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Among the position players, none of them are lower than a 74. The pitching is awful, both starting and closing, but relievers can take over for struggling pitchers and have the solid hitting for the Rockies get them a few unlikely wins from the bullpen every year.
Texas Rangers
Like the Rockies, the Texas Rangers boast a team of position players surprisingly ready to go, with the lowest also a solid 74. Also like the Rockies, the pitching is bad in every area, so relievers will get a chance to win games with additional opportunities.
Unlike the Rockies, the competition is a little stiffer in Texas. It will require a 77 or better to become the main reliever, which likely won’t happen in the player’s first year unless theyequip gearthat boosts their statistics higher than what is possible with natural leveling.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals have a few things to offer to a relief pitcher that many other bullpens can’t give. First, the starting rotation is decent. The Royals will have tight contests going into the ninth inning, so save artists should get to flex their muscles well in Kansas City.
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Also, only two position players are under a 78 OVR, so hitting isn’t going to be too much of an issue either. They don’t have the star power of the Rangers, but they also don’t have quite as high an OVR requirement to get the feature relief role.
Chicago Cubs
Among all teams with a 77 OVR requirement or lower to take on the main reliever role, none have as good a starting rotation as the Cubs. For those who are most interested in save opportunities, look no further, the starters will provide plenty of chances.
Chicago is clearly rebuilding, but aside from their outfield, the team is strong. With a shutdown reliever, it’s easy to envision this sub-.500 ballclub making it into the playoffs. It’s an opportunity to snag the spotlight in one of baseball’s most storied franchises. And the fans will be there when it happens.
MLB The Show 22was released on April 5th, 2022, and is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PlayStation 5.
