If the era of the dedicated catcher isn’t over, it’s certainly not flourishing at the moment. Players who can handle the punishment that comes with being a catcher are few and far between. Even the best catchers inMLB The Show 23take more days off than players at other positions.
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Still, the good ones find a way to fight through the pain and play at an extraordinary level. Without a solid starting catcher, teams inMLB The Show 23will have to operate based on an ineffective committee. These players give their teams a substantial advantage over their competition.
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Baserunning Aggressiveness
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The Brewers are one of the few teams that have an incredible catcher in Contreras to go along with one ofthe best closers in the game. Milwaukee is well-rounded and could be making deep strides into October with a little help.
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The Mariners are a squad of players who all do their part, including their catcher, Raleigh. Theycould use a change at shortstop, but they’re already one of the most complete teams in the league.
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Stephenson is the highest-rated player on the Reds entering the season. Hecould use a better player at third baseto help shoulder the load offensively.
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Contreras proved in a contract year that he can still hit and play defense with the best of them. The Cardinals got lucky and picked him up.
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The Braves have some ofthe best starting pitchers in the leagueand are ranked number one in overall pitching. Much of that is thanks to the d’Arnaud calling the right pitch at the right time.
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Catchers in the current generation often lack power, but Perez is a throwback in this regard. He’s on a Royalsteam that desperately needs help at their left field position.
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The Orioles are stilllooking for a second baseman to help the teamand a good one will find themselves tagging out baserunners as Rutschman catches them stealing. At the plate, he’s extremely disciplined and is good for drawing a walk or two.
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Toronto is a very complete team,needing maybe just one more starting pitcherto go the distance in October. Kirk has the defense to stop bunters from trying to take advantage of the infielders for the Blue Jays.
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The Dodgers are one ofthe best teams in baseballand Smith is a big part of that. When he’s not catching, he’s still helping the team by playing as a designated hitter.
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Last year’s National League champs relied on Realmuto to hold things up defensively, offensively, and even on the basepaths. The Philliescould use an upgrade at center fieldif players want to help them win the World Series this year.
MLB The Show 23is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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