Building a World Series champion is more than just adding the best players to a team. Franchise mode inMLB The Show 23goes in-depth with running a major league organization by allowing players to take control of everything from managing the roster to managing the concessions.
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Determining which team you want to control will also hinge on how long you plan on staying committed to your franchise. It’ll be easier to win championships early on than others, but those same teams crumble in the long run. We break down the benefits of choosing certain teams to use in Franchise mode in MLB The Show 23.
6New York Mets
The other team in New York City happens to be a solid choice to control in Franchise mode. The New York Mets did a fine job replacing the departed Jacob deGrom with future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander (98). Along with Max Scherzer (96), the Mets deploy two ofthe best-starting pitchersin the league.
Besides their second-rated pitching rotation, the Mets excel in contact hitting (first) to string together multiple hits to produce runs. The team does have a power hitter in Pete Alonso (90), but Francisco Lindor (89), Jeff McNeil (82), and Starling Marte (81) specialize in slapping the ball around the field. The Mets aren’t afraid to spend money to get better players, and their large budget might help you put a championship-winning team on the field sooner rather than later.
5New York Yankees
As the second-rated team in the game,the New York Yankees are heavily equipped to contend now. They have the reigning American League MVP in Aaron Judge (99), and several high-quality pitchers in their third-rated rotation.
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With all their top players under 33 years old, the Yankees can sustain a long successful run. And with an extremely high budget, New York will always be a factor in free agency. The downside of the Evil Empire is contending with tough teams in their division.
4Toronto Blue Jays
An up-and-coming team in the American League is the Toronto Blue Jays. After reaching the postseason in two of the last three seasons, the Blue Jays hope to take the next step and win the pennant. Rated the fourth-best team, Toronto has no players rated 90 or above but a collection of solid studs.
The Blue Jays have 11 players rated an 80 or above and employ one of the biggest young superstars in Vladimir Gurrero Jr. (88). Severely underrated, Guerrero Jr. is coming off his second-straight All-Star nomination and will only continue to improve. Toronto is a solid franchise to invest in early and reap the benefits down the line.
3Cleveland Guardians
Since falling to the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series, the Cleveland Guardians have experienced consistent regular season success and reached the postseason in four of the last six seasons. Led by Jose Ramirez (94) and Andres Gimenez (86), Cleveland has an intriguing young team.
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The Guardians are a top team in contact hitting (fifth), pitching (sixth), and speed (second). The main benefit to choosing the Guardians is the easy competition in the American League Central division. The Minnesota Twins are the closest to Cleveland’s level, while the other four teams are closer to the league’s bottom half. Take advantage of a weak division and dominate with the Guardians.
2Los Angeles Angels
With two of the three perfect-rated players in Mike Trout (99) and Shohei Ohtani (99), who wouldn’t want to be the Los Angeles Angels? They certainly have two massive superstars and a few interesting supporting players in Hunter Renfroe (86) and Taylor Ward (81), who can finally take this team to the postseason.
Ohtani’sdominant performance in the World Baseball Classicshould be an indication that the 2021 MVP hopes to add a World Series title to his resume. The American League West division has become stronger, with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers poised to improve, but having two of the biggest stars in baseball can take you places. You’ll have the resources necessary to transform the Angels into a contending team.
1Atlanta Braves
The 2021 World Series champions are rated the top team in MLB The Show 23, so they should be near the top of preferred teams to build a franchise with.The Atlanta Braves are ranked first in power hitting and pitching, thanks to a rotation led by Spencer Strider (94) and Max Fried (90) and a lineup led by Austin Riley (93) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (92).
The scary thing about Atlanta that frightens the rest of the league is how young they are. Only three players rated 80 or above are 30 years or older. Sure, they don’t have Freddie Freeman anymore, but Atlanta won the World Series without Acuna Jr. This is a dynamic, young team that will not only contend for championships but they’ll continue to contend for quite some time.
