Mariners MLB the Show 23 Franchise Player Rankings
Franchise mode has definitely taken a backseat to Diamond Dynasty. We've seen it across all sports, when microtransactions are involved, that's the mode that makes them money. So, the focus is on MyTeam, Ultimate Team, and Diamond Dynasty. They have put some work into Franchise, but there is still room for a lot more to be added to the mode. It's fun to play, but gets left behind.
So that beings said, let's check out the Franchise Rankings, and then look at who stands out. First, it's the hitters. Note, I did leave some vets out if they were in AAA or AA. There's no reason to talk about Colin Moran (66) being wildly overrated, and the same goes to Justus Sheffield (70).
C - Cal Raleigh - 80
C - Tom Murphy - 75
C - Harry Ford - 66
1B - Ty France - 78
1B - Evan White - 65
2B - Kolten Wong - 74
2B - Dylan Moore - 70
3B - Eugenio Suarez - 80
SS - JP Crawford - 70
OF - Jonatan Clase - 61
OF - Sam Haggerty - 69
OF - Teoscar Hernandez - 87
OF - Cooper Hummel - 65
OF - Jarred Kelenic - 63
OF - Cade Marlowe - 62
OF - AJ Pollock - 80
OF - Julio Rodriguez - 89
OF - Taylor Trammell - 65
DH - Tommy La Stella - 62
MLB the Show 23 nailed these Mariners hitters
Julio at 89 might be a bit low, but I think it's perfect for someone coming off their rookie of the year win. Geno at 80 seems right with the combo of power vs strikeouts. I love that they are ranking Teoscar strong even after coming to the Mariners. He's a monster at the plate, and should be a lot of fun to play with in the game. Ty France might seem low at first, but he can't stay healthy so that seems about right.
MLB the Show 23 struck out on these Mariners hitters
Kolten Wong is better than a 74. He can give you a strong batting average, better than average defense, and has mid teen power and speed. Are you telling me a good glove and a .265 BA with 15 HR and 15 SB is only a 74? No, that's wrong. Then, what in the world is going on with AJ Pollock? In what world is he better than Ty France? He isn't in the same stratosphere as Big Dumper or Geno.
A lot of the time, it seems like they look at vets who have had a good career and just give them a good ranking. Pollock could be a good platoon guy this season, and that's what he should be in the game. Someone with good stats against lefties, can't hit righties that well, and sits around 73.
Now that we've gone through the hitters, it's on to the pitchers to see what they have for rankings.
SP - Luis Castillo - 88
SP - Robbie Ray - 80
SP - Logan Gilbert - 81
SP - George Kirby - 82
SP - Marco Gonzales - 70
SP - Chris Flexen - 64
SP - Bryce Miller - 58
SP - Emerson Hancock - 68
RP - Prelander Berroa - 64
RP - Matt Brash - 72
RP - Isaiah Campbell - 67
RP - Diego Castillo - 72
RP - Matt Festa - 62
RP - Trevor Gott - 62
RP - Andres Munoz - 86
RP - Penn Murfee - 76
RP - Paul Sewald - 80
RP - Justin Topa - 65
RP - Juan Then - 61
MLB the Show 23 nailed these Mariners pitchers
I really enjoy seeing Andres Munoz get some love. 86, with that nasty slider and big-time heat, is a great rating. Sewald is an 80, and is one of those guys whose stuff doesn't seem like it should make him great, which is why he slots a handful of points lower than Munoz. He's still going to be effective in the game because of his control and movement.
Luis Castillo seems spot on at 88. A great pitcher, not yet an Ace until he can show an ability to both go 185+ innings, hit that 3ish ERA, and strike out 200+. He has all of those in his tank, he just needs to combine them.
MLB the Show 23 struck out on these Mariners pitchers
I don't think I agree with Ray, Gilbert, and Kirby. Kirby should be lower, around a 77-78, but have that A potential so he continues to grow. You can't tell me that he is better than Gilbert, after Logan had that 3.2 ERA last year and threw 185 IP. Logan at 81 or so is probably right, but if Kirby is an 82, Gilbert should be an 85. Then there is Ray. With his K ability, that should bump him up. Also, it seems like his Cy Young from 2021 is completely forgotten about. Not that it's up to me, but Ray at 84, Gilbert at 82, and Kirby at 78 would've made more sense.
The hate on Chris Flexen is real. A 64 is just dumb, especially when Marco is a 70. The worst, and I mean THE WORST rating on the pitching staff is Bryce Miller. He's a top 100 prospect, and sits at 58... a full 10 points below Emerson Hancock and 8 points below Taylor Dollard. That's just lazy. RidinRosters did get officially hired on by MLB The Show, so minor league ratings should be way better going forward, and I would expect the first minor league roster update to have Miller jump to around a 64 or 65.