The king of baseball simulators is back with the tried and true features that players have grown to love. MLB The Show 23 offers the most up-to-date graphics and rosters to provide an immersive baseball experience.
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Constructing a championship team requires utmost care and a keen eye for talent. Left field isn’t a premium position that’s overflowing with talent but that makes it so important to have a quality player out there. These are the top left fielders in the game and the ones you should target for your team.
10 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - 76
As an up-and-coming team, the Arizona Diamondbacks took a flier on Lourdes Gurriel Jr. after the 29-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. Gurriel Jr. was more of a utility bench player for the first three seasons but flourished into a starter in 2021.
Gurriel Jr. is a competent contact hitter (85 right, 77 left) who uses the whole field to direct his hits. He doesn’t shy away from clutch situations (97) and excels at hitting with two strikes. He has decent arm strength (76) to possibly throw runners out at home but overall isn’t a very good defender.
9 Kyle Schwarber - 78
No matter what happens the rest of his career, Kyle Schwarber’s name will forever be enshrined for Chicago fans as he helped the Cubs win the World Series in 2016, the team’s first championship in 108 years. He followed up his six-year stint with the Cubs with a pair of one-year stints with Washington and Boston before helping the Phillies reach the Fall Classic in 2022.
Schwarber is a terrible fielder (41) who doesn’t provide any positives on defense unless we count not committing errors as a positive. While he led the majors in strikeouts in 2022 (200), Schwarber obliterates right-handers (99 power) and led the National League in home runs (46).
If you can overlook his defensive inefficiencies, Schwarber is a serviceable left fielder because of his bat alone.
8 Eloy Jimenez - 78
Besides his first season in the majors, Eloy Jimenez hasn’t been the most reliable player on the field. In 2022, he managed to appear in 84 games, a slight bump from the previous two seasons but nowhere close to the 122 games he appeared in during his rookie campaign.
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But when he is available, Jimenez can make an impact on offense for the Chicago White Sox. Winner of the Silver Slugger award in 2020, Jimenez is a solid hitter against right-handers (84 contact, 79 power) and excels at hitting pitches outside the strike zone. The 26-year-old is a horrid defender (44), so hopefully, he improves defensively to be a more balanced player or embraces being an offensive powerhouse.
7 Oswaldo Cabrera - 79
The New York Yankees might be considered the Evil Empire because they spend enormous amounts of money to “win championships” but fans don’t give them enough credit for developing players. Oswaldo Cabrera made his major league debut in 2022 and he’s already one of the best young fielders in the league.
Cabrera has above-average marks in every defensive category: fielding (84), arm strength (84), accuracy (88), and reaction time (99). He’s a versatile player who’s capable of being deployed anywhere on the field except shortstop and center field.
The 24-year-old is an average hitter at best but because of his ability to hit from both sides of the plate, Cabrera can put the ball in play.
6 Daulton Varsho - 80
After making his major league debut in 2020, Daulton Varsho became a full-time starter in 2022. He appeared in 151 games and produced career-highs in nearly every statistical category. But with an influx of outfielders, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Although Varsho has a lower potential (B) than others, the Blue Jays acquired a high-quality fielder (91). The 26-year-old has reflexes like a cat (99) and an extremely accurate arm (88). If he’s able to bump up his offensive attributes a bit, he’d be a high-impact player.
5 A.J. Pollock - 80
A.J. Pollock spent the majority of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks before heading off to the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. He didn’t find much success in Los Angeles but rebounded nicely in 2022 with the Chicago White Sox. Now, Pollock hopes to continue his late-career resurgence with the Seattle Mariners.
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Pollock isn’t the most reliable player with his frequent injuries (84 durability) but when he is healthy he can be a solid player. Surprisingly, Pollock has a perfect power rating against lefties (99). He has decent speed (62) and aggressiveness (71) to be a threat on the base paths.
The 35-year-old is a suitable veteran on contending teams, which is what the Mariners hope they’ll be in 2023.
4 Taylor Ward - 81
When you have Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani as teammates, it’s easy to get lost in the cracks. But Taylor Ward provides stability in left field and could be coming into his own after a breakout 2022 season.
After appearing in 158 games in his first four seasons in the majors, Ward nearly matched that number in 2022 alone (135). His decent offensive attributes are a testament to his reaching career highs in many categories. Ward isn’t a great fielder (56) but overall, he’s a serviceable player for a team that has two of the best players in the league.
3 Randy Arozarena - 81
Even though Mexico came up short in the World Baseball Classic, Randy Arozarena quickly became a fan favorite throughout the tournament. His story of how he became a Mexican citizen to compete in the tournament is a touching story of how the sport of baseball can impact someone’s life.
Arozarena is an important contributor to the Tampa Bay Rays and played a huge part in the team reaching the World Series in 2020 (Arozarena was named the 2020 ALCS MVP). He’s deadly against left-handed pitchers (96 contact, 81 power) and has the potential to steal some bases (79 speed, 73 steal).
Arozarena wasn’t known for his defensive capabilities, but after robbing a few home runs during the World Baseball Classic, he might be on the cusp of elevating his game to the next level.
2 Juan Soto - 88
Juan Soto erupted into the major leagues when he made his debut in 2018 with the Washington Nationals. He’s coming off back-to-back All-Star nominations and is on the verge of signing a massive contract extension with the San Diego Padres shortly after the Nationals traded him.
The 24-year-old is one of the best offense left-fielders in the league, having extremely high marks in discipline (99), clutch performance (95), durability (94), and contact against right-handers (91).
Soto specializes in hitting fastballs and isn’t fazed when down two strikes. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Soto is considered the best at his position at some point in his career.
1 Yordan Alvarez - 94
For many years, Jose Altuve was the leading force of the Houston Astros. Now, that honor goes to Yordan Alvarez. The 25-year-old is an offensive powerhouse who immediately made an impact during his rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year honors. Alvarez was named to his first All-Star game last season and was a major factor in the Astros winning the World Series.
Although Alvarez has a low fielding rating (56), he’s sensational everywhere else. He’s a prolific hitter against both right-handers (83 contact, 99 power) and left-handers (90 contact, 87 power) while maintaining high discipline (90). It doesn’t matter if it’s fastballs or offspeed pitches, Alvarez will crush it.
The combination of his offensive potential and good throwing arm (78 strength, 91 accuracy) makes him the best left fielder in MLB The Show 23.
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