No American sport has more history, or spends more time reminiscing about that history, than professional baseball. In its sixth quarter-century of operation, the raw talent of players on the field has never been higher. With this look at the all-21st Century Team (so far) we’ve highlighted not just some of the greatest real world players of all time, but some of the most dominant and fun to use video game players, as well. Check out if your favorites made the list!
Pitching Game
If defense wins championships, then pitching builds dynasties in baseball, as a dominant rotation can make a team nearly unstoppable. When picking a team from 25 years, you’re bound to have some wonderful options to choose from, but even with that in mind, there have been some spectacularly nightmarish pitchers on virtual mounds through the last two decades and change.
- Day One Starter: All-time video games are not always the same as their real-world versions due to the added priority on fun and digitally dominant play. Fortunately, the most outstanding real-world player is also a virtual god, too, so we plug Shohei Ohtani in as a starter. In addition to great pitching, he also brings his world-class bat and base running, so he doubles as DH for his platoon mates.
- Starting Rotation: To fill out the rotation, gas merchant Randy Johnson is a must-have. He has a reputation in online play where his speed on the mound makes him a popular choice in competitive play, with learning to hit the Big Unit a must-acquire skill for any online climber. He is joined by fellow all-timers Clayton Kershaw, Pedro Martinez, and Roger Clemens.
- Closing Pitcher: When talking about imposing real-world players who made for imposing video game players, Mariano Rivera is the closing GOAT and the obvious choice as the core to build a pen around.
- Catcher: The catcher is a key part of a successful pitching platoon, though in video games, a bat becomes even more important. For that reason, among the many great catchers of the 2000s, it’s Buster Posey who finds a spot on this team.
Infield
Building a good infield for an MLB: The Show roster over the last quarter century results in a massive list of excellent options to fill nearly every position. Ultimately the tie-breaking decisions came down to a combination of both the ability to produce at a high level and being fun to play with at the same time. Here’s our infield diamond crew for 2000 to 2025 in The Show:
- 1st Base: The first bag is an opportunity to get one of your heavy hitters on the field when your DH spot is already full, so the target needs to have home run power. Enter Albert Pujols, an all-timer with a long career and some incredibly high highs in his day, peak Pujols was a joy to play and a terror to face on the digital diamond. It’s the kind of thing that gets your specialty 700 club card called the best free card in The Show history.
- 2nd Base: At second base, we move to a player whose peak came a bit more recently, as Jose Altuve steps up to man the base. In addition to being a great player overall, peak Altuve was a contact monster in The Show, and his short stature is also a fun little tweak when you plug him into your roster.
- Short Stop: The glamor position of the infield, there are bigger names that could have gone here, and would have for a real-world team, but for video game shortstops, the pick goes to Jimmy Rollins. Not only was the Phillies stalwart an incredible player, but his speed and agility translated stupendously to virtual play.
- 3rd Base: A fan favorite steps in at third base, with Miguel Cabrera filling the spot. While he’s not been out of the game long enough for a Hall berth just yet, he’ll be a first ballot selection, and he’s first on the list for our team, too.
Outfield
A strong outfield is a lynchpin to a successful team, requiring players who can both cover the field on defense and contribute on offense. Few players have done the job as well as the three names that claim the final starting places on this Quarter Century Team.
- “John Dowd”: While you may not recognize this name or the generic slugger you saw when he came to the plate, under the hood, Dowd is actually a player you may be a bit more familiar with — Barry Bonds. While his bat became his calling card, Bonds was also a great defensive player in his day, and his digital versions are a must on any All-Star team. Digital Barry Bonds may not have been “Barry Bonds” but he was just as scary as him, and given the real Bonds of the mid-aughts was hanging seasons with more than one walk per game, with managers even resorting to intentionally walking in a run rather than letting Bonds swing with the bases loaded, that’s too nice to pass up. Technically, Dowd wasn’t in MLB The Show but was instead featured in MVP Baseball. But no list would be complete without him.
- Aaron Judge: Another player who is more than a little familiar with the long ball, the Yankees slugger arrived with massive hype waiting for him and has managed to live up to and even exceed that hype season after season. Judge’s bat is absolutely lethal, and when building a loaded team like this, the ability to slide that weapon in surrounded by dangerous players to protect him is invaluable.
- Ichiro Suzuki: The outfield isn’t just for power players, however. While insiders have said Ichiro could have been a power hitter if he wanted, he was a basepath monster. An absolute wizard when it comes to getting on base, Ichiro then had the talent to get you moving on pitch to turn singles into extra bases and scoring positions before you know it, leaving the heart of the lineup with a prime RBI opportunity. The leadoff cheat code slides into the top of the lineup and the outfield.
That concludes the starting lineup and rotation for our MLB All-Quarter Century video game team. It’s a roster overflowing with all-time greats from their unhittable pitching to world-class bats and stellar defensive players for good measure. With a team like this, however, there are always great names left on the cutting room floor. Do you agree with these selections, or are there other players you’d rather see on the list?
