Jacob deGrom among Best Pitchers in MLB The Show 21

MLB The Show 21 has finally arrived, and this year's installment hits Xbox consoles for the first time after the game had previously been a PlayStation exclusive.

With hundreds of players to consider across the various team rosters, we take a closer look at the best pitchers in MLB The Show 21, from starters to closers.

Best Pitchers in MLB The Show 21

MLB The Show 21 separates pitchers into three primary positions: starting pitcher, relief pitcher, or closing pitcher.

While you can switch things up in your bullpen as far as who goes in when, players will typically stick to their type and be used in those roles throughout games.

Regardless of when you decide to use someone, having a top rated pitcher can make a world of difference early on as you're still mastering the pitching controls in MLB The Show 21.

As a note, this list excludes legends, who are not normally available in Franchise Mode or elsewhere, but should you include them you'll open up dozens of 99 OVR top rated options.

To the surprise of probably no one, the best overall pitcher in MLB The Show 21 is Jacob deGrom, and it's not even close.

The closest pair to the top are four whole points behind deGrom, and it continues to trail off from there, so let's take a look at the top eleven (tie at 10th) overall best pitchers in MLB The Show 21 from best to worst.

• Jacob deGrom 99 OVR Starting Pitcher, New York Mets
• Clayton Kershaw 95 OVR Starting Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Shane Bieber 95 OVR Starting Pitcher, Cleveland Indians
• Max Scherzer 94 OVR Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals
• Gerrit Cole 94 OVR Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees
• Trevor Bauer 93 OVR Starting Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Chris Sale 93 OVR Starting Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
• Liam Hendriks 93 OVR Closing Pitcher, Chicago White Sox
• Aaron Nola 92 OVR Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
• Justin Verlander 91 OVR Starting Pitcher, Houston Astros
• Stephen Strasburg 91 OVR Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

While the majority of top rated pitchers in MLB The Show 21 are starters, there are a few strong options elsewhere, and there are other factors to keep in mind if you're looking to start Franchise Mode off right.

Best Starting Pitcher

With the top names being starting pitchers through most teams, it can help to have some variety in your club.

You also might not have as much luck acquiring someone like deGrom, but seeking out another top rated option could work out, so here's the top ten rated starting pitchers in MLB The Show 21 from best to worst.

• Jacob deGrom 99 OVR, New York Mets
• Clayton Kershaw 95 OVR, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Shane Bieber 95 OVR, Cleveland Indians
• Gerrit Cole 94 OVR, New York Yankees
• Max Scherzer 94 OVR, Washington Nationals
• Trevor Bauer 93 OVR, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Chris Sale 93 OVR, Boston Red Sox
• Aaron Nola 92 OVR, Philadelphia Phillies
• Stephen Strasburg 91 OVR, Washington Nationals
• Justin Verlander 91 OVR, Houston Astros

Despite now being 38-years-old with over 15 years under his belt, 8-time All-Star and 2-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander still holds strong in this year's top ten.

If you want to get Franchise Mode off to the right start, check out our list of the best teams in Franchise Mode to know which will give you an edge.

Best Relievers

With the role of relief pitcher being much more niche and playing a smaller factor in the game as a whole, there just aren't as many elite players in-game in the role.

However, it can help to have a top reliever when it's needed, and here are the top six from best to worst due to a three-way tie at the end.

• Nick Anderson 90 OVR, Tampa Bay Rays
• Seth Lugo 85 OVR, New York Mets
• Chad Green 85 OVR, New York Yankees
• Devin Williams 84 OVR, Milwaukee Brewers
• Giovanny Gallegos 84 OVR, St. Louis Cardinals
• Taylor Rogers 84 OVR, Minnesota Twins

While there are respectable options elsewhere, none are quite as good as Nick Anderson who holds the top spot in MLB The Show 21.

Best Closers

Having the right pitcher to close things out at the end can make a world of difference, especially in a tight game that already has or might soon bleed into extra innings.

Similar to relievers, there aren't nearly as many highly rated options as starting pitchers, but here are the top five closing pitchers in MLB The Show 21.

• Liam Hendriks 93 OVR, Chicago White Sox
• Kirby Yates 88 OVR, Toronto Blue Jays
• Aroldis Chapman 87 OVR, New York Yankees
• Brad Hand 86 OVR, Washington Nationals
• Kenley Jansen 86 OVR, Los Angeles Dodgers

Liam Hendriks of the Chicago White Sox holds the definitive top spot as the highest rated closer in MLB The Show 21, and he's the only non-Starting Pitcher in the top ten overall for this year's game.

If you want to see which other players round out the highest rated in MLB The Show 21, we cover the full list here.