Pitching is the heart and soul of the defensive side of baseball.  Keeping a lead is the most important thing to do to win a game, and the pitchers on this list can do just that.  These are the 15 best pitchers on MLB The Show 22.  These pitchers are the ones who can take your team to victory and keep your opponents hitters swinging and missing all game long.

15. Tyler Glasnow

Tyler’s 2021 highlights

• Break - 99
• Hits Per 9 - 93
• Velocity - 89
• Stamina - 86
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 79
• Control - 75 

Unfortunately, Glasnow has been inactive for the entire 2022 campaign because of Tommy John surgery that he had back during spring training, yet that hasn’t stopped the Rays from dreaming of him picking up where he left off in 2021. Tyler ended the 2021 season with just 5 wins and 2 losses, but with a low ERA of 2.66 and 123 strikeouts. As of now  Glasnow is on a rehab assignment with the Durham Bulls.

Why Glasnow Shines:

• He has a very strong arm, with his fastball reaching 97 MPH
• Not only does his 4 seamer have a high velo, the rest of his pitches have heat on them
• Between his curveball and slider, he has a choice between an excellent strikeout pitch

14. Julio Urias

 Julio's mid season highlights

•  Break - 99
•  
• Stamina - 84
• Stamina - 84
• Hits Per 9 - 83
• Walks Per 9 - 76
• Control - 76
• Clutch Pitching - 74  

Starting out this list is one of three Dodgers pitchers, and a solid homegrown product at that. In the 4 years that he has been in the majors, Urias has had solid years. In 2022, Julio is sitting at a 17-7 record with 157 strikeouts and a very low ERA of 2.25! Urias is considered one of the Dodgers' clutch pitchers, all capped by a masterful 2020 postseason run with the Dodgers.

What Urias offers in The Show 22:

• A young pitcher with incredible control
• A great breaking sweeping curveball
• A mid 90's fastball as a primary pitch

13. Carlos Rodon

Rodon's midseason highlights 

• Arm Strength - 88
• Hits Per 9 - 87
• Break - 82
• Stamina - 82
• Velocity - 80
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 75  

The newest ace for the San Francisco Giants has been on fire so far this year, earning a record of 13 wins and 8 losses with 227 strikeouts and an ERA of just under 3, sitting at 2.98. Rondon was so ready for this season that in his very first outing in a Giants uniform, he ended up fanning a whopping 12 batters over a mere 5 innings!

Rodon’s Perks in The Show:

• His high stamina and hits per 9 means he can last long in a game without giving up hits
• He has great arm strength, which is proven by his 95 MPH fastball
• He also has a great swing and miss pitch with his slider  

12. Brandon Woodruff

Woody’s 2021 Highlights

•  Velocity - 95
• Break - 93
• Stamina - 87
• Hits Per 9 - 85
• Control - 81
• Pitching Clutch - 77

Even though Woody spent a few weeks at the beginning of the season on the IR, he has come back as strong as ever. The 2021 National League All Star is sitting pretty on the season with a 12 and 4 record with a 3.18 ERA and 173 strikeouts. With 173 strikeouts, he is also the 9th most strikeouts in MLB this season! 

Why you have a friend in Woody:

• His velocity and break are out of this world.
• He has a 4 seam and a 2 seam fastball, which both have different movement off the plate
• He can also throw a very effective 12-6 curveball, even though it does get punished at times  

11. Justin Verlander

Verlander working his magic in 2022

• Break - 99
• Arm Strength - 96
• Stamina - 89
• Clutch Pitching - 86
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 82
• Hits Per 9 - 80

Verlander has come roaring back from a down year in 2021, when he missed the entire season with Tommy John surgery. He went from being unsure of where he was going to be playing this offseason, being a free agent coming off of Tommy John surgery at the age of 39, to resigning with the Astros and grinding his way to being a frontrunner for the Cy Young Award. Verlander is sitting at 17 wins with only 4 losses this season with a 1.82 ERA and 168 strikeouts.

Why you should invest in the fine wine Verlander:

• He is a proven workhorse, being able to keep up velocity and break deep into games
• Even at almost 40 years old, his 4 seamer can reach up to 95 MPH
• He has a very effective changeup and slider as secondary pitches

10. Shane Bieber

Shane Bieber’s Cy Young 2020 highlights

• Stamina - 92
• Break - 89
• Walks Per 9 - 80
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 79
• Control - 75
• Pitching Clutch - 75

No, this isn't Justin’s brother, but he is a superstar! The American League Cy Young award winner in 2020 has been putting on another award-worthy campaign, and on top of that, the Guardians went on to cement their clinched division and ticket to the postseason. Bieber has gone 12 and 8 this season with a 2.91 ERA and 195 strikeouts.

Why you should use the Bieber of baseball:

• He is a workhorse, with the stamina to give you highly effective innings deep into a game
• He has a great pitch combo and can hit any zone on the plate
• His offspeed pitches produce a lot of movement, which create swings and misses

9. Zack Wheeler

Wheeler's 2022 highlights

• Velocity - 99
• Stamina - 95
• Hits Per 9 - 82
• Break - 79
• Walks Per 9 - 79
• Home Runs Per 9 - 78  

Another older pitcher on this list, but an absolute gem of a starter. Wheeler has the stamina to take you deep into games with the velocity to cause even the better hitters to wiff at him. His four-seam fastball can reach up to 97 MPH and even his offspeed slider reaches 91 MPH. He came to the Phillies back in 2020 and instantly made a huge impact on the struggling pitching rotation at the time and provided some much-needed veteran experience to the rotation. Wheeler is 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 2022, ranking 20th in the league.

Why you should Wheeler and deal:

• He is another workhorse who can take you deep into games
• His velocity spans more than just his fastball, with his slider and sinker reaching above 90 MPH
• He has a fantastic circle change that can catch hitters off guard with the speed reduction

8. Walker Buehler

 Buehler's postseason magicical highlights

• Break - 99
• Velocity - 91
• Stamina - 90
• Hits Per 9 - 88
• Control - 82
• Pitching Clutch - 77

The second Dodger out of three on this list is also another one that exploded on the scene and showed more of the Dodgers' homegrown talent. Buehler has consistently shown up in the clutch for the Dodgers and many see him as the next ace once Kershaw gives up the crown. Buehler has had a bit of a down year in 2022, with his ERA sitting at 4.02 and as of August 16th, he was put on the IR for Tommy John surgery.

Why you should trust “Buetane”:

• He is a young flamethrower who can work late in the game
• He has fantastic command of the zone with all of his pitches
• His cutter generates a lot of swings and misses due to the outside movement

7. Gerrit Cole

Cole showing why he is making the big bucks 

• Pitching Clutch - 99
• Velocity - 99
• Stamina - 88
• Break - 85
• Hits Per 9 - 83
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 81

Another gem who has built his name from the ground up. He was the biggest free agent signing of 2020 for the infamous Yankees. He brought a staple to the rotation and a seasoned veteran presence to a very young group of starting pitchers. He has had a couple rough starts in the Big Apple, but in true Gerrit Cole form, he has reigned it in and shown why he is worth the millions of dollars he is earning. So far in 2022, Cole has a 3.49 ERA with a record of 12 and 7 with 244 strikeouts. His whopping 244 strikeouts have him sitting at first in the MLB for them.

Why you should pay Gerrit the big bucks:

• A seasoned workhorse who can control the entire strike zone
• His velocity and break have only gotten better throughout the years, creating a lot of missed swings
• He is a very clutch pitcher, coming in handy in the worst spots

6. Chris Sale

Sale's dominating 2021 highlights

• Break - 96
• Stamina - 89
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 84
• Pitching Clutch - 84
• Control - 80
• Velocity - 79

Even though Chris Sale hasn’t played a full season since 2019, he is still considered one of the best pitchers out there. Unfortunately, his 2022 season came to a quick end when he fractured his wrist in a bicycle accident in August. His career stats show how dominant he has been in his 11 years in the MLB. His career record sits at 114 wins and 75 losses with a 3.08 ERA and 2064 strikeouts. This seven-time All-Star hopes to be ready by spring training to help the Red Sox try to earn another trip to the postseason. 

Why you should by in on the Sale:

• Fortunately, his real life injuries don’t really affect his stats in The Show, so he is still dominant
• Even at 33 years old he has a mid 90’s fastball and a very effective sinker slider combo
• He is dependable and can last into later innings in games

5. Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw doing what he does best

• Stamina - 89
• Walks Per 9 - 87
• Break - 86
• Hits Per 9 - 80
• Arm - 75
• Reaction - 73  

The third and final Dodger on this list is He was the first homegrown talent that the Dodgers released to the world, and since then he has taken MLB by storm. In the 2022 season, Kershaw had a 10 and 3 record with a 2.42 ERA and 124 strikeouts. Not only has he known the Dodgers for his entire career, he won the MVP award in 2008 and is the all-time strikeout leader for the Dodgers.

What can Clayton do for you: 

• He has the stamina to work late into games with high pitch counts
• His primary pitch being a slider means that it can generate a lot of swings and misses
• His secondary pitch, a 4- seam fastball can still hit above 90 MPH as well

4. Corbin Burnes

 Corbin Burne's Cy Young Highlights

• Velocity - 99
• Stamina - 86
• Break - 85
• Hits Per 9 - 84
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 82
• Control - 80

The 2021 Cy Young award winner came into 2022 with everything to prove. Even though he has had a bit of a rougher 2022, he is still putting on a show with a record of 11 and 8 with a 3.11 ERA and 231 strikeouts, which lead the National League. Corbin was a National League All-Star in 2021 and 2022.

Why you should Burne with Corbin:

• His high velocity creates whiffs at the plate
• He has the stamina to keep his innings up even with a higher pitch count
• With his mid to high 90’s sinker and high 80’s slider he can create movement on every corner of the plate

3. Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani’s magical 2022 season

• Pitching Clutch - 99
• Break - 99
• Hits Per 9 - 95
• Arm Strength - 94
• Velocity - 89
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 83  

The dual threat phenom The ever-versatile Ohtani is one of the most feared pitchers in the league. He is often referred to as the modern day Babe Ruth, due to his dominance from the mound and from the batter's box. In a game in 2022, Ohtani became the first player to record 10 strikeouts, 2 RBI’s and a stolen base in a single game. 

Why trust Ohtani:

• Not only pitching power, but hitting power as well
• Has high velo with great break, causing a lot of swings and misses
• His slider is an excellent strikeout pitch with great off plate movement

2. Max Scherzer

 Mad Max's dominating highlights

• Hits Per 9 - 97
• Arm Strength - 88
• Stamina - 86
• Pitching Clutch - 83
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 82
• Walks Per 9 - 81

Mad Max is a nickname that is very much deserved by this pitcher. With two different colored eyes and a very vocal pitching delivery, he has always had a very intimidating presence on the mound. Coming into 2022, Max signed a big contract with the Mets and it has paid off so far. In this year Max has a 11 and 4 record with a 2.14 ERA with 169 Strikeouts
Why should you use Mad Max:

• His control of the plate is world class. He can hit every corner
• His Fastball can still reach mid 90’s and has a ton of movement
• He can limit hits with the movement his primary and secondary pitches have

1. Jacob DeGrom

Jacob working his magic in 2021

• Velocity - 99
• Hits Per 9 - 98
• Stamina - 89
• Control - 87
• Pitching Clutch - 86
• Strikeouts Per 9 - 86  

Another elite pitcher who has struggled with injuries in the past few years, DeGrom is still the best pitcher to do it in this day and age. Even though he is 33 years old, he is showing no signs of slowing down (other than the injuries). No matter what rehab assignment he goes through, he comes back throwing absolute fire. With an almost 100 MPH 4 seam and 2 seam fastball, it is hard for anyone to get a hit off of Jacob. Even though deGrom had a stellar outing in the Wild Card games, it wasn’t enough to take the Mets to the Divisional round

Why Jacob:

• The velocity is the best in the game.  His fastball is very hard to catch up with
• He still has a lot of control over his secondary pitches and creates a ton of movement off of the plate with them
• When he is on point he can easily pitch complete games with high strikeout ratios

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