How to Choose the Strongest Players for Your Favorite Team
Let's Build a Team with Team-Specific Players
In MLB Rivals, basically, you should form your lineup by selecting team-specific players. Team-specific players get a deck score bonus, so a buff effect is applied to the abilities of the players in your lineup. Therefore, this ranking introduces the strongest players for each team.
Reinforce Weak Positions with FA Cards
The strongest players for each position can be found at the link below. You can reinforce weak positions on your team by turning high-performance players from other teams into FA cards. By reinforcing with top-class players from all teams, you can significantly increase your team's strength.
Tip!
By turning players from other teams into FA cards, you can add to your deck score just like with team-specific players.
Kershaw, who boasts top-class performance among all teams, exists as an absolute ace. Relief pitchers like Candelaria and Phillips are also abundant, so let's employ a well-balanced pitching strategy.
San Diego Padres
SP
B. Snell ’23
D. Cease ’24
Yu Darvish ’22
M. King ’24
D. Lamet ’20
RP
H. Bell ’07
S. Sanders ’96
R. Suárez
CP
R. Suárez
Let's build around Snell and Darvish, who have multiple high-rank breaking balls. In addition to a strong lineup of high-performance relief pitchers like Bell, the closer position also has deep player depth.
Arizona Diamondbacks
SP
P. Corbin ’18
Z. Gallen ’22
R. Ray ’17
M. Kelly ’22
B. Webb ’07
RP
A.J. Puk ’24
K. Ginkel ’23
T.J. McFarland
CP
J. Martinez ’24
Gallen and Corbin, who have multiple breaking balls, serve as the mainstays, increasing the team's winning percentage. The relief pitcher lineup is somewhat thin, so a strategy of aiming for complete games with starting pitchers is advisable.
San Francisco Giants
SP
K. Gausman ’21
J. Marichal ’65
C. Rodón ’22
J. Schmidt ’04
L. Webb ’23
RP
F. Rodriguez ’01
J. Nathan ’03
R. Walker ’24
CP
R. Nen ’98
C. Doval
The starting rotation, centered around Gausman and Marichal, features many players with high pitching performance. For relief, let's focus on the fast-throwing Rodriguez to suppress runs in the late innings.
Colorado Rockies
SP
U. Jiménez ’10
G. Márquez ’18
J. Gray
T. Anderson ’18
K. Freeland ’18
RP
R. Betancourt
J. Byrd
C. Estévez ’19
CP
H. Street ’09
The starting rotation is centered around Jiménez and Márquez, but it seems to lack a bit of strength compared to other teams. Relief pitchers Betancourt and Byrd have a variety of breaking balls, so let's develop them to support the starters.
Starting pitchers Burnes and Woodruff boast high-level pitching abilities. Since the relief and closer pitchers are somewhat lacking in strength, let's try to have the starting pitchers stay on the mound as long as possible.
St. Louis Cardinals
SP
B. Gibson ’68
J. Flaherty ’19
S. Gray ’24
M. Mikolas
L. Lynn ’14
RP
J. Romero
J. Hicks ’18
G. Cabrera ’21
CP
R. Helsley ’22
Flaherty, who has powerful breaking balls, boasts performance that is a cut above the rest. Since the starting pitcher depth is somewhat thin, be sure to develop relief pitchers to provide support.
Chicago Cubs
SP
J. Arrieta ’15
K. Wood ’03
Shota Imanaga ’24
R. Harden ’08
Yu Darvish ’20
RP
J. Merryweather ’23
C. Edwards Jr. ’17
H. Wesneski
CP
A. Chapman ’16
Centered around Arrieta, who has high pitching ability, the starting pitcher depth is strong. For relief, let's rely on the fast-throwing Merryweather to suppress runs.
Cincinnati Reds
SP
L.M. Castillo ’19
S. Gray ’19
T. Seaver ’78
H. Greene ’24
T. Mahle ’21
RP
S. Williamson ’00
M. Remlinger ’97
A. Díaz ’22
CP
A. Chapman ’12
It's good to build around Cueto, who has high-level velocity, and Gray, who has a variety of breaking balls. For relief, Williamson boasts well-balanced pitching ability, so let's make him the cornerstone to defend the late innings.
Pittsburgh Pirates
SP
P. Skenes ’24
G. Cole ’15
M. Keller ’23
J. Taillon ’18
J. Candelaria ’76
RP
D. Bednar ’21
A. Chapman ’24
J. Hanrahan ’10
CP
R. Gossage ’77
R. Loiselle ’97
Cole, who has high performance and many same-name players, should be strengthened and developed into an ace. For relief, it's good to stabilize the defense in the latter half of the game with Bednar and Chapman as the core.
Centered around Wheeler, who has high pitching ability and multiple pitch types, there are many high-level starting pitchers. For relief, Suárez, who boasts top-class performance, will suppress runs from the middle innings onwards.
Atlanta Braves
SP
S. Strider ’23
C. Sale ’24
C. Morton ’21
M. Fried 22
K. Millwood ’99
RP
G. Holmes
A.J. Minter ’22
D. Carpenter ’13
CP
R. Iglesias
Centered around Strider, who has very high breaking ball ratings, the starting pitcher depth is strong. Many relief pitchers have high velocity, so let's focus on fastball-oriented pitching.
New York Mets
SP
J. deGrom ’18
T. Seaver ’71
M. Scherzer ’22
C. Bassitt ’22
Kodai Senga ’23
RP
S. Lugo ’19
A. Heilman ’05
J. Putt ’24
CP
E. Díaz ’22
deGrom and Seaver are excellent as starting pitchers, and with many same-name players, they are easy to develop. Since the number of relief and closer pitchers is somewhat small, let's combine high-ability LIVE players to form the lineup.
Washington Nationals
SP
M. Scherzer ’15
S. Strasburg ’14
P. Corbin ’19
J. Patterson ’05
D. Fister ’14
RP
T. Clippard ’11
D. Lowe
H. Harvey ’23
CP
J. Reardon ’82
Scherzer and Strasburg are high-performance players with many same-name cards, so let's develop them as mainstays. The relief corps also has many excellent players, making this a team with high overall pitching ability.
Miami Marlins
SP
S. Alcántara ’22
J. Luzardo ’23
A.J. Burnett ’02
T. Rogers ’21
B. Penny ’01
RP
T. Scott ’23
A. Bender ’21
C. Capps ’15
CP
AJ Ramos ’15
Centered around Alcántara, whose pitching with a mix of fastballs and breaking balls is powerful, the starting pitcher depth is relatively strong. Since the number of relief pitchers is somewhat small, it's advisable to include starting pitchers with high stamina.
Top-class starting pitchers like Cole and Verlander are on the roster. The bullpen is also deep, centered around Abreu, so you can expect solid defense in the late innings.
Seattle Mariners
SP
L. Gilbert ’24
L.M. Castillo ’23
J. Paxton ’18
Hisashi Iwakuma ’13
B. Miller ’24
RP
M. Brash ’23
A. Muñoz
D. Farquhar ’14
CP
E. Diaz ’18
With Gilbert and Castillo leading the way, the starting pitching staff is deep, allowing for diverse pitching strategies. The bullpen and closing pitchers are somewhat thin, so try to have your starting pitchers go as long as possible.
Texas Rangers
SP
Yu Darvish ’13
N. Ryan ’89
C. Lee ’10
L. Lynn ’19
M. Pérez ’22
RP
A. Chapman ’23
B. Burke ’22
J. Leclerc ’18
CP
K. Yates ’24
Yu Darvish and Lee boast excellent performance as starting pitchers with their diverse breaking balls. Utilize Chapman, who has incredible velocity, as a key reliever to suppress runs.
Oakland Athletics
SP
V. Blue ’71
F. Montas ’21
S. Gray ’14
M. Mulder
M. Norris ’80
RP
L. Trivino ’18
A.J. Puk ’22
L. Arce ’23
CP
B. Treinen ’18
Led by Blue and Montas, many starting pitchers have multiple high-rank pitches. Relievers and closers also have many players skilled with breaking balls, so try to confuse opponents with various pitches.
Los Angeles Angels
SP
Shohei Ohtani ’22
J. Weaver ’11
J. Soriano ’24
G. Canning ’23
P. Sandoval ’22
RP
B. Joyce
J. Soriano ’23
T. Percival ’95
CP
R. Iglesias ’21
Two-way player Shohei Ohtani and Weaver, who boasts high velocity, will be the main starting pitchers. Since the depth of relievers and closers is somewhat thin, actively use LIVE players as well.
Led by Kluber and Tiant, who have a variety of breaking balls, try to suppress runs in the early innings. Miller, who has high pitching ability, is in the bullpen, allowing for stable defense in the late innings.
Kansas City Royals
SP
C. Ragans ’24
B. Saberhagen ’89
S. Lugo ’24
J. Cueto ’15
B. Singer ’22
RP
L. Hochevar ’13
C. Hernández ’23
L. Arce ’24
CP
S. Barlow ’21
Ragans, who is skilled with breaking balls, can perform as an ace. Since there are relatively few starting pitchers, prioritizing the development of relievers and closers will make it easier to suppress runs.
Detroit Tigers
SP
J. Verlander ’11
T. Skubal ’24
D. McLain ’68
M. Lolich ’71
M. Scherzer ’13
RP
T. Holton ’23
D. Smyly
G. Soto
CP
G. Soto ’21
Verlander, with his high pitching ability and variety of breaking balls, exists as an absolute ace. The bullpen is also deep, and closer Soto will prevent runs with his high-velocity pitches.
Minnesota Twins
SP
P. López ’23
S. Gray ’23
B. Ober ’24
J. Berríos ’18
F. Viola ’88
RP
J. Duran ’22
G. Jax ’24
R. Aguilera ’89
CP
J. Nathan ’06
Led by López, who has multiple high-rank breaking balls, the starting pitching staff is deep. Duran, who boasts top-class performance, is in the bullpen to strongly support the defense in the late innings.
Chicago White Sox
SP
C. Sale ’15
L. Giolito ’19
D. Cease ’22
G. Crochet ’24
C. Rodón ’21
RP
K. Foulke ’99
M. Kopech ’21
R. López ’22
CP
L. Hendriks ’21
Sale, who has high pitching ability and many same-name players making him easy to develop, can perform as the starting ace. Since the bullpen is thin, it's good to have starting pitchers pitch for a longer number of innings.
There are extremely capable starting pitchers like Severino and Cole. The RP and CP player pools are also deep, allowing for diverse pitching strategies.
Baltimore Orioles
SP
M. Mussina ’97
J. Palmer ’75
C. Burnes ’24
K. Bradish ’23
K. Gausman ’16
RP
A. Miller ’14
K. Akin ’24
B.J. Ryan ’04
CP
F. Bautista ’23
Form your team with starting pitchers centered around Mussina and Burnes. Compared to other teams, the pitcher pool is somewhat thin, so it's recommended to also develop high-performing LIVE players.
Boston Red Sox
SP
C. Sale ’17
N. Eovaldi ’21
N. Pivetta ’24
J. Lonborg ’67
E. Rodriguez ’19
RP
G. Whitlock ’21
D. Bard ’10
T. Wakefield ’02
CP
C. Kimbrel ’17
Starting pitcher Sale boasts outstanding abilities and can perform as an ace. Bard and Whitlock are in the bullpen, and Kimbrel boasts excellent performance as a closer.
Tampa Bay Rays
SP
B. Snell ’18
S. McClanahan ’22
C. Morton ’19
Z. Eflin ’23
T. Glasnow ’21
RP
N. Anderson ’19
A. Kittredge ’21
D. Castillo ’18
CP
J. McGee ’14
Many starting pitchers with high pitching performance, such as Snell and McClanahan, are on the roster. Many relievers and closers have fast pitches, so it's good to build around fastballs.
Toronto Blue Jays
SP
R. Ray ’21
K. Gausman ’22
A. Manoah ’22
J. Berríos ’21
Yusei Kikuchi
RP
T. Mayza
Y. García ’23
L. Hendriks ’15
CP
M. Eichhorn ’86
Ray, who has high breaking ball ability and multiple pitch types, boasts absolute performance as a starting pitcher. Many relievers also have multiple pitch types, so try to confuse opposing batters and suppress runs.
Ranking Criteria
Evaluation based on OVR, number of pitch types, and pitch rank
In the rankings above, players with the highest OVR within the same team are generally selected. In cases of close OVR, players with more breaking ball types or higher pitch ranks are prioritized.
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