11 players to target in MLB The Show 20 franchise mode

We go around the diamond to fill any position your favorite team might have.

By DadSox Mar 23, 2020, 3:30pm EDT

In a world without live sports, many of us have turned to the newest sports release, MLB The Show 20, to help fill the void during a time where we are staying inside more than usual. I spend a lot of my time playing The Show in franchise mode because I enjoy the team-building aspect over multiple seasons. Part of the fun for me is finding players that play better than their overall rating or players that are young and easy enough to trade for to fill any holes at positions of need. So today I bring you a player at every position on the diamond that can help fix any weaknesses your franchise may have.

Michael Kopech, SP, Chicago White Sox (68 overall, Potential: A)

Pitches: 4-seam fastball (99 mph), slider (91 mph), changeup (87 mph), 2-seam fastball (96 mph)
H/9: 60
K/9: 72
BB/9: 33
HR/9: 47
Stamina: 72
Velocity: 97
Control: 59
Break: 66
Fielding: 45

This one isn’t a big surprise considering the prospect hype around the White Sox flamethrower. Obviously in real life he has had Tommy John surgery, but that doesn’t matter much in the video game world. The thing that does matter for the 23-year-old is that his per nine stats for hits and strikeouts are excellent for a pitcher of his age, but his walks per nine are a little concerning.. His slider is absolutely nasty at 89-91 mph is a perfect wipeout pitch against any hitter. Due to his low overall, it makes it easier to trade for him right off the bat.

Corbin Martin, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (71 overall, Potential: B)

Pitches: 4-seam fastball (95 mph), curveball (81 mph), changeup (84 mph), 2-seam fastball (91 mph)
H/9: 56
K/9: 68
BB/9: 45
HR/9: 79
Stamina: 79
Velocity: 82
Control: 57
Break: 59
Fielding: 54

Corbin Martin certainly has lost some shine in the fantasy baseball community since losing part of the 2019 season along with all of 2020 due to Tommy John surgery. Once again, it doesn’t matter because in the virtual world he is healthy and ready to go in 2020 as a middle to back end of the rotation piece. He has a lot of room to grow with his B potential and ability to limit power with his home runs per nine rating of 79. His control is decent enough whether you want to play or simulate his starts and is only 24-years-old for the entirety of the 2020 season.

Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland Indians (66 overall, Potential: A)

Pitches: Cutter (97 mph), Slider (90 mph), 4-seam fastball (99 mph)
H/9: 69
K/9: 69
BB/9: 45
HR/9: 59
Stamina: 26
Velocity: 99
Control: 47
Break: 80
Fielding: 45

Clase looked good in his real life debut for the Texas Rangers, but was dealt to the Cleveland Indians this off-season. You can nab this reliever easily from the Tribe for a pretty cheap price considering he is a reliever and only 66 overall. His talent plays much higher than that with his cutter at 97 mph that has a ton of movement in towards lefties and away from righties. For a 22-year-old reliever, his hits and strikeouts per nine are stellar and his downfall could be his control and ability to limit walks. Clase is well worth buying into as the Indians are willing to move him pretty easily even with an A potential.

Deivy Grullon, C, Philadelphia Phillies (74 overall, Potential: B)

Con R: 52
Con L: 56
Pow R: 54
Pow L: 62
Vision: 27
Fielding: 73
Arm Strength: 74
Reaction: 52
Speed: 41
Stealing: 14

Deivy Grullon is a name I didn’t know before nabbing MLB The Show this year, but he should absolutely be on your radar if you need a good young backstop. He won’t provide you any stolen bases, but he has good enough speed to not kill you either. Grullon is only 24-years-old when you start up franchise and provides excellent defense from behind the plate while being just better than average at offense. If you have an aging catcher or just lacking talent behind the plate, Grullon is your guy to nab.

Josh Naylor, 1B, San Diego Padres (66 overall, Potential: B)

Con R: 62
Con L: 54
Pow R: 63
Pow L: 58
Vision: 42
Fielding: 51
Arm Strength: 92
Reaction: 54
Speed: 34
Stealing: 29

The San Diego Padres farm is rich with talent and Josh Naylor is one of those pieces that are currently in a logjam for playing time. Naylor is obviously behind Eric Hosmer and is limited to his playing time in the outfield as well with Pham cemented in left field (as Naylor can slot in left field as well). He may not have outstanding power for a corner infielder, but he has a good floor for contact and plate vision at the tender age of 21. He will need some more time to develop, but he is at least major league ready if you have a hole at first base and are in need of a good left-handed bat.

Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers (76 overall, Potential: A)

Con R: 85
Con L: 57
Pow R: 82
Pow L: 50
Vision 35
Fielding: 50
Arm Strength: 54
Reaction: 51
Speed: 47
Stealing: 15

Anyone that pays attention to prospects on their way up knows the name Keston Hiura of the Milwaukee Brewers. His bat plays anywhere on the field, but his defense is a little concerning. He doesn’t have a stellar arm or reaction time, but his bat can sit in the middle of your lineup easily. He is major league average against lefties, but he crushes right handers who you will see around 80% of the time. Hiura’s A potential will allow the defense to grow whether you play through a season or simulate while being in contention for a Silver Slugger at his position.

Sheldon Neuse, 3B, Oakland Athletics (70 overall, Potential: B)

Con R: 55
Con L: 61
Pow R: 54
Pow L: 60
Vision: 27
Fielding: 70
Arm Strength: 67
Reaction: 80
Speed: 29
Stealing: 28

Sheldon Neuse may be stuck behind Matt Chapman in real life, but you can free him from the Oakland Athletics fairly easily. Neuse has some decent position flexibility as well since he can play the keystone at second or even be your backup shortstop although I wouldn’t do the latter due to his lack of speed. He is one of the older guys on the list as he is 24 when you start franchise (although he is 25 in real life), but he is well worth the trade as his offense can develop quickly and will provide great defense with a strong arm and an 80 reaction grade. Don’t be afraid to flip a couple pieces for Sheldon as he is going to be everything you need at the hot corner.

Luis Garcia, SS, Washington Nationals (69 overall, Potential: B)

Con R: 57
Con L: 61
Pow R: 48
Pow L: 48
Vision: 51
Fielding: 65
Arm Strength: 66
Reaction: 55
Speed: 87
Stealing: 49

Luis Garcia is the youngest player to enter my list at 19 years old and while he lacks power, his contact, vision, and speed are perfect for the position. He won’t see much playing time in the majors if he remains thanks to star shortstop Trea Turner. Garcia can slot in at second base if you really need him to, but I love his speed at shortstop and with nearly average power he provides a high floor for production, especially as a lefty, at the earliest stage of his career. This is one of my favorite players to nab for any franchise since he can easily become a superstar within a couple of seasons.

Eloy Jimenez, LF, Chicago White Sox (78 overall, Potential: A)

Con R: 69
Con L: 67
Pow R: 88
Pow L: 80
Vision: 48
Fielding: 51
Arm Strength: 54
Reaction: 51
Speed: 59
Stealing: 0

Eloy Jimenez might feel like too good of a player to make this list, but at 78 overall, I feel like it really doesn’t make him a superstar yet. The 23-year-old smacked 31 long balls in his rookie season and it is clearly reflected in his 88 and 80 ratings in power. The contact and vision are excellent as well at a slight cost of defense. If you have an excellent defensive center fielder and are lacking in the middle of the order type bat, Eloy Jimenez is a perfect fit for any team in the league.

Cristian Pache, CF, Atlanta Braves (68 overall, Potential: A)

Con R: 48
Con L: 56
Pow R: 53
Pow L: 60
Vision: 26
Fielding: 68
Arm Strength: 60
Reaction: 55
Speed: 82
Stealing: 58

If you are trying to remodel an entire outfield, Christian Pache would pair very well with the aforementioned Eloy Jimenez. The glove and arm will play right away in center field even if you do have to wait a little bit for his bat to develop. I would focus more on contact when setting Pache’s training in your franchise since he can slot in as a perfect top of the lineup type bat with his contact and speed. The power can develop as he gets older since he is only 20-years-old when you start up your franchise.

Austin Meadows, RF, Tampa Bay Rays (81 overall, Potential: A)

Con R: 81
Con L: 76
Pow R: 78
Pow L: 75
Vision: 60
Fielding: 60
Arm Strength: 49
Reaction: 61
Speed: 65
Stealing: 28

Austin Meadows finishes off our list as the highest rated player I was willing to list, but it’s because I feel like his overall is too low for the way he performs. Meadows is above average at everything offensively, including his plate discipline. The biggest flaw in Meadows’ game is his lack of arm strength in right field, but his speed and reaction allow him to make all the necessary defensive plays that you ask him too. He should chip in a few steals each season while smacking about 25 to 30 long balls per season from the left side of the dish. Meadows will be the toughest to trade for considering his overall rating and potential, but he is only 24 years old with plenty of room to grow.

Did I miss any other names that you have found to be excellent young players for your franchise? These are just some of my favorites and when you first start a franchise and I’d love to hear back from you on Twitter @DadSox if you have any other players to target. Good luck on building that dynasty we all hope to create in MLB The Show or fantasy baseball.