Homeruns and diving catches may get the fans out of their seats, but it’s tough to win a World Series without some top-tier pitching coming out of the dugout. Thankfully, there are tons of options in MLB The Show 21 for you to build your lineup around. Below, you’ll find some of the best current-day options available for both Franchise and March to October modes. If you need Diamond Dynasty options, many of these will also serve you until you can drum up enough Stubs to pick up someone like Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez, or Mariano Rivera. It’s also important to note that players’ overall ratings fluctuate throughout the year. So, keep in mind these ratings are accurate as of April 21.

Starting Pitcher

There are tons of top-tier starting pitchers out there. Jacob deGrom from the New York Mets is currently the highest rated, but he’s far from your only option. Cleveland’s Shane Bieber is an excellent option if you’re looking for a young, fire thrower for Franchise mode. And, older guys like Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer can do the job if you only need a season or two. Here are some of the absolute best players available at the position:

  • Jacob deGrom – New York Mets – 99 OVR – 32 years oldShane Bieber – Cleveland Indians – 95 OVR – 25 years oldClayton Kershaw – LA Dodgers – 95 OVR – 33 years oldGerrit Cole – New York Yankees – 95 OVR – 30 years oldMax Scherzer – Washington Nationals – 94 OVR – 36 years oldChris Sale – Boston Red Sox – 93 OVR – 31 years oldTrevor Bauer – LA Dodgers – 93 OVR – 30 years oldAaron Nola – Philadelphia Phillies – 92 OVR – 27 years oldJustin Verlander – Houston Astros – 91 OVR – 37 years oldStephen Strasburg – Washington Nationals – 91 OVR – 32 years oldZack Greinke – Houston Astros – 90 OVR – 37 years old

Past this crop of top-tier players, the starting pitcher position has even more solid players who have yet to hit their 32nd birthday. These are great options to bring into your lineup in Franchise mode and build a dynasty around.

  • Walker Buehler – LA Dodgers – 89 OVR – 26 years oldKyle Hendricks – Chicago Cubs – 88 OVR – 31 years oldBlake Snell – San Diego Padres – 88 OVR – 28 years oldSonny Gray – Cincinnati Reds – 87 OVR – 31 years oldMike Clevinger – San Diego Padres – 87 OVR – 29 years oldDinelson Lamet – San Diego Padres – 87 OVR – 28 years oldNoah Syndergaard – New York Mets – 87 OVR – 27 years oldLucas Golito – Chicago White Sox – 87 OVR – 26 years oldMike Soroka – Atlanta Braves – 87 OVR – 22 years old

Relief Pitcher

The relief pitching position isn’t as deep with its quality talent as starting pitcher. That said, you can still find some gems here that can help you out in the middle innings. Here are some great options:

  • Nick Anderson – Tampa Bay Rays – 90 OVR – 30 years oldChad Green – New York Yankees – 85 OVR – 29 years oldSeth Lugo – New York Mets – 85 OVR – 31 years oldTaylor Rogers – Minnesota Twins – 84 OVR – 30 years oldDevin Williams – Milwaukee Brewers – 84 OVR – 26 years oldGiovanny Gallegos – St. Louis Cardinals – 84 OVR- 29 years old

Closing Pitcher

Finally, here are some closers to target for your squad. These players will come into a game and shut the other team’s bats down late. Again, the position isn’t as deep as starting pitcher, but there are still plenty of options.

  • Liam Hendriks – Chicago White Sox – 93 OVR – 32 years oldKirby Yates – Toronto Blue Jays – 88 OVR – 34 years oldAroldis Chapman – New York Yankees – 87 OVR – 33 years oldKenley Jansen – LA Dodgers – 86 OVR – 33 years oldBrad Hand – Washington Nationals – 86 OVR – 31 years oldRyan Pressly – Houston Astros – 85 OVR – 32 years oldJosh Hader – Milwaukee Brewers – 85 OVR – 26 years oldEdwin Diaz – New York Mets – 83 OVR – 27 years old