Being a shutdown pitcher inMLB The Show 23means being the best pitcher in the park over a very short duration. Often tasked with getting just one batter out or tossing the final inning, nobody has to live under pressure the way relief pitchers do.

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Great teams typically have great closers. InMLB The Show 23, there are only a few that can handle the consistent scrutiny that the bullpen gets. These elite closers eliminate the chances another team has to make a big comeback which is why great teams make sure to have a good one.

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MLB The Show 23 A.J. Minter Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Michael King Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Josh Hader Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Ryan Pressly Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Felix Bautista Preseason Player Card

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There is a reason the Braves are ranked first in pitching. With great starters, Minter fills in the gaps until it’s time to bring in the closer.

MLB The Show 23 Andres Munoz Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Ryan Helsley Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Evan Phillips Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Edwin Diaz Preseason Player Card

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MLB The Show 23 Emmanuel Clase Preseason Player Card

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Michael King is a beast out of the bullpen, taking over in tough situations for the Yankees and limiting the damage in potentially big innings.

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Hader had a big trade last season and he struggled early on to find his footing in San Diego. However, he seems to have figured it out and could easily lead this list by the season’s end.

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Perennial championship contenders and last year’s World Series winners, the Astros can chalk up many of their wins to Pressly shutting down the offense. They’re one ofthe best teams in baseballfor a reason.

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The Orioles are lucky to have Bautista there to induce weak contact and ground balls with men on base. If players want to turn double plays,the team could use an improvement at second.

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Munoz is a relief pitcher and not a true closer for the Mariners but he’s got the talent to do either. He’ll greatly appreciate any defensivehelp that the team could use at shortstop.

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Helsley dominates the end of the game from the mound for the Cardinals. Gamers that want to give him some run support should take thejob vacancy in left field.

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In part due to the dominance of Phillips at the end of their games, the Dodgers have a complete team. Theycould use a new center fielderin a bad way, though.

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Diaz added spice to the closing role last year with his infamous “Narco” entrance. The Mets wouldlike to get a more consistent catcherto handle Diaz in the latter innings, gamers can look forward to calling pitches for Diaz in New York.

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When it comes to shutting down the opposition, nobody did it better than Emmanuel Clase did last year. The Guardians areseeking another starting pitcher, so players who want to have their solid starts protected by Clase should go to Cleveland.

MLB The Show 23is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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