With the 2020 season concluding, ‘MLB The Show 20’ had its last player rating update for this year’s game on October 30. This, this will be the last article of this sort until ‘MLB The Show 21’ lands. That is expected to be the first version of the game available on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo as well.
Here are the players from the last ratings update who rose or fell a level (those who went from common to bronze, or bronze to common, are not included). A 2020 postseason hero saw his live series card jump all the way from bronze to diamond. This ratings update was mostly about cards who went up a level, as there is only one player who saw his rating drop featured in the article.
Fresh off their World Series victory, there are five members of the Dodgers here who saw their card level rise.
All of the rating updates can be found at The Show Nation.
Risers
Gold to Diamond
- Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees (LF) - 84 to 87
- Blake Snell, Rays (SP) - 84 to 86
- Tim Anderson, White Sox (SS) - 82 to 85
- George Springer, Astros (CF) - 84 to 85
- Walker Buehler, Dodgers (SP) - 83 to 85
While much of Stanton’s tenure with the Yankees has seen him injured, that wasn’t the case in this year’s postseason. According to MLB.com, he became the first player ever to homer in each of a team’s first five playoff games, and he became the fourth player to ever connect on a home run in five consecutive playoff games.
Bronze to Diamond
- Randy Arozarena, Rays (CF) - 74 to 85
Amazingly, Arozarena will still be eligible to win AL Rookie of the Year in 2021. The 25-year-old had a postseason for the ages as he was named the ALCS MVP and slugged 10 homers in 69 at-bats.
Silver to Gold
- Framber Valdez, Astros (SP) - 79 to 83
- Max Muncy, Dodgers (1B) - 79 to 83
- Julio Urias, Dodgers (SP) - 77 to 82
- Lance McCullers Jr., Astros (SP) - 78 to 81
- Manuel Margot, Rays (CF) - 77 to 81
- Gleyber Torres, Yankees (SS) - 78 to 80
- Travis d’Arnaud, Braves (C) - 79 to 80
- Kyle Tucker, Astros (LF) - 79 to 80
After a solid showing in the regular season (3.57 ERA, 1.12 WHIP in 70.2 innings), Valdez took his performance up a notch in the postseason.
In 24 innings, he gave up just five earned runs (1.88 ERA) and struck out 26 batters.
Bronze to Gold
- Ian Anderson, Braves (SP) - 74 to 80
The third overall pick in 2016, Anderson sure didn’t disappoint Atlanta fans in his first taste of big-league action. The 22-year-old pitched to a 1.95 ERA in six regular-season starts and a minuscule 0.96 ERA in four playoff starts.
Bronze to Silver
- A.J. Minter, Braves (RP) - 72 to 78
- Willi Castro, Tigers (SS) - 73 to 77
- Lucas Sims, Reds (RP) - 72 to 76
- Joc Pederson, Dodgers (LF) - 72 to 76
- Jose Uriquidy, Astros (SP) - 74 to 76
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (3B) - 74 to 76
- Tyler Matzek, Braves (RP) - 71 to 75
- Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates (3B) - 72 to 75
- Dustin May, Dodgers (SP) - 74 to 75
- Chad Pinder, Athletics (LF) - 72 to 75
- Brandon Kintzler, Marlins (RP) - 66 to 75
While the 2020 regular season was one to forget for Pederson, he played his part in helping the Dodgers win this year’s World Series. He went 7-18 (.389) in the NLCS and 4-10 (.400) in the World Series.
Fallers
Silver to Bronze
- Dellin Betances, Mets (RP) - 79 to 72
A four-time All-Star, Betances pitched in just one game for the Yankees in 2019. Joining the Mets in 2020, he couldn’t find the plate walking 12 in 11.2 innings while giving up 10 runs.