Best Relief Pitchers in MLB The Show 25

Pitching has changed rapidly over the last decade or so; relief pitchers are now sometimes just as good, if not better, than starting pitchers. They clearly have more electric stuff, and they specialize in getting people out in short bursts through a dominant set of pitches that usually have elite velocity and break. These pitchers usually also have ice in their veins and an elite focus that keeps them from making mistakes or worrying about the pressure.

If you look at the numbers, the bullpen pitchers are dominating starters in terms of hits allowed, home runs allowed, and strikeouts. Now, this makes sense: these pitchers only have to get three outs, while a starter usually has to get 15-21 on a good day; that amount of time and energy spent can hurt a pitcher’s production more than if they were just coming in to see three specific hitters. Either way, I think it’s important to honor the oft-overlooked stars of the bullpen in MLB The Show 25.

We already did best hitters and best starting pitchers in MLB The Show 25, so now here are the top ten (in reverse order) best relievers in the game based purely on their eight pitching attribute ratings.

10: RP Cade Smith – 88

• 90 H/9
• 82 K/9
• 73 BB/9
• 95 HR/9
• 75 Control
• 83 Velocity
• 80 Break
• 99 Clutch
• 677 total

Cade Smith earned an 88 overall after a standout rookie season in 2024, making him one of the top non-closer relievers in the game.

9: CP Felix Bautista – 85

• 99 H/9
• 98 K/9
• 36 BB/9
• 75 HR/9
• 82 Control
• 99 Velocity
• 92 Break
• 98 Clutch
• 679 total

Bautista, one of the nastiest closers in MLB, is back after missing 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. Due to his high-velocity fastball, he will strike out a ton of batters. However, he struggles with control and will walk a fair amount, as shown by his abysmal 36 BB/9 rating.

8: RP Tanner Scott – 84

• 98 H/9
• 79 K/9
• 52 BB/9
• 87 HR/9
• 80 Control
• 89 Velocity
• 97 Break
• 99 Clutch
• 681 total

Tanner Scott’s attributes in the game are very wonky, and they don’t correlate to his actual stats. They gave him a near-perfect grade in H/9, despite him giving up 309 hits in his career throughout 374.2 innings pitched. Meanwhile, he only gets a 79 in K/9 despite racking up 490 strikeouts over the same 374.2 innings. The ratings don’t make a ton of sense, but he’s still a beast pitcher for your bullpen in the game.

7: RP Blake Treinen – 84

• 90 H/9
• 71 K/9
• 73 BB/9
• 80 HR/9
• 75 Control
• 96 Velocity
• 99 Break
• 99 Clutch
• 683 total

The second Dodger in a row on this list, Treinen has explosive stuff that moves like crazy and leads to hitters looking foolish as they try to make contact on a pitch that ends up a foot and a half off the plate. Treinen is also one of the three players (him, Cade Smith, and Griffin Jax) with 70+ ratings in all eight pitching attributes. Obviously, his best three ratings are the bottom three: Velocity, Break, and Clutch. 

His control is maybe the one downside that you could have with him; you may get some additional walks and perhaps a wild pitch or two by playing as Treinen instead of some of the other pitchers on this list. 

6: RP Griffin Jax – 83

• 86 H/9
• 72 K/9
• 76 BB/9
• 80 HR/9
• 78 Control
• 99 Velocity
• 95 Break
• 99 Clutch
• 685 total

Don’t get me wrong, as a Twins fan, I know that Griffin Jax is a great pitcher, but is he the sixth-best bullpen arm in the MLB right now? I suppose it doesn’t matter because he’s the sixth-best bullpen arm in MLB, the Show 25, so I might as well just sit back and be happy that they think so highly of a Twins player.

His MLB The Show ratings reflect a great 2024 season, and his potential to keep that trend continuing going forward. He is one of the three relievers with 70+ ratings in all eight categories, and his velocity and break are enough to make him a very valuable asset in the game.

5: CP Mason Miller – 88

• 99 H/9
• 99 K/9
• 57 BB/9
• 72 HR/9
• 84 Control
• 99 Velocity
• 95 Break
• 80 Clutch
• 685 total

Mason Miller is exciting as one of the hardest throwers in the league; he is touching 103 MPH on some of his pitches, and batters simply can’t catch up to the stuff. He and Felix Bautista are the only relievers with a 90+ K/9 on this list, and unlike Bautista, Miller has a BB/9 above 50. Miller finished in fourth place in the Rookie of the Year race last season and is still only 26, making him the second youngest pitcher on this list (behind Cade Smith, who is almost 26).

His velocity on his four-seamer is his main strength, but he’s also got a nasty slider that can get righties chasing out of the zone and a circle change that can throw off a batter’s timing on the 103 fastball. 

4: RP Matt Strahm – 84

• 94 H/9
• 77 K/9
• 81 BB/9
• 69 HR/9
• 81 Control
• 88 Velocity
• 99 Break
• 97 Clutch
• 686 total

Matt Strahm’s got an excellent slider, which likely accounts for his 99 break. The rest of his traits aren’t as elite, but he is just really good at many things; it makes up for the fact that three of his four pitches aren’t top-tier. He’s got one of the best BB/9 ratings of this whole group, reflecting the fact that he gave up only 11 walks in his 62.2 IP last year.

3: CP Ryan Helsley – 85

• 92 H/9
• 80 K/9
• 53 BB/9
• 87 HR/9
• 80 Control
• 99 Velocity
• 97 Break
• 99 Clutch
• 687 total

Ryan Helsley’s got the usual relief pitcher ratings split: High 90s in H/9, velocity, break, and clutch, and incredibly low BB/9 ratings, while K/9, HR/9, and control are what end up determining if the reliever is any better than his peers. Helsley got an 80 K/9, 87 HR/9, and 80 control, which is (along with his 295 points between the last three attributes, which is the best on the list) good enough to put him in the top 3 of relievers in the game.

He also throws heat, so he can keep hitters off-balance.

2: CP Jeff Hoffman – 86

• 95 H/9
• 81 K/9
• 65 BB/9
• 76 HR/9
• 84 Control
• 99 Velocity
• 99 Break
• 95 Clutch
• 694 total

Hoffman’s got the typical split for these relievers, but his BB/9 is noticeably higher than most other players with incredibly high velocity, break, and clutch numbers. This is a reflection of the real-life improvement in all parts of his game, which gives him an advantage over guys who are content with being high-strikeout and walk guys. Hoffman went from a 9 K/9 guy to putting up a 12.1 K/9 last season. He’s also decreased the number of walks he gives up a season from 45 in 2021 to 16 last year.

1: CP Emmanuel Clase – 91

• 99 H/9
• 60 K/9
• 89 BB/9
• 87 HR/9
• 86 Control
• 99 Velocity
• 90 Break
• 99 Clutch
• 709 total

I would argue that Clase has a case for being the best pitcher in the league right now, but obviously, no one wants to crown a closer as the best pitcher. He finished third in the Cy Young race last year and has been an all-star every year since 2022.

Clase has seven attributes at 85 or better. The one exception is K/9, as that’s not his game. Clase has not had a season where he hit double-digit K/9 numbers, usually sitting at about one strikeout per inning, which makes him a bit unusual in this group, but it works. He misses barrels with his hard cutter, which can touch 100 MPH on occasion, and his crazy 90+ MPH slider, which comes in before batters even recognize that it’s off speed.