Dodgers Rumors: Each Dodgers’ Player Rating in MLB the Show 17
By Evan Lovett
Chase Utley – 74
The veteran second baseman sees himself fall to a 74 rating in this years MLB the Show, showing the affects that age has on the game of baseball. At one point, Utley was one of the most feared batters in baseball and arguably was the best second basemen of his time.
His three-year stretch from 2006-08 was remarkable and was the prime of Utley’s career. Although he did have good seasons before and after that fact, those three years of Utley’s career is going to be what defines him in his future hall of fame discussion. Whether or not he gets an induction will be seen, but he has made his case.
In that three-year span Utley slugged a combined 87 home runs, drove in 309 runs batted in while batting at a .310 mark. In fact, according to FanGraphs, Utley was the second best player in all of baseball in that span according to Wins Above Replacement. The only man that was able to out perform Utley was Albert Pujols.
However, despite starting the majority of games last season, here in 2017 Utley has seen himself take a back seat. Now sitting behind Logan Forsythe, Utley’s biggest use is for his experience, wisdom, and coming in during key situations in which he will thrive. Giving him a 74 rating seems to be the perfect evaluation for what Utley brings to the table.