MLB The Show 26 disrespects Tigers, Tarik Skubal as Big Baseball favors Dodgers

It's a simple answer when being asked who the best starting pitcher in baseball is. The cute argument is Paul Skenes — and it may not be entirely wrong — but the correct answer is Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Skubal has won the American League Cy Young in each of the last two seasons and is headed toward resetting the market for starting pitchers when he hits free agency next offseason.

Winning consecutive Cy Young awards is an effective argument in itself, and it worked in Skubal's favor during his arbitration hearing against the Tigers last month. Apparently, it doesn't help him to be viewed as the best starting pitcher in MLB The Show 26.

Tarik Skubal's snub in the MLB Show certainly will have Tigers fans rolling their eyes

The early release for baseball's top video game is next week, and the top players ranked at each position have been revealed. Shockingly, Skubal didn't take home the honor of being the top starting pitcher in the game.

1. Shohei Ohtani, 92
2. Tarik Skubal, 91
3. Paul Skenes, 90
4. Garrett Crochet, 89
5. Zack Wheeler, 89
6. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 87
7. Chris Sale, 87
8. Blake Snell, 87
9. Bryan Woo, 86
10. Jacob DeGrom, 86

Yes, the Dodgers have three starting pitchers ranked, and it's hard to make much of an argument against that. That being said, given the circumstances that have surrounded Ohtani as a pitcher, it seems overzealous to give him the top spot.

And, honestly, chances are the game's developers may agree. Important context here is that the game does not have a defined grouping for designated hitters. In other words, Ohtani's status is certainly based on his pitching attributes, but also taking into account that he's the best hitter in the game outside of Aaron Judge.

The consolation is that Skubal is easily the top starting pitcher in the American League. Of course, the nightmare scenario is that Skubal signs with the Dodgers next offseason, and next year's list just becomes a mapping out of Los Angeles' rotation.

Along those lines, this year's version of The Show allows you to put the GM hat on and avoid that from happening. They've revamped their trade logic and added even more behind the scenes to make Franchise mode feel like a true impression of the regular season. They've also added "Bear Down" pitching, which, like Skubal, allows you to reach back in the tank when you need a little extra get-up.