Which MLB players’ real-world performance can help boost your video game results?
Star Watch, an MLB collaboration with eBaseball™: MLB Pro Spirit, lets baseball fans vote for the player they think will shine the most on the field from a selection of 10 top stars. There is a new stat theme featured every month, which for July is innings pitched.
Download the game now to vote on who you think will perform best, and the pitcher with the best real-world stats will be upgraded in the game.
Voting ends Tuesday, and the following 10 players are in the mix to be upgraded:
- Aaron Nola (PHI)
- Shota Imanaga (CHC)
- Hunter Greene (CIN)
- Mitch Keller (PIT)
- Seth Lugo (KC)
- Kutter Crawford (BOS)
- Logan Webb (SF)
- Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL)
- Tarik Skubal (DET)
- Zack Littell (TB)
To help you vote, MLB.com has selected a few players from the above list for a closer look. (NOTE: The Red Sox announced June 25 that Kutter Crawford will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after undergoing right wrist surgery; Aaron Nola and Hunter Greene will begin the month of July on the injured list, and Nola is not currently expected back before August.)
Logan Webb (SF)
Just generally, if you're looking for sheer volume, Webb is your guy. He led all of baseball in innings pitched in 2023 and '24 and was the only player to throw at least 200 innings in each of the last two seasons. But for a month's worth of innings, you're worried less about overall durability and more about efficiency and longer outings. That's actually another point for Webb, who's gotten through at least seven innings on eight separate occasions this year, tied for the Major League lead.
Seth Lugo (KC)
Speaking of the 200-IP benchmark, only four players hit it in 2024. Webb, as we've established, was one, followed by Zack Wheeler, Logan Gilbert and … Lugo. Unexpected for a starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter-again, but he averaged the fourth-most innings per start last year (6.26) and although it is a new year, he's still averaging 5.93 in 2025, well above league average (5.25 IP/GS).
Tarik Skubal (DET)
Strikeouts can be a barrier to a long outing -- the three-pitch minimum really gets you -- but that doesn't really apply to Skubal. The average MLB plate appearance lasts 3.88 pitches, 4.88 for PAs ending in strikeouts; Skubal averages 3.75 per batter faced and 4.59 per strikeout. Minor differences, but over a month's worth of outings, those are fractions of pitches you're happy to get back. Otherwise, for a healthy pitcher at full strength, the biggest barrier to a long outing is poor performance -- Skubal is so good that the Tigers generally don't find themselves in a position to pull him early, as evidenced by his 6.40 IP per start (second in MLB.)
Zack Littell (TB)
A solid sleeper pick, Littell is one of two pitchers on the list with a complete game this season (the other is Skubal.) This is due in part to his ruthless efficiency, also something that stands out among the crowd. Littell needs on average 14.2 pitches to get through a frame, second-fewest among pitchers with at least 50 IP this season.
eBaseball™: MLB Pro Spirit features all 30 MLB teams, their home stadiums, as well as active MLB players, including KONAMI baseball game ambassador Shohei Ohtani. The game centers on collecting and training a roster of real MLB players to create the strongest team and compete against rivals to win a championship.
Experience the thrill of fast-paced baseball action on your mobile device. Download now and get into the spirit of the game!
