Every character has a mixup gameplay in one way or another: Number of Hit mix, Staggers/Throw, Shimmy setups, Auto Wiff punish moves, and some have Overhead/Low mix.
In my opinion the best characters to use close up are:
Jacqui:
Which has very strong staggers and cancels with possibly the best pressure in the game. Her only flaw is she doesn't have zoning but B22 jails so its safe and she gets in very easily and Dash punch while being duckable is unreactable.
Sonya:
Best 50/50's in the game and does very high damage. If you can do her ERDC's in the corner she does 50% off overhead and 40% + with low.
Cons: her overhead is punishable, all mixup strings are highs so low profiled. She doesn't have great mids but she is very good close up and full screen.
Sub Zero:
Has overhead and Low mixup with easy combos and high damage KB's. Very easy to use and has decent staggers. Very strong oki.
Scorpion: has possibly the best Shimmy strings and has reactable overhead/low strings because they all are on second hit and can all be fuzzy guarded. But he has amazing neutral, very good pokes, jailing pressure, Restands, and true 50/50 in Reborn from Hell Port Cancels and never runs out of bars. His teleports are all punishable if guessed right. Has the best teleport in the game and destroys zoners.
Geras, Erron, Baraka all have very good tools and are great in thier own ways:
Baraka has great neutral and us an up close God who hits very hard 40-60% with KB's. Decent zoning with flag buff. Just doesn't have true 50/50's but has staggers, plus on block pressure, shimmy and number of hit guess.
Erron black :
Is very good at everything, a million mids, 50/50 off mids and his new PutEmUp string. They are Fuzzyable but not many know how to guard it. Everything is safe but slide.. Great zoning and the best anti zoner except Scorpion. Godlike Fatal Blow and very good Krushing blow. 30% meterless combos and Auto Shimmy.
Geras:
has mix for days and a billion KB's and possibly the best JIP2 in the game, devastating up close pressure and one if the best pokes in the game and his U2 is godlike just like his Fatal Blow.
Jax Hunker down :
True 50/50's but they can be flawless blocked but you can stagger them to make them guess and catch them trying to Flawless block. When heated he has great zoning and KB's. One of the best up close brawlers in the game and good gap closers to get in. Slower projectiles but effective. Best Fatal Blow in the game and his gives him full heat, KB's and more chip/DMG which is a clutch mechanic. Numerous plus on block moves and a 9f mid that staggers into guess between throw, F33(mids), F331+3(mid mid overhead.
Cassie Cage:
Has true 50/50s but her low is very slow and one is very punishable but can be used for oki. Great staggers from F4/B24 and has built in number of hit guess with B24/11 being an auto shimmy. Her F4 is a 9f mid which is zero on block. Great anti airs with DB1amp and B3. Has tools for everything anywhere on screen. Great KB's. Doesn't really have cons other than fatal blow could be better and she doesn't have the best pokes but she really doesn't need em. S Tier for sure. I like Yaas Queen because she has shoulder to punish projectiles on block and amazing frame traps with every combo being +10 on Restands. Her Digital Soldier is her best Variety because she gas bigger combos midscreen and low gunshot which is amazing for zoning and counter zoning.
Take your pick really because every character has Make em guess, some are more honest than others but all are very good at mind games. But I think those are the best for what you asked.
