Not everyone is going to agree, but I happen to enjoy the changes that MLB The Show 25 has made to Diamond Dynasty this year. The power creep and abundance of programs have kept the game interesting and have resulted in a lot of lineup diversity across the mode. Sure, I wish Live Series Collections and the like weren’t so broken due to the insane online market. But nothing’s perfect, right? That said, if you’re good enough at the game and are in need of some high-value cards to flip for value, then Battle Royale is right up your alley.
Admittedly, BR isn’t what it once was in MLB The Show 25. This is largely in part due to San Diego Studio making the odd decision to give players these cards for free later down the line in Rewind Packs. Not only that, but these Rewind Packs are sellable, meaning that players earned through BR won’t hold their value for too long. Despite this, these cards are still valuable so long as you can get them while they’re current.
But what is Battle Royale, and how should players unfamiliar with its mechanics approach it? We’ve got the answer to all that here!
What Is Battle Royale In MLB The Show 25?
Before we talk about how to properly draft a team in Battle Royale mode, we must first establish what is for players who are either new to The Show or don’t play Battle Royale at all. To put it simply, Battle Royale (or “BR” as it’s commonly called) is a mode in which players are tasked with drafting a team of random players round by round, ultimately building out a full 26-man squad. In order to participate in BR, you must pay a 1,500 Stub entry fee.
In total, you will be given the opportunity to draft players of the following quality:
- 3 Diamond-rated players
- 4 Gold-rated players
- 9 Silver-rated players
- 9 Bronze-rated players
- 1 Common-rated player
In BR, each game is 3 innings, so it’s relatively quick in that regard. To get the best rewards — a Battle Royale Flawless pack — players must win 10 straight games without losing. However, the mode will allow you to still earn other player cards so long as you don’t lose twice in one entry.
I know that sounds like a lot, but trust me, it’s pretty simple.
OK, so you’re now ready to begin drafting a team. But what’s the best practice to use when drafting players? Here’s a few pointers.
Use Diamonds On Position Players, Not Pitchers
Because you are only given three Diamond players to select for your squad, these picks must be used on legitimate game changers that can help you win in each game. With this in mind, it should be mentioned that Diamond picks are never to be used on a pitcher, even if it is a 99-rated card.
Again, your Diamond players are finite. And to give you the best chances of winning each game, you want these players involved in every game. Even if you have one of the best pitchers in the game, they can only help you win once every 4-5 games due to stamina. Meanwhile, position players have no such limitations and can be paraded out onto the field at all times. No matter how tempting it is to take that 99 Roger Clemens card, you must find it in you to say no.
Pitch Mixes Are Of The Utmost Importance
So, if you’re not to use Diamond picks on pitchers, what is the best way to approach building out your starting rotation and bullpen in Battle Royale? The answer there is to spend your Bronze and some Silver picks to build those out, with pitch mixes being the priority.
Because these pitchers are all going to be lower-rated, you must look for players who have a sinker or cutter. Some of these lower-rated pitchers even have outliers on their pitches, which is a huge commodity in a mode so focused on games being glorified home run derbies.
Now, if you’ve already built out a decent lineup and bench with players you fancy, you can spend one of your Gold picks on a pitcher. But try not to overdo it. Remember, this is a mode that prioritizes offense above everything else.
Find Hitters With Meta Attributes Or Swings
Not every player you come across in your BR draft is going to be a high-rated hitter who rakes at the plate — some of them will have low attributes on the surface. But that doesn’t mean that some of these Gold or Silver-rated cards don’t perform above what their attributes tell you. We call these “budget beasts.”
Take a player like the 79-rated Jason Giambi, who is a Silver. He’s not a stud in the field, nor is he a well-balanced hitter. But because of his good tempo animation, swing timing window, and high power, he is an absolute menace at the plate, especially against the low-rated righties whom you will often encounter on the mound. The same can be said for Silver-rated cards such as the 79-rated Adam Dunn or Giancarlo Stanton’s live series card.
To go even further, you should be prioritizing power over anything else. Remember, these are three-inning games. It’s all about splash offense.
Burn Your Common Pick On A Starting Pitcher
Every BR draft will involve you picking a Common-rated player. Most experienced players will tell you to burn this pick on a 5th starter who you can skip in the rotation. I agree with this method, as your ace pitcher will typically recover stamina within three games, so long as you didn’t run him ragged in his first start.
That said, if you’ve already built your starting rotation with solid arms, feel free to burn it on a bench player who has high speed and can serve as a pinch runner when in a close game. You can also burn it on a righty-relief pitcher that can be used in emergencies.
To summarize, it’s good practice to use the Common pick on a starting pitcher. But if you no longer have space in that department, an emergency reliever or pinch runner can come in handy.
Balance Your Lineup And Bullpen
In order to effectively build a lineup or a bullpen, you must be sure to include a smattering of both righties and lefties (and switch hitters). Traditionally speaking, righty hitters don’t do well (or as well) against righty pitchers, and vice versa. In order to account for this, you must be sure to balance out your picks when it comes to handedness for both hitting and relief pitching.
For instance, if you used your first Diamond pick on a righty hitter, it’s probably best for you to use your next Diamond pick on either a lefty or switch hitter if you are able. This is even more important in regards to your bullpen, where lefty arms will be hard to find.
If you’re on a Silver or Bronze round and you see a lefty pitcher with a good mix of pitches, take ’em.
