Season 6 is here in MLB The Show 25’s Diamond Dynasty, and the endgame has begun. For the first time, the three bosses in the XP program are rated 99 overall. There’s a lot of content besides the main bosses, though, and we’ve got you covered on everything you’ll want to do.
6th Inning XP Path
The XP path is the star of the 6th inning. In it, you’ll find packs, stubs, cosmetics, and specific cards. There are 40 levels to get through, and it takes 400,000 XP to get to Level 40. After Level 40, you can spin the wheel for additional packs or stubs every time you earn an additional 30,000 XP.
To earn XP, do the following things:
- Play any game mode in Diamond Dynasty
- Advance through programs that give XP boosts along the way
For example, the Multiplayer program will get you an additional 110,000 bonus XP if you complete it all. That’s a lot of XP, and will put you almost halfway to the first boss pack.
There are too many rewards to list them all, but you’ll get new cards at the following levels in the 6th Inning XP path:
- 7,500 XP: Cornerstone Evolution pack
- 27,500 XP: Cornerstone Evolution pack
- 70,000 XP: Cornerstone Evolution pack
- 135,000 XP: Kyle Seager 98 Overall Awards Series
- 205,000 XP: Boss Pack #1
- 330,000 XP: Boss Pack #2
The Cornerstone Evolution packs for the 6th Inning include 85 overall versions of Dontrelle Willis, Raul Ibanez, and Tony Oliva. Once you have any of them, you can complete their Evolution program to upgrade to a 97 overall version of the player.
Season 6 Bosses
The 6th Inning XP program has three bosses, just like each previous season did. This season, we get 99 overall boss cards for the first time. There’s a good mix of talent here, with three different cards that should help most players’ lineups.
Corey Kluber, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Kluber is one of those players that people either love or hate using in MLB The Show, but he definitely has his supporters. Hits per 9 isn’t bad at 100, and the pitch mix is there. A sinker/cutter/slider/slurve combo can be absolutely lethal if you know how to use it effectively. Kluber also has the Break Outlier quirk, which causes pitchers to use less break on their pitches as they become tired.
Ted Simmons, C, St. Louis Cardinals
There are other outstanding catchers in the game, so you’re probably playing Cal Raleigh or Adley Rutschman over Simmons behind the plate. However, what makes Ted Simmons’ HOF Series card so valuable is the secondary positions. He can play 1B, 3B, and LF. With First Base being surprisingly light so far this year in the game, Simmons is a great option there. He’s a switch-hitter, too, which significantly increases his value.
Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Utley always plays well in MLB The Show—at least for me. He has good hitting attributes and excellent defensive ones. Utley also can play at 1B, so that gives you another option if you already have the 99 overall Ketel Marte. The only concern here is that he’s a left-handed hitter, and most elite pitchers in this year’s game are lefties.
New Weekend Classic Content
This past weekend brought another Weekend Classic with all-new rewards. If you get a chance to win one of the new Weekend Classic packs, go all out to win and get it. This time, one of the best hitters in MLB The Show 25 is included.
Manny Ramirez, LF, Boston Red Sox
I managed to go 5-1 in Weekend Classic and earned this 99 overall card. It is absolutely worth the effort it takes to get it. All four contact and power attributes are over 100, and the 98 vision is outstanding for a Manny card. He’s only a silver in left field, but still an upgrade over the defensive adventures of Kyle Schwarber or Juan Soto. This card is still listed for more than 80,000 stubs in the marketplace, but expect it to drop in price throughout the week.
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies
There haven’t been a lot of great Rockies cards this year, but Jimenez is elite. He’s going to get overlooked because Manny Ramirez is the bigger name, but this is a great starting pitcher card. He features a 4-seam fastball, sinker, and splitter, with a slider and cutter thrown in. The outlier on the sinker will make that a nasty pitch, and the sinker/cutter combo is always filthy. A 113 Hits/9 is about as good as it gets for a starting pitcher at this point in the game cycle. He’ll cost you over 70,000 stubs right now, but like Ramirez, the price should come down throughout the week.
New Chase Pack
Chase packs are the one element of the game that reeks of a pay-to-win system. However, it’s not as bad as NBA 2K25’s system or even some of the practices in Madden or EA Sports FC. That said, the best cards in MLB The Show 25 are often hidden behind the Chase Pack paywall. This time it’s Jimmy Rollins, elite shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies. The card is really good. If you want it, you likely won’t regret having it in your lineup. It’ll just cost you over 300,000 stubs.
Some 6th Inning Tips
Here are some tips to help you advance through the 6th inning as quickly as possible:
- Complete the 5th inning collection and get the voucher that gets you a 50,000 XP head start on the 6th inning. Each of the 5th inning bosses is affordable in the marketplace now, and if you got all the way to the end of the last program, you’ll already have two of them.
- Do the exchanges inside the 6th Inning XP program. Most of us have enough common players sitting around by now to complete these easily. If you do both this and the boss collection, you’ll have 101,000 XP right away.
- Unless you really hate playing online, always complete the Multiplayer program. A new program will drop on 7/29, and you should be able to earn over 100,000 XP when playing through that.
