MLB The Show 25’s third inning program is here, and that means new bosses to pick from. Every possible choice is good, but some are better than others. Your team might have specific needs, but there are right answers when it comes to which player to take to meet them.
MLB The Show 3rd Inning Bosses
The XP program has 575,000 total XP to earn in the third inning. This time, though, Sony San Diego has made it a little bit easier to earn boss cards. The first boss card choice pack is earned at 245,000 XP, and the second will be yours when you earn 400,000 XP. If you want all three boss cards, you’ll have to purchase one of them from the marketplace using stubs.
The third inning features one outfielder, one infielder, and one pitcher to choose from. There has been a lack of secondary positions in MLB The Show 25 Diamond Dynasty, and that doesn’t change with this boss pack. Each position player has no secondary position. That’s likely to affect your choice when you earn one.
Bernie Williams, CF, Yankees
If you like building lineups with a lot of switch hitters, Bernie Williams is a great choice. His 1996 postseason series card is a much better hitter against lefties than righties. The card is still competitive against right-handers, though. The question marks with Williams come in the field. A reaction rating of 67 means he isn’t going to get great jumps in center. Speed of only 67 won’t help him make up for those jumps, either.
Players will need to be okay with Williams’s lower speed in the field, or be willing to use their DH spot on him. Bernie does have a high clutch rating, though, so he will deliver in some big moments.
Eric Gagne, CP, Dodgers
Eric Gagne’s 2004 All-Star series card showcases the devastating Vulcan changeup we’re accustomed to. With bullpen options a little light so far in MLB The Show 25, Gagne might be a good choice. His 105 hits/9 is good, but not as dominant as some other relievers we’ve already seen in Diamond Dynasty this year. Gagne has Outlier I, so his fastball will top 100 mph. He also has quirks that allow him to perform better on the road and at night. If you set your game time for nighttime, he will benefit from it.
One downside to keep in mind is that many players will take Eric Gagne. He’ll be in a lot of bullpens, and players will get a lot of looks at him. This might make him get hit around a bit, especially at the higher ratings in ranked.
Trevor Story, SS, Rockies
Trevor Story has been an MLB The Show darling at times. He has a swing that works well online, and Story has always been fast. None of that changes here. The 2020 Standout series card is much better against lefties than it is righties, but you’ll still do okay against RHP. The card’s 86 speed helps it stand out as well. If you’re looking to complete many of the Team Affinity journeys, Story gives you a good Rockies player in a year where there aren’t many.
The biggest issue with the Trevor Story card is that shortstop is loaded with talent in Diamond Dynasty this year. He has no secondary positions, so playing him will likely mean removing another outstanding player from the lineup.
Which Boss Card Should You Take?
If you have a gap in your lineup that one of these cards can fill, take that card first. Otherwise, I’m taking Eric Gagne first, and it’s not a difficult decision. Gagne can be dominant out of the bullpen and his stuff outweighs any oversaturation risk there is for the card.
My second choice is Bernie Williams, simply because switch hitters are extremely valuable in MLB The Show 25 Diamond Dynasty. The card is just good enough in the field that it’s not a huge liability.
Finally, Trevor Story is my third choice. It’s not even a bad card, but shortstop has so many great options that it’s not worth it unless I want to tackle the Colorado Rockies Team Affinity program.
Which card are you taking first?
