The third edition of Weekend Classic has officially come to an end, which means that San Diego Studio has unveiled its latest Ranked rewards for the month of June in MLB The Show 25. Last go-around, players were given the option of picking either Mets starting pitcher Pedro Martinez or Blue Jays outfielder George Springer for hitting World Series. Now, two new cards are up for grabs.
As a reward for reaching World Series in the next few weeks, players will be given the option of taking either Yankees second baseman Alfonso Soriano or Mets pitcher Al Leiter. Let’s break down each card and see if they’re worthy of sweating it out in Ranked.
MLB The Show 25 June World Series Rewards
Alfonso Soriano
First up is second baseman Alfonso Soriano. Based on his 30-30 season with the New York Yankees in 2003 — which would be his last in the Bronx for 10 years after the monumental trade in which the Yanks got Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers — this Soriano card is incredible at the plate, capable in the field, and has good enough speed to be a threat on the basepaths. Here are the core attributes:
- 94 Contact R
- 100 Contact L
- 102 Power R
- 98 Power L
- 70 Vision
- 100 Clutch
- 76 Fielding
- 80 Arm Power
- 73 Arm Accuracy
- 75 Reactions
- 86 Speed
- 80 Steal
Prior to this past weekend, MLB The Show 25 dropped an incredible Derek Jeter card as one of the Bosses of the 4th Inning XP Reward Path. If you’re building a Yankees theme team, grabbing Soriano is a no-brainer as it pretty much locks up the middle infield pairing.
Once he hits Parallel 5, he’s gonna be a certified demon.
Al Leiter
If you already have second base locked down in your team and/or aren’t building a Yankees theme team, SDS has also put in a good 95-rated Al Leiter in World Series packs this season. I don’t know about any of you, but Al Leiter’s 86-rated Contributor card completely shoved for me in the early goings this year. Eventually, as the power creep increased, he became obsolete. But if his 95-rated card plays anything like his previous one, then he’s a must for any starting rotation. Here are the attributes:
- 100 Stamina
- 103 H/9
- 100 K/9
- 70 BB/9
- 87 HR/9
- 104 Pitching Clutch
- 77 Control
- 90 Velocity
- 99 Break
While this Leiter has decent velocity, it lacks control. But he more than makes up for it when it comes to his pitch mix and ability to get key outs. Boasting a sinker, cutter, curveball, slider, and changeup in his repertoire, Leiter will constantly keep opposing batters off-balance.
Which World Series Award Should You Take?
Typically, I play Ranked until I get to the 800 rating, which is required to unlock the World Series reward pack. Then, I do the same in Co-Op Ranked for a second pack. That said, I understand not everyone has the time or patience to get World Series twice so they can achieve both cards.
I hate to give a non-answer by saying “it depends on what you need”, because at the end of the day, that’s really what it comes down to. As of right now, quality starting pitchers have been plentiful. And, assuming his attributes are up to snuff, Alfonso Soriano will likely be one of the best hitters in the game. And, when given the choice, I’m always going to take the position player I can use in every game as opposed to a pitcher that will only be starting once every five games.
