All-Star week has come and gone, and that typically means the endgame is here in MLB The Show 25. The 99s are officially here. Soon, we’ll be going up against super team after super team online, so you’ll want a great team of your own. With three great cards to choose from in the boss pack, we have the breakdown on which you should take first.
The three bosses in the 6th Inning program are:
Ted Simmons, C, 99 Overall
Simmons is a catcher who can also play 1B, 3B, and LF. The Cardinals legend brings a lot of consistency at the plate and definitely won’t hurt you defensively behind it. He’s more of a contact hitter, with elite contact attributes and above average power numbers. Speed is an issue, so be careful about playing him in the outfield if you take him. However, his three infield positions are all strong options.
Why you should take Simmons: For me, there’s a real dilemma here. Ted Simmons is graded as the number two catcher in MLB The Show 25, but I don’t see a reason to play him there if you already have Cal Raleigh or Adley Rutschman. Even the Carlos Santana catcher card is still showing up in a lot of lineups. However, many teams have a weakness at first base. Simmons is rated the 6th-best 1B in the game right now, and the fact that he’s a switch hitter increases his value in my opinion.
If you are the type of player who uses speed and chaos on the bases with timely hitting, Simmons will fit in nicely. If you rely on building the best power lineups like many of us, Cal Raleigh is a better bet behind the plate.
Chase Utley, 2B, 99 Overall
Chase Utley brings a lot to the table. His cards are usually popular within the community, and he has secondaries this time. Utley is more balanced than Simmons, with every contact and power attribute between 101 and 115. He has diamond-level defense, too. This is a card that doesn’t wow you anywhere but is excellent as a complete package.
Why you should take Utley: Second base doesn’t have a whole lot of elite players at this point in the game cycle. The Ketel Marte All-Star card is better, but that’s about it. Chase Utley grades out as the second-best 2B in the game. The key factor here is that he also grades out as the best 1B in the game. He’s elite on the entire right side of the infield. One weakness of his is that he’s a left-handed hitter. With so many of the top pitchers in the game being nasty lefties, you want to limit left-on-left matchups when hitting as much as you can.
If you don’t mind the left-on-left matchups, this is a great pick. If not, maybe go in a different direction. There are other great options at second base. Brooks Lee, for example, is highly affordable and plays above his attributes. And he’s a switch hitter.
Corey Kluber, SP, 99 Overall
I know people who play MLB The Show 25 that swear by Corey Kluber as an elite pitcher in the game. At least when he gets high overall cards, which this Signature Series certainly is. Aside from the fantastic card art, Kluber brings strong attributes and an outstanding pitch mix. A 100 Hits/9 and 104 Pitching Clutch are strong but not elite—like Utley, it’s the total package here that impresses.
Why you should take Kluber: It’s all about the pitch mix here. Give me a pitcher with a great sinker, slider, and cutter combo, and I’m going to make some players look like fools online. That’s precisely what Kluber has. According to ShowZone, he has the top-ranked slurve in the game among starting pitchers. The slider is ranked 8th, and the cutter is ranked 14th. I also think starting pitching is really top-heavy this year. The elite group is small. Anytime you can give online opponents someone they haven’t faced a bunch of times already, that’s an advantage for you.
Who Should You Take?
If you go purely by the ShowZone meta overall rankings, Utley is ranked 10th, Simmons is 16th, and Kluber is the 34th-best player in the game. If you need a second baseman, taking them in that order definitely won’t hurt you. They all grade out as the second-best players at their primary position, so you’re getting a great addition regardless of who you choose.
When I pick, I think I’m taking Simmons first. He gives me a versatility that Utley doesn’t. I’m also extremely happy with Brooks Lee at 2B for the time being. Switch hitters matter a lot in MLB The Show 25. When other things are equal, that’s the tiebreaker for me. After that, I’m probably taking Kluber second. I feel better with him in the next Weekend Classic than I do some of my current starters, who are nearing the end of their MLB The Show 25 tenure.
