Let me be clear about something right up front: Compared to most other “Ultimate Team” modes seen in modern sports games, Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 25 is easily the best I’ve ever played. Because of the massive skill gap involved in both hitting and pitching, most players prioritize getting better over having the latest, greatest cards. That said, the game isn’t immune to the kind of grind seen in most card-collecting modes.
At the end of the day, gaming is a business. And despite San Diego Studio’s MLB The Show being the least of the offenders out there, it is an offender nonetheless. Too often — especially this year — the best cards in the game have been locked behind a paywall. And because Diamond Dynasty is a mode that capitalizes on gamers’ unhealthy “fear-of-missing-out” addiction, many might find themselves forking out real money in order to buy Stubs (the in-game currency) in order to constantly upgrade their teams.
But what if I told you that this kind of approach wasn’t necessary? What if I told you that being a no-money-spent player is just as viable as it’s ever been, and that you don’t need every meta card available in the game?
Here, I’ll discuss how I’ve avoided opening my wallet to be competitive in MLB The Show 25 Diamond Dynasty. I’ll also list a few cards that have continued to carry me through the tough times — cards you can get either for free or for dirt cheap.
How Do You Want To Play Diamond Dynasty?
Before getting into the cards themselves, I’d like to take a second to talk about what kind of player you want to be when playing Diamond Dynasty. From where I’m sitting, there are three camps:
- Collectors: You treat Diamond Dynasty the way you would a real-life binder full of baseball cards. In short, you want to collect everything you possibly can, just to say you did.
- Competitors: Collecting cards isn’t as important to you, so long as you are winning and are competitive in both Ranked and Weekend Classic.
- The Anguished: You want both, but aren’t particularly well-versed in either. You believe that getting better cards will make you a better player, and thus resort to exhausting your Stubs every time a new card is on the market.
From where I’m sitting, the first two options are valid. If collecting is what you want to do, go for it. If you are uber competitive, then fair enough — I am too. The only one that disappoints me is the third category.
Now, do better cards perform better? Sure, but only if you know what you’re doing. If you are hitting .230 with the 90-rated Elly De La Cruz, then I don’t know how else to say this, but buying that Pipeline Past Kyle Schwarber isn’t going to help you. Sure, maybe a few of those base hits you’ve picked up will become extra base hits, but there really isn’t anything a better card will do for you in terms of individual performance.
If you fall into the third category (don’t lie, I know you do), then you are whom I’m writing this article for. That said, here are some ways to get better at the game, as well as some cards that can help you once you’re ready to compete.
You Need To Practice
If you’re tired of helplessly burning Stubs on cards, then the first thing you need to do is practice. I know that’s not what some of you may want to hear, but it’s true — as I’ve already iterated, there is no card available in MLB The Show 25 that will magically turn you into a better player. Only repetition can do that.
In the past, we’ve covered a ton of topics on how to be a better hitter or pitcher. Additionally, it’s time for you to step into the practice arena and get into the swing of things (pun only mildly intended). Everyone’s method of getting better is different, but these are the methods that work for me the best.
If you need to improve with your hitting, follow the tips we’ve linked above. Once you have them burned into your brain, go into the Custom Practice area and take some swings. What I personally like doing, especially if I haven’t played in a few days, is to take some swings with Aaron Judge on Legend difficulty. Not only is Legend typically above the level I prefer to play at (shameless Hall of Fame guy here), but Judge is one of, if not the, biggest guys in the game. So not only will pitches be coming at you faster than you’re accustomed to, but his strike zone will require you to cover way more space with your PCI. Once you’ve spent 10-15 minutes flailing at pitches or fouling them off, you’ll start making better contact. And once you’re good to go on Legend, hitting on All-Star or Hall of Fame will be much easier.
In terms of pitching, throwing to a CPU-controlled hitter won’t do much for you at any level — the only real way to get better at pitching is to start tunneling pitches and experimenting with different things in low-stakes multiplayer modes such as Events.
What Cards In Diamond Dynasty Are Better Than You Think?
Now that you’ve been practicing, it’s time to build your squad. While there is no replacement for getting better at the game, there are cards out there that won’t perform the way you want against Diamond-level pitchers. So, what cards are effective and won’t break you in terms of spending Stubs?
Carlos Pena – Summer Series
If you’re a dedicated Diamond Dynasty player, you already know that Carlos Pena has long been a player who constantly performs better than his attributes would have you think. The Tampa Bay Rays’ first baseman typically has lower contact and high power with decent Clutch, but for some reason, everything he squares up is completely mashed.
As one of the mid-tier cards available in the Summer Series pack, Pena’s 92-rated card can currently be bought with a buy order of around 8,000 Stubs on the marketplace. By this stage of the game, you should have at least a decent surplus of Stubs to spend. So, unless you’re saving up to complete Live Series, 8K shouldn’t be a bank buster.
Colt Keith – Moonshot Series
I don’t know why, but Colt Keith has one of the sweetest swings in MLB The Show. Diamond Dynasty players discovered this last year after one of the Detroit Tigers infielders’ Topps Now cards was overperforming in Battle Royale and Events.
Like Pena, Keith is super affordable on the marketplace, and can currently be bought for about 2,300 Stubs. He’s not great at his primary second base, but he is more than usable at third or first, or as a DH if you don’t already have a juiced hitter there.
Nate Pearson – Pipeline Past Series
Assuming you are already good at hitting, let’s talk about pitching for a second. Because, unlike hitting, a card with a decent pitch mix can only get you so far. Even if you are great at tunneling and sequencing, poor control and per-9’s will do you in eventually. This is where a card like Nate Pearson comes into play.
Not only does he have an outlier fastball, but he has a ridiculous slow circle-change that only goes 78 MPH. This will constantly keep hitters off-balance at the plate if you’re working both pitches in. He also has the meta sinker, slider, and 12-6 curve.
Compared to Pena or Keith, Pearson is a bit more expensive at around 22,000 Stubs. But if you have the cash, he’s a must-have and will likely ace your rotation.
The General Idea
The general idea around all of this is to prioritize getting cards that play up and have enough tools to compete. None of the cards listed above are the “best” in the game, but they can compete against them and are available at a fraction of the cost.
And don’t make unnecessary changes. If you’re good with a card, stick with it until it’s obvious a change is needed. My 88-rated Cody Bellinger is still mashing for me and has a batting average of over .380, so why replace him? To have a shiny, new card?
