Top 10 MLB The Show cards of all time

Major League Baseball’s flagship video game, MLB The Show, has featured some ridiculously overpowered players over the last few years, like any other sports game would have.

MLB The Show has a game mode called Diamond Dynasty, which is The Show’s take on EA Sports’ Ultimate Team game modes, where gamers try to put together their dream squad with the best player cards in the game.

Over the years, The Show has featured some incredibly overpowered cards, so I will be ranking my top-10 Diamond Dynasty cards of all time.

10. Byron Buxton Monthly Awards Card, The Show 21

In the first monthly awards reward path of MLB The Show 21, Byron Buxton was the lightning player. This card was only a 95 overall, but had 99 speed, diamond fielding and a glitchy swing to go along with it.

Also, it was very easy to lay down a bunt with Buxton’s monthly awards card, as he would beat out the throw every time, making this one of the most annoying cards to go up against.

9. Kyle Schwarber Monthly Awards Card, The Show 21

Kyle Schwarber’s monthly awards lightning card was even more overpowered than Buxton’s. Schwarber’s card had 110 contact and max power versus righties, while having 97 contact and 100 power versus lefties.

If you hit a ball on the barrel with this Schwarber card, it was a home run every time.

8. George Brett’s Finest Card, The Show 22

In about May or June of 2022, Sony thought it was a good idea to release this 99 overall George Brett card with some insane attributes. His contact versus right-handed pitchers was maxed out, while his contact versus lefties was nearly maxed.

Brett’s finest card also had good power and max vision, which meant that this card was guaranteed to get you a hit almost every time you were at bat with Brett.

7. Alfonso Soriano 40-40 Club Card, The Show 21

Alfonso Soriano’s 40-40 club milestone card in MLB The Show 21 was one of the live series rewards in the game.

Many people struggled to hit with this card, but also a lot of people raked with this card too. While the attribute ratings don’t jump off the board with Soriano’s card, his swing was very good.

This card was frustrating to go against, especially if your opponent was good and disciplined at the plate. If you threw this card a pitch in the zone, that ball would go into the stands every time.

6. Mike Trout World Baseball Classic Card, The Show 23

Mike Trout has always had great cards over the many editions of MLB The Show that he has appeared in, but his World Baseball Classic Card from The Show 23 was just nuts. This card was released when the game came out and was absurdly overpowered.

Trout’s power and contact against both lefties and righties were in the 100s, with his power against righties was maxed. Also, this card played great in the field and had 95 speed, which made this one of the best in MLB The Show 23 for the whole game cycle.

5. Any Shohei Ohtani Card

The reason why I am saying any Shohei Ohtani card in MLB The Show is overpowered comes from the sense that every single card Sony gives Ohtani is insane. As a two-way player, Ohtani could pitch and hit, making his cards super effective.

Ohtani has one of the sweetest swings both in real life and in the video game and his fastball and slider combination makes MLB The Show players want to throw a controller through their television or monitor.

4. Chipper Jones MVP Card, The Show 21

Most of the cards on this list are from MLB The Show 21 because there were too many overpowered players in that game. Chipper Jones’ MVP card, which was obtained by completing the live series collection, was simply unfair.

Jones had a glitchy swing as a switch hitter and had max power and contact against left-handed pitchers. All around this card was a force to be reckoned with, and it was just better to intentionally walk Jones if you faced him in-game.

3. Trea Turner All-Star Card, The Show 21

While this card is not a 99 overall like most other cards on this list, Trea Turner’s All-Star card was simply unfair. Turner had a sweet swing in the game, great contact stats, including max contact against lefties, and 99 in nearly every baserunning category.

With this card, you could never hit into a double-play because Turner would beat out the throw every time, and you would just rake at the plate too.

2. Jacob DeGrom All-Star Card, The Show 21

I do not have to say much about Jacob DeGrom’s 2021 All-Star Card in The Show. This card threw 100+ miles per hour consistently, had a nasty slider and the outlier quirk, meaning that his pitches could exceed max velocity.

1. Edward Cabrera Future Stars Card, MLB The Show 21

At number one is Edward Cabrera’s infamous future stars card from The Show 21. Players could earn this card through the Team Affinity rewards path in-game. This card had a nasty sinker that traveled at over 100 miles per hour consistently, and players would spam the pitch inside, making it unhittable. He even had the outlier perk on the card.

Cabrera’s sinker was so nasty that the developers had to nerf the accuracy and velocity of inside sinkers. Yes, you heard that right, the developers had to nerf a pitch because someone’s card was too overpowered. That is why this card is the best MLB The Show card ever.

Ian Rothenberg is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email imr5327@psu.edu