MLB The Show 21 has been out in the wild for a few weeks now, and players have been taking advantage of all the new features that San Diego Studio has brought into the franchise. From the stadium creator to the new pinpoint pitching mode, the game has proven to be a hit among most longtime fans and newcomers alike. The same features that have made the franchise so well-liked are all still there too, chief among them being the weekly roster updates that SDS implements as the actual MLB season goes on.
These updates make playing MLB The Show 21 a more dynamic experience, as the skills of each player are updated in-game depending on how well they perform in real life. These updates may not be as important in the offline modes, but they can be crucial to how the popular Diamond Dynasty mode operates from week to week. In this mode, ballplayers are given a "Live Series" card that represents how they play in real time, and in the early part of any The Show game's lifecycle, many teams are made on these cards. It can make playing The Show an excitingly unpredictable experience, and it's worth evaluating what players can expect from these updates.
Stepping Up
For first-time players of Diamond Dynasty, building a team with the best cards can often be a daunting task. Some of the best cards are locked behind big challenges, and many diamond-tier Live Series cards can cost a lot of Stubs. This makes opting for silver or gold cards a much more manageable goal, and it can end up paying off for players in the long run. For example, if a ballplayer whose card started as a gold has a really good couple of weeks, their card could be updated to a diamond at no additional charge to the player. Not only does this make certain cards more viable, but it helps players save on Stubs in the process.
Striking Out
In the same way that lower-tier cards can be made into high-tier cards, players that start out with diamond ratings can fall to gold or even silver. No one wants to see their best ballplayer struggle to the point where it effects their performance in the game, but baseball can be an unpredictable sport where some players get hot and some fall into a slump. This ends up adding a layer of strategy to hunting down certain cards. Say someone playing The Show just bought a high-level diamond pitcher, but then they falter and drop to a gold. Not only do they become a less viable pitcher, but a good chunk of Stubs just got wasted where they could have gone towards a more reliable card.
Playing The Market
One of the biggest things influenced by roster updates in The Show is how the Diamond Dynasty market works from week to week. Like many games before it, The Show 21 has a market that is essentially like the stock market, where players can buy and sell Diamond Dynasty cards based on certain values. These roster updates directly effect the market because the higher a card is rated, the more they are valued and vice versa. The market has proven to be one of the most strategic ways to earn Stubs for many fans of the game, so following these roster updates can mean the difference between selling a card for a huge profit or busting on a bad investment.
The roster updates that SDS implements in MLB The Show 21 show just how much the developer is committed to making sure fans get the most accurate baseball experience possible. Not only does it evolve the game each week, but it helps tie players to the actual sport so that they know which ballplayers to keep a close eye on. Few sports games demonstrate such a strong level of dedication after launch, and it has helped The Show standout as a yearly sports series that really cares about how it's presented. Gamers can rest assured knowing that as long as the MLB season is going, The Show 21 will continue to receive updates.
MLB The Show 21 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.