MLB The Show 21 has determined just two current ballplayers are worthy of the 99 overall rating - at least in its default rankings. In MLB The Show 21's Diamond Dynasty, things are different, with three different players earning the coveted highest OVR.
Fans could spend hours trying to figure out who should be a part of this elite club, but few would deny Mike Trout and Jacob deGrom, the two 99-overall players in The Show 21's regular ratings, are the best in today's Major League Baseball. But who are the best Diamond Dynasty ballplayers? The answer is complex, as there are many different ways of assembling the highest-rated ball club, and some require sacrificing many good players for one legend.
While Diamond Dynasty allows users to insert their own Road To The Show ballplayers into the game mode, it also keeps track of every player card's statistics, which in turn allows these players to develop without users having to apply any equipment or skill boosts. The better a ballplayer performs, the more experience their card earns, leading to a boost in attributes.
MLB The Show 21's Four Top Diamond Dynasty Player Cards
The absolute best player cards in Diamond Dynasty can all be earned by accomplishing various challenges within the game mode. For example, 99-OVR players like Jackie Robinson can be earned by completing their respective card collections, whereas a 95-overall Mike Trout can only be earned by way of opening packs or purchasing the card on the marketplace. The following list includes the highest-rated players as of May 7, 2021, but these are subject to change; MLB The Show regularly updates ratings based on real-life performance, so Trout and others could shift around throughout the season.
Diamond Dynasty 99-OVR Players
- Alfonso Soriano - LF, Washington Nationals
- Chipper Jones - 3B, Atlanta Braves
- David Ortiz - 1B, Boston Red Sox
- Jackie Robinson - 2B, Brooklyn Dodgers
Diamond Dynasty 96-OVR Players
- Tom Glavine - SP, New York Mets
- Steve Finley - CF, San Francisco Giants
Diamond Dynasty 95-OVR Players
- Mike Trout - CF, Los Angeles Angels
- Frank Tanana - SP, Los Angeles Angels
- Rickey Henderson - LF, Oakland Athletics
- Rich "Goose" Gossage - CP, New York Yankees
There are many more highly rated Diamond Dynasty players available, including Ken Griffey Jr. (88 overall), Nolan Ryan (92), Kenny Lofton (93), and Cal Ripken Jr. (88), to name just a few of the legends on the marketplace. Of the current-day ballplayers, only a handful were given a Diamond Dynasty rating above 90, besides Mike Trout: Mookie Betts (92), Jacob deGrom (91), Nolan Arenado (90), Codey Bellinger (90), Gerrit Cole (90), and Ronald Acuna Jr. (90). Arguments could be made that reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman (89) and the game's cover athlete, Fernando Tatis Jr. (88), should be in this group as well, but they both come in just below the mark.
Putting together a roster full of the best players in MLB The Show 21 requires a lot of tough decisions. Is a 99-overall Jackie Robinson worth turning in a host of other talented players in his card collection? Would a manager be better off with the game's best pitcher, Tom Glavine, or holding onto the highly rated players it takes to get him, slowly upgrading the players' attributes by grinding it out on the field? With more Diamond Dynasty packs to be released over the course of the season, players can expect to see more and more highly rated cards become available.