Somehow we’re onto the second season of Battle Royale already in MLB The Show 23. Diamond Dynasty has seen some major changes this year, but for the most part the Battle Royale structure has largely remained the same. The big change compared to last year is the lack of Rewind packs so far though they’re likely to appear at some point. There’s also no longer an exclusive Program card nestled in the program path.

As for the actual BR content drop, we’re getting 3 new 99 overall powerhouses with a couple community favorites making their glorious debuts.

Battle Royale 2 Program Breakdown

Awards Series Vida Blue

Vida Blue adds some much needed left-handed starting pitching to the meta. So far, the meta has been dominated by RHP and Vida at least adds some variety to the mix. At this point we pretty much know what to expect from Vida Blue cards and this delivers more of the same. You’ll get a funky release from the left-hand side which can cause problems for some hitters, especially when paired with Vida’s 100+ MPH heater. The major attributes come in fairly strong with 111 H/9 and 91 BB/9, although the 99 PCLT is a bit underwhelming as Vida becomes a bit more hittable with runners in scoring position.

Truthfully, I’ve never been too big on Vida Blue cards simply due to his pitch mix. You’ll be able to place his 4-Seamer pretty much wherever you want with maxed out Control complimented by maxed out Velocity and Break. The Changeup and Slider are probably going to play a lot better than the Curveball, despite the Curveball being his second best pitch attribute wise. There’s an outside chance that Vida and Curveballs in general grade out better this year with the improvements to hitting, but I still view Vida a bit down compared to other starters. You’ll absolutely dominate any opponents that can’t handle velocity, but at least in this Flawless Choice Pack I think Vida is easily the last card I’d take.

This Vida Blue does rank as the 8th best Starting Pitcher based off True Overall and 9th overall in Meta Overall. Because of this, Awards Series Vida Blue would fit just fine in my starting rotation but I’d choose plenty of Starters over him without much hesitation.

Retro Finest Jorge Posada

There are few things in life that excite me as much as a 99 overall Jorge Posada. Posada is a beloved community favorite due to his switch-hitting prowess and incredible swing. Slap a 99 overall rating and some juicy attributes on him and we’re cooking with gas.

As mentioned above when talking about Vida Blue, the meta is loaded with RHP right now which plays into Posada’s strong-side as he crushes RHP with his 101/117 Contact/Power splits. He holds his own against LHP as well with maxed out Contact and 92 POW L. The ever important Clutch rating at 95 certainly makes Posada a tougher run producer with runners in scoring position, but I truly believe Posada’s S-tier swing will offset the attributes as always. Posada is also more than serviceable behind the dish with 84 Fielding and an 87 Arm to boot.

Retro Finest Jorge Posada weighs in as the 4th best Catcher in terms of True Overall at 99.03, but shines as the 3rd best Catcher in terms of Meta Overall at 103.51.

Charisma Ken Griffey Jr.

How’s this for a redemption arc? After last year’s disastrous debacle with the first 99 overall Griffey, SDS has washed away their sins by dropping a much better version of the beloved slugger. This isn’t the best Griffey Jr. we’ve ever seen, nor is it likely to be the best we see this year but it’s definitely an elite card. The fact that we’re even talking about a 99 overall Ken Griffey Jr. in April is a testament to how refreshing the sets and seasons model is in Diamond Dynasty this year.

Charisma Griffey features a pretty balanced offensive profile, predictably and slightly better against RHP but no slouch against LHP. The Kid is clutch, coming in with a stock 118 CLT that will make that sweet swing even deadlier with runners in scoring position. We get the usual elite defensive profile with good Speed and exceptional Stealing attributes as well. All told, this is a legitimate 5-tool Outfielder that will fit into every DD lineup and will almost certainly be a meta mainstay throughout the first two seasons in Diamond Dynasty.

Exactly how good is this Griffey? He’s the number 1 Center Fielder in True Overall at 103.63 and 2nd best in terms of Meta Overall at 104.92. However, keep in mind that Griffey can play all three Outfield positions and he still rates out as one of the very best. Charisma Griffey ranks behind only Babe Ruth and Sammy Sosa in the True Overall category and still ranks out as 6th best in Meta Overall.

The significance behind Griffey’s rankings lies in the fact that you can earn this card for free simply by completing the Battle Royale Program. You don’t have to go 12-0 in BR to obtain this card. Just draft some teams, play some games and have fun and you’ll be able to add Charisma Ken Griffey Jr. to your Diamond Dynasty squad in due time.

Missions

The mission structure remains familiar in this program. You can earn 4 program points each for grinding out 500 PXP with each of the following respective cards:

Silver – WBC Shlomo Lipetz, Duque Hebbert, Eric Sogard and Guillermo Zuniga

The standard stat accumulation missions are as follows:

Repeatable: Win 1 BR Game – 1 program point

Rewards

5 program points – 500 Stubs