Yesterday, big leaguer and Diamond Dynasty legend Joey Gallo announced that he's becoming a pitcher.
Yes, really.
Gallo recently requested and was granted his release from the Chicago White Sox. This foray back into free agency comes with definitive intrigue. Gallo choosing to become a pitcher at a time when his hitting has significantly declined can not only prolong his career, but it can also be the impetus behind some fun Diamond Dynasty cards.
Joey Gallo, DD-Darling
Joey Gallo has been one of the most popular players in Diamond Dynasty for several years. The big lefty has always had a great swing and his juicier cards have huge power. Not only that, but Gallo has been a defensive standout which has provided positional flexibility and solid-or-better fielding.
In terms of his actual MLB career, Gallo has dealt with injuries and never played a full 162 game season. In 10 seasons, Gallo only eclipsed 150 games once and 140+ games two other times.
Regardless, Gallo is a 2x All-Star and 2x Gold Glove winner. He's long possessed one of the most lethal arms in the field, so the transition to pitching is natural.
Two-Way Phenom?
There's no guarantee that Gallo will make a Major League roster as a pitcher. We certainly wish him all the luck and it would be an amazing story so I personally I hope he has great success.
In terms of MLB The Show 25, whether Gallo makes the successful transition or not, this is the perfect way to pump out a highly unique Gallo card in Diamond Dynasty.
If Gallo can't latch on with a team this year, it's entirely possible he retires and we don't have him in DD for a while. For SDS, why not have fun and create a card commemorating one of DD's most beloved players with a nice send-off?
These attributes are from his 99 overall Finest card last year. That card also had 3B, 1B, LF, and RF eligibility. Pretty nifty card already, but imagine pitching eligibility with an Outlier Fastball, nasty Slider, and dirty Splitter?
Well, that's thinking really big. We don't know what kind of pitch mix Gallo will use, but someone with an arm like his certainly has the frame and arm strength to be a power pitcher.
Even a card released at the current power levels could be a fun Gallo.
Maybe an 87 or 88 overall that's a primary pitcher, but maintains the ability to play 1B and the corner OF spots? We'd be talking pretty low Contact and Vision, with 100+ Power paired with an Outlier Fastball in this build.
Closing Thoughts
This doesn't feel entirely out of the question! We've seen Anthony Rizzo get a pitching card, not once, but twice! The Out of Position card series was new last year and featured a ton of legends at alternate positions than they were known for playing.
The freedom of expression remains with SDS, and here's to hoping that we see a two-way Joey Gallo sometime this year.
Cory Wayne Dell
Cory has been writing about all things baseball and gaming since 2022 and has been featured at Operation Sports as well as cited by Forbes. Cory is also a multi-instrumentalist and founder of the band Cargocastle. Cargocastle's latest single, "Truth and Reconciliation," is available on Spotify and all major streaming platforms. Cory is also the author of Shadow of a Monster, a personal memoir currently seeking publication.
