Meta Overall Update #2 – Hitting

As a reminder, Meta Overall is a new rating system this year created by ShowZone that attempts to closely rate cards based on how they fit the current meta of the game.  Unlike True Overall, which closely rates cards to how SDS does, Meta Overall gives the ShowZone team the creative ability to adjust the rating system on the fly and as the season goes on to account for what is currently considered meta.

Meta Overall is on a 0-99 scale, with 99 being the absolute end-game card at that position.  It is intended for use on a position-by-position basis, so you can take a look at a card and know if, at that position, it will be in your lineup for a substantial amount of time or just make a short appearance.  For more details, check out this video by @Kasabe which explains the concepts around Meta Overall in-depth!

The most complex component of Meta Overall is finding the best way to utilize only attributes to make the best hitters at each position float to the top of the rankings, especially considering hitters mostly have eligibility across several positions and each position has its own unique set of important and less important attributes.

A lot of times it can make the work of adjusting Meta Overall feel like putting together one of those wooden puzzles you see on coffee tables. Where each movement you make effects other moves you make, which effects other moves you make… and you’re trying to get all the pieces together where it all works well together, then eventually you end up throwing the thing across the room.

In the end though, we were able to put together a hitting update we feel relatively good about.  It should fit the current meta of MLB the Show 22 much better than the initial rendition, which was focused on the meta of MLB the Show 21.

A quick summary:

• With the most often-used pitcher in the game right now being 99 Signature Randy Johnson plus 98 Finest Al Leiter coming into the mix recently, we eliminated the heavy weights that were placed on left-handed and switch hitters. We hope this will bring more balance into the automatically generated lineups in Team Builder based on Meta Overall, which previously went more lefty/switch heavy assuming most pitchers you would face would be right-handed.
• Given how important Contact is in the current meta, we shifted some of the Power-heavy weighting into Contact, then slightly buffed the importance of Vision.  We feel this will be a much better fit with how cards are being used currently. Especially at higher difficulties.
• And finally, we slightly scaled up Meta Overall ratings on most positions so they are all on a relatively similar scale.  Previously, since most Catchers released right now are truly closer to “end-game” Catchers than the cards we have in other positions, Catcher Meta Overall ratings were generally higher than other positions.   This adjustment should lead to more lineup diversity in Team Builder.

Following the update, your new Top 10 hitters in any position according to Meta Overall will be updated to:

1. 99 Finest Andrew McCutchen in CF (94.21)
2. 99 Finest George Brett at 3B (91.68)
3. 99 Finest Andrew McCutchen in RF (89.86)
4. 99 2022 All-Star Jackie Robinson at 2B (89.42)
5. 99 Finest Andrew McCutchen in LF (89.20)
6. 99 Milestone Roberto Clemente in RF (89.07)
7. 99 Finest George Brett at 1B (88.71)
8. 99 Milestone Roberto Clemente in CF (87.03)
9. 98 Future Stars Diego Cartaya at C (86.67)
10. 99 2022 All-Star Jackie Robinson at 3B (86.64)

And the new best possible team by Meta Overall following the update:

In Meta Overall Update #3, we will likely be focused on Fielding and anything else that is critically important to making the system as helpful as possible.

If you have feedback on Meta Overall at any time, including other attributes or elements of pitching you feel should be considered, feel free to interact with us on any of our social accounts (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Discord for Pro Members) or email team@showzone.io and we’d be happy to consider any new proposals.