Hot off the heels of the newest Ranked program, Battle Royale gets a refresh as well. This time around we get Future Star, Retro Home Run Derby and Milestone cards to choose from in the latest Flawless Choice Pack.

Let’s take a look.

MLB The Show 23 Battle Royale 8 Program Breakdown

CF Future Stars James Wood (Washington Nationals)
Meta Overall rating: 107.62 – #19 CF

Starting us off is the Future Stars James Wood from the Nationals. For the second program in a row, we get a very solid Future Stars card as this Wood has pretty strong offensive attributes. You can argue that this is a five-tool card, as Wood will achieve a Diamond shield at Parallel 2 which will give him 100+ in the offensive categories and 90+ in Fielding, Arm and Speed. On that note, it relegates Wood to being somewhat of a discount five-tool card but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, this is a solid CF and if you were looking for a fresh option in the outfield – this is a fun card to add to your team. As with most Future Stars, Wood does not have any Quirks so you’re relying strictly on the attributes and swing here.

RF Retro Home Run Derby Nelson Cruz (Texas Rangers)
Meta Overall rating: 107.86 – #22 RF; 1B: 110.42 – #7 1B

Next up is the Retro Home Run Derby version of Nelson Cruz. Calling all the way back to the 2009 season, Cruz features the expected 125 Power versus both sides. With 114 CON R and 107 CON L to go along with 125 Clutch, it’s safe to say this is a mash-worthy Cruz. Don’t sleep on this card as an actual option in the field either. With 81 Fielding, 99 Arm Strength and 85 Reaction paired with 67 Speed, this Nelson Cruz card can actually be passable in the field. Do I think he’s a great option in the outfield? Of course not. At least as an outfielder. That 1B eligibility is a game changer as Cruz actually rates out as a top-10 1B in Diamond Dynasty.

It’s a foregone conclusion that Cruz is a fit at DH. Ultimately, that’s probably the best spot for him on most teams at this point in the season. However, if you’ve been starting a lesser-fielding 1B that you like, you could easily stick Cruz at 1B and move that player to DH.

Unfortunately, SDS’ fetish with releasing cards without Quirks continues as Cruz has none.

SP Milestone Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres)
Meta Overall rating: 100.35 – #36 SP

Wrapping up the Flawless Choice Pack is Milestone Yu Darvish. Celebrating his record-breaking performance where he became the Strikeout leader amongst all Japanese-born pitchers, this Milestone card comes with some goodies. Darvish typically has an enviable pitch-mix with nasty Break ratings. Darvish comes loaded with a 4-Seamer that’ll touch 100 MPH, a Slurve at 83 MPH with 97 Control and 99 Break, a Sinker at 95 MPH with 94 Control and 90 Break, a Cutter at 90 MPH with 90 Control and 99 Break and a Splitter at 90 MPH with 85 Control and 84 Break.

So not only does Darvish have nasty stuff, he has elite Control to boot which should allow you to paint pretty consistently. That pitch-mix with the attached attributes and the fact that Darvish has 111 H/9 makes him a solid rotation option. Don’t be fooled by the relatively low Meta Overall rating. Darvish doesn’t have any meaningful Quirks and the overall speed differentials aren’t as strong as you’d normally like to see. But Darvish’s mix splits up the plate impeccably with elite velocity and elite control. You’ll definitely run into trouble if you’re not picking the right spots to drop the Splitter, but I think this might be a really good SP for most players given all factors.

Papadell’s Pick

For me, I think Darvish is the pick here and it’s not particularly close. Bolstering rotation options is always a good route regardless, especially at the beginning of Ranked seasons. James Wood is a really fun Future Stars card, but doesn’t move the needled compared to the elite options in the outfield right now. Nelson Cruz mashes and has a pleasantly surprising Fielding/Speed combination, but is still probably best at DH where you again have unlimited options. Milestone Yu Darvish has a lot going for him, despite the Meta Overall ranking. The fact that he can be a jolt of energy in your rotation as you grind through the newest Ranked season makes him even more valuable.

There you have the latest Battle Royale program. Who do you think the best card is and why? Let us know in the comments!