MLB The Show 24: Battle Royale 4 Program Breakdown

Along with a full new launch for Season 2, Diamond Dynasty’s online modes get a refresh with new rewards to earn.

These rewards are also scaled back with the season reset, which means the first pair of BR rewards are 91 overall.

SP Takashi Okazaki Series Mike Mussina (Baltimore Orioles) – Meta Overall: 80.38; #3 SP (Season 2)

With the first breakdown of Season 2, it’s important to note a caveat with Meta Overall. With Wild Cards already available in the game, these cards are being weighed against all cards in the game. Don’t let what are sure to be low Meta Overall numbers fool you. We’ll denote where these cards rank against Season 2 eligible cards, which should help you in your team building.

With that said, Takashi Okazaki Mike Mussina is currently the #3 SP within the Season 2 crop of SP. I’d say that makes him a fitting BR reward this early in the season.

It’s a bit jarring looking at attributes a week after we had 99 overall cards, but Mussina has pretty decent attributes – all things considered. With 86 H/9 and 102 BB/9, Mussina has solid key attributes. His 75 Clutch leaves a lot to be desired and 76 K/9 won’t excite you.

Despite Mussina’s status as a Hall of Famer, his pitch mix typically doesn’t translate to Diamond Dynasty very well. Mussina doesn’t throw particularly hard and his 4-Seamer/Sinker are both relatively the same speed. His trademark Knuckle-Curve has 97 Break, but Knuckle-Curves are still one of the worst pitches in MLB The Show 24. A saving grace on this card is that he possesses a Circle Change versus a Splitter, though it hardly makes up for the lack of true velocity.

3B Standout Vinny Castilla (Colorado Rockies) – Meta Overall: 89.35; #6 3B (Season 2)

Vinny Castilla is the other choice in BR’s Season 2 debut Choice Pack. Rocking a Standout series card, Castilla fits comfortably into the top-10 3B of Season 2.

Castilla predictably kills lefties with 110 CON L and 101 POW L and hits righties perfectly fine with 83 CON R and 85 POW R. He also has 93 Clutch which makes Castilla a pretty balanced offensive 3B to begin the season. Castilla also has Dead Red which gives him at least one solid Quirk to his name.

Defensively, Castilla features 73 Fielding with slightly above average Arm. This is a big deal as Castilla fits the Rafael Devers Cornerstone build, which could boost his POW against both sides by 15 if you reach Tier 3. Devers is a natural 3B so depending on the rest of your build, you can potentially have Castilla at DH. He does have SS eligibility, but he’ll tank to Bronze Fielding and with 42 Speed – that just ain’t gonna get it done at SS.

Papadell’s Pick

These two choices just don’t feel exciting. I think that makes them the ideal rewards for Season 2’s debut, though. Going from 99 overall juggernauts back to 91 overall was always going to be like sprinting into a brick wall. Both of these cards stack up perfectly well against the refreshed Season 2 meta. However, given Castilla’s flexibility with theme teams I’d say he’s the better choice. Mussina doesn’t have the velocity necessary to really excel online. Mussina cards not being great breaks my heart as he was one of my favorite pitchers growing up. Dare I say Mussina’s best current fit is being a number on a Baltimore Orioles’ theme team (though he does fit the Kershaw Lefty build).

There’s your Flawless rewards for Battle Royale 4! Have you gone Flawless yet? Which card excites you the most? Let us know in the comments!