MLB The Show 25: 6th Inning Program Breakdown

The All-Star week has passed us by, which positions us a week away from August. For baseball fans, that means the season is approaching the trade deadline and the final playoff push is abound. In MLB The Show 25, it also means that the 6th Inning Program has arrived and brings a slate of new content to grind and three new Bosses to choose from.

Let's get to it.

6th Inning Cornerstone Evolution

A staple of the Inning Programs this year has been the Cornerstone Evolution programs. This Inning's Cornerstones are Dontrelle Willis, Tony Oliva, and Raul Ibanez. Ibanez is a new legend and Oliva and Willis are both fairly new, though they've been in the game for a couple years now. This makes the 6th Inning Cornerstones more interesting for me, as I've almost never used these players and even a quick grind will feel fresh.

The baseline cards upon pack selection are 85 overalls and the fully evolved Cornerstones are 97 overalls. Each player gets a short program that requires 50 total stars to unlock the 97 overall Cornerstone version. There are 25 stars worth of Moments that can be earned, as well as a mix of stat and PXP missions that highlight the baseline cards' card series, position, and team to finish off the program.

Cornerstone Packs earned at:

• 7,500 XP
• 27,500 XP
• 70,000 XP

1st Drop Missions

There are a handful of missions added into the main Inning folder that will reward XP upon completion. These will provide nice little boosts over time, and should make it easier for more players to complete the program before it expires. Drop 1 includes the following missions that can be completed anywhere in Diamond Dynasty (online or offline):

• Steal 5 Bases – 5,000 XP
• Record 50 Strikeouts – 7,500 XP
• Tally 200 Total Bases – 10,000 XP

Exchanges

Exchanges return in the 6th Inning, which will allow you to exchange duplicates from your binder to earn XP toward the main program. This includes free agent cards that can accumulate rapidly. Each card overall has a respective exchange value, and reaching the threshold for each exchange tier rewards an increasing amount of XP:

• 10,000 Exchange Value – 5,000 XP
• 14,000 – 7,000 XP
• 20,000 – 10,000 XP
• 26,000 – 13,000 XP
• 30,000 – 15,000 XP

For a more detailed explanation on exchanges, check out our breakdown here.

6th Inning Bosses

This Inning's featured Bosses are 99 overall Corey Kluber, Ted Simmons, and Chase Utley.

Corey Kluber debuts as the #2 SP in both True and Meta Overall. Kluber's return to Diamond Dynasty has brought back memories of his utter dominance of Ranked Seasons from years ago. Kluber haunted your nightmares while he dotted you up with his nasty arsenal and was challenging for even the more skilled hitters online. We'll see how much the game has adjusted since then, but Kluber is presenting with everything he needs to again reign terror on anyone in the batter's box. With the core pitching attributes all at 100+, the combination of 101 BB/9 and 90+ Control on all pitches should allow Kluber to dot relentlessly.

Ted Simmons is a new legend that was first featured as a live series collection reward. The 90 overall version provided a taste of what this Hall of Fame version offers, as the 99 overall features elite Contact and Clutch against both sides with respectable pop against both sides. Simmons is a switch-hitter, so you're not really losing much against either handedness. This version of Simmons also features eligibility at 1B, 3B, and LF and he'll maintain a respectable enough Fielding rating even at his secondaries thanks to the stock 80 Fielding. Sandwiched in between two modern legends, Simmons might not be the most picked Boss but certainly offers enough to make him the #2 Catcher in both True and Meta Overall.

Chase Utley rounds out this crop of Bosses with a pretty stellar 99 overall Awards card. Much like Kluber, Utley features 100+ in every core offensive attribute which gives him an incredibly strong balance. Utley actually features slightly stronger Power against LHP, giving him a unique blend of splits while maintaining an absurdly elite 115 Contact against RHP. The 109 Clutch makes him strong against any handedness with runners in scoring position, and the 72 Speed will make sure he gets around the bases pretty well. He's not a stolen base threat, but he does have 99 Fielding and 99 Reaction which will make great use of that 72 Speed at 2B. Interestingly enough, Utley debuts as the #2 2B but the #1 1B in both True and Meta Overall.

As always, you can earn up to two of the Boss Choice Packs in the 6th Inning Program. The first is earned at 205,000 XP and the final is earned at 330,000 XP. The program concludes at 400,000 XP before you enter into the wheel spins for all XP earned after.

Double XP and PXP

Double XP and PXP has been runnin' wild in MLB The Show 25 for what feels like an eternity now, and I mean that in the best way. It makes it so much easier to progress through PXP missions and helps them feel less grindy, while still getting a lot of content completed. Barring an extension, this expires on July 29 so taking advantage with the new programs can help you grab your first Boss relatively quickly.

Spiral Conquest Map

There's a new Conquest map to rack up that double XP and PXP with as well. I've personally been very behind on Conquest maps all year, and have been utilizing this double XP/PXP period to grind through them. You're getting a handful of guaranteed 3-inning games, so pushing through and completing the maps not only nets you the inherent map rewards, but continues that push toward program completion.

There's the 6th Inning Program broken down! What are you jumping into first? Which Bosses do you plan on taking with your choice packs? Let us know in the comments!