April is bringing the heavy metal with Diamond Dynasty content. The 2nd Inning Program is the second drop of the main "seasonal" style content with several cards earnable in the reward path.
We also get the second week of the weekly Topps Now/Spotlight cards that highlight the real Major League Baseball action from the previous week, and much, much more!
Let's get into all the new cards!
MLB The Show 26 2nd Inning Program Content Breakdown
The Inning Programs so far this year have contained a singular "boss" level card in the path, with a singular Boss Choice Pack offering the choice between the two actual Bosses.
Additionally, there's an XP Reward Path card that essentially acts as a "henchman" reward in the form of 91 overall 2nd Half Heroes Rick Ferrell, a new legend from the Boston Red Sox.
Probably a new name to most, Ferrell comes out of no where with an amazing debut card. Strictly a catcher, Ferrell features insane offensive Contact, Vision, and Clutch ratings. The Power is slightly above average against RHP and almost non-existent against LHP, and Gold Fielding that turns into Diamond Fielding (90+ in a single attribute) at Parallel 5.
Rick Ferrell debuts as the #3 Catcher according to Meta Overall.
Catcher is a position I can spare to upgrade, and Ferrell and I just became best friends.
The "extra" boss in the 2nd Inning Program is 92 overall 2B Bobby Doerr, also from the Boston Red Sox.
Bobby Doerr debuts as the #8 2B according to Meta Overall and features a similar profile to Ferrell.
Doerr also features high Contact, Vision, and Clutch ratings but also has solid Power against LHP. Doerr is also a Gold fielder with exceptional range and a strong arm. If you want to knock Doerr, it's undoubtedly the 52 Speed but we're looking at a potential right-handed Corey Seager-type at second base.
The 2nd Inning Bosses are 92 overall versions of Randy Johnson and Babe Ruth.
The first Boss choice is Contributor Babe Ruth, who gets a more favorable 11th overall rating according to Meta Overall and debuts as the #2 1B and #3/#4 LF/RF respectively.
The Great Bambino gets a primary position LF card with 1B and RF eligibility, though I'm not sure the bat is good enough to be roaming the outfield at this point with 45 Speed for me.
The Big Unit's debut comes in 2nd Half Heroes form as the 39th highest rated overall card in Diamond Dynasty (Meta Overall) and the #3 Starting Pitcher as the other option.
It probably goes without saying that Randy Johnson is not only one of the greatest starting pitchers of all time, but he's also one of the toughest pitchers to hit in MLB The Show.
Notably, there's no Outlier Quirk on the 4-Seam Fastball, but rest assured that Johnson will still hit 100 MPH with ease.
Still, it's the ultimate match-up between all-time great lefties in terms of who you choose with your Boss Pack.
I'm taking Randy Johnson without hesitation, and stoked to use him after not really having access to him the last couple of years personally.
Cornerstone Carlos Correa
The 2nd Inning Cornerstone player is Houston Astros 3B Carlos Correa.
Correa rejoined the Astros last season, sliding over to the hot corner with incumbent Jeremy Pena manning shortstop. Of course, Correa is a Houston Astros legend at this point and more than worthy of a Cornerstone program.
Knock out a handful of Moments, then complete these missions to get a free 91 overall on your squad.
April Spotlight Drop 2 Pack
The second Spotlight pack is here and delivers a 91 overall Spotlight Sandy Alcantara and Sal Stewart combo at the top-end.
Collecting both Spotlight series cards, and collecting all three Topps Now cards from April Spotlight Drop 2 earns progress in the April Spotlight Drop 2 Program as well as feeding into the April Retro Lightning collection that will drop in a couple of weeks.
April Spotlight Drop 2 Program
The featured Spotlight player this week is Los Angeles Angels' Jo Adell.
Adell absolutely set fire to the rain last week, when he robbed three home runs to usher his Angels to a 1-0 victory.
Unsurprisingly, this is a defense-first card which means a Diamond shield with 90 Fielding. Notably, Spotlight Jo Adell has eligibility at all three outfield positions, which has never been more important than this year with the attribute overhaul.
You're not just getting a defensive outfielder here - Adell has some serious pop, too.
Headliners 3 Brian Roberts
Headliners Set 3 unleashes 90 Standout Brian Roberts into Diamond Dynasty.
A testament to the early-cycle middle infield depth is the fact that Roberts debuts as "only" the #21 2B according to Meta Overall.
We get the usual combination of high-Contact and Speed, with a bit lower Fielding than we usually see on Roberts. Another switch-hitting option will be a sight for many sore eyes, though.
Chase Pack 5 Cody Bellinger
Chase Pack 5 also dropped today, featuring a Chicago Cubs iteration of Cody Bellinger.
Highlighting Bellinger's 2023 Silver Slugger, this Awards series card debuts as the #3 1B, and #4 CF according to Meta Overall.
Cody Bellinger is a perennial Diamond Dynasty Darling™ with one of the best swings in the game. Expect this card to be quite expensive for a while, especially with Weekend Classic launching today as well.
Weekend Classic I
The first Weekend Classic also launched alongside the 2nd Inning Program.
This competitive weekend league challenges Diamond Dynasty players to hop into Ranked, and win as many of their first six games as possible for juicy rewards.
Weekend Classics feature different tiers based on a player's rating in Solo Ranked Seasons. Within these tiers of rewards is a Weekend Classic Choice Pack, which acts as the reward pack for those skilled enough to earn them. These cards can also be bought and sold on the marketplace.
92 2nd Half Heroes Bernie Williams is one of the options in the Weekend Classic Choice Pack. Williams brings elite Vision, Contact, and Clutch with mashing Power against LHP. This version of the Yankees' legend doesn't have the greatest Speed and/or Fielding, but I don't think you'll complain too much with the switch-hitting sweetness that Williams brings at the plate.
The other option in the choice pack is new legend Victor Martinez. This is a huge reveal for my generation, as Victor Martinez was an absolute force during his career that ranged from 2002-2018. A switch-hitting catcher that hit for power and contact, V-Mart debuts in Diamond Dynasty as the #2 Catcher according to Meta Overall.
I'll be very curious to hear from the streets if Martinez has a good swing or not. I'm guessing he'll have a buttery swing from both sides, and remain a sought after card for quite a while.
There's a ton of sweet rewards the higher you go in difficulty, just be prepared for the sweaty games on admission.
Are you grinding out the Weekend Classic? Which 2nd Inning Boss will you be taking? Let us know in the comments!
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