It seems like the content never stops for the guys over at San Diego Studios for MLB the Show 21. This week we have the Field of Dreams program based on the upcoming game between the Yankees and the White Sox at the Field of Dreams.
There are two separate portions to the program. First, there is a tiered choice pack with a base and rare tier. There is also a player program that introduces a new legend to the game. Let’s take a look at the cards in the rare round, then break down the player program.
Rare Round Choice Pack
In the Field of Dreams choice pack, the rare round is filled with three 99’s. The first option is the 99 overall diamond third baseman, Mike Schmidt. This card is a solid addition at a position lacking a ton of depth. His defense is top tier with 96 overall fielding and 92 reaction. With these stats, he has potential to use his secondary defensive position at shortstop and be just fine.
He is also a hitting machine. Schmidt has 93 contact and 125 power against righties and 112 contact and 112 power against lefties. If you have played the game prior, Schmidt’s swing is fast and always seems to get the big hit when you need him to.
The next option is 99 overall starting pitcher Lefty Grove. This lefty starter has a really solid five pitch mix with four seam, curveball, changeup, slider, and cutter. His fastball gets the outlier perk so he can get his fastball up to 101 mph. His stamina is maxed out at 125, so he will still have a ton of energy in the late game situations.
His H/9 and K/9 are also above 100 which are very solid stats. If there was any negative to this card it would be his unconventional and lengthy windup. He also does not have a pitch that will break towards left handers hands, which is not the worst thing, but could become an issue getting some of the better left handed hitters out.
The final option is the 99 overall catcher Mike Piazza. This card is insane and has potential to be an end game catcher for all guys at the competitive level. He instantly becomes the best hitting catcher with 116 contact and 113 power against righties, with 125 contact and 119 power against lefties. If you are able to grind this card and parallel him to p5, he becomes one of the best hitters in the game in general.
The only real negative for this card would be the defense. He only has 76 fielding, which for a catcher makes drop third strikes a little more leary, whether he will keep them in front or not. He also only has 74 arm strength so stealing becomes a little easier for your opponent. Overall though this card is great and in my opinion the best card out of the rare round.
Field of Dreams Player Program
Alongside the new choice pack, there is also a new player program for the Field of Dreams festivities going on in Major League Baseball. This program is just like the others where you will get points for completing missions and moments and earn rewards along the way before obtaining the final player. I forgot to mention this program is 100% free!
The first player you will get is 95 overall Prime series relief pitcher Tom Henke. Not going to spend a lot of time on this card. He already has a card in the game, and this card is very similar with a little extra points to the per 9’s, but no change to his pitch mix which is a tad disappointing.
The second card you get when you get to 50 points is 99 overall Gold Glove Brooks Robinson. This card has a third base primary without any secondary possibilities. Robinson was always a stellar defender at third base and this card reflects that. He has 99 fielding, with 97 reaction and 97 arm strength. If your opponent hits a ball his way, there is a great chance the play is going to be made without any issues.
This card also has really nice hitting attributes. He has 105 contact and 87 power against righties, paired with 113 contact and 78 power against lefties. Those numbers look like he could be a great second hitter in your lineup if you need help there or would be a benefit to the bottom half of the lineup when you need a big base hit.
When you get to 90 points in the program you will be rewarded with 99 overall moments series starting pitcher Felix Hernandez. This card has minimal flaws. His five pitch mix is exactly what you would want with changeup, four seam, sinker, slurve, and cutter. All of his per 9’s are above 100 and as he parallels will get even better.
Looking at this card, the only real negative to this card would be his lack of velocity. When you get the base card, the top of his fastball velo will be 93. Again this is instantly approved with the parallel system and can get his fastball and sinker up to around 96 which is completely viable in the competitive scene.
And the big program reward when you get to 100 points, for the first time in the game, is none other than 99 overall signature series Roberto Clemente! His primary position is right field but with his great defensive stats he can play any position in the outfield at a major level.
He also will be a dominant hitter at all levels of the game. He has 124 contact and 84 power against righties with 125 contact and 88 power against lefties. With his high contact he can be successful on all star, hall of fame, and legend hitting difficulties. Also, if you remember the threshold for perfect/perfect home runs, the players hitting abilities had to have at least 80 power. This card will be insane.
Overall
This Field of Dreams Program is exciting. It has great pitching, infielders and outfielders that will compete to be in competitive lineups immediately which is all you can ask for. San Diego Studios wins again when it comes to content. Players can earn all of the program cards without having to spend any stubs!
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