MLB The Show 25 Rosters And Free Agency System: What Should You Know?

Posted: Mar 27, 2025 Views: 138

Posted: Mar 27, 2025

Source: IGGM

It seems that some players always think that in sports games like MLB The Show 25, you only need to master the basic rules and gameplay of ball games to play the entire game, but we must remind you that this idea may be correct ten years ago, but it is completely unsuitable for MLB 25 now!

In order to ensure that the game can keep up with the times and at the same time avoid a decline in the number of players through sufficient gameplay, MLB The Show series has been committed to adding more content to the game, which means that in addition to various new gameplays, you also need to understand the detailed mechanisms that go with them.

Considering the complexity of such mechanisms, it is difficult to explain them to you at once. This time we will bring you some information about rosters and Free Agency system. MLB The Show 25 Rosters And Free Agency System: What Should You Know?

What Is MLB 25 Roster?

There is no doubt that players are the core of MLB 25. Almost all gameplay is inseparable from them, so you not only need to exchange more and better player cards through more MLB The Show 25 Stubs in time, but also must fully understand this year’s rosters in order to better match and combine players.

How To Download Live Roster?

Under normal circumstances, the recently updated live roster can fully meet your needs, but if you want to view it, you must download it on time. The steps are as follows:

Log in to the game and find the brush icon with the word Create at the bottom of the main menu.
Select Roster Control, then go to the Save Roster option.
Select Save and Load Live Roster to download and activate the live roster.

The live roster of MLB 25 will be updated in real time according to the actual situation of the MLB league in the real world, so that you can understand the latest player rating adjustments, player changes, position changes and other key information, so that you can adjust your team lineup in time. MLB The Show 25 Rosters

Custom Rosters Are Also Worth Trying

In addition to the live roster that the game can provide you with fixed, you can also try to create your own roster, or download custom rosters made by other players in MLB 25 for use. The corresponding operation method is:

Select Vaults in the Create icon in the game’s main menu.
Once loaded, press RB or R1 to switch to the roster vault, then press X or Square to refine your search.
Choose whether to search by keyword or online ID to find roster uploaded by a specific creator and roster type. If possible, it is recommended to view by downloads or ratings, as the top options displayed in this way are usually high-quality roster.
Once you see the roster you want, press A or X to select it and complete the download.

How To Use Custom Rosters?

Since you may be used to using live roster directly, you may not be familiar with the use of custom roster. In fact, in order for a custom roster to work, you need to load and activate it correctly after obtaining it. The steps for replacing roster afterwards are as follows:

Find and click the Settings icon next to the Create icon in the main menu, then select file management.
In the file management screen, select load and then select the one you want to activate in the roster. If you are not satisfied with the custom roster you have been using, you can also activate the live roster here or reset it to the default roster.
Once you have completed your roster setup, it will be available for use in new Franchise mode or Road to the Show saves, as well as all MLB The Show 25 exhibition games.

If you want to use something else in Franchise or RTTS, you must select it when you create a save. Normally, when you create a new save, Road to the Show defaults to the currently active roster, but you can load a custom roster or use the default start of season roster when you create a player via the settings icon below the Start Career options.

Free Agency System

MLB 25 has made several changes to Free Agency system that you should be aware of. The first is that the mechanics of picking a free agency are now more time-sensitive, meaning that other teams can pick the free agency you want, so if you wait too long or use too much time on a potential player, your pick will be invalidated.

The trouble is, signing a new free agent is a tricky process because you have to consider many factors, including the player’s salary and contract length. If arbitration between players and teams is accidentally caused, doing these preparations will help keep your player salaries at a more realistic level and make better decisions when offering players trades. MLB The Show 25 Free Agency System

In addition, players will also have to weigh their decisions and whether they will become an important part of the team’s roster. All of this depends on when you offer the contract, so offering the contract too early or too late may mean not getting the player you want.

Although making this system more complex can make MLB The Show 25 Free Agency system more realistic and meaningful, and can also provide fun for players who want to experience the GM role in depth, if you just want to play a virtual baseball game, it may only be troublesome. However, overall, these changes will be more conducive to the subsequent development of MLB 25.

I hope that after our introduction, your understanding of these two mechanisms will be clearer and deeper, so that your MLB The Show 25 journey will go more smoothly! I hope you have fun!

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Next: MLB The Show 25 Best Starting Pitchers: Who Are The Top Picks?

Previous: MLB The Show 25 Best College Teams: Which School Should You Choose To Realize Your Greatest Potential As A Young Player? - Top 5

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MLB The Show 25 Spring Breakout Program: Here’s A Guide To It That May Help You Get All The Rewards!
In real baseball games, there is a spring training period before each baseball season, which helps veterans get into the game faster and provides coaches with an opportunity to evaluate those up-and-coming players, which is very similar to the preseason of other sports. If some new players perform well during this spring training period, they will have a greater chance of entering the major league roster.

The developers of MLB The Show 25 realized that the emergence of new potential star players during this period may arouse the enthusiasm of fans, so they launched a Spring Breakout Program to increase players’ recognition of these outstanding young players.

Here, players will accumulate their own stars by completing various challenges. This is your exclusive currency that can be obtained in challenges, so that you can add these players to your Diamond Dynasty squad after they join the game.

Since these stars are scattered among the various tasks and challenges of the plan, this guide will give you a detailed introduction to Spring Breakout Program, including a list of tasks for you to complete and a list of rewards provided to you, so that you can farm stars in a targeted manner.

Spring Breakout Program Rewards

In fact, this Spring Breakout Program will be more like a battle pass or milestone in action role-playing games: after you collect a certain number of stars, you will get some designated rewards. Currently, 20 milestones are provided to you in this program. Here are the number of stars they require and the items they reward you.
- 1. 5 Stars - 5,000 XP
- 2. 10 Stars - Spring Breakout Jackson Ferris (83 Overall)
- 3. 15 Stars - The Show Card Pack
- 4. 20 Stars - 250 Stubs
- 5. 25 Stars - 5,000 XP
- 6. 30 Stars - Spring Breakout Konnor Griffin (83 Overall)
- 7. 35 Stars - The Show Card Pack
- 8. 40 Stars - 5,000 XP
- 9. 45 Stars - 250 Stubs
- 10. 50 Stars - Spring Breakout Ethan Salas (84 Overall)
- 11. 55 Stars - 5,000 XP
- 12. 60 Stars - The Show Card Pack
- 13. 65 Stars - 5,000 XP
- 14. 70 Stars - Spring Breakout Chase Dollander (85 Overall)
- 15. 75 Stars - The Show Card Pack
- 16. 80 Stars - 500 Stubs
- 17. 85 Stars - Spring Breakout Max Clark (86 Overall)
- 18. 90 Stars - 10,000 XP
- 19. 95 Stars - Deluxe Pipeline Card Pack
- 20. 100 Stars - Spring Breakout JJ Wetherholt (87 Overall) & 15,000 XP
How To Get More Stars Faster?

After learning about the rewards offered by the currently active MLB The Show 25 Spring Breakout Program, you may be very tempted to have JJ Wetherholt as your starting lineup, which is at the top of the list. So here are some ways to farm stars more efficiently and a list of rewards.

Moments

In Moments, you only need to complete specific single tasks that you are asked to perform to earn 4 stars, which is one of the best ways to jumpstart your progress in the program. Here, you will be asked to do the following, and each one will give you a preview of the players you will be able to get in Spring Breakout Program.
- Ferris Deals: Jackson Ferris pitched one inning and gave up five runs.
- Griffin’s All-Around Game: Get 2 hits with using Connor Griffin.
- Salas Smashes: Use Ethan Salas to get one extra-base hit.
- Dollander Throws Gas: Using Chase Dolander pitched two innings and struck out two batters.
- Clark’s Speed & Power: Using Max Clark to get two hits, one of which was a long hit.
- Wetherholt’s Big Swing: Hit a home run with using JJ Wetherholt.
PXP Missions

PXP here stands for Parallel XP, which means that the experience you earn for your players in Diamond Dynasty will be synchronized in this Spring Breakout Program. So if you make excellent lineups around the designated players in the mission and complete the game, it will increase their level and also allow you to get more 5 stars’ rewards in this program.
- Spring Breakout Series (Repeatable): Earn 1,000 PXP with Spring Breakout players in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
- Ferris: Earn 500 PXP with Spring Breakout Jackson Ferris in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
- Griffin: Earn 350 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Konnor Griffin.
- Salas: Earn 350 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Ethan Salas.
- Dollander: Earn 500 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Chase Dollander.
- Clark: Earn 350 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Max Clark.
- Horton: Earn 300 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Cade Horton.
- Pratt: Earn 150 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Cooper Pratt.
- Nimmala: Earn 150 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Arjun Nimmala.
- Montgomery: Earn 150 PXP in all Diamond Dynasty modes with Spring Breakout Braden Montgomery.
Team-Based Stats Missions

In this mission, you need to achieve certain achievements using specific player cards or teams. You may add these necessary players to a strong and active lineup that you have invested a lot of MLB 25 Stubs in, and you will easily achieve all the goals.
- Dodgers: Get 25 strikeouts with Dodgers pitchers in all of Diamond Dynasty mode.
- Pirates: Get 15 extra-base hits with a Pirates player in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
- Padres: Get 25 hits with Padres players in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
- Rockies: Get 25 strikeouts using Rockies pitchers in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
- Tigers: Get 15 extra-base hits with Tigers players in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
- Cardinals: Get 25 hits with Cardinals players in all Diamond Dynasty modes.
Series Collection

When you collect all ten Spring Breakout Players in Diamond Dynasty mode, you will receive an extra star and a Leodalis De Vries card with a total score of 87 points.

Showdown

Showdown is another gameplay in Diamond Dynasty mode, which will let you experience a series of challenging encounters before the final boss. During the current Spring Breakout Program, there will be a Showdown that requires you to play against players in Spring Breakout set. Completing this game will provide you with a reward of 20 stars.

The above is the specific reward information and gameplay strategy of Spring Breakout Program in MLB The Show 25. I hope you can collect all the stars faster with the help of this guide and add these rookies with a total score of more than 85 points to your best lineup as soon as possible so that you can get more honors. I wish you a happy game!
MLB The Show 25 Best Starting Pitchers: Who Are The Top Picks?
Pitching, hitting, and baserunning are all important parts of a baseball game, and the performance of players in these parts determines the outcome of a game. However, in MLB The Show 25, the developers clearly prefer hitters. Among the top players, hitters occupy the majority of positions, while starting pitchers who score more than 90 points at the same time are pitifully few.

But in the game, no one can ignore the role of pitchers. There are many legendary pitchers who have dominated the game throughout the history of baseball. Pitchers from Japan won game after game for their team with their excellent pitching.

Players in any position are very important. Here are the top 10 pitchers in MLB 25.

10. Gerrit Cole (85 Overall Rating)
- 84 H/9
- 65 K/9
- 75 BB/9
- 69 HR/9
- 65 Control
- 83 Velocity
- 99 Break
- 90 Clutch
- 630 total
Gerrit Cole has played for New York Yankees since the 2020 season. He previously played for Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros and other teams. On December 16, 2019, he reached a 9-year, $324,000,000 contract agreement with Yankees, which is currently the highest total amount of pitching contracts in major league history.

Gerrit Cole is known for his outstanding strikeout ability and holds the single-season strikeout record for Astros (326 times, 2019) and Yankees (257 times, 2022).

In the 2023 season, Gerrit Cole played in 33 games, with a record of 15 wins and 4 losses, besides 24 quality starts and two shutout wins. After the season, Cole won American League Cy Young Award with an overwhelming vote.

He only played half of the 2024 season, so the data was not good, but this rating is still low for him. Currently, Gerrit Cole’s card requires about 3,150 MLB The Show 25 Stubs.

9. Zack Wheeler (87 Overall Rating)
- 87 H/9
- 67 K/9
- 79 BB/9
- 70 HR/9
- 79 Control
- 96 Velocity
- 75 Break
- 79 Clutch
- 632 tota
Zack Wheeler currently plays for Philadelphia Phillies. He previously played for New York Mets. Zack Wheeler has been very stable since he made his debut in 2017. He was a two-time Cy Young runner-up and received MVP voting in both 2021 and 2024.

Wheeler led NL statistically last year, allowing just 6.3 hits per nine innings, so his scores in eight pitching categories are undoubtedly a bit low. But the love of players for him speaks for itself. You need 19,000 to 20,000 Stubs to get Zack Wheeler’s card.

8. Michael King (82 Overall Rating)
- 79 H/9
- 71 K/9
- 64 BB/9
- 71 HR/9
- 73 Control
- 85 Velocity
- 91 Break
- 99 Clutch
- 633 total
Michael King currently plays for San Diego Padres, and he previously played for New York Yankees. It seems a bit unreasonable to put Michael King in this position, because his overall rating is not as good as Zack Wheeler. But his pitching rating is even better than Zack Wheeler.

If your team needs a good pitcher, Michael King is a very worthwhile investment. Since his overall rating is only 82 points, you only need about 930 Stubs to get him.

7. Tyler Glasnow (86 Overall Rating)
- 88 H/9
- 77 K/9
- 68 BB/9
- 67 HR/9
- 74 Control
- 97 Velocity
- 90 Break
- 75 Clutch
- 636 total
Tyler Glasnow previously played for Pirates and Rays and currently plays for Los Angeles Dodgers. The performances of the aforementioned pitchers are all remarkable, but Tyler Glasnow’s performance is not as high as before, because Tyler Glasnow’s career has always been accompanied by injuries.

Therefore, he is an overrated pitcher on this list. However, Tyler Glasnow’s pitching performance in MLB 25 is very good, making him the seventh-ranked pitcher in the game. To get him, you need about 4,700 Stubs.

6. Sonny Gray (85 Overall Rating)
- 77 H/9
- 72 K/9
- 78 BB/9
- 75 HR/9
- 74 Control
- 84 Velocity
- 97 Break
- 87 Clutch
- 644 total
Sonny Gray is now 35 years old. His ERA has been hovering between 3 and 4 points. In his 12-year career, his WHIP average is about 1.2. Only twice has it fallen below 1.1.

Sonny Gray is indeed a good pitcher, but not yet at the top level. So he is another overrated pitcher on this list. Currently, Sonny Gray’s card is hovering between 6,000 and 7,000 Stubs.

5. Tarik Skubal (87 Overall Rating)
- 85 H/9
- 72 K/9
- 82 BB/9
- 79 HR/9
- 83 Control
- 99 Velocity
- 71 Break
- 75 Clutch
- 646 total
Tarik Skubal currently plays for Detroit Tigers. He had an explosive performance in the 2024 season, was selected to All-Star team for the first time in his career, and the final result of the season was the first pitcher triple crown in American League since 2011.

His Control rating and Velocity rating are both very good, and his other attributes are also good. All of these make Tarik Skubal’s card the best pitcher in the game. The current value of Tarik Skubal’s card is about 34,600 Stubs.

4. Chris Sale (87 Overall Rating)
- 80 H/9
- 75 K/9
- 78 BB/9
- 76 HR/9
- 81 Control
- 94 Velocity
- 99 Break
- 80 Clutch
- 663 total
Chris Sale is a true veteran who pitches with a three-quarters lateral mechanic. He relies on three main pitches:
- 93-99 mph fastball
- 85-89 mph changeup
- 77-84 mph slider, which has a 43% swing rate
He scored 75+ in all eight key pitching attributes, which puts him in fourth place on the list. You’ll only need around 25,000 Stubs to get this veteran on your team.

3. Blake Snell (85 Overall Rating)
- 99 H/9
- 84 K/9
- 45 BB/9
- 77 HR/9
- 79 Control
- 83 Velocity
- 99 Break
- 99 Clutch
- 665 total
Blake Snell entered the major leagues in 2016 and won his first Cy Young Award in his third year. He is very good at sliders and curveballs, and three of his pitching scores are 99 points. These make him a top pitcher. Blake Snell currently holds the highest record of his career, with a career strikeout rate of 11.2. Such a top pitcher currently only needs about 4,500 Stubs.

2. Paul Skenes (85 Overall Rating)
- 82 H/9
- 77 K/9
- 73 BB/9
- 76 HR/9
- 75 Control
- 99 Velocity
- 99 Break
- 94 Clutch
- 675 total
In 2023, Paul Skenes joined Pirates. He played less than a year with Pirates and entered the major leagues in 2024. He is very talented and is considered comparable to Steven Strasberg.

In the next decade, this young pitcher may become a frequent visitor to Cy Young Award. His current value is between 64,000 and 68,000 Stubs.

1. Shohei Ohtani (91 Overall Rating)
- 94 H/9
- 88 K/9
- 50 BB/9
- 98 HR/9
- 69 Control
- 96 Velocity
- 93 Break
- 93 Clutch
- 681 total
Shohei Ohtani has the outstanding performance in both pitching and hitting. With his top-notch strength in both pitching and hitting, Shohei Ohtani has created and broken many unprecedented records and has become the most representative star in baseball in recent years. Many of his data in pitching are over 90, which makes him extremely strong in all aspects of the game. If you want such a baseball legend to join your team, you have to prepare at least 380,000 Stubs.

The above are the best pitchers in MLB The Show 25. However, this list is not too authoritative, and there are many factors that are not taken into account for reference. Are they the top ten pitchers in your mind?
MLB The Show 25 Best College Teams: Which School Should You Choose To Realize Your Greatest Potential As A Young Player? - Top 5
For baseball players, whether in real sports arenas or in the virtual sports video game MLB The Show 25, college is an ideal testing ground for honing skills and attracting the attention of more outstanding teams, and it is also an important part of the player’s career.

So this video game focused on baseball has launched Road To The Show mode, which will provide you with a great college baseball game experience. You need to choose a university and show your skills in all the games provided to you and realize your greatest potential.

But in fact, choosing a suitable and strong college team is not a simple matter, because there are 8 universities for you to choose in the current MLB 25, and each of them has its own special attributes and characteristics. You can judge from their exposure and the degree of benefit to your skill development.

In order to reduce your entanglement in choosing, this guide will provide you with the best college teams displayed according to the current in-game information, so that you can choose the most suitable team from them so that you can advance your career in the right direction.

1. Cal State Fullerton Titans
- Exposure: 5-Star
- Skill Development: 5-Star
In the past few years, Tennessee Volunteers was one of the most feared opponents of all college baseball teams because their offensive intensity was unmatched, and this was also their peak period.

Although the current strength of the entire team has declined compared to that period, they have never relaxed and are always ready to reach that peak again. Most importantly, their own strength is already very strong, which sent outstanding players such as Justin Turner, Matt Chapman, and Michael Lorenzen to MLB before.

In addition, Fullerton Titans’ MLB 25 Stubs budget in the draft is very sufficient, and it will also provide you with the perk of Contact to ensure that you can develop all-star skills without affecting exposure.

2. Tennessee Volunteers
- Exposure: 5-Star
- Skill Development: 4-Star
Currently, Tennessee Volunteers is building its team in Knoxville, so this has the highest exposure and skill development statistics, and you can see the specific strength of this school from outstanding graduates such as Todd Helton, Garrett Crochet, and Christian Moore.

As described in the publicity of this university, it wants to build its own dynasty in Knoxville, but needs a leader. If you feel that you can greatly increase the cohesion of the entire team and lead other players to victory, this is your best choice. You will also enjoy Contact perk here.

3. LSU Tigers
- Exposure: 5-Star
- Skill Development: 3-Star
LSU Tigers are a veteran team that has produced star players such as Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, and Alex Bregman. This top draft history further proves that you are right to choose it as a choice to develop your unique talents.

Don’t think it’s just a once-glorious team. LSU Tigers has also achieved great success recently: it has sent some young star players who have emerged in college baseball to the best league at present, so the exposure of this college team is very high.

Not only that, LSU Tigers is one of the few colleges among these 8 college teams that can provide you with a Gold Power perk package after signing. But it is worth reminding you that this team may not provide you with too much good conditions to provide you with room for skill development, and you may need to spend a lot of MLB The Show 25 Stubs on your own in this regard.

4. Texas Longhorns
- Exposure: 5-Star
- Skill Development: 3-Star
Texas Longhorns, based in Austin, Texas, have also produced many star players, such as Roger Clemens and Brandon Belt, and have won six national championships so far, so your exposure is relatively high.

What may make you more excited is that this team will not only provide you with the same Gold Power perk package as LSU Tigers, but also provide you with Defense perk, making your defensive ability growth process smoother.

However, it must be admitted that it has been a long time since the last Texas Longhorns won the championship, which may result in your skills development not being fully released, resulting in your potential being wasted.

5. TCU Horned Frogs
- Exposure: 3-Star
- Skill Development: 5-Star
Although the name of this college team may be a little funny, the strength of TCU Horned Frogs is completely beyond your expectation: it has produced talented players such as Nick Lodolo, Matt Carpenter and Jake Arrieta, and has an excellent perk package for Power waiting for you to unlock.

However, it is completely opposite to the previous teams in two considerations. Because TCU Horned Frogs has never entered Omaha, its exposure may be a bit low; but I think the super high skill development space may effectively make up for this shortcoming, and it is very likely to break this deadlock after you join.

The above are the 5 college teams you can choose from in the current MLB The Show 25. Of course, the final decision is still in your hands. You can choose the most suitable one for you based on the attributes or budget that each team focuses on. I wish you a happy game and can gain your own glory in it!
MLB The Show 25 Team Affinity: How To Earn Rewards Quickly Through This Mechanism?
If MLB The Show 25 is likened to a kingdom, then Diamond Dynasty is undoubtedly the largest capital city - the most gameplay and the most well-known. That is why Diamond Dynasty mode will be updated more or less in almost every MLB The Show game to ensure that the quality does not decline, and this is also true in MLB 25.

Among all MLB 25 Diamond Dynasty gameplays, some are new and some are improved on the original basis, Team Affinity (TA) belongs to the latter category. As one of the most rewarding gameplays in Diamond Dynasty mode, as long as you complete the tasks specified in it, you have the opportunity to get MLB 25 Stubs or exclusive player cards as rewards.

These tasks are very rich in content, and they may appear, such as ensuring victory, stealing bases, or accumulating hits and strikeouts. However, the tricky thing is that on the one hand, all of these must be carried out under the premise of using players from a specific team, and on the other hand, if you want to get enough points and rewards, you must repeat various tasks. Based on this, we will introduce several methods to complete it as quickly as possible.

Use Players From Different Teams At The Same Time

If you are a newbie to MLB The Show 25, this is likely the mistake you make in Team Affinity: focusing on completing the tasks and construction of only one team. Perhaps this can reflect your concentration, but unfortunately Team Affinity does not require this - it will only waste your time, while focusing on two or three TA plans at the same time will ensure that you can make the most progress in this gameplay quickly.

According to actual testing, this approach is most effective for pitching tasks in Team Affinity. For example, you can let Yankees pitcher start a few innings, and then introduce relief pitchers from other teams, so that you can increase the number of innings pitched and the number of strikeouts for three different Team Affinity projects in one game, to complete the tasks belonging to different teams faster.

Prioritize Start Here Missions

There is no doubt that better player cards will help you complete the tasks more, so if your player lineup is average, it is recommended that you find the “Start Here” option belonging to each team under the “My Journey” tab, and then prioritize completing the simple tasks in it. This will give you a chance to earn 5,000 Team Affinity points and unlock a silver player card for that team.

These tasks, which are usually about hitting a home run or striking out multiple batters, are something that most MLB 25 players can accomplish in a matter of minutes. In fact, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a silver player card and so many points is great!

Playing Mixed Lineups

Once you’ve earned silver, gold, or diamond cards through hard work, it’s a good idea to include those players in your strategic mixed lineups, as this will allow those cards to earn parallel XP (PXP), unlocking additional Team Affinity points. For example, reaching 300 PXP with a gold card will net you 10,000 TA points.

However, to avoid wasting statistical achievements, it’s recommended that you avoid having too many players from the same team in your lineup, and instead use whichever team you want while keeping a balanced distribution. This ensures that every at-bat, strikeout, and inning pitched contributes to Team Affinity progress, and doesn’t waste achievements that aren’t earned through completing tasks.

Target High-Yield Missions

Not all TA missions offer high rewards, so if you want to earn rewards efficiently in a short period, be sure to prioritize those missions that offer high rewards, such as:
- Quick-Hit Offensive Missions: It is important to further remind you that for this type of mission, priority should be given to steal, doubles, and RBIs rather than triples, because an effective game against the CPU can produce multiple stolen bases and doubles, which greatly speeds up progress. In addition, it is best to prioritize teams with deep lines and gaps in the field.
- Pitching Efficiency: Pitching missions can be said to be the fastest way to complete team affinity, because the effect of pitching innings and strikeouts can also be accumulated quickly on novice difficulty, and pitching three innings with multiple relief pitchers from different teams can even create unexpected progress.
- Repeatable Rewards: Regardless of whether certain missions have more or fewer rewards, the superposition after obtaining them repeatedly is bound to provide you with rich rewards. For example, 10,000 TA points are awarded for three innings in single-player mode, and significant boosts can be obtained multiple times per game when using the target team’s pitcher.
Optimize Game Modes

Different missions offer different rewards, and different game modes will improve your mission completion efficiency from different angles. Based on this, please optimize the following modes as much as possible according to our suggestions:
- Conquest mode: This mode provides the most effective settings for pitching missions. Specifically, you can start a team’s pitcher, earn 10,000 TA points by pitching three innings, and then rotate other relief pitchers to accumulate innings and strikeouts for multiple teams in a game.
- Mini Seasons: If you play on Rookie difficulty in a smaller stadium, you can quickly complete missions through shortened three-inning games in this mode, to accumulate wins quickly to earn TA points while making progress in other statistical achievements.
The above are some of the “shortcuts” we provide for you to complete missions in Team Affinity quickly and earn points. If you don’t want to keep grinding in TA mode or just don’t have a lot of time to invest in MLB 25, please adopt them!
MLB The Show 25 Most Cost-Effective Players: Who Are Them?
Diamond Dynasty mode allows you to skip a ton of grinding in the early game and get access to all kinds of great players. But building a great team requires MLB 25 Stubs, and at least in the early game, most players can’t use stubs as they please.

Many players may think that only highly rated players, such as Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge, are eligible to join your team, but in fact, some players, although they have low ratings and require few stubs, have very good performance and become the most cost-effective players that players can have in the early stage.

1. Yordan Alvarez
- 78 Overall Rating
- Position: LF
- Bats: Left
- Throws: Right
- Team: Astros
- Free: Team Affinity - My Journey
You can get Yordan Alvarez for free by completing My Journey in Team Affinity! With a rating of only 78, many players may not put him in their team after getting him, but in fact, Yordan Alvarez performs very well in the team!

Yordan Alvarez’s silver card speed is only 39, reaction is only 26, and defense is only 37, so he is not qualified for the position of outfielder. But Yordan Alvarez’s data as a hitter is very good. His Power Right is 89 points, Power Left is 88 points, and the contact of left-handed and right-handed is not less than 74 points. So he can perfectly be the designated hitter in your lineup, or at least, he can be effectively used as a substitute hitter. As a free player, this performance is good enough.

2. Tyler Holton
- Overall: 77
- Position: RP
- Bats: Left
- Throws: Left
- Team: Tigers
- 186 Stubs
Tyler Holton is a relief pitcher and a left-handed pitcher. Therefore, adding Tyler Holton to your team can enrich your team lineup. Tyler Holton has good stats in the pitching department. He has a 95 Pitch Clutch and an 80 Control. This makes Tyler Holton a reliable relief pitcher who can win you valuable points in the most crucial innings.

But don’t use Tyler Holton in the qualifying game. In the qualifying game where every player is strong, Tyler Holton with a 77 score has almost no advantage. But at other times, having such a player can catch the opponent off guard. However, Tyler Holton does not need many MLB The Show 25 Stubs. If you are lucky enough, you can get him with 130 Stubs.

3. Jose Alvarado
- Overall: 76
- Position: RP
- Bats: Left
- Throws: Left
- Team: Tigers
- 149 Stubs
Jose Alvarado is very similar to Tyler Holton, and he is also a left-handed bullpen pitcher. Jose Alvarado’s Control score is 72 and Pitch Clutch score is 110!

Jose Alvarado has a sinker that pairs well with his second-line cutter and third-line 12-6 curveball. While his K/9 is only 72, which is a bit low for a relief pitcher, his 110 pitching ability and 99 velocity make up for it.

The above stats make Jose Alvarado comparable to Tyler Holton, even if the totals are a bit lower. But then Mark Davis, unlocked in multiplayer, or John Franco, unlocked through the Mets team affinity, can replace Jose Alvarado, making him less in demand than Tyler Holton, so fewer stubs are needed to unlock Jose Alvarado.

4. Jordan Lawlar
- Overall: 86
- Position: SS / 3B
- Bats: Right
- Throws: Right
- Team: Diamondbacks
- Free: Pipeline program
Jordan Lawlar’s Pipeline card has an 86 rating and is available for free, so there is no reason why he shouldn’t be included in the recommendation. Jordan Lawlar is an excellent shortstop who is good at turning ground balls that would otherwise be hits into regular outs. He also has a quick swing and his performance at the plate is not good enough for an 86-point card. As long as you use this card, you will find that his batting average is high.

He is still not good enough to put him in the center of the lineup, but this young shortstop is very suitable as a starting position for your team or as a reliable hitter. Jordan Lawlar is the second to last card you can get in Pipeline program. Although most of the attributes are not high, using him will subvert your view of him.

5. Yoshinodu Yamamoto
- Overall: 82
- Position: SP
- Bats: Right
- Throws: Right
- Team: Dodgers
- 1000 Stubs
Dodgers Yoshinodu Yamamoto can be your starting pitcher. You may be intimidated by 1000 stubs, but his good pitch combination, deceptive pitches and high upside make him one of the pitchers that is definitely worth your investment. His total pitching score is 688 points, including a high Velocity score. His cutter-slider combination is often effective against right-handed hitters. At the same time, his forkball is very fast, with a maximum speed of 90 mph.

Yoshinodu Yamamoto still has room for improvement in the major leagues. If he performs well, the attributes of Yoshinodu Yamamoto’s card will also be adjusted up. Even in the short term, this card can provide you with a lot of help.

These five players are very cost-effective players. They can fill the gaps in your bullpen pitchers, allowing you to free up some stubs to collect powerful players in other positions. When you have enough resources in the later stage, you can replace them with other strong pitchers.
MLB The Show 25 Team Ratings Ranked: Which Teams Rank High?
MLB The Show 25 has been released, and you can now play a quick game with your friends, or pick a team to play a full season. In this case, which team is better may be taken into consideration.

There are currently 30 teams in the game. Their rankings are not based on winning percentage like MLB the show 24, but are ranked based on various data. This is a bit complicated, so the following is a summary of the rankings of these teams for you.

Top 10

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
- Contact - 4th
- Power - 6th
- Pitching - 1st
- Defense - 6th
- Speed - 24th
Dodgers have a lot of talent and a huge salary. They have MLB’s best player Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Freddie Freeman, and other top players. However, if you want to get these players with very high overall ratings, you may have to use a lot of MLB The Show 25 Stubs.

2. Philadelphia Phillies
- Contact - 1st
- Power - 9th
- Pitching - 6th
- Defense - 14th
- Speed - 2nd
Phillies have two of the best infielders in Bryce Harper (95 overall) and Tray Turner (90 overall). However, the players on the team are generally older.

3. Atlanta Braves
- Contact - 6th
- Power - 3rd
- Pitching - 3rd
- Defense - 24th
- Speed - 29th
The strengths of Atlanta Braves are the pitching and offense of the starting pitchers Chris Sale and Spencer Stride. However, this team lacks speed and defense.

4. New York Mets
- Contact - 20th
- Power - 1st
- Pitching - 15th
- Defense - 8th
- Speed - 13th
Mets have great hitter Juan Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor, and are a team with a lot of potential.

5. Baltimore Orioles
- Contact - 17th
- Power - 5th
- Pitching - 12th
- Defense - 10th
- Speed - 3rd
Gunnar Henderson of Baltimore Orioles is one of the best outfielders and hitters in the sport, but his performance in contact is average.

6. Texas Rangers
- Contact - 18th
- Power - 2nd
- Pitching - 17th
- Defense - 13th
- Speed - 17th
Texas Rangers have a lot of talent, with Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. This team may be able to return to World Series in 2025.

7. New York Yankees
- Contact - 21st
- Power - 4th
- Pitching - 4th
- Defense - 16th
- Speed - 23rd
New York Yankees have the best hitter in the league, Aaron Judge, and although his hitting is inconsistent, New York Yankees make up for it with power and solid defense.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks
- Contact - 5th
- Power - 13th
- Pitching - 16th
- Defense - 15th
- Speed - 22nd
Ketel Marte was one of the best players in the game with a 96 overall rating. But Arizona lacked speed.

9. Seattle Mariners
- Contact - 24th
- Power - 10th
- Pitching - 2nd
- Defense - 23rd
- Speed - 20th
Mariners have a weak defense, but they have a strong starting pitching staff with six starters and two relievers.

10. Chicago Cubs
- Contact - 10th
- Power - 24th
- Pitching - 18th
- Defense - 4th
- Speed - 11th
Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Tucker is one of the best outfielders and hitters in the game, while Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga are also talented pitchers.

11-20th Teams

11. Cleveland Guardians
- Contact - 26th
- Power - 17th
- Pitching - 5th
- Defense - 11th
- Speed - 27th
Guardians have five pitchers on their roster with a total of 80 or higher, and they excel at both pitching and defense. Semi-reassembling a middling team is one of the most fun parts of this game, And it doesn’t waste you too much stubs to do it.

12. Kansas City Royals
- Contact - 19th
- Power - 25th
- Pitching - 7th
- Defense - 2nd
- Speed - 10th
Royals’ offense is weak, but their defense and speed are what they really rely on.

13. Toronto Blue Jays
- Contact - 11th
- Power - 20th
- Pitching - 11th
- Defense - 7th
- Speed - 21st
Toronto’s pitching staff is very strong, but the team lacks speed and power.

14. San Diego Padres
- Contact - 3rd
- Power - 22nd
- Pitching - 9th
- Defense - 19th
- Speed - 28th
Padres have a good combination of starting pitchers and relief pitchers, but the speed performance is really unsatisfactory.

15. Houston Astros
- Contact - 2nd
- Power - 12th
- Pitching - 24th
- Defense - 27th
- Speed - 26th
Houston’s offense has been very stable, but its defense and speed are far below the top level.

16. Minnesota Twins
- Contact - 15th
- Power - 7th
- Pitching - 8th
- Defense - 29th
- Speed - 30th
Twins must rely on pitching to support the team. They are too weak in defense and speed.

17. Milwaukee Brewers
- Contact - 16th
- Power - 28th
- Pitching - 14th
- Defense - 1st
- Speed - 1st
Brewers’ speed and defense are a strong guarantee for them to defeat their opponents.

18. Detroit Tigers
- Contact - 25th
- Power - 19th
- Pitching - 10th
- Defense - 5th
- Speed - 6th
Detroit has one of the best pitchers in baseball in Tarik Skubal, but lacks offensive power and contact.

19. Boston Red Sox
- Contact - 7th
- Power - 18th
- Pitching - 23rd
- Defense - 12th
- Speed - 9th
Boston Red Sox have great defensive players and strong hitters, but the team needs to improve in pitching.

20. San Francisco Giants
- Contact - 14th
- Power - 11th
- Pitching - 19th
- Defense - 18th
- Speed - 16th
Giants’ weakness is pitching, but Logan Webb is its best overall player with an 89 rating.

21-30th Teams

21. Pittsburgh Pirates
- Contact - 13th
- Power - 26th
- Pitching - 13th
- Defense - 17th
- Speed - 19th
Pittsburgh is built on young talent, led by 22-year-old starting pitcher Paul Skenes. This team has great potential and is worth looking forward to.

22. Cincinnati Reds
- Contact - 22nd
- Power - 16th
- Pitching - 21st
- Defense - 22nd
- Speed - 7th
Cincinnati Reds’ offense and defense are both in the middle of all the teams

23. Los Angeles Angels
- Contact - 8th
- Power - 8th
- Pitching - 27th
- Defense - 25th
- Speed - 14th
Los Angeles is one of the worst defensive teams in baseball, and the key to this team’s success is to score as many points as possible.

24. St. Louis Cardinals
- Contact - 12th
- Power - 21st
- Pitching - 22nd
- Defense - 9th
- Speed - 15th
St. Louis Cardinals have the defense to support their pitching, but not enough offense.

25. Tampa Bay Rays
- Contact - 28th
- Power - 23rd
- Pitching - 20th
- Defense - 21st
- Speed - 18th
Tampa Bay Rays don’t have a high payroll, which makes it difficult to recruit quality players to make up for the team’s shortcomings.

26. Athletics
- Contact - 26th
- Power - 14th
- Pitching - 25th
- Defense - 30th
- Speed - 25th
Athletics are the worst defensive team in the game, and may have some advantage on offense, so the game will be very difficult.

27. Washington Nationals
- Contact - 9th
- Power - 27th
- Pitching - 28th
- Defense - 20th
- Speed - 5th
Nationals have great speed, but they lack a reliable pitcher.

28. Miami Marlins
- Contact - 23rd
- Power - 30th
- Pitching - 26th
- Defense - 28th
- Speed - 4th
The best thing about Miami is their speed, but they lack it on both offense and defense.

29. Colorado Rockies
- Contact - 29th
- Power - 15th
- Pitching - 29th
- Defense - 3rd
- Speed - 12th
They have one of the best defenses and a very stable speed, but the pitching is not good.

30. Chicago White Sox
- Contact - 30th
- Power - 29th
- Pitching - 30th
- Defense - 26th
- Speed - 8th
In addition to speed, Chicago team has nothing to play. If you are not a supporter of this team, there is no need to waste stubs on this team.

The above is a brief introduction to MLB the show 25 Team Ratings Ranked. It is fun to put together a strong team, but it will bring more sense of achievement to reassemble a team and win the game.