Great teams often have an elite shortstop patrolling the middle infield. Think of the two decades Derek Jeter played in New York or Corey Seager’s performance with the Rangers in 2023. You’ll want the best shortstops on your MLB The Show 24 Diamond Dynasty team, so let’s consider the options.
The Best Shortstops in MLB The Show 24 Diamond Dynasty
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers, 90 Overall
I always enjoy giving some love to great Live Series cards, and this one certainly qualifies. Seager has an elite swing for online play and a ton of power to boot. Once you have the timing down, this card absolutely rakes.
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Seager has 107 power vs right, 86 vs left-handed pitching, and contact in the mid-90s or higher. His short swing makes him a very friendly option for online play too. He’s slow, but there’s a silver lining — he qualifies for the Nolan Arenado Cornerstone boost in Season 1. All of these factors add up to an expensive card. You can expect to spend over 90,000 stubs on Seager if you’re not lucky enough to get him in a pack.
Jackie Robinson, Sanford Greene Collection, 93 Overall
Released as part of the Jackie Robinson Day celebration on April 15, it is the final card you’ll earn in the Jackie Robinson program, and you can earn it without spending any stubs, making it a great option. Robinson has a 2B secondary too, and with not too many great second basemen in MLB The Show 24 so far, you can play him there and get someone else on this list at shortstop.
Jackie Robinson brings great power and speed to your Diamond Dynasty club, plus he has really high vision for this early in the cycle. He doesn’t have a lot of power, but he will be the prototypical leadoff hitter or fit nicely into the 8 or 9 spot in your batting order. The biggest downside is that this card isn’t affiliated with an MLB team, so it won’t earn the maximum Team Affinity progress for you when you play.
Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs, 93 Overall
There are a lot of Pipeline cards at this stage of Season 1. Like a whole lot. Some of them are pretty solid, though, and Matt Shaw is a strong Cubs prospect getting some love here. Shaw is the picture of balance, with his contact and power attributes all ranging between 80 and 100. He also comes with gold defense attributes, so he won’t be a liability.
The downside of this card is that it’s behind a paywall. Originally, it was part of Headliners Pack 7. Now, you’ll have to earn one of those packs and be lucky enough to get him or spend the stubs in the marketplace. The good news is that he isn’t THAT expensive — you should be able to slot him into your lineup for just over 14,000 stubs.
Roderick Arias, New York Yankees, 92 Overall
Roderick Arias is another card behind a paywall (hooray!), and he will cost you a lot more stubs than Matt Shaw. Arias has elite speed and diamond defense, and those factors contribute to the higher price.
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Really, though, the price difference is because Arias was a rare pull in the first Pipeline Pack, which cost 40,000 stubs to purchase. His hitting attributes really aren’t any better than Shaw’s, aside from being a switch hitter. If you’re on a stubs budget, Shaw is the better choice. If not (or if you’re a Yankees fan who’s gotta catch ’em all) expect to spend over 75,000 stubs on the Roderick Arias card.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates, 92 Overall
The Pirates are off to a fun start this year. They have some talent, but it has to be a downer for Pittsburgh fans when a Pirate is the rare pull in a Season Awards pack and it’s behind a paywall. Yep, 40,000 stubs again. If you’re lucky enough to pull it in a pack, this card is elite.
Cruz is really fast, and he destroys right-handed pitching. As long as you can overcome his low vision, that is. If you’re a really good MLB The Show player, Cruz will do well in the leadoff spot. If you need players with better vision, put him in the 5th or 6th slot in the order where the all-or-nothing nature of this card can still shine. To get him, you’ll need to spend at least 80,000 stubs.
Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies, 99 Overall
It’s Jimmy Rollins. He’s super elite. On top of that, he’s 99-overall. It’s going to take some work to get him, but Rollins is absolutely the best of the shortstops available in MLB The Show 24.
Jimmy Rollins is one of the three Season 1 XP Path bosses. That means you’ll need one million XP before you can take him, unless you want to take Andy Petitte or Larry Walker first. If you take Rollins, though, he’s elite across the board, but especially on the basepaths. He has a 99 attribute in speed, stealing, and baserunning aggressiveness. Thankfully, the bunt rating is low. If you know, you know.
Published: Apr 18, 2024 12:27 am