The newest set of bosses is here. Along with the bosses, we have two full new sets of henchmen. Although this drop is not filled with the greatest cards, there are still a few gems if you look close enough. Let’s take a look at all of the new cards in the program and what value they could potentially have.
5th Inning Program | 100,000 XP
When you get to 100,000 XP, you will obtain your first choice pack of the program. The first card you will have the option to choose from is 91 overall veteran starting pitcher Hal Newhouser. A lefty arm with a four-pitch mix, four-seam, sweeping curve, change up, and two-seam. A highlight of this card is the 118 stamina and 101 K/9.
One of the negatives to this card is the 85 H/9. A low H/9 means that the opponent’s PCI size when playing online game modes, will be rather large. Another negative would be the pitch mix. Although his velocity on his two fastballs is decent, both are 95+, he is missing an out pitch. The sweeping curve will be seen rather early, and the change-up comes out at the same speed as the curve. This card will really only have collection value being a veteran card.
The next choice in the pack is 91 overall veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins. This card is a switch hitter who plays really good defense. His hitting stats are not the greatest, 77 contact and 62 power against righties with 95 contact and 63 power against lefties. He is not going to hit massive home runs, but with 87 speed, he could be a solid base hit guy.
The best part of this card has to be his defense. He has 85 fielding, with 90 arm strength, 85 throwing accuracy, and 82 reaction. He has all the defensive stats you could want in a solid shortstop. This position does lack depth in-game, and these stats are just as good, if not better than the other bigger names.
The final choice is the 89 overall veteran closing pitcher Greg Holland. A right-handed closer with a three-pitch mix of four-seam, slider, and splitter. This card has potential if you are struggling to get good bullpen help. He has 119 H/9 and 97 K/9, so he can be very effective.
The only real negative to this card is that with only three pitches, good players will learn this card very quickly. If you are someone who does not intend to play into the higher ranks, Holland has really nice potential to make it into your bullpen.
175,000 XP
At this choice pack, you will have the option of three classic diamond hitters that have been in previous games. The first option is the 93 overall finest first baseman Daniel Vogelbach. This card is a bench bat that could be used effectively against right-handed relievers. He has 82 contact and 116 power against righties.
He will struggle against lefties, with only 56 contact but he does have 91 power, so squared-up balls will still travel. His defense is pretty poor with only 74 fielding and 69 reaction rating. However, with his position being first base, he does not have to be a diamond fielder.
The next option is 91 overall future star second baseman Yoan Moncada. If you ever played with this card in the past, you know that this card has some serious potential and is way better than the stats on the card. He has 94 contact and 88 power against righties with 70 contact and 28 power against lefties.
Another great part to this card is his primary position is second base. So far into the game, there has really only been two-second basemen in lineups for top players, with Jackie Robinson and Marcus Semien player of the month. With 81 defensive stats and 83 reaction, his potential to play on teams is very high.
The final card in this pack is the 91 overall postseason center fielder Aaron Hicks. This card is a switch hitter who has decent stats from both sides of the plate. He has 84 contact and 100 power against righties with 70 contact and 80 power against lefties.
One of the negatives to this card is his defense. With primary centerfield, he only has 77 defense and 76 reaction paired with 65 speed, there is a less than likely chance he will make anyone’s lineups. Possibly a decent bench bat if you are looking to put a switch hitter on the bench, but that will be about as far as he can stretch.
350,000 XP
The final bosses are reached when you get to this pack. The first option may be the best, the 99 overall signature series right fielder Vladimir Guerrero. This card’s hitting stats are insane. He gets 122 contact and 107 power against righties, with 125 contact and 112 power against lefties. This card will hit some massive bombs and in pressure situations with his 122 clutch stat.
He really can only play right field, he is only given 70 defense. The best thing about Vlad was always his arm strength, and the devs gave him 99 throwing power. He does have a little bit of speed as well with an 81 rating. This card will instantly be in people’s lineups from top tier to bottom tier players.
The second option is 99 overall milestone starting pitcher Nolan Ryan. This card’s pitching stats are elite. He has great stamina with 117, and has 125 on both H/9 and K/9. I believe this will become the only card non paralleled to have 125 on both of those stats. He also will have outlier on his fastball, so it can reach 102 mph.
The only real negative to this card is the four-pitch mix. Four-seam, 12-6 curve, Circle change, and sinker. While he does have the infamous sinker, this card lacks anything that will break into the hands of a left-handed hitter. There could be some real issues with that when playing players at higher difficulties.
The final option is 99 overall prime series second baseman Joe Morgan. This card is versatile with everything he can do. His hitting has elite potential amongst second basemen, with 118 contact and 102 power against righties, and 102 contact and 74 power against lefties. He can hit bombs or triples into gaps with his 93 speed.
He is also a defensive monster with 92 fielding and 86 reaction. Mix that with his great speed, he will be a lock on the right side of the infield. He does not have a secondary position, however, so he can only play second base at a high level. He will also be a demon on the base paths with 99 stealing and 99 baserunning aggressiveness.
Overall
While these cards are not the top echelon of cards that some were expecting, there are some real gems here. When choosing, make sure to look at what your team really needs. There are some decent pitching options as well as guys that will make your infield better. Personally, I will be going with Rollins, Moncada and Guerrero. Solid defensive addition, as well as some big power, added to the lineup.
Be sure to check back in soon, as there is a new collection reward being added today and we will break that down as well.
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