With the 2022 World Series finally at a close,MLB the Show 22’s meta has approached the endgame. With all but one major collection reward to go, lineups are all but set for those still playing online in Diamond Dynasty. With the much longer holdoff for endgame level players to release, many player cards have started to run together. Because of this, it has become far less obvious as to which cards are considered the best at their positions.
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While some positions have historically struggled for good endgame cards like second base and shortstop, Diamond Dynasty has never seen more viable meta cards in center field than right now. With that out of the way, here are the best hitters in MLB the Show 22 Diamond Dynasty regardless of position.
1099 2022 Finest CF Julio Rodriguez
The favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year and a fan favorite in MLB the Show, this is J-Rod’s third meta relevant card of the year. He also received two All Star Week cards. His All Star card was an elite defender with a focus against left-handed pitching, while his Home Run Derby card lacked defense but had some of the best power stats of any card in the game at that point.
Three months later, his Finest card is a combination of the two. Far more balanced against both sides of the plate, with his lowest hitting stat being a great 109 contact against lefties. His spectacular defense in speed at a premium position also help his case. He can maintain diamond defense at left and right field at parallel 4.
Despite his solid swing, the lack of updated player quirks hurt his ranking.
999 Face Of The Franchise RF Hank Aaron
Making his DD debut in The Show 21, Aaron was a somewhat divisive card. His hitting stats were disrespectful for the player with the second most career home runs, and there was no real consensus on the quality of his swing. This year, an early game 99 released months ago and is still in the best card discussion in November.
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Aaron’s stellar hitting stats have max power against righties, with close to max contact vs righties. Combine that with his elite defense, adequate speed, and the ability to play every position (except shortstop and catcher), and he’ll have no trouble fitting anyone’s lineup. Even if he isn’t in yours, his great hitting stats and ability to play most of the field should make him a super sub throughout the duration of the game’s life cycle.
899 2022 Finest RF Hunter Renfroe
A bit of a surprise to this list, Renfroe cracks the top ten due to his max power against both sides of the plate, along with his elite defense and plenty of valuable player quirks. He has Pressure Cooker which helps his stats with runners on base, Breaking Ball Hitter which does the same for off speed pitches, First Pitch Hitter for getting aggressive early in the count, along with Night Player and Fighter which help during night games and games that hit the ninth inning or later, and Situational Hitter for bringing home a runner from third with less than two outs.
With all this going for him, the only thing holding Renfroe back are his lower vision (101) and just 64 speed which prevents him from getting to balls in the outfield. That being said, there is more than enough to love here.
799 2013 Finest 1B Miguel Cabrera (Ghosts And Ghouls Program)
Despite being one of the best hitters of all time, it’s always been a toss up whether Miggy would receive a good end game card in Diamond Dynasty every year. He has been disrespected, power-wise, on his end game cards for several years now. That all changed with his 2013 finest card representing his MVP season.
Max hitting stats puts him in rare company. Sadly, his primary position at third base is possibly the most stacked it has ever been in the history of the show, with first base not faring much better. That being said, he is among the best hitting cards in the game this year, and even if you are content at first and third, he is a stellar bench bat.
699 Takashi Okazaki CF Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey’s return to the game after his massive letdown of a 99 2nd half series card earlier in the year. This iteration of the kid is possibly his best ever. Max power vs righties with the potential for max contact vs righties at parallel 3. He also handles lefties well with 111/121 splits. Good vision along with elite defense everywhere in the outfield – plus 90 speed. These factors, combined with Griffey’s consistently elite swing animation, will make him a Ranked Seasons regular for the duration of the show 22.
599 2012 Finest CF Andrew McCutcheon (Collection Reward)
The former MVP center fielder has been marred by mediocre cards in Diamond Dynasty for many years. While his releases have had their vocal minority, he was never a consistently used metagame staple. His release this year as one of the big collection rewards a few months ago has completely changed that. His strong numbers against lefties in a meta dominated by Randy Johnson and Chris Sale, elite defense, and speed – combined with a smooth swing animation – has resulted in strong numbers against both sides of the plate. Given the current lefty meta among pitchers, he has a slight advantage over Griffey.
499 2022 Finest CF Bryan Reynolds
One of the most underrated players in the show the last several years is Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates switch hitting center fielder has been a popular early game option, but prior to last year has not received the stellar end game equivalents. In addition to being a switch hitter, Reynolds' great swing, great hitting against both sides, speed, and defense makes him one of the most quirk-loaded cards in the game.
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Setting quirks like Road Warrior and Night Player, rarer quirks like Unfazed (hits better with two strikes) and Rally Monkey (hits better when down in the game) will make him a dominant outfielder for the duration.
399 Takashi Okazaki 1B Jimmie Foxx
Since debuting in The Show 19, Foxx has become the most popular versatile hitter in the game. While there is not any real consensus on his swing, his max hitting stats and clutch – combined with the ability to play catcher – make him an offense heavy option behind the plate. Being such a great hitter with the ability to play one of the most thin endgame positions like catcher make Foxx a top flight option.
299 Signature RF Babe Ruth
Since his return to the show with his immortal card in 2018 (the most controversial card series in the game’s history), he became the first player to have max hitting stats in the new 125 rating cap. This card sees comparable numbers along with his usual corner outfield and first base options.
An elite swing and perfect hitting stats – not much more to say about Ruth.
199 2022 Finest CF Mike Trout (Battle Royale Reward)
Narrowly edging out Ruth, Mike Trout’s new finest card is possibly his best ever. In addition to being a Battle Royale reward, the currently limited supply means his price is the maximum in game (1 million stubs), and that’s with good reason. The hype over a near perfect center fielder with max power and the potential for max contact vs lefties at tier 4, along with an insane amount of active quirks, is unparalleled.
Pressure Cooker, Homebody, Night Player, Unfazed, Dead Red, Breaking Ball Hitter, and Rally Monkey – Trout has benefited the most from any of the finest series releases with active quirks usually reserved for live series players.
