Ken Griffey Jr. is one of, is not the most popular baseball players of the last 50 years. During his prime in the 90s and early 2000s, Griffey Jr. was the face of baseball. His beautiful swing, the joy he played with, and his abilities in all facets of the game made him one of the most likable and beloved athletes in the world. This week, MLB The Show 22 adds the superstar to this year’s game. Check out the full details below.
MLB The Show 22 Adds Ken Griffey Jr. Program
Since “The Kid” graced the cover of MLB The Show 17, he has been a staple in the series’ Diamond Dynasty mode. His almost annual 99 OVR card would often be in players’ lineups up until the release of the next game. That is why players were very excited to see that a Ken Griffey Jr. program was scheduled to be added to the game. The main reward for this program would be a 99 OVR Ken Griffey Jr. card.
That optimism started to diminish when MLB The Show’s official Twitter account put out a teaser trailer for the program today. The tweet said that the 99 OVR card would be a 2nd Half Series card. This was odd, as 2nd Half is not a series that often gets endgame level 99 OVR cards. Usually, those are reserved for the Awards or Signature series cards.
Ken Griffey Jr. did also have a 2nd Half Series card last year. However, that card was only a 96 OVR. Griffey Jr.’s 99 OVR card from last year was a Milestone series card. This 99 OVR card was part of a big collection that players had to grind for weeks to complete. However, it was worth it as the card had very impressive stats and carried players through the end of MLB The Show 21’s life cycle. So maybe it would be a card closer to last year’s 99 OVR card, or at least somewhere in the middle.
Ratings Letdown
Then MLB The Show released the ratings for the card on Twitter. The response from fans was not what SDS must have been hoping for. Players were not happy with the subpar ratings for a 99 OVR card, let alone a Ken Griffey Jr. 99 OVR card.
The card is based on The Kid’s 1996 season. That year, he had a .303 batting average with 49 HRs, 140 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.020. Yet the ratings on the card don’t seem to represent that well. The card has below 95 contact from both sides of the plater. The power also seems low. For a guy who hit 28 HRs vs RHP and 21 vs LHP, I am surprised to see the power numbers so different and somehow higher vs LHP. In defense of this, Griffey did have a 1.122 OPS vs LHP that year compared to .978 vs RHP.
In defense of this card, the program to earn him is quite easy to compete. The program is similar to the David Ortiz and Minnie Minoso programs that were released recently. The program has moments, PXP missions, and a few exchanges for the player to complete. It also seems likely that SDS will add another 99 OVR Griffey Jr. to the game later in the year.
Despite this, it still feels like a missed opportunity for SDS. With Madden 23 and NBA 2k23 coming out soon, it felt like this Griffey program would be their way of trying to hold on to players. The gameplay and game modes were already being heavily criticized by fans. The great content releases seemed to be the main thing keeping people playing. This letdown of a card could be something that allows players to try and move on to other games instead of hanging around a bit longer.
Headliners Pack
To add insult to injury, the 37th Headliners Set just dropped in The Show Shop. The newest Headliner is none other than Retro Finest 99 OVR Ken Griffey Sr. For some reason, this card is better than the 99 OVR Ken Griffey Jr. that was being advertised to players! The new Griffey Sr. has 119/125 contact vs RHP and LHP, 91 speed, 119 vision, and 80+ in every fielding category. This is the Griffey card that should have been used to get fans excited.
Topps Now
This content addition also included the beginning of the August Monthly Awards Program. This brings the first four Topps Now cards of the month. The first three that are 93 OVR and attainable by completing moments are:
- Dodgers 3B Miguel Vargas
- Cardinals SP Jordan Montgomery
- Braves LF Eddie Rosario
The final Topps Now card for this week can be attained by collecting the three cards above. This card is a 95 OVR Orioles SS Jorge Mateo.
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