As the MLB regular season winds down, the Postseason will be here before we know it. In anticipation of this year’s playoffs, MLB The Show 23 has added a new Pennant Chase program. This program includes several new 99 OVR cards based on different playoff series MVPs. However, the new format for this program left several in the community confused and even frustrated.
Pennant Chase Program
SDS made the new Pennant Chase Program quite different from the other programs this year. This newest program has two stages, similar to the Monthly Awards programs from MLB The Show 22. Players must earn enough program points to complete Stage 1 before they can start completing the missions and objectives for Stage 2.
At first, Stage 1 of the Pennant Chase Program looks similar to most Other Programs that have been released this year. It includes moments, missions, conquest, and showdown. This setup became the standard early in the year. There is also an optional Event Collection for the rewards in the Pennant Chase Event.
However, there is also a Pennant Chase Pack Collection. This collection is not marked as optional, as it is necessary to complete Stage 1 if you don’t complete the optional Event Collection. This Pennant Chase Pack collection is for the Pennant Chase Pack that is included in this program. These packs guarantee a Gold or better player, and give a 1 in 6 chance of getting one of the 99 OVR cards available in the pack. The 99 OVR players included in the Pennant Chase Pack are:
- Awards Giants SP Madison Bumgarner
- Awards Pirate 1B Willie Stargell
- Awards Yankees SP Whitey Ford
- Awards Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt
- Awards Angels 3B Troy Glaus
The issue with this format is that it requires players to get lucky with these Pennant Chase Packs. Since the packs do not guarantee getting one of the cards needed for the collection, it is possible that players will open all the packs they get from the program and not get one of the cards they need. Players in this situation would then have to purchase one of the cards off the Marketplace with stubs, or get 20wins in the event to get the points from the optional collection they would need to finish Stage 1.
Repeatable Showdown
However, more information about this program seems to have fixed the issues players had with it. The Pennant Chase Showdown rewards 10 Pennant Chase packs each time it is completed. CBrev, an Associate Community Manager for SDS, confirmed this on Twitter.
Correct! Each showdown completion gives 10 Pennant Chase packs, and it's repeatable (for the packs at least, program progress is just once). Definitely going for a "Run It Back" vibe.
— CBrev (@CBrevMLB) September 22, 2023
This additional bit of information made the format of this program much more tolerable to players. The endless number of packs that can be earned and the elevated odds of pulling one of the 99 OVRs practically guarantees players will get what they need to finish the program. While this may not be the format SDS should continue using, it is nice to see them trying to change things up. Players criticized the repetitive nature of the programs this year, saying they felt more like homework than an enjoyable grind. Hopefully, SDS will eventually find the format that makes players more motivated to grind for the rewards in new programs.