MLB 15 The Show Diamond Dynasty Legend Reviews Part 4: AL West

Keep in mind, it is best to do these collections during the weekend since the prices of golds/silvers drop due to the new packs.  Do not try to complete these collections from Tues-Thurs.  Also, the prices of the collections will vary from week to week if certain players get attribute changes!  One last thing to note is that since Legends are such rare pulls from packs that their market value can change drastically and the prices may vary from what I have on here.  Enjoy!

AL West

LAA Angels: 2B Rod Carew

Economics A: The Angels’ collection can be completed for 10-14.  The downside is you don’t really get any great players completing the collection besides maybe Joe Smith, Huston Street, and Erick Aybar.  I am not currently using any Angels on my 25 man roster.  The good news is that this collection is very cheap to complete.  Carew is not currently being sold on the market, so I suggest completing this collection.  The 5% increase in stubs and xp helps too.

Performance A: Carew is an ideal lead off man. He has 99 contact vs righties, 90 vs lefties, and also has 93 plate vision.  You won’t need a 2b once you obtain him, unless you want to go with Cano for power or Gordon for speed.  Otherwise, Carew is a great fit for any lineup.  I am hitting nearly .400 with him, personally and he has been worth every stub I spent to obtain him.  His defense has been solid and is actually above average for 2b.  Carew can also swipe a bag for you when needed.

Overall A: This is a great bargain for one of the best lead off hitters in the game and he is the second best second basemen in the game behind Cano.  You can choose to get Howie Kendrick, Jose Altuve, or Dustin Pedroia to platoon with him, but it really is not even needed.  This is one collection I definitely will not regret completing and Carew has been very valuable since I have obtained him.  Go for Carew if you don’t want to spend the dough on Cano!

Houston Astros: 1B Jeff Bagwell

Economics C+: Houston’s collection can be completed from 25-40k.  Altuve, alone, can cost up to 30k stubs.  This collection has gone up in stubs lately, since Houston has been playing better in real life.  You may want to let the team cool down and see if you can get Altuve cheaper at some other point.  Bagwell can be bought on the market for 65-125k, so I recommend completing the collection to obtain him.  You will get the most used reliever in, Neshek, and add some good bats in your lineup.  If you pursue for this collection then you could also skip on the Angels’ collection since you will have Altuve for second base.

Performance B+: Bagwell absolutely destroys left handed pitching with 99/99 contact/power, but can struggle a bit vs right handed pitching.  It seems like it is easy to jam Bagwell due to his stance and people tend to pitch up and inside vs him every time.  If you struggle with hitting high heat then look else where!  Otherwise Bagwell is a great first basemen, overall. 

Overall C+: Overall, Bagwell is a great player.  However, there are so many good corner infielders that I feel like someone such as Chris Davis, Eric Hosmer, Will Clark, Fred McGriff, Billy Butler, Edgar Martinez, Adrian Gonzalez, etc. can be just as good and are much cheaper to obtain.  There are 15-20 solid corner infielders to choose from, so if you choose to go for Bagwell then make sure you are committed to him in the long run.  Otherwise, save your stubs and increase your team’s overall by upgrading other positions. 

Oakland Athletics: CP Dennis Eckersley

Economics D+: The A’s collection can be completed for 27-40k.  It is quite expensive and it is mostly pitchers that will be costing you stubs.  Eckersley is not currently being sold on the market either, but he can usually be bought for about the same price.  You may want to try and put a bid in for him if you want him.  Completing the collection will increase your bullpen with Doolittle, Clippard and Cook, but the position players probably will be of little to no use to your lineup with the exception of maybe Josh Reddick. 

Performance C-: Eckersley only has 3 pitches and 2 of them are fastballs.  He doesn’t really throw over 95-96 mph and his slider is nothing special.  His per nine attributes are great and he has somewhat of a deceptive delivery.  Overall, I have hit him very well and there are better options for your bullpen.

Overall D+: Overall, this is a weird collection to complete.  You will add 4 quality relievers. However, for the price of 40k it is not worth it to me.  I only recommend obtaining Eckersley if you love the A’s or you are a big fan of him.   You won’t get to pitch much with him and he is not that hard to hit.  I recommend the KC Royals’ or Seattle Mariners’ collection if you want to increase your bullpen.

Seattle Mariners: DH/3B Edgar Martinez

Economics B+:  Seattle’s collection will cost you about 20-25k or you can look to buy Martinez on the market.  There are no current sell orders, so I recommend sticking with the collection.  Completing the Mariners’ collection will add some solid players to your team as well.  Cruz and Seager could add some good power to your starting lineup and I am a fan of both players.  Cruz may also be looking for an upgrade later on, so this could be a good time to buy him.  Seattle also has some quality bullpen arms in Rodney, Furbush, Farquhar, and Wilhelm.  Wilhelmsen and Furbush are some of the most underrated relievers in the game, in my opinion.  Overall, this is a great bargain and will add depth to your team.

Performance B+: Again there are so many corner infielders out there, so I don’t really feel like Edgar sticks out over any of them.  His one downside is that he is right handed, but he has great contact overall and hits lefties very well.  His defense is a downfall, but you won’t notice that much if you put him at first base.   I also noticed Edgar is very slow and he may hit a lot of long singles for you.

Overall B+: Since Martinez is pretty cheap to obtain, I recommend this collection, at least, for a platoon hitter at 1b/3b.  You could even platoon Seager and Martinez if you complete this collection, but you will have a lot of options here.  You could also platoon Edgar at first base with Hosmer, Davis, Lind, Clark, McGriff, Adams, Fielder, etc.

Texas Rangers: SP Nolan Ryan

Economics B-:  This collection is quite expensive.  It can cost 55-70k and Beltre will cost 35-40k alone, while Darvish will add another 25k.  The upside is that these are two great players to have.  Fielder, Andrus, and Choo could be usable as well depending on how good your team is.  I use Beltre to platoon at 3b with George Brett and Darvish has pitched the most innings for me.  They are both great players to have.  Ryan cost too much on the market, so stick with completing the collection.

Performance A: Ryan does not disappoint on the mound.  He has two fastballs that hit 98-99 consistently.  Combine that with a very hard and sharp curveball, along with a changeup in the 77-79 range and Ryan is one of the most difficult pitchers to hit. He is not easy to hit and is one of the most fun legends to use in the game.  At this juncture, Ryan, in my opinion, is the best Diamond Dynasty pitcher due to his speed variance.  Tanaka’s changeup was removed and they removed the pitching view from online, so this makes Ryan the toughest to hit now.

Overall B+: By completing this collection, you will add Darvish and Ryan to your rotation, along with one of the best third basemen in Adrian Beltre.  You may want to consider waiting on this collection, since Beltre may be taking a downgrade sooner or later based on his real life stats.  That could knock down this collection 10-15k stubs!  Overall, Ryan is great fun to use and is one of my favorite legends, plus I consider him to be the best pitcher in the game right now.


 

 

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