This will be Part 2 of the Diamond Dynasty Legend Reviews! In this section I will be reviewing the NL Central Legends.
NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals: SS Ozzie Smith
Economics C+: Wainwright and Molina are not required to complete this collection. However Rosenthal is required and will cost you about 8-10k on the market. Overall, the collection can be completed for 15-22k. Some of the Silver players like Holliday, Heyward, and Lynn can cost you 1-2k stubs each. Overall, this is not a difficult or expensive collection. You may want to try your luck on the market, but so far Ozzie’s market price has been unstable. If you can get him for 10-15k on the market then it may be worth it, as I do not see a need for players like Heyward, Holliday, or Rosenthal on most DD teams.
Performance B-: Ozzie Smith is the best defensive short stop in the game, however his offense is the worst among all legend position players. He has some speed and is a switch hitter, but his contact is in the 50’s/60’s and he absolutely has no power. His defensive ability got him to the Hall of Fame, but it really depends on the user how much you value defense at SS. You can play your DD guy there or you can get Simmons on the market for about 1k.
Overall C+: As a Cardinal’s fan this is very hard for me to judge. It really comes down to how each individual user wants to build their team. If you don’t want to put your DD player at SS for whatever reason then Ozzie Smith may be a decent option for your team. Also, if you cannot afford Tulo then again, Smith may be a decent alternative. However, I do not recommend him if you are trying to build the most efficient 25 man roster. There are shortstops out there that can be acquired for much cheaper and can provide the same value, however that value won’t come from their defense and won’t compare to Ozzie’s. Overall, I feel that you can save your money and help build your team elsewhere, but if you really want to maximize your team’s defense then Ozzie is the perfect fit for you!
Chicago Cubs: SS Ernie Banks
Economics B+: Ernie Banks can be acquired for about 25-28k. Lester is the biggest obstacle in completing the Cubs’ collection and will cost you 15-20k alone. However, unlike Rosenthal for the Cardinals’ collection, Lester can be a good fit on a DD 25 man roster. He is one of the few lefties I recommend giving a shot in your rotation. To me this makes the Cubs’ collection make a little bit more economical sense. Again, do not waste your time trying to obtain him in the market.
Performance A-: Ernie is actually a plus defender and can hold his own (80+ at all defensive attributes). However, Ernie gets his value mainly from his hitting power. Simply put, Ernie Banks is the 2nd best Shortstop in the game right behind Tulo. He hits to opposite field very well too and this helps negate the righty on righty matchups.
Overall A-: For a position that is in high demand yet low in supply, there is not much debate here. Banks is also one of the few shortstops that has 70+ power. I highly recommend Ernie Banks even if you are on a budget. He is very cheap, considering he is the 2nd best shortstop behind Tulo, and is also half the price of Tulo!
Cincinnati Reds: C Johnny Bench
Economics C-: This is not a cheap collection by any means. Chapman, who goes for 10-13k alone, plus the additions of Cueto, Bailey, and Votto will dent your wallet a bit. This collection can go up to 35-40k. Bench is also up to 100k on the market.
Performance C+: Bench is great vs left handed pitching and has great defense for a catcher, which can be a huge asset in DD. However, he struggles vs right handed pitching and that is what you mainly face in DD.
Overall C: Bench and Berra are the only 2 legend catchers and I give Yogi the slight edge due to his overall price and the fact that Yogi bats from the left side. Bench would definitely make a great starter, but unless you either have stubs to waste or pulled him in a pack then I would stick with a guy like Molina, Perez, Mauer, or Lucroy. I also recommend using your DD guy at catcher since no other catcher has 90+ attributes in hitting. Again, platooning Bench and Berra would be a good idea if you have the stubs to waste, otherwise stay away from this collection!
Pittsburgh Pirates: RF Ralph Kiner
Economics C-: Pittsburgh’s collection is very hefty. McCutchen will cost you 50-60k alone. Expect to pay anywhere from 70-75k stubs to complete this collection. Kiner may be a player you want to try and bid 50k or under on and see if anyone is willing to sell him! One advantage of completing this collection is the fact you’d have a center fielder, as well, in McCutchen.
Performance B+: Kiner has 98 power with 72 contact. He is right handed, so again this is a slight disadvantage. Defensively, he is average with 72 fielding and 58 speed.
Overall C+: Again this is a legend I do not recommend going for due to the price. Use Winfield or Dawson in RF, who are both cheaper and have more usable pieces in their collections. If you have the stubs to waste then go for it!
Milwaukee Brewers: SS Robin Yount
Economics A-: Gomez won’t be required for this collection, but Lucroy, Braun, and Ramirez will be. Expect this collection to cost 15-20k overall. The good thing about this collection is that Lucroy and Ramirez are arguably the best platoon guys at their respective positions. Ramirez has 95+ contact and power vs lefties and Lucroy has 95+ contact vs lefties. These guys can make excellent bench players. Yount can possibly be obtained for 15-20k on market, but I do not recommend this method if you truly want him on your team, since you will be missing out on good gold cards.
Performance C: Yount is more or less a better version of Peralta or Castro. He bats right handed and has a little power (52). His contact is 74 and will have a decent OBP for your team. His fielding is also slightly above average for a SS.
Overall B-: There really is nothing special about Yount and you can use someone like Castro, Peralta, Hardy, or Desmond instead for much cheaper. However if you need a decent balanced SS, as well as improving your bench, then this collection is not bad to acquire for the price. Lucroy and Ramirez make this collection worthwhile and Yount cost as much as Ozzie.
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