MLB The Show 23: Budget Beasts cards in Diamond Dynasty (September 2023)

Chris Studley
Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins

Thanks to the introduction of Sets and the removal of several sneaky way to make Stubs, building a team in MLB The Show 23’s Diamond Dynasty won’t be easy. However, players can build competitive teams on the cheap. With that said, here’s a look at some of the best budget beasts in MLB The Show 23, sorted by position.

Related: Best cards in MLB The Show 23 Diamond Dynasty

Best budget infielders

Here’s a look at our best budget beasts in MLB The Show 23, starting with the catchers:

C

Mike Piazza from Extreme Program
  1. All-Star Game Mike Piazza (99 OVR)
  2. 2023 MLB Draft Blake Mitchell (98 OVR)
  3. August MA Mitch Garver (98 OVR)
  4. All-Star Game Gary Sanchez (97 OVR)
  5. Home Run Derby Adley Rustchman (97 OVR)

1B

99 OVR Buck O'Neil in MLB The Show 23
  1. Jin Kim Series Buck O’Neil (99 OVR)
  2. Great Race of ’98 Mark McGwire (99 OVR)
  3. June MA Christian Walker (98 OVR)
  4. All-Star Josh Bell (97 OVR)
  5. Snapshot Series Frank Thomas (97 OVR)

2B

Ketel Marte from New Baseball Media
  1. All-Star Game Ketel Marte (99 OVR)
  2. 2023 All-Star Game Marcus Semien (99 OVR)
  3. All-Star Tommy La Stella (97 OVR)
  4. July MA Whit Merrifield (98 OVR)
  5. 2023 All-Star Game Ozzie Albies (97 OVR)

3B

97 OVR Justin Turner in MLB The Show 23
  1. Snapshot Series Justin Turner (97 OVR)
  2. Milestone Chipper Jones (97 OVR)
  3. Snapshot Series George Brett (97 OVR)
  4. Snapshot Series Wade Boggs (97 OVR)
  5. 2023 All-Star Game Josh Jung (97 OVR)

SS

97 OVR Corey Seager in MLB The Show 23
  1. Home Run Derby Corey Seager (97 OVR)
  2. July MA Bobby Witt Jr. (98 OVR)
  3. MLB Draft Jacob Wilson (98 OVR)
  4. Milestone Cal Ripken Jr. (97 OVR)
  5. Snapshot Series Jimmy Rollins (97 OVR)

Now that were are in Set 4, only Core, Set 3, and Ser 4 cards can be used without the Wild Card.

The Extreme Program cards are still good, and those who have both Ketel Marte and All-Star Game Marcus Semien can build a pretty cheap infield provided one uses Semien at his secondary position.

Season 4 Team Affinity also brought several useful cards to the meta, as well.

Best budget outfielders

Now, let’s move on to the outfielders:

LF

99 OVR Moonshot Kyle Schwarber
  1. Home Run Derby Kyle Schwarber (99 OVR)
  2. June MA Christian Yelich (98 OVR)
  3. Snapshot Series Ryan Braun (97 OVR)
  4. June MA Ezequiel Duran (98 OVR)
  5. All-Star Game Jesse Winker (97 OVR)

CF

Ken Griffey Jr. from Extreme Program
  1. All-Star Game Ken Griffey Jr. (99 OVR)
  2. August MA Lightning Julio Rodriguez (99 OVR)
  3. July MA Lightning Cody Bellinger (99 OVR)
  4. Home Run Derby Joc Pederson (99 OVR)
  5. All-Star Game Mike Cameron (99 OVR)

RF

99 OVR Roberto Clemente in MLB The Show 23
  1. Awards Roberto Clemente (99 OVR)
  2. Great Race of ’98 Sammy Sosa (99 OVR)
  3. Milestone Harold Baines (97 OVR)
  4. All-Star Mitch Haniger (97 OVR)
  5. August MA Teoscar Hernandez (98 OVR)

Between five affordable 99 OVR center fielders, including July Monthly Awards Cody Bellinger and August Monthly Awards Julio Rodriguez, the new Great Race of ’98 Sammy Sosa — which isn’t as good as the Awards version, but nonetheless an interesting bat — and the Roberto Clemente Awards card, it shouldn’t be too hard to build a strong outfield on the cheap.

Moonshot Program reward Kyle Schwarber is another good option for those in of a left fielder or even a catcher. Schwarber does have catcher as a secondary position.

Best budget starting pitchers

  1. June MA Lightning Shohei Ohtani (99 OVR)
  2. Milestone Matt Cain (99 OVR)
  3. Milestone Joe Musgrove (99 OVR)
  4. Milestone Fernando Valenzuela (99 OVR)
  5. Topps Now Framber Valdez (99 OVR)
  6. Topps Now Domingo German (99 OVR)
  7. June MA Brayan Bello (98 OVR)
  8. 2023 All-Star Game Corbin Burnes (97 OVR)
  9. Topps Now Michael Lorenzen (99 OVR)
  10. Snapshot Series Randy Johnson (97 OVR)

Those who have been collecting their Topps Now cards can get two free 99 OVRs in Framber Valdez and Michael Lorenzen via the August Topps Now Program. Joe Musgrove and June MA Shohei Ohtani are among the other prime options.

Best budget relief pitchers

Billy Wagner from Extreme Program
  1. Incognito Billy Wagner “Billy the Kid” (99 OVR)
  2. Awards Rollie Fingers (99 OVR)
  3. 2023 All-Star Game Josh Hader (97 OVR)
  4. July MA Joel Payamps (98 OVR)
  5. 2023 All-Star Game Yennier Cano (97 OVR)
  6. Snapshot Series Rob Dibble (97 OVR)
  7. TA4 Captain Jose Alvarado (95 OVR)
  8. August MA Raisel Iglesias (98 OVR)
  9. 2023 All-Star Game Devin Williams (97 OVR)
  10. June MA Taylor Rogers (95 OVR)

The reliever meta received a major shakeup, as many of the dominant Set 2 relievers like Kenley Jansen and Aaron Loup are now gone. On the other hand, trippy pitchers like Jose Alvarado and Rob Dibble have new cards.

In late September, SDS added a free 99 OVR in Rollie Fingers that can be obtained in the Pennant Chase Program.

Note: All cards on this list are either Core, Set 3, or Set 4 cards. In order for a card to be on this list, it must either be exclusively available through a Program (i.e. Monthly Awards, Topps Now, etc.) or have a Buy Now of 20,000 Stubs or less. Collection, Battle Royale Flawless, and World Series Ranked Program cards are not included.

Published by Chris Studley