It’s a new year of MLB The Show, as MLB The Show 26 is live worldwide. That means new cards and a new meta to navigate as Diamond Dynasty players roll with lower overall cards for the first few months. But now that we’ve reached end game status, 99 OVR cards are now the norm once more.
Contents
Updated October 9, 2026.
Infielders
Let’s take a look at our power ranking list for the best catchers in MLB The Show 26:
C
- 99 OVR Milestone Cal Raleigh
- 99 OVR New Threads Adley Rutschman
- 99 OVR Milestone Jason Varitek
- 99 OVR Subway Series Jorge Posada
- 99 OVR Spotlight Carter Jensen
For any veterans of MLB The Show out there, you likely know how much switch-hitters are king in this game. Not only do these hitters prevent same-sided matchups — which aren’t too tough in most instances but are unfavorable for others — but also get around the ol’ “shrinkage” problem.
Adley Rutschman’s 99 OVR New Threads card, a collection reward, is one of the best premium options at catcher. Better pop time & fielding than the 99 OVR Varitek, plus impressive hitting attributes.
However, for those who can get the 99 OVR Milestone Raleigh, it’s worth it.
1B
- 99 OVR Awards Victor Martinez
- 99 OVR Signature Albert Pujols
- 99 OVR Spotlight Josh Bell
- 99 OVR Awards Eddie Murray
- 99 OVR Spotlight David Ortiz
Two tough-to-complete collection rewards are on top here.
Victor Martinez’s Awards card may be on top all year. It’s the second Legends & Flashbacks Collection reward, a highly expensive one. But just look at those attributes.
The 99 OVR Albert Pujols Signature Series card is the NL Live Series reward, meaning you’ll need the Red Diamond Ohtani to get it. But for those who can afford that Ohtani, Pujols can play the outfield and third, so there is some position versatility.
Then, there are the more affordable options, like the 99 OVR Bell & Murray cards that are on the market.
2B
- 99 OVR MLBx Ben Zobrist
- 99 OVR Spotlight Nick Sogard
- 99 OVR Signature Ray Durham
- 99 OVR Spotlight Adael Amador
- 99 OVR Moonshot Craig Biggio
In terms of ability & attributes, this 99 OVR Zobrist may be the best card in the game. Nearly max Contact, plus more than serviceable power. But given that it was the fourth Legends & Flashbacks Collection, it’ll be out of reach for the vast majority of the player base.
Luckily, there are budget options that are very comparable. Nick Sogard’s 99 OVR Spotlight from August is one of the best & most versatile cards in the game. The 99 OVR Amador from September isn’t as versatile. But it’s still a very good card.
3B
- 99 OVR Milestone Miguel Cabrera
- 99 OVR Moonshot Chone Figgins
- 99 OVR Moonshot Wade Boggs
- 99 OVR Spotlight Alex Bregman
- 99 OVR Awards Terry Pendleton
The 99 OVR Milestone Miguel Cabrera was released months ago as the first Legends & Flashbacks Collection reward. And it’s still one of the best cards available. Lacking in fielding but Cabrera’s offensive attributes make up for it.
Other options like Chone Figgins, Alex Bregman, and Wade Boggs are somewhat comparable.
SS
- 99 OVR Milestone Troy Tulowitzki
- 99 OVR Prime Jimmy Rollins
- 99 OVR Pipeline Leo De Vries
- 99 OVR Pipeline Jesús Made
- 99 OVR Milestone Francisco Lindor
Yes, the 99 OVR Milestone Tulowitzki is still a worthwhile investment.
The Live Series Collection reward for ’26 is a monster in every facet of the game. Power, speed, fielding. This card checks all the boxes.
Two Pipeline cards made this portion, including the Made that’s a Collection reward.
Francisco Lindor’s 99 OVR Milestone is another fantastic option. As is Jimmy Rollins, which is almost impossible to find given it was a Weekend Classic leaderboard reward.
Outfielders
Now, let’s look at the top outfielders:
LF
- 99 OVR Retro Finest Babe Ruth
- 99 OVR 2026 All-Star Game Yordan Alvarez
- 99 OVR Field of Dreams Kyle Schwarber
- 99 OVR Classics Giancarlo Stanton
- 99 OVR Milestone Manny Ramirez
Forget about 99 OVR Babe Ruth. While this card is, arguably, the best offensive card in the game, Ruth is a Weekend Classic leaderboard. Thus, it’s nearly impossible to get on the market.
The other listed options are all fantastic offensively. But not so much defensively.
CF
- 99 OVR Hall of Fame Carlos Beltran
- 99 OVR Awards Mike Trout
- 99 OVR Moonshot Mickey Mantle
- 99 OVR Retro Finest Ken Griffey Jr.
- 99 OVR Milestone Chili Davis
The 99 OVR Hall of Fame Carlos Beltran is the best overall card in the game right now. And for those asking why, just look at the attributes.
After Beltran, familiar names like Trout, Mantle, and Griffey Jr. exist.
RF
- 99 OVR Spotlight Lance Berkman
- 99 OVR Classics Anthony Santander
- 99 OVR Signature Ken Singleton
- 99 OVR Moonshot Jose Bautista
- 99 OVR Milestone Vladimir Guerrero
The 99 OVR Signature Ken Singleton has fantastic offensive attributes. Add in the fact that Singleton is a switch-hitter, and you get the idea.
Two other switch-hitter cards, including the Retro Division Series Santander card, are above Singleton, though.
Starting Pitchers
Let’s take a look at the best starting pitchers:
- 99 OVR Negro Leagues John Donaldson
- 99 OVR 2026 All-Star Game Jacob Misiorowski
- 96 OVR MLB Draft Brody Bumila
- 99 OVR Pipeline Seth Hernandez
- 99 OVR Spotlight Jacob deGrom
- 96 OVR Standout Nolan Ryan
- 99 OVR New Threads Dustin May
- 99 OVR Milestone Pedro Martinez
- 97 OVR Signature Al Leiter
- 97 OVR All-Star Roger Clemens
Even in end-game status, there are still non-99 OVR starting pitchers on our meta list. That’s a byproduct of A) so many relevant names (Randy Johnson, Justin Verlander, Bob Gibson, etc.) who are still missing high-end cards and B) the fact that some of those non-99s are just really good.
However, it’s hard to argue that Donaldson is the best name out there right now.
Relief Pitchers
- 97 OVR 2026 All-Star Game Mason Miller
- 99 OVR Prime Jonathan Broxton
- 99 OVR Finest Billy Wagner
- 99 OVR Spotlight Ben Joyce
- 98 OVR 2026 All-Star Game Jhoan Duran
- 98 OVR 2026 All-Star Gam Aroldis Chapman
- 99 OVR Retro Finest Keith Foulke
- 99 OVR Awards Rollie Fingers
- 99 OVR Classics Aaron Bummer
- 99 OVR Hall of Fame Trevor Hoffman
Yes, this Mason Miller has a sinker. Yes, this is an exceptionally good card — so long as the opposition can’t catch up to the fastball.
We’ve also seen a shift in the meta, with the circle changeup becoming more of the norm for several reasons. Hence, the likes of Keith Foulke and Trevor Hoffman are here.
This article will be updated throughout the year as new cards are added to Diamond Dynasty.
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