MLB The Show 22
Diamond Dynasty - May Topps Now Adds Lightning Rafael Devers
Coming off a somewhat disappointing end to the April Monthly Awards Program, SDS returns today with the first batch of May Topps Now players for the May Monthly Awards Program. SDS also unveiled Jim Rice would be a returning legend much like Andre Dawson was last month. The first week of Topps Now is always the largest, so we get five new players today: Topps Now Jorge Alfaro, Topps Now Merrill Kelly, Topps Now Colin Moran, Topps Now Jhoan Duran, and Topps Now Rowdy Tellez.
Much like last month, you will earn every card on the program track (and they are still sellable). In addition, there are no missions tied to the cards, so you just unlock them like you did last year, which is through moments.
Topps Now May (Week 1)
- Topps Now Jorge Alfaro
- Topps Now Merrill Kelly
- Topps Now Colin Moran
- Topps Now Jhoan Duran
- Topps Now Rowdy Tellez
This actually looks like a really nice set of cards to kick off the month. You start with a catcher who has really solid hitting stats and can even swing into LF if need be. The vision at 39 is not great, but he has a 98 arm and 73 speed. Alfaro is not going to be in the top tier, but I would put this card somewhere somewhere right outside the top 10 for best catcher options, and even higher if you appreciate a little speed and being a little different sort of catcher.
Colin Moran and Rowdy Tellez are both on the same rack in the department store, so it’s just about what style you want to rock. Tellez is better against LHP and has slightly better hitting stats overall, but Moran can fake it at 3B and in LF while still crushing the ball against RHP. Both are solid options to trot out for the ongoing Moonshot Event in either case.
With the pitchers, Duran has double Outlier, and I think the speed differentials should be enough to throw people off. And then with Kelly, he has a very meta pitch mix (sinker, cutter, change), but he might run into issues because the speed differentials are not very different. Still, I think he’s probably worth at least a spot start to get a feel for him.
Moments
- May 4: Gettin’ Rowdy In Milwaukee
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 2 XBH
- May 5: Don’t Call It A Comeback
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 1 RBI
- May 6: Merriww Kewwy
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Pitch 2 innings
- Win 1 game
- Do not give up 1 run
- May 7: Ronald Is Ready To Rock And Roll
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 7: Miggy Joins Elite Company
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 1 XBH
- May 7: That’ll Get You Outlier
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Strike out 4 batters
- Pitch 2 innings
- Win 1 game
- Do not give up 1 run
- May 8: Mother’s Day Magic
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 8: Moran Hits It A Mile
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
Topps Now May (Week 2)
After you collect the first eight Topps Now players, you can collect Josh Naylor:
Moments
- May 9: Naylor Puts The Team On His Back
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 10: Detmers Tosses No-Hitter
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Pitch 2 innings
- Do not give up 1 hit
- May 14: The Unlikely Hero
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 14: Clutch Gene Doesn’t Sleep
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 15: Pirates Win Without A Hit
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Pitch 1 inning
- Do not give up 1 run
- May 15: Back Against The Wall
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 1 XBH
- Tally 2 RBI
Topps Now May (Week 3)
After you collect the first 11 Topps Now players, you can collect Josh Rojas:
Moments
- May 19: Trevor’s Storybook Performance
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 6 total bases
- May 20: Rojas Is Red Hot
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 20: This Game Is Odor
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 21: Adley Has Arrived
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 1 XBH
- May 21: Serven Up Homers
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 22: Flashy Franchy
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
Topps Now May (Week 4)
Moments
- May 23: Goldy Called Game
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 24: Joc Makes A Splash Landing
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 6 total bases
- May 25: Burgatron 3-RBI Combo
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- May 26: Farm To Table
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 2 XBH
- May 28: The Liberatore
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Pitch 2 innings
- Do not give up 1 run
- May 29: More Like The Fair Pole
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
Rewards
- 4 points – The Show pack
- 6 points – 500 stubs
- 8 points – Topps Now Jorge Alfaro
- 10 points – Topps Now Merrill Kelly
- 12 points – Topps Now Colin Moran
- 14 points – Topps Now Jhoan Duran
- 16 points – Topps Now Rowdy Tellez
- 18 points – The Show pack
- 20 points – 500 stubs
- 24 points – Topps Now Patrick Mazeika
- 26 points – Topps Now Luis Barrera
- 28 points – Topps Now Gavin Lux
- 30 points – The Show pack
- 32 points – 500 stubs
- 36 points – Topps Now Brian Serven
- 38 points – Topps Now Rougned Odor
- 40 points – Topps Now Franchy Cordero
- 42 points – The Show pack (x2)
- 44 points – 1,000 stubs
- 46 points – Topps Now Matthew Liberatore
- 48 points – Topps Now Jake Burger
- 50 points – Topps Now Kyle Farmer
- 52 points – Topps Now Trent Grisham
- 54 points – The Show pack (x2)
- 56 points – 1,000 stubs
- 60 points – Ballin’ Is A Habit pack (x2)
- 64 points – Diamond stadium sound
- 65 points – Diamond bat skin
- 70 points – Monthly Awards choice pack (91 OVR)
- Monthly Awards Clay Holmes
- Monthly Awards Dansby Swanson
- Monthly Awards Daulton Varsho
- Monthly Awards Kole Calhoun
- Monthly Awards Martin Perez
- 75 points – The Show pack
- 80 points – Monthly Awards choice pack (91 OVR)
- 85 points – 1,500 stubs
- 90 points – Ballin’ Is A Habit pack
- 95 points – Monthly Awards choice pack (91 OVR)
- 100 points – Big Dog Set 1 pack
- 105 points – The Show pack
- 110 points – Monthly Awards choice pack (93 OVR)
- Monthly Awards Jose Altuve
- Monthly Awards Pete Alonso
- Monthly Awards Tarik Skubal
- 115 points – 1,500 stubs
- 120 points – Ballin’ Is A Habit pack
- 125 points – Monthly Awards choice pack (93 OVR)
- 130 points – Big Dog Set 2 pack
- 135 points – Headliners Set 18 pack
- 140 points – The Show pack (x5)
- 145 points – Boston Red Sox 1976 uniform
- 150 points – Topps Now Jim Rice
If we’re just comparing him to Andre Dawson from last month, you’re getting a much better hitter without some of the athleticism. They both bat from the right side and can play all three outfield positions, but Rice has a much more impressive hitting profile and relatively comparable fielding, but he’s much slower. Still, this looks like a player who might not be obsolete the moment he’s unlocked, which is sort of the problem some are having with Dawson already.
- 155 points – The Show pack (x10)
- 160 points – Big Dog Set 3 pack
- 165 points – Headliners Set 19 pack
- 170 points – Cover Athletes choice pack
- 175 points – Lightning Rafael Devers
- 185 points – Monthly Awards no-sell choice pack (91 OVR)
- 195 points – Monthly Awards no-sell choice pack (91 OVR)
- 205 points – Monthly Awards no-sell choice pack (91 OVR)
- 215 points – Monthly Awards no-sell choice pack (93 OVR)
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