When it comes to selecting the all-stars in any sport, there are always going to be dissenting opinions on which players are deserving of the honor (shout out to Dylan Cease). For instance, MLB The Show 22 doesn’t assess all of the players who made the cut this year to be on exactly the same level when it comes to their ratings in its card-collecting Diamond Dynasty mode. In all likelihood, this means that some MLB All-Star stock prices in Diamond Dynasty are bound to go up and down with their play. The fact that the MLB, like many other leagues, plays their All-Star Game in the middle of a season complicates matters further.
Here are some predictions regarding which Live series cards of All-Stars can expect to see their stock rise via roster updates as the rest of the season progresses, and which ones are showing signs that their value may have already peaked.
On The Rise
Trea Turner – 86
When MLB The Show 22 was initially released, Trea Turner was a 94 overall and has now dropped down to an 86 despite tearing it up in the first half of the season in a way that is hardly deserving of any demerits. Starting the second half, he’s hitting over .300, has clubbed 14 home runs, and driven in a whopping 68 runs already. If he’s able to keep up that kind of pace throughout the rest of the season, chances are that it won’t be long before he’s approaching 90 overall once more.
Dansby Swanson – 81
It’s taken some time for Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson to consistently put all of his tools together, but he’s landed on his first All-Star team this year at age 28 by maintaining a high batting average (.294) while still swatting homers and driving in runs (15 and 53 respectively). This is all the more impressive when you factor in how poor the start of the year was for Swanson. When you place his numbers next to those of Trea Turner, and consider the fact that Swanson steals nearly as many bases (14 to Turner’s 17 at the break), it seems likely that Swanson will make diamond by the end of the season.
Juan Soto – 82
With all of the trade rumors swirling around Juan Soto at the moment, it’s entirely possible that simply moving him from the Nationals to a contender would increase his value in Diamond Dynasty. By his own lofty standards, Soto may not be having the greatest season (the .250 average isn’t helping), but his 20 home runs would certainly be producing more runs were he on a team where more players were getting on base.
Manny Machado – 87
While Fernando Tatis Jr. has been on the shelf with an injury, Manny Machado has played a huge part in keeping the Padres afloat and in contention in the competitive NL West. That’s why it seems at least a little bit silly that Tatis continues to be a 92 overall in Diamond Dynasty without needing to put up any numbers at all to back that up at the same time Machado lingers below 90 despite hitting .303 with 15 homers and 51 RBIs.
C.J. Cron – 83
Veteran first baseman C.J. Cron has kicked around with quite a few teams and put together some respectable seasons in the past, but the lighter air in Colorado has served him well and he appears to have reached a new level this year with his first All-Star selection. His whopping 69 RBIs at the break have him near the top of the league leaders, and if he can keep hitting anywhere close to the .298 average he’s currently managing, it will be better than he’s done in any of his previous seasons in the league. Of course, he’s fluctuated between diamond and gold this year, so this one could continue to flip between both tiers.
Giancarlo Stanton – 78
Perhaps because the Yankees are having such a great season all around, your 2022 All-Star Game MVP Giancarlo Stanton seems to be a bit of a forgotten man when it comes to the Diamond Dynasty ratings, as evidenced by his silver card. Though his .237 average may be low compared to what he’s done in the past, chances are that he will bring that number up as the rest of the season plays out. On top of that, the rest of his production (24 homers and 61 RBIs at the break) will be enough to at least warrant a gold card if not eventually a diamond.
Alek Manoah – 85
Aside from impressively striking out the side while being mic’d up at this year’s All-Star Game, Alek Manoah has built on his promise and is assembling a pretty good case for the Cy Young north of the border. He may not have the gaudy strikeout numbers of other flame-throwers, but he’s already won 10 games and holds a 2.28 ERA within a division that sees him regularly facing stacked lineups. If the Jays can stay in contention in the ultra-competitive AL East, it will likely because Manoah continued his own impressive pace.
Clayton Kershaw – 86
After a disappointing 2021 season and missing some time with injury earlier this year, Clayton Kershaw appears to have fully bounced back and become something resembling the kind of dependable ace for the Dodgers that he was in his prime. While it may no longer be feasible for him at 34 to post an 11.6 K/9 like he did back in 2015, he’s still sitting on a 2.13 ERA in the the 71.2 innings he’s pitched this year and, if he can stay healthy, could become a key factor in the Dodgers contending for another championship.
Framber Valdez – 77
Worthy of better than a silver card, Framber Valdez has quietly played second fiddle to Justin Verlander in Houston while shutting down opponents to the tune of a 2.66 ERA. In his first All-Star season, Valdez has also shown off his stamina by logging two complete games, which is at least one category where Valdez can claim the edge on his esteemed teammate Verlander. So why does Verlander have 92 stamina while Valdez has only 88? Insert shrug emoji here.
Ryan Helsley – 86
Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley was only recently bumped to a diamond card in the latest Diamond Dynasty roster update, and that might not be the end of his ascent if he can continue to flummox hitters. He’s been the very definition of lights out this year after unexpectedly blossoming into a star with an ERA so minuscule (0.69) and strikeout ratio per 9 so inflated (13.9) that you almost have to check the numbers twice to make sure they’re accurate.
Emmanuel Clase – 84
When compared to the meteoric rise of someone like Helsley, perhaps Emmanuel Clase is getting slightly shafted when it comes to ratings in Diamond Dynasty only because he’s not doing anything that he doesn’t done before. In fact, his numbers this year look strikingly similar to those of 2021 in many ways, including an ERA of 1.41 compared to 1.29 a season ago — and an identical K/9 ratio of 9.6.
Gregory Soto – 68
No All-Star deserves to have a card this bad. If anyone is begging for an upgrade, it has to be Tigers closer Gregory Soto, who’s been done dirty by still having a live series card lingering below 70 overall. It’s hard to make sense of this considering that he’s saved 18 games for a lowly Detroit team, and boasts a 2.59 ERA that’s been even more impressive than the All-Star season he just put together last year.
On The Decline
Byron Buxton – 90
Sure, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has already managed to swat 23 home runs (not to mention the game-winning homer of this year’s All-Star game), but other aspects of his game have noticeably lagged behind in the process. He’s hitting just .216 this season, including an abysmal .161 line in July leading up to the All-Star game, and it’s worth wondering at what point his speed and steal ratings will take a hit when he’s only swiped two bases up to this point.
Tim Anderson – 85
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is somewhat of the bizarro Buxton in that his average has been impressive (.310) but his power numbers have been sorely lacking (just 6 home runs and 24 RBIs). After missing some time with injuries in June, he wasn’t exactly all that impressive in July with a .230 average and just one long ball, leaving some questions about whether he’s fully healthy and when the run production might return.
Pete Alonso – 86
Pete Alonso’s inclusion on this list is based mostly on the fact that, in all likelihood, he already peaked back in May and June, where he was able to mash 9 homers in each of those months. He was starting to show some signs of decline in July, only hitting .203 with a pair of dingers. For me, that’s enough to indicate that perhaps he won’t be able to sustain his ridiculous numbers over a full season. (Of course, he hit a monster bomb last night and has looked good so far, but hey, I was basing this off before games started to be played post-break.)
Nestor Cortes Jr. – 83
While no one is doubting the strength of the mustache being sported proudly by Yankees starter Nestor Cortes Jr. — or the appeal of his janky delivery to the plate — there’s reason for pause when considering whether he can continue to produce All-Star numbers in the second half of the season. He raised eyebrows with a sub-2.00 ERA in the early going, but he had a pedestrian June and only a slightly better July, and that has to have a few slightly worried in the Bronx as we head into the critical months.
Tony Gonsolin – 84
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin took the loss in the 2022 All-Star Game after yielding all three of the American League’s runs, and that might just be the latest sign he’s trending in the wrong direction following his solid start to the season. His 2.02 ERA is no doubt eye-catching, but that’s slightly higher than it could have been thanks to a month of July where it was 3.66 over his last three starts.
Josh Hader – 90
If you’re predicting how Brewers closer Josh Hader will fare in the second half of 2022, you’ll need to figure out whether you can expect the dominant hurler who kept teams off the scoreboard in the first few months of the season or the one who crashed and burned in July. It’s hard to ignore though how he went 0-3 with a 20.25 ERA and surrendered 5 home runs in the 7 games he pitched in this month before the break.
Published: Jul 26, 2022 10:15 am