Two baseball legends and veterans of Diamond Dynasty get their top cards today with the release of the 8th Inning Program for MLB The Show 21. We get Milestone Willie Mays and Awards Ernie Banks, and then we get a Milestone Chris Sale as the third boss this month. It feels like SDS is wrapping up some loose ends with these last two months of programs considering we got our Milestone Hank Aaron card last month. In terms of what we tend to expect from DD, we’re now just waiting for that Ken Griffey Jr. card.
Looking at Milestone Willie Mays, it does seem relatively easy to make the case he’s now the best player in DD by just a pure ratings standpoint, but let’s go through all the new cards and see what else there is here.
MLB The Show 21 8th Inning Program Guide
8th Inning Program is LIVE!
Who is your pick?
💎Milestone Willie Mays
💎Awards Ernie Banks
💎Milestone Series Chris Sale
Read more about today's HUGE content update here: https://t.co/DQhY6tGcMb pic.twitter.com/hHezebBIm8— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) October 15, 2021
Showdown
The Showdown is against Chris Sale (multiple times), and the mini Showdown was against Blake Treinen for me (and it’s arguably the tougher of the two Showdowns). You will get 45,000 XP for beating the Showdown.
Conquest
The first Conquest map is the 8th Inning Bat. You do not need to steal any fans, so just focus on gaining all the territories to secure 35,000 XP. You will also get a Home Run Derby pack for completing the map.
The second Conquest map is the Jack-O-Lantern map. You need to steal 3 million fans en route to securing the 35,000 XP.
Missions
There are the three usual online missions, and we’re now used to getting Extra Innings missions right from the start as well, which continues to be a nice touch. And, of course, more missions will be added throughout the program.
- Competitive Dubs – Win 10 games in online modes (7,500 XP)
- Extra Innings Dubs – Win 5 games in Extra Innings (7,500 XP)
- Postseason Pop! – Tally 5 XBH with any Postseason players in online modes (5,000 XP)
- Extra Innings: Postseason Pop! – Tally 10 XBH with Postseason players in Extra Innings (5,000 XP)
- Clutch Hits! – Tally 5 RBI with any Postseason players in online modes (5,000 XP)
- Extra Innings: Clutch Hit! – Tally 10 RBI with any Postseason players in Extra Innings (5,000 XP)
- Postseason Power Bats – Tally 5 home runs with any Postseason players in online modes (5,000 XP)
- Extra Innings: Postseason Power Bats – Tally 10 home runs with any Postseason players in Extra Innings (5,000 XP)
- October Baseball! – Tally 25 total bases with any Postseason players in online modes (7,500 XP)
- Extra Innings: October Baseball! – Tally 45 total bases with any Postseason players in Extra Innings (7,500 XP)
- Postseason K’s – Tally 15 strikeouts with any Postseason pitchers in online modes (5,000 XP)
- Extra Innings: Postseason K’s – Tally 25 strikeouts with any Postseason pitchers in Extra Innings (5,000 XP)
- Postseason Insurance – Tally 10 runs with any Postseason series players in online modes (7,500 XP)
- Extra Innings: Postseason Insurance – Tally 20 runs with any Postseason series players in Extra Innings (7,500 XP)
- Postseason Speed Threats – Tally 3 stolen bases with any Postseason series players in online modes (5,000 XP)
- Extra Innings: Postseason Speed Threats – Tally 6 stolen bases with any Postseason series players in Extra Innings (5,000 XP)
- Saving The Playoffs – Tally a save with any Postseason series pitchers in online modes (5,000 XP)
- Extra Innings: Saving The Playoffs – Tally 2 saves with any Postseason series pitchers in Extra Innings (5,000 XP)
Collections And Moments
Note: For any old player programs from prior Innings, they still exist if you have not completed them yet. However, you won’t get the XP for “collecting” the cards in the new Inning, nor do you get XP for the prior Inning Program anymore once it is gone.
The first player program is for Milestone Whit Merrifield:
Moments
- Get Used To Whit
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 1 XBH
- Whit The Nail On The Head
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 2 hits
- Tally1 XBH
- Pitcher’s Throwing A Hissy Fit
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 4 total bases
- Whit Bird Strikes Again
- Difficulty: All-Star
- Tally 1 hit
- Chomping At The Whit
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 1 XBH
- 2 Legit, 2 Legit To Whit
- Difficulty: All-Star
- Tally 1 hit
The second player program is for Signature Series Ken Griffey Sr.
Moments
- Griffey Goes Yard
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Hit 1 home run
- The Pride Of Donora
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 2 hits
- Tally 1 XBH
- Griffey Gallups Around The Bases
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 6 total bases
- Ken’s Seeing Double
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 4 total bases
- The Great Griffey Sr.
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 2 hits
- Tally 1 XBH
- Ken You Believe It?
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 1 XBH
As for inning collections:
- 8th Inning Collection – Collect the three 7th Inning Bosses (50,000 XP)
- Awards Yadier Molina – Collect evolution Awards Yadier Molina (20,000 XP)
- Prime Wade Davis – Collect evolution Prime Wade Davis (20,000 XP)
- Collect Postseason Series – Collect 15 Postseason Series or 2021 Postseason Series players (20,000 XP)
- Milestone Whit Merrifield – Collect Milestone Whit Merrifield (45,000 XP)
- Signature Series Ken Griffey Sr. – Collect Signature Series Ken Griffey Sr. (45,000 XP)
Bosses And Rewards
Here are the three Bosses at 350,000 XP, plus their quirks:
- Milestone Willie Mays
- Awards Ernie Banks
- Milestone Chris Sale
Here is the first set of players you get in a diamond choice pack. You only get one bite at this apple:
- Awards Blake Snell
- Prime Ryan Klesko
- Milestone Troy Percival
The second set of players you get to choose from comes from a diamond Classics choice pack. You will only get one bite at this apple as well.
- Finest Mitch Garver
- Finest Blake Treinen
- Finest Brian Anderson
Here are the main rewards:
- 5,000 XP – 2,000 stubs, Ballplayer choice pack
- 10,000 XP – 3,000 stubs, universal nameplate
- 17,500 XP – Headliners pack (x2)
- 25,000 XP – 3,000 stubs, Diamond unlockables choice pack
- 32,500 XP – Ballin’ Is A Habit pack (x2)
- 40,000 XP – Gold Ballplayer choice pack
- 55,000 XP – Space 1 pack
- 70,000 XP – 3,500 stubs, universal profile icon
- 85,000 XP – The Show pack
- 100,000 XP – 8th Inning player choice pack
- 115,000 XP – 3,500 stubs, Boston Red Sox 1976 road uniform
- 130,000 XP – Headliners pack (x2)
- 145,000 XP – Universal profile icon
- 160,000 XP – Space 2 pack
- 175,000 XP – 8th Inning Classics choice pack
- 190,000 XP – 4,000 stubs, universal profile icon
- 205,000 XP – Diamond legend icon choice pack
- 220,000 XP – Headliners Set 40 pack (x3)
- 235,000 XP – Diamond stadium sound
- 250,000 XP – 5,000 stubs, diamond bat skin
- 270,000 XP – Classic stadium choice pack
- 290,000 XP – Space 3 pack
- 310,000 XP – Legend bat skin choice pack
- 330,000 XP – 5,000 stubs, San Francisco Giants 1947 home uniform
- 350,000 XP – 8th Inning Boss choice pack
- 380,000 XP – 5,000 stubs, Chicago Cubs 1902 home uniform
- 410,000 XP – The Show pack (x10)
- 440,000 XP – Diamond Ballplayer choice pack
- 470,000 XP – 42 Series choice pack
- 500,000 XP – Ballin’ Is A Habit pack (x5)
- 530,000 XP – Diamond Ballplayer choice pack
- 560,000 XP – 2021 Home Run Derby pack
- 590,000 XP – 2021 All-Star Game pack
- 620,000 XP – Field of Dreams pack
- 650,000 XP – 90+ Live Series choice pack
