Is 99 Scott Rolen Worth the Investment in MLB The Show 25?

Dear Reader,

You're probably asking yourself the same question many in the MLB The Show community are asking: "Should I pony up the resources to acquire the first Legends & Flashbacks collection reward in MLB The Show 25 — 99 Awards Series Scott Rolen?"

Rolen is exciting as a new legend. His swing is pretty dang good. It's a Gold Glove card, so the fielding is excellent. He can event scoot down the line with 65 speed.

Simply put, Rolen is incredible and a top offensive option in the game.

But, loyal reader, hold the line. Prioritize and stay strong.

The first major collection everyone should focus on is the Live Series collection. Doing that unlocks everything else in the game for you, as stubs become a currency you can throw around willy nilly.

It also just makes sense to target the Live Series collection before you dabble in the Legends & Flashbacks collection. For completing the Live Series collection, you get three 99s — Carlos Beltran, Gil Hodges and Roger Clemens. Not to mention the other divisional collection rewards that are also worth your time that'll you unlock along the way.

According to ShowZone — which you can (and should) join here using code kdjTV for a discount — the Live Series collection will currently run you just about 2 million stubs. Rolen is close to the same. It just makes more sense to lock down Beltran first if costs are essentially the same. Plus, you've probably already made plenty of progress toward Beltran since launch.

It's important to remember that you're not supposed to unlock Rolen right away. It's a very expensive, all-encompassing collection that requires just about every card in the game. It gets easier and easier with each content drop, though. And a 99 Rolen will be incredibly viable for the next several months.

There is FOMO. I know. But the third basemen you get by focusing on Live Series — Jose Ramirez, Chase Headley, etc. — are all more than capable of holding down the fort until it's 99 Rolen's time to shine. And if you really want your Rolen fix, there's a free one available in the Rolen and the Reds Program that isn't quite as good but still quite fun to use.

Rolen is incredible. I was lucky enough to unlock him quickly (shoutout to Mini Seasons and a well-timed Ketel Marte pull for some extra stubs). But you'll be OK until it's your time to get him yourself.