Spotlight Program Drop 1 Card Reviews in MLB The Show 25
MLB The Show's staple weekly content is once again new for MLB The Show 25 — welcome to the Spotlight Series Program.
The team at The Show Gazette will bring readers content and player reviews whenever new programs release or significant content drops into the game.
Today, we’re going through all the players you can earn through the newest program in MLB The Show 25 — the Spotlight Program, Drop 1.
Note: This includes cards included from the first Spotlight Series pack, one of which you can get for free in the program.
KAMERON MISNER
- Location: Spotlight Drop 1
- Card Series: Topps Now
- Overall: 86
- Position: LF (Secondary CF, RF)
- ShowZone profile
Perks: Misner excels most on the bases with high speed (87) and good baserunning (90 STL). He has OK hitting attributes versus righties (80 contact, 82 power). Batting Clutch (88) saves the card with runners in scoring position.
Grind Time: Very quick. At 10 points in the Drop 1 program, you'll have him after a handful of moments.
Drawbacks: Contact (70) and Power (65) vs. lefty pitchers aren’t the best, and the lack of arm strength (71) and accuracy (67) means the card in the outfield would be a bit of a liability. Despite the high speed, reactions (79) are also underwhelming.
Verdict: A card for collections and for a Rays theme team. It could have some usage in Battle Royale if options are slim.
MACKENZIE GORE
- Location: Spotlight Drop 1
- Card Series: Topps Now
- Overall: 86
- Position: SP
- ShowZone profile
Perks: Gore’s 13-strikeout performance means he has a boosted K/9 (87) along with his five-pitch mix, including reasonable velocity on the fast ball. Gore also has the Road Warrior quirk, so it could be useful for Conquest games.
Grind Time: Quick; complete the moments, and Gore is yours.
Drawbacks: Low BB/9 (65) means the PAR size will be fairly large, rendering Gore difficult to control pitch location.
Verdict: Outside of Topps Now collections, the only time this card would be used online is for a Nationals theme team.
JORDAN WESTBURG
- Location: Spotlight Drop 1
- Card Series: Spotlight
- Overall: 88
- Position: 3B (Secondary 2B, SS)
- ShowZone profile
Perks: The crd has reverse splits with good hitting attributes against right-handed pitchers. High clutch (95) improves contact with runners in scoring position vs. both lefties and righties. His speed (86) means he won’t be a liability on the bases either.
Grind Time: Depends entirely on whether you can complete the "Extreme" moment on All-Star. Three consecutive homers sounds daunting, but the moment isn’t too difficult. If you choose to skip the Extreme moment, there are some PXP and stat missions that you’ll have to complete.
Drawbacks: Arm strength (66) is probably the biggest hindrance to playing this card at 3B or SS. It doesn’t have a lot of power vs. left (71).
Verdict: A good, easily obtainable option for the infield. Better suited at 2B than 3B due to the lack of arm strength.
NICK PIVETTA
- Location: Spotlight Drop 1 Pack or Marketplace
- Card Series: Spotlight
- Overall: 88
- Position: SP
- ShowZone profile
Perks: Pivetta’s card has reasonable attributes with good H/9 (93), and he has good break on the slider (95) and 12-6 curve (95).
Grind Time: If you’re lucky enough to get the rare round in the program pack, the grind time isn’t that large. It's available for 14,300 stubs at time of writing.
Drawbacks: Pivetta's fastball speed isn’t quick enough without having the PAR size to compensate. The 12-6 curveball is probably the worst of the offspeed options.
Verdict: Pivetta is only worth picking up if you’re a Padres fan or if you're focused on collecting the first Retro Spotlight card.
TOMMY EDMAN
- Location: Spotlight Drop 1 Pack or Marketplace
- Card Series: Spotlight
- Overall: 88
- Position: 2B (Secondary SS, CF)
- ShowZone profile
Perks: Edman being a switch hitter is a bonus in itself, and he has good hitting attributes versus lefties (94 contact/81 power).
Grind Time: If you’re lucky enough to get the rare round in the program pack. He's available for 35,500 stubs at time of writing if you happen to be stub fluid.
Drawbacks: Splits versus right leave a lot to be desired (71 contact/61 power). His arm strength (72) means he’s not the best option in his secondary positions.
Verdict: The card is expensive, and despite being a switch hitter, the splits versus right-handed pitchers are a major drawback. He's a strong bench option at best.
Adil is The Show Gazette's resident Brit, hailing from across the pond and supporting the Cubs. He is one of the very few streamers of MLB The Show from the UK and has been playing since MLB The Show 22.