MLB The Show 22 is just hours away from launch, and players who snag a special edition will get an exclusive Diamond Legends Choice Pack.
With the difficult question each year of which player to choose in your Diamond Choice Pack, let's take a look at who should be the first member of your team in MLB The Show 22 Diamond Dynasty.
Latest - Final reveals, who should you pick?
After plenty of anticipation, the final two greats in the Diamond Legends Choice Pack have now been revealed.
The first is Randy "The Big Unit" Johnson, who was initially revealed as the first new member of the Legends Roster in MLB The Show 22.
Following the Randy Johnson reveal, including our first look above at his gorgeous Okazaki card art, we then learned the final entry in this pack would be Chase Utley.
With this reveal down, we now know the following five players will be available to choose in the Diamond Legends Choice Pack:
- Mickey Mantle
- Rickey Henderson
- Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
- Randy Johnson
- Chase Utley
Ultimately, your decision should be based on whether your weakness while playing is hitting or pitching, and your choice should be the player that is strongest with your weakest aspect.
If you're an ace pitcher but struggle at the plate, go with a reliable hitter like Mickey Mantle or Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
If pitching is where your struggles tend to land, offset that by choosing Randy Johnson to take advantage of his pitching stats.
If you're a bit more balanced and want an edge on baserunning, Rickey Henderson was nicknamed "The Man of Steal" for a reason.
Ultimately more powerful cards will eventually show up in Diamond Dynasty, but give yourself an early edge with the right pick in this Diamond Legends Choice Pack.
MLB The Show 22 Diamond Legends Choice Pack in MVP and Deluxe Edition
MLB The Show 22 introduced Shohei Ohtani as this year's cover athlete, but along with that we got a uniquely special cover design by legendary artist Takashi Okazaki.
The writer and illustrator of beloved manga series Afro Samurai, Okazaki signed on to create the special cover art for the Digital Deluxe and MVP Edition of MLB The Show 22.
On top of that, it now appears they've brought Okazaki on to create a card art series for the Diamond Choice Pack that players will receive in each of those editions.
In the past, the Diamond Choice Pack has been a very crucial acquisition early on in Diamond Dynasty, especially when paired with the 4 days of Early Access.
This allows players to immediately boost their team and start earning rewards before the full Diamond Dynasty marketplace has really started rolling.
We've seen a launch series like this be a key part of one of the game's earliest big Collection challenges, and that may once again be the case this year.
First of the Diamond Choice Pack legends revealed
Last year, the Diamond Choice Pack turned the spotlight towards the 42 Series in honor of Jackie Robinson, but this year they've given Okazaki the wheel.
The first of five baseball greats given a special card by Okazaki in the Diamond Choice Pack is none other than Mickey Mantle.
Mantle is only the first player to be revealed, and with just over a week before MLB The Show 22 goes live with Early Access, it shouldn't be long before we see the rest.
Once the full field has been revealed we'll pinpoint which is the best acquisition for players to kickstart their Diamond Dynasty squad, but in general you'll want a card that excels at your weaknesses.
If you're a great pitcher, go for a card with good contact and batting stats, but players who excel at the plate and struggle on the mound should snag the best pitcher possible.
Rickey Henderson joins Legends Choice Pack
The second major inclusion in the Diamond Legends Choice Pack for MLB The Show 22 has finally been revealed.
Rickey Henderson joins previously revealed option Mickey Mantle, and he's also getting some epic card art courtesy of Takashi Okazaki.
We expect at least five in this pack, and that means more reveals are on the way with this gorgeous Okazaki card art.
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. revealed
After learning about two of the five MLB The Show 22 Diamond Legends Choice Pack inclusions, the third is an equally fitting pick.
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. joins the lineup that already includes Rickey Henderson and Mickey Mantle, and it's rarefied air for these three and the two more that will be announced later.
While modern fans may be more familiar with his son Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who won the AL Hank Aaron Award, Silver Slugger Award, and was MLB Home Run Leader last season, Vlad the Impaler was a legend in his own right.
During his 16 seasons across multiple teams, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. was a 9-time All-Star, AL MVP in 2004, is a member of the Angels Hall of Fame, and his son is clearly following in his footsteps because Guerrero Sr. won the Silver Slugger Award in 8 different seasons between 1999 and 2010.