MLB the Show 21: Best Team to Rebuild

If you want to bring your favorite MLB team from the bottom of the rankings in real life to one of the most powerful dynasties that baseball has ever seen, this game is perfect for you!

To do this there are two main modes that you can try. The first and best mode is franchise, while the second is diamond dynasty. In this article we will first discuss the modes to act as a mini mode guide and allow you to make the decision that you would rather play on. Then we will give you some tips on what teams to play as to bring their ranking up.

Franchise Mode

First up is franchise mode. It is a tried and true mode for rebuilding teams and lets you do so more realistically. In this mode, you control the team of your choosing, your franchise, and have a regular 162 game season as well as some realistic budget limitations as well. This mode is strictly playing against the computer, meaning you can make it as easy or as difficult as you would like. With the specifics of budgeting, player overalls, and team-to-team interactions (trades/free agents) this is the mode that we highly suggest you rebuild your team on.

Diamond Dynasty

Now the other popular mode is diamond dynasty and is our personal favorite in MLB the Show 21. This mode is much less realistic when you are rebuilding a team however, because it acts as a fantasy team, meaning you can create the roster out of anyone who has ever played baseball. It also allows for 99 overall teams to be made, which of course is also not realistic. However if you would like to rebuild an old team or an all-time team for a franchise, this can still be a fun option if you accept the fact that it is not necessarily the most realistic. It also gives you the option to play online against other human beings instead of the computer all the time, which is why it is our favorite mode. It can be very fun, but for the purpose of this article we do not recommend it to rebuild a team.

Starting a Franchise

We will assume that you took our recommendation and are looking to rebuild a team on franchise mode. This means you start with their current roster, which is truly up to the date and minute of when you begin your franchise. You can also upload a user-created roster which may have old players, but we will assume that you are simply using the current roster. With that in mind, to rebuild a team, you must pick a bad team in the sense of a record. You are not going to get a rebuilding experience if you select a team like the New York Yankees or St. Louis Cardinals. So prepare for a little frustration at the start because your team will not be very good, but just have that expectation going in and you will be fine.

Which Team to Pick

Now that you have a full understanding of the best modes to rebuild on and how to get started with your roster, we would like to share our recommendation for the best team to rebuild in MLB the Show 21. Personally we think it would be a great idea and an interesting challenge to pick the Pittsburgh Pirates. Statistically speaking, the Pirates have been one of the worst teams in baseball for years and even decades at this point. Don’t be frightened over this!

Besides the statistics, the Pirates also pose a challenge with the team’s salary. They are well known in MLB to have one of the lowest annual salaries. In fact, players like Gerrit Cole (former Pirates starting pitcher) now make more money annually as an individual player then the entire Pirates roster! So if you are looking for a challenge both on and off the field, then the Pittsburgh Pirates is an excellent choice for you!

Want an Easier Team?

Now if you are looking for a little less of a challenge and a little more fun since, we suggest the Colorado Rockies. Yes, they just traded away Nolan Arenado, one of their best players, but this will free up some room in the team’s budget. This team finished below .500 and being in such a tough division will prove to make some great games that will also add to the fun! With players like Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story, this team already has potential and enough money to pay players or go after other big targets.

More Rebuilding Tips

Coors Field is also a fun stadium to play in since the ball flies up there. Some of the furthest homeruns in the MLB the Show games have been hit at Coors Field, including a handful that have gone well over 500 feet! The pitching is a little lacking, so that may be frustrating at first but it gives you a focus area to work on right off the bat.

Our tips for rebuilding a franchise would be to take an approach very similar to the one in Moneyball. Try to find the cheapest players in free agency or trades-in other teams, and build your team up from there. Now, do not just pick up the cheapest players possible – you still need them to be of a certain standard. Focus on numbers like on base percentage, slugging percentage, WAR, and batting average. You really just want to find efficient players to help rebuild your team.

Never Stop Having Fun

We strongly recommend rebuilding your team in the franchise mode, but diamond dynasty is a great option too. We would pick the Pittsburgh Pirates for a real change, or for some more fun off the bat, pick the Colorado Rockies. Make sure to look for cheap, but effective players to add to your roster. There’s also other ways to improve your team and earn more money. check out the career mode features, or what is officially called the Road to the Show!

There’ll be changes made to the franchise mode, as we highlight here, so it’ll likely become even more fun! But at the end of the day, just make sure you are having fun when you play and enjoy rebuilding a team in MLB the Show 21!