I usually wait until the end of the first Weekend Classic or the end of the first Inning Program to write my annual review. Not sure if anyone will care to read it, but I like getting my thoughts out anyway, so here it goes.

TL;DR

Content is strong and well-paced (A-), but gameplay is still inconsistent and frustrating (D+). Rewards and modes feel weaker than past years, especially collections and Diamond Quest. Overall, it’s the same experience as previous years—a solid but flawed game (C) that’s more enjoyable when played casually rather than competitively online.

Content — A-

I love the way they’ve spaced out content this year, and the programs are very quick and easy to complete. It feels like there’s been a real variety of cards used in the game, and you could make a case for several different players at most positions. There isn’t much of a clear “meta,” outside of the usual switch hitters like Ozzie Albies.

The only thing keeping this from being an A or A+ is how quick and easy the multiplayer program was to complete, it just felt a little too fast and I think it was dumb that events are time limited.

Gameplay — D+

I’m not shocked that gameplay still feels random and varies game-to-game based on opponent connection, stadium, and other factors. After playing about 11 ranked games over the past few days, it’s once again been a frustrating and inconsistent experience.

One game feels super crisp where timing is great, and the very next game, with the same roster or even the same stadium, it feels like I’m swinging underwater with no chance of getting a hit. Some games turn into a fly-out simulator no matter how good your contact is.

Pitcher confidence continues to be a major flaw. With how long ranked season games take, the rewards just aren’t there during the regular season. Weekend Classic rewards are a huge W, I went 3-3 and felt rewarded, but even in games I won, the experience was frustrating and not that enjoyable.

At this point, I play video games to have fun, and playing online is very rarely fun.

Miscellaneous Pros

• I like how they handled Team Affinity as a year-long system instead of constant card dumps.

• The parallel mods have also been a fun way to experiment with different cards.

Miscellaneous Cons

1. ⁠What happened to Diamond Quest? It was such a fun and rewarding mode last year. Now we’re into the second Inning Program and there’s still no good Diamond Quest map.

They take a long time to complete and aren’t very rewarding. It feels like the mode has basically been removed. I’ve only completed one so far and don’t see much reason to do another anytime soon.

2. Collection Rewards

Honestly, this feels like the weakest group of Live Series collection rewards we’ve had (not counting the year with 95 Pedro and Palmeiro).

Pedroia hasn’t been great. Chone Figgins doesn’t really play up to his ratings since contact hitters aren’t that strong. I’ve heard mixed reviews on Campanella. With defense being important, Manny Ramirez doesn’t feel like a huge impact player.

Félix isn’t close to Roger Clemens, and while I’m excited to use Pujols and Tulowitzki, they still pale in comparison to some past rewards.

Overall Grade — C

This is about what I expected. It’s roughly the same grade I’ve been giving the game for years, and not much has changed.

Part of it is on me, I had my best year ever playing online last year, made World Series, and was locked in all year. This year, I just can’t get into that same rhythm or focus.

At this point, I’m looking forward to finishing the Live Series collection and playing more casually online. Honestly, the less I play online, the more I enjoy the game overall, especially the collecting and grinding aspects.

It kind of stinks, but it feels like the player base has just gotten too good, or pitching is still too random