MLB The Show 21’s Battle Royale (BR) might be the most frustrating, yet satisfying game modes, depending on whether you win or lose. In Battle Royale, you are tasked with drafting a squad of hitters and pitchers, and try to get as many wins that you can. MLB The Show players can receive a 90+ OVR Live Series card if they can hit 12 wins, and a special Flawless Pack should a 12-0 record be attained during that time span.
Battle Royale is not for the faint at heart, so it helps to know what you’re doing prior to getting on the field. And while skill is important, you need to draft the right team. Here are five tips that you should know when attempting to build a roster in Battle Royale.
Go for the big hitters
As of this writing, players can only draft two Diamonds at a time. At least one will be a high Diamond, while the other may be higher or lower-end. Whatever the case may be, our first tip is to recommend that you try to use both of those Diamond rounds on hitters. Batting is essential, and it’s important to give yourself the best chance you can by beefing up your lineup.
Related: MLB The Show 21: Beginner’s guide to hitting – Controls, tips, and more
Try to take at least one Gold reliever
Battle Royale players can draft three Gold players in each round. Ideally, you will want to use one of those picks on a reliever. The bullpen is critical in Battle Royale, and we’ll get to why in a minute. But in general, you’ll want to at least one shutdown reliever in your pen, in order to make life a lot easier.
Related: MLB The Show 21: The 10 tips you need to know for pitching
Forget about the starters
In Battle Royale, we recommend forgetting about the starting rotation. Starters in Battle Royale tend to take longer to re-gain stamina as opposed to relievers, which is why the focus of each draft should be to look for quality relievers, particularly those who have a good mix of pitches, as well as high velocity.
Now, you will need to take five starters regardless, and it might not be too bad of an idea to take one decent Bronze or Silver as backup. However, focus your attention on the bullpen. Make sure to use both of your Common rounds on starters and work from there.
Diversify your lineup
Much like in other games, you should make sure to keep an eye out for both left and right-handed batters in BR. If you have a lineup that’s too right or left-handed heavy, this will make it much easier for the opponent to bring in a pitcher out of the bullpen that matches up well with your team’s bats.
Don’t forget about the bench
It’s important to take one or two solid bench bats in Battle Royale. Since pitchers hit in BR, you’ll most likely need to sub out one for a pinch hitter at one point during the game. Try to target one hitter than can mash against lefties, and one for right-handed pitchers.
Bonus tip: watch the upgrades and downgrades
In MLB The Show 21’s Diamond Dynasty, Live Series cards receive upgrades and downgrades based upon data from Inside Edge. If a player has a favorable matchup in real life, that individual’s Live Series card would receive a rating boost. If the real-life matchup is unfavorable, a downgrade is in store.
While these upgrades and downgrades are only temporary, these boosts could come in handy if you find the right players. Make sure to look at the Inside Edge reports (can be found in player card) before drafting a player. It might save you a big headache, or help out quite a bit, depending on the rating change.
