The MLB The Show video game franchise has long featured cards representing players from around the world who participate in the real-life World Baseball Classic tournament. The WBC is a quadrennial international competition sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation that is contested by national baseball teams from around the world.
In MLB The Show games, World Baseball Classic cards are inserted into packs alongside cards for MLB players and team collections. This allows gamers to collect virtual representations of international baseball stars they may not otherwise be familiar with and build rosters featuring players from different countries competing under their national flags. Having WBC cards adds another layer of authenticity to the MLB The Show experience by replicating the real-life international tournament within the game.
WBC cards generally have lower overall ratings than top MLB cards but allow for uniquecountry team builds with players from diverse baseball nations. Some highly-rated WBC cards over the years have included two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, Dominican slugger Nelson Cruz, Puerto Rican star Carlos Correa, Mexican ace Luis Cessa and Canadian pitcher Ryan Dempster. Having top international talent in The Show through WBC cards expands representation of the global game.
WBC cards first appeared in MLB 12: The Show alongside the inaugural 2006 tournament. Event cards were issued for players on the rosters of the sixteen teams that competed. Overall ratings tended to be in the mid-70s or lower to reflect the primarily non-MLB rosters. A handful of established MLB stars on national teams received ratings in the high-80s or low-90s like Daisuke Matsuzaka of Japan or Vladimir Guerrero of the Dominican Republic.
Over subsequent Show games, WBC cards were re-released for new tournaments in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Players were given updated ratings to reflect MLB performance between events. National teams also fluctuated based on rosters for each actual WBC. This maintained authenticity between real-life international baseball and its virtual counterpart in the game. Players could assemble the teams that took the field in the real world tournaments within Diamond Dynasty and other game modes.
The ratings formula for WBC cards takes into account both a player’s MLB stats as well as their international competition and tournament experience. For example, Japanese hitting machine Tetsuto Yamada may have low-to-mid 70s overall ratings in The Show reflecting his stats against NPB pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league compared to MLB level. Established MLB players like Giancarlo Stanton playing for the United States receive higher overalls commensurate with their production stateside.
Beyond the core WBC event cards, some Show games have also featured additional World Baseball Classic-themed content. MLB 13 included WBC jerseys and stadiums cards for completing related player programs. MLB 14 had WBC team equipment uniforms. And MLB 16 introduced WBC Championship Series cards for top performers in the real tournament that year that provided boosted ratings compared to base event versions. This extra WBC-licensed content has expandedoptions for building fully immersive international lineups.
Looking ahead, MLB The Show 22 will almost certainly include new WBC cards for the postponed 2021 tournament taking place in Phoenix, Arizona from March 8-21, 2022. Updated rosters and ratings will reflect the four years of MLB action since the 2017 event. Top prospects like MLB Pipeline’s #1 international prospect Lazaro Perez of Cuba playing for the first time could receive some of the highest rated WBC cards. And returning stars hunting for championships may get stat boosts. The addition of new WBC content each cycle keeps The Show’s virtual replication of the real international game fresh.
In the age of increasing globalization and diversification of Major League Baseball, the inclusion of World Baseball Classic cards resonates culturally and authentically within MLB The Show. Representing international national pride and spotlighting overseas talent, WBC cards expose new audiences to the best baseball players from around the world competing together. For both casual and die-hard fans alike, assembling dream lineups of international all-stars fosters appreciation for the truly worldwide reach of baseball.
