MLB The Show 22 Sizzling Summer Program: Everything You Need to Know

MLB The Show has dropped their newest featured program and fifth thus far, the Sizzling Summer program. While not as expansive as the previous Future of the Franchise program, Sizzling Summer is by no means a short program like the third featured program, Halladay & Friends.

Below, you will find everything you need to know about the Sizzling Summer program. This will include all currently available experience missions, Conquest map, and “boss” cards, of which you’ll choose two of four should you hit the required experience.

Sizzling Summer program

The Sizzling Summer program reverts to what has become the standard program measure in terms of experience in MLB The Show 22. Unlike Future of the Franchise’s one million experience and level 78 caps, Sizzling Summer has 750,000 experience and level 55 caps. How the levels are determined is dependent on the program, but 750,000 experience has been the more common experience cap. The program ends in about 17 days.

Don’t forget to hit those Daily Moments to build up experience fast. They’re simple player-locked moments that used to reward you with 1,000 experience, but now grant you 1,500 experience.

Immediately upon completing any Daily Moments you may have saved in preparation for the start of this program (you could have added up to 4,500 experience this way), complete the Featured Program Moments. There are ten, a big drop from the 30 in the previous program. However, with far fewer “boss” cards, this makes sense. On the bright side, each moment nets you 1,500 experience for a total of 15,000 experience.

These moments focus on the four “boss” cards (more below). There is one pitcher and three position players. The most difficult moments of the ten may be the ones that ask for multiple extra base hits or three hits in a game. That being said, they shouldn’t be very difficult to complete. You may complete all ten moments within 20 minutes.

The new diamond choice packs for this program feature ten new cards across two packs. First, you’ll unlock a Flashbacks & Legends pack (pictured) at 10,000 experience. The cards are all 90 OVR and include All-Star Billy Williams, Breakout Dinelson Lamet, All-Star D.J. LeMahieu, All-Star Harmon Killebrew, and 2nd Half Heroes Seth Lugo.

You’ll then unlock a Classics pack (pictured) at 30,000 experience. Again, they’re all 90 OVR and include Future Stars Bo Bichette, Future Stars Eloy Jiménez, Monthly Awards Gio Urshela, Prospect Jesús Luzardo, and Prospect Jo Adell. You’ll be able to unlock three of each pack should you hit 120,000 experience. However, that means you’ll leave two cards wanting unless you purchase them through the marketplace.

Each of those cards comes with a parallel experience missions that will add 3,000 experience when completed. The missions break down simply: pitchers need 500 and position players need 300 parallel experience. It’s recommended (if you’re targeting the tasks specifically) to target the pitchers as it’s easier to build up pitcher parallel experience. You’ll know you’ve hit it with the pitchers since 500 parallel experience will also boost them to parallel level one (green). For example, if you throw a three-inning shutout (nabbing the win of course) with nine strikeouts in a Conquest game – and there’s a map below you can play – then you should hit 500 parallel experience in just two three-inning games.

Completing these missions with the six cards you’ll unlock will earn you 18,000 experience, but 30,000 if you’re able to obtain all ten cards.

There is also a new time-limited Conquest map for the program. This map is called Grand Flag Conquest and is shaped like the flag of the United States with Independence Day looming. While a smaller map (only 120 territories), there are still eight strongholds to take over. Remember to conquer all territories first before capturing the last stronghold. Luckily, there are no turn-based missions, so play at your leisure. Completing Grand Flag Conquest will earn you an additional 30,000 experience.

If you just focus on the above, you’ll net 15,000 experience from the Featured Program Moments, another 18,000 from the parallel experience missions, and 30,000 from Grand Flag Conquest. Those three add up to 63,000 experience. That doesn’t even include any Daily Moments or gameplay experience you’ll earn.

Is there a Collections task or Showdown in Sizzling Summer?

As of the initial drop, there is no Collections task in Sizzling Summer. However, if previous programs are any indication, there will be at least one, if not multiple Collections tasks before the program is complete. It’s likely that the June Monthly Awards featured player (June 2015 Chris Sale) will be one of the Collections tasks.

A Showdown is also absent. Just like with the Collections task, there will most likely be a Showdown added focused on the four “boss” cards.

Sizzling Summer “boss” cards

As previously mentioned, there are four bosses for Sizzling Summer. In a nice twist, they area also Takashi Okazaki cards, helping you to add two more to your collection. You’ll unlock the first Bosses pack at 250,00 experience, the second at 325,000. Each boss is a 96 OVR player.

Pittsburgh Pirates legend Honus Wagner is one of the four bosses. Wagner is a great contact hitter with 109 Contact R and 106 Contact L. He has decent power with 70 Power R and 65 Power L, but Wagner is about slapping hits and getting on base to use his 92 Speed and 99 Steal. Even better, Wagner is a primary center fielder with diamond-rated defense, able to play every other position besides pitcher and catcher.

Next is – at least this version – former Mets great Mike Piazza, arguably the best offensive catcher in MLB history. That title holds true with his literal off-the-charts hitting skills. He has 103 and 108 in Contact R and Contact L to go along with 101 and 115 in Power R and Power L. He’s a solid, not spectacular, defensive catcher with a sliver rating, but importantly, he has great Durability (91). He can also play first base.

Next is the legend of both baseball and mustaches with Rollie Fingers from his time in Oakland. The closer actually has great Stamina for a reliver at 35, but he’s all about limiting hits and striking fools out with his nasty sinker and forkball (he also throws a four-seamer and a slider). His Hits Allowed per 9 Innings is 111 and Strikeouts per 9 Innings is 115 to go along with 112 in Pitching Clutch. Not one pitching attribute aside from Stamina falls below 90. Basically, this boss card is as dominant as he was during his time as part of the three-time World Series winning Athletics.

Last yet certainly not least is St. Louis icon Stan “The Man” Musial. A primary right fielder, Musial is a dangerous hitter – which is how he ended up in the Hall of Fame. Musial, like Wagner, has high Contact R (107) and Contact L (116) ratings, but he has much more power with 92 Power R and 96 Power Right. He also has 110 Batting Clutch, 97 Durability, 94 Plate Vision, and 88 Plate Discipline, making him a threat in any facet with the bat. He has gold-rated defense and decent Speed (53). While he can play the other outfield positions and first base, it’s recommended to not play him in center field due to his lack of top-end speed and good-but-not-great defense.

You’ll also receive a nice surprise should you hit 300,000 experience in the form of Prime Fernando Valenzuela. While not an official “boss,” Valenzuela effectively mimics the bosses as another 96 OVR card that can helm the top of your rotation or, if you’ve won some starters through Battle Royale or Ranked Seasons, the backend of your rotation. Valenzuela has 119 Stamina and 108 Strikeouts per 9 Innings He limits hits (102) and home runs (92), but may walk some batters (72). This is a bit odd considering his high Pitch Control (87), but he also has 99 Pitch Break. He has a four-pitch repertoire that includes his (in)famous screwball, four-seamer, curveball, and circle change.

It’s recommended, regardless of your current Diamond Dynasty team, to target one or both of Piazza and Fingers. Simply put, it’s harder to find elite catchers and bullpen arms in The Show, and these two will go a long way to shoring up those spots on your team. There are plenty of 95+ outfielders, infielders, and pitchers you can choose from, but the less can be said for catchers and especially relievers.

As of now, there are no tasks to earn parallel experience with the bosses or Valenzuela. Don’t be surprised it some are added closer to the end of the program.

Now you have everything you need to know (thus far) about the new Sizzling Summer program in MLB The Show 22. Which bosses tantalizes you the most? Keep an eye on the program for new additions to the Sizzling Summer program!