One of the most important pieces of any diamond dynasty team on MLB The Show is the captain.
Unfortunately, these players are often underrated. It’s a shame really, these players can give attribute boosts to other players on your team who fit the criteria, and they are damn good themselves.
Here’s how it works: let’s say the captain is the team captain for the Cubs, Kyle Schwarber. To activate the boost, you will need seven players from the Cubs on your team. When the boost is active, you’ll get +7 contact right, +7 power right, +5 BB/9 and +5 pitching clutch. There are three different tiers, each requiring more players to meet the criteria and giving you a bigger boost with each tier.
Each player boosts different attributes and has different requirements to activate the boost. Whether you are picking a captain to specialize your team to your playing style, or you are picking a captain to balance out your weakness, you’ll find out all you need to know in the article down below.
20. Derek Jeter (Subway Series)
Starting off the list is one of two Derek Jeter captains on MLB: The Show 24; the Subway Series captain: Derek Jeter. This is a great starter captain for players who are just starting up their diamond dynasty team and need a boost to get them going.
This card and others in the subway series can be easily unlocked in the Derek Jeter storyline moments. In fact, you can unlock enough players to fill out an entire subway series team that can be boosted by Jeter.
Jeter’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires one subway series player and boosts: +5 contact right, +5 contact left, +5 batting clutch, and +5 pitching clutch
- Tier 2 requires two subway series players and boosts: +10 contact right, +10 contact left, +10 batting clutch, and +10 pitching clutch
- Tier 3 requires three subway series players and boosts: +15 contact right, +15 contact left, +15 batting clutch, and +15 pitching clutch
- Only requires one player to activate boost and three to activate max boost
- Can boost 25 players that can be easily unlocked
Derek Jeter (Subway Series) stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/bab3c15be68a63cee20e82494a0a887f
19. Carlos Santana
Next up we have Carlos Santana, the captain of the switch hitters. Santana is a solid captain who can help players who chase too many breaking balls by filling out their lineup with switch hitters.
We have Santana at this spot because while there are numerous switch hitters on the game that can be boosted, the boost is limited and leaves you wanting something more. With that said, having Santana as a hitting captain is great to pair with a pitching captain to get an edge.
Santana’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires eight switch hitters and boosts: +5 contact right
- Tier 2 requires eleven switch hitters and boosts: +8 contact right and +5 contact left
- Tier 3 requires thirteen switch hitters and boosts: +10 contact right, +8 contact left, and +10 BB/9
- There are about 100 switch hitters and a few dozen pitchers on the show, all of which can be boosted
- At 95 overall, Santana is one of the best hitting catchers on the game
Carlos Santana stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/cdec5b1983e3acf95ea01fde0e07c9b3
18. Giancarlo (Carlos) Stanton
One of the best longball hitters of the 2010s, their captain: Giancarlo Stanton. The decade when it became all about strikeouts and home runs. Stanton can boost any hitter from the 2010s decade and give them a power boost to help hit more dingers.
Stanton comes in at this spot because while he gives a power boost, the boost is small and there are some captains who give a better boost to a larger group of qualifying players. Nevertheless, there are well over 100 players that he can boost and if you like playing with players from that decade, he is your guy.
Stanton’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five 2010s hitters and boosts: +5 power right and +5 power left
- Tier 2 requires eight 2010s hitters and boosts: +10 power right, +10 power left, and +5 batting clutch
- Tier 3 requires eleven 2010s hitters and boosts: +15 power right, +15 power left, and +10 batting clutch
- Can boost 100+ players
- Stanton has ‘diamond’ hitting ability and is lethal against lefties
Giancarlo Stanton stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/153cdc73ee95d7e2da41340d552d1370
17. Kodai Senga
The first pitching captain to make the list, Kodai Senga. As a captain, Senga can boost pitchers with a BB/9 under 65 and thus, only boosts pitchers. Senga is a great choice to go with if you struggle closing out games and need an extra boost in your bullpen.
Being that Senga only boosts pitchers, he is someone you would want to pair with a hitting captain to ensure you are taking full advantage of the captains. Even with that, the bullpen boost is enough to put him on the list and worthy of putting in your lineup.
Senga’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five pitchers with BB/9 under 65 and boosts: +5 K/9 and +5 pitching clutch
- Tier 2 requires eight pitchers with BB/9 under 65 and boosts: +10 K/9, +10 pitching clutch, and +5 H/9
- Tier 3 requires eleven pitchers with BB/9 under 65 and boosts: +15 K/9, +15 pitching clutch, and +10 H/9
- Can boost hundreds of players
- Great to pair with hard-throwing pitchers who have subpar control, high velocity and/or a high strikeout rate
Kodai Senga stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/a03aad508e99fc341087a8b9ec12c053
16. David Ortiz
Ahh, Big Papi. Just as Stanton was one of the best hitters from the 2010s, David Ortiz was one of the best hitters during the 2000s and is the “2000s Hitters” captain. Ortiz is great and gives a better boost than our 2010s hitters captain improving contact, power and batting clutch.
As we continue to move down the list, we are going to see some captains boost the same abilities as others just to a different extent and to different players. Just like our 2010s hitter and #18 on our list, Giancarlo Stanton, Big Papi boosts power, batting clutch and contact putting him a few spots ahead at #16.
Ortiz strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five 2000’s hitters and boosts: +5 contact right, +5 power right, and +5 batting clutch
- Tier 2 requires eight 2000’s hitters and boosts: +10 contact right, +10 power right, +10 batting clutch, and +5 contact left
- Tier 3 requires eleven 2000’s hitters and boosts: +15 contact right, +15 power right, +15 batting clutch, and +10 contact left
- Can boost 100+ players
- Ortiz is elite against right-handed pitchers
David Ortiz stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/f91e35ca467d4be2e5b72fb20f9e2ca4
15. Nolan Arenado
Up next is the captain for the slow pokes, Nolan Arenado. One of the season 1 cornerstone captains, Arenado is perfect for any team that needs some hitting help as he can boost hitters with speed under 45.
We have Arenado as the first hitter to crack our top 15 because of he’s a solid all-around hitter, but he’s really slow with just 22 speed. And since he boosts players with speed under 45, you’re not going to be able to take an extra bag.
Arenado’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five hitters with speed under 45 and boosts: +10 contact right and +5 power left
- Tier 2 requires eight hitters with speed under 45 and boosts: +15 contact right, +10 power left, +10 batting clutch, and +5 fielding ability
- Tier 3 requires eleven hitters with speed under 45 and boosts: +20 contact right, +15 power left, +15 batting clutch, and +10 fielding ability
- Can boost 100+ players
- Good hitter that becomes great when boosted
Nolan Arenado stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/99cc0385e7170c6ee7a2cf202d3bbe42
14. Rube Foster
Coming in at the fourteen spot is pitching captain Rube Foster. Foster is the captain of, and can boost, all the players in the Negro Leagues Series. Like the Subway Series, you can unlock most of the Negro League Series cards in the Negro League storyline moments.
We like the Hall of Fame pitcher in this spot because of the versatility of the players he can boost. Most of the Negro League players can play five or more positions, so having the ability to move boosted players around the field and make quality substitutions throughout the game is a big plus.
Foster’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires three players from the Negro League Series and boosts: +8 contact right, +8 contact left, +8 power right, and +8 H/9
- Tier 2 requires six players from the Negro League Series and boosts: +12 contact right, +12 contact left, +12 power right, and +12 H/9
- Tier 3 requires nine players from the Negro League Series and boosts: +15 contact right, +15 contact left, +15 power right, and +15 H/9
- Can boost a dozen versatile players
- Can boost four two-way players
Rube Foster stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/8d1917f3c1c61008c42302948c2bbd60
13. Joe Nathan
Home to all of George Straits’ exes, everything is bigger and better in the state of Texas. Coming in at number thirteen is Joe Nathan, the captain of the Texans. Nathan can boost any player who was born in the state and boosts both hitters and pitchers. With a 95 overall, Nathan not only boosts the Texans, but he’s also an elite bullpen arm that can get you out of a tough spot and/or save the game.
This is another pitching captain that can boost 100+ players and works well when you pair him with a complementary hitting captain and can double up on the boost. We have Nathan in this spot because we rank him as the fifth-best pitching captain and because he boosts both pitchers and hitters.
Nathan’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five players born in Texas and boosts: +5 contact right and +5 H/9
- Tier 2 requires eight players born in Texas and boosts: +10 contact right, +8 batting clutch, +10 H/9, and +8 pitching clutch
- Tier 3 requires eleven players born in Texas and boosts: +15 contact right, +15 batting clutch, +15 H/9, and +15 pitching clutch
- Can boost 100+ players
- Elite closing pitcher with dominant command
Joe Nathan stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/340f03ad235dcd5ba097dcfc2a74d7a7
12. Corbin Carroll
Get ready to hit and run with a speedy lineup that can take the extra base anytime. Corbin Carroll is one of the cornerstone captains for season two and can boost hitters with speed 84+. Carroll is a great hitting captain to pair with a pitching captain and can help your team in so many different ways.
We have Carroll as the second hitter to crack our top 15 because of his contact and speed. There are 100+ players who can be boosted by Carroll and we recommend filling the lineup with your fastest contact hitters. With Carroll as your captain, you can play small ball and lay down bunts, steal bases, hit triples and even knock a few inside-the-park home runs.
Carroll’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires six hitters with 84+ speed and boosts: +5 contact right and +5 contact left
- Tier 2 requires nine hitters with 84+ speed and boosts: +10 contact right, +10 contact left, and +5 plate vision
- Tier 3 requires twelve hitters with 84+ speed and boosts: +15 contact right, +15 contact left, +10 plate vision, and +5 reaction time
- Carroll has 99 speed and stealing which distracts the pitcher when he’s on base, gives him an incredible edge stealing against any pitcher/catcher, and gives him much more range in the outfield to rob the other team of base hits
Corbin Carroll stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/8ef723b96a42952c7a4769a9231b79b3
11. Byron Buxton
The most used cornerstone captain in season 1, captain Byron Buxton can boost all hitters with plate vision under 60. With low vision, comes more power, at least for Buxton. He is a great choice for captain if you’re building an offense around power and speed.
We like Buxton here due to the caveat to boost is players must have under 60 plate vision. If you’re a player prone to striking out, the weak vision isn’t going to help you; but if you’re a player that doesn’t struggle with that, Buxton is a great option for you.
Buxton strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five hitters with vision under 60 and boosts: +5 power right and +5 power left
- Tier 2 requires eight hitters with vision under 60 and boosts: +10 power right, +10 power left, +5 speed, and +5 fielding ability
- Tier 3 requires eleven hitters with vision under 60 and boosts: +15 power right, +15 power left, +10 speed, and +10 fielding ability
- Can boost 100+ hitters
- Sneaky fielding and speed boost gives your outfield much more range
Byron Buxton stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/93fe5dc2e734e7754d0c7799bc091c7d
10. Mike Mussina
The fourth pitcher to make our list is captain Mike Mussina. Mussina is the captain for pitchers in the Hall of Fame and can boost these great pitchers, making them even more deadly on the mound. And with most Hall of Fame pitchers being above Mussina’s 93 overall, he fits perfectly into the rotation as the fourth or fifth pitcher.
We have Mussina coming in at this spot because he only boosts pitchers but boosts hitting abilities. This can limit which pitchers you might want to use to two-way players, and there are only a handful of those players in the Hall of Fame. Two-way player or not, you are going to want to pair this pitching captain with a hitting captain to maximize the hitting boost.
Mussina strengths:
- Tier 1 requires six pitchers in the Hall of Fame and boosts: +5 H/9, +5 contact right, and +5 power left
- Tier 2 requires eight pitchers in the Hall of Fame and boosts: +8 H/9, +10 contact right, +10 power left, and +5 BB/9
- Tier 3 requires ten pitchers in the Hall of Fame and boosts: +12 H/9, +15 contact right, +15 power left, and +10 BB/9
- Mussina has electric break with dominant control
Mike Mussina stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/adb8d21f0a23d9242b32ab41f363697f
9. Clayton Kershaw
Known simply as “The Claw”, Clayton Kershaw is the lefty captain and can boost all left-handed players. Kershaw is an ideal candidate to pair with a hitting captain to maximize the hitting boost and is a damn good pitcher at 95 overall.
We have The Claw here because he only boosts lefties, but he gives both pitchers and hitters a solid bump. You can easily fill out this roster with 99 overall lefties but watch out when you face a left-handed pitcher.
Kershaw strengths:
- Tier 1 requires thirteen left-handed players and boosts: +5 H/9, +5 contact right, +5 power right, and +5 batting clutch
- Tier 2 requires eighteen left-handed players and boosts: +10 H/9, +10 contact right, +10 power right, and +10 batting clutch
- Tier 3 requires twenty-two left-handed players and boosts: +15 H/9, +15 contact right, +15 power right, and +15 batting clutch
- Can boost 100+ players
- Kershaw is one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game
Clayton Kershaw stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/a3a3e4e9d12e96b38564ff2bd6a91a94
8. Brandon Lowe
The second cornerstone captain from season 3 to make the list, Brandon Lowe. Lowe as a captain can boost hitters with contact right and contact left under 100.
Lowe’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires six hitters with contact right and contact left under 100 and boosts: +5 power right and +5 power left
- Tier 2 requires nine hitters with contact right and contact left under 100 and boosts: +8 power right, +8 power left, and +5 batting clutch
- Tier 3 requires twelve hitters with contact right and contact left under 100 and boosts: +12 power right, +12 power left, +10 batting clutch, and +5 fielding ability
- Can boost 100+ hitters
Brandon Lowe stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/70a6d0ab10eecafa8b4f616717172fef
7. Derek Jeter (Captain Series)
The second time we are seeing Derek Jeter on the list. This time Jeter is featured as the captain of the captains and can boost all the captains. Jeter is a powerful captain who can make a team of captains one of the best teams in the game.
We like Jeter in this spot because there are over a dozen captains with an overall of 93+ and you can unlock about a dozen of the captains just by playing the game. It can be hard to pick a captain at times, and if you’re struggling to pick one, throw this captain of the captains in that spot and you’ll be competing with the best in no time.
Jeter’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five players in the captain series and boosts: +5 batting clutch, +5 contact right, and +5 pitching clutch
- Tier 2 requires seven players in the captain series and boosts: +8 batting clutch, +8 contact right, +8 pitching clutch, and +8 BB/9
- Tier 3 requires nine players in the captain series and boosts: +12 batting clutch, +12 contact right, +12 pitching clutch, and +10 BB/9
- Can boost all the other players in the captain series
- Jeter is a great contact hitter
Derek Jeter stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/6af208a28000cae06e5b71947691a66d
6. Rafael Devers
The most used cornerstone captain for season 2, Rafael Devers can boost hitters with fielding under 75. Devers is a great captain if you need a power boost and can boost a variety of players with low-to-average fielding ability.
We have Devers just outside the top 5 because the boost comes with the caveat of low to mid-fielding. If you balance out the poor fielding with a dominant pitching staff, and add a complementary pitching captain, you can find yourself with one of the most powerful teams in the game.
Devers’ strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five hitters with fielding ability under 75 and boosts: +5 power right and +5 power left
- Tier 2 requires eight hitters with fielding ability under 75 and boosts: +10 power right and +10 power left
- Tier 3 requires five hitters with fielding ability under 75 and boosts: +15 power right, +15 power left, +5 plate vision, and +5 batting clutch
- Can boost 100+ hitters
Rafael Devers stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/239a08b036996af21be91c28f8b985cb
5. Mark Prior
The captain to crack our top 5 is standout series captain Mark Prior. Prior can boost all players in the standout series and make those stars stand out a little more. Prior can boost both pitchers and hitters making him one of the more powerful captains in the game.
We like Prior to lead off the top 5 because he’s a strong player who can boost other strong players, but the number of players he can boost is limited and some of the cards in the standout series can be difficult to obtain.
Prior’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires three standout series players and boosts: +10 K/9, +5 H/9, and +10 power right
- Tier 2 requires six standout series players and boosts: +15 K/9, +10 H/9, +15 power right, and +10 batting clutch
- Tier 3 requires nine standout series players and boosts: +20 K/9, +15 H/9, +20 power right, and +20 batting clutch
- Prior is a dominant starting pitching with a high strikeout rate and great pitching clutch
Mark Prior stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/663733c750ec092c7b6ee5fcf018868a
4. Steven Kwan
The first hitting captain in our top 5 is one of the cornerstone captains from season 3, Steven Kwan. Kwan can boost all players with power right and power left under 90. One of the best contact hitters in the game, Kwan can boost contact, speed and fielding making him the top captain for teams that rely on fielding or teams that focus on small ball and like to run, run, run.
We compare Kwan coming in at the number four spot to an upgraded version of our number twelve captain, Corbin Carroll. Kwan only requires players with weak power, so if you load up your team with fast contact hitters, taking extra bases will be much easier.
Kwan’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires five hitters with power right and power left under 90 and boosts: +5 contact, +5 batting clutch, +5 fielding ability, and +5 speed
- Tier 2 requires eight hitters with power right and power left under 90 and boosts: +10 contact, +10 batting clutch, +10 fielding ability, and +10 speed
- Tier 3 requires eleven hitters with power right and power left under 90 and boosts: +15 contact, +15 batting clutch, +15 fielding ability, and +15 speed
- Can boost 100+ hitters
- One of the best contact hitters in the game
Steven Kwan stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/0cd1d8f534d35e1443c8c73effc861d8
3. Luis Castillo
The last pitcher on our list and the first in our top 3, captain of the live series player, Luis Castillo. Castillo is one of the best captains to use early in a season as he can boost all live series players. Whether you are starting off and need a boost to the best live series players you have unlocked, or if you have the best live series players in the game, this captain can do wonders for you.
Being able to boost both hitters and pitchers makes him a stronger captain than most and why we have in leading off our top 3. The only downside is that to reach the maximum boost, you’ll need 19 live series players.
Castillo’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires ten live series players and boosts: +5 contact right, +5 contact left, and +5 H/9
- Tier 2 requires fourteen live series players and boosts: +10 contact right, +10 contact left, +8 H/9, and +5 BB/9
- Tier 3 requires nineteen live series players and boosts: +15 contact right, +15 contact left, +12 H/9, and +10 BB/9
- Can boost 100+ players
- Perfect as the fourth or fifth pitcher in your rotation behind other boosted live series pitchers
Luis Castillo stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/5f6abd385d99e9f508320ab4cca07f28
2. Jackson Chourio
Get ready to load up with the youth, coming in at our number two spot is the captain of the young guns, Jackson Chourio. Chourio can boost all players 23 years old and younger. This makes him incredibly strong as there are hundreds of players, he can boost including most of the 2024 Draft series cards.
We have Chourio here because he is a 95 overall and can boost high overall players that you can easily unlock. There are dozens of 95+ overall players in the 2024 Draft series that you can unlock by completing conquest maps giving you the ability to load up with a powerful young team.
Chourio’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires eight players 23 years old or younger and boosts: +5 power right and +5 pitching clutch
- Tier 2 requires thirteen players 23 years old or younger and boosts: +8 power right, +10 pitching clutch, and +8 contact left
- Tier 3 requires eighteen players 23 years old or younger and boosts: +12 power right, +15 pitching clutch, +12 contact left, and +10 K/9
- Can boost 100+ players including most of the 2024 Draft Series
Jackson Chourio stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/460570bbaddf1f591078eecad76cf506
1. Max Muncy
Coming in at our top spot and the best captain is Max Muncy. Muncy can boost all player's in the Season Awards Series and Topps Now Series players. With new season award winners and Topps Now players coming each week, you get the ability to boost players you have and like while inserting new players into the lineup that can receive the boost.
We have Muncy as the top captain because of the quality of players he can boost. The Season Award Series and Topps Now Series put out new players each week and they get progressively better as the season moves on.
Muncy’s strengths:
- Tier 1 requires eight Season Awards or Topps Now players and boosts: +5 power right and +5 BB/9
- Tier 2 requires twelve Season Awards or Topps Now players and boosts: +8 power right, +5 batting clutch, +8 BB/9, and +5 H/9
- Tier 3 requires sixteen Season Awards or Topps Now players and boosts: +12 power right, +10 batting clutch, +12 BB/9, and +8 H/9
- Can boost 100+players
Max Muncy stats: https://mlb24.theshow.com/items/e362695a8a652bf7ba58af7bcb2559cf
