Alright, so today I finally got around to really checking out this Jeramiah Estrada fella in Diamond Dynasty. I’d seen his name floating around a bit, heard some chatter, you know how it is. Some folks swear by these budget beasts, others say don’t bother. I figured, hey, let’s see for myself. It’s always good to know what options are out there, especially if you’re not trying to spend a fortune on every single position.
Getting Started with Estrada
So, the first thing I did was fire up the console and launch MLB The Show. Straight into Diamond Dynasty, of course. I went to my squad screen, then to my collection, just to see if I already had him tucked away somewhere. Nope, no Estrada. Okay, no biggie. Off to the Community Market I went.
I searched for “Jeramiah Estrada” and his card popped up. Price wasn’t too bad, pretty affordable actually, which was a good sign. I put in a buy order, and luckily, it went through pretty quick. Card acquired. Easy peasy.
Next, I had to figure out where to slot him in. He’s an infielder, primarily second base I think, so that’s where I decided to test him. I swapped out my current second baseman and put Estrada in. Took a quick look at his attributes – contact looked decent, a bit of speed, fielding seemed okay. Nothing that jumped off the page, but you’re not expecting a superhero at this price point.
Putting Him to the Test
With Estrada in the lineup, I decided to jump into a few games of Conquest. It’s my go-to for trying out new players. Less pressure, you can get a good number of at-bats and fielding chances. I wasn’t trying to set the world on fire, just get a feel for his swing, how he moved in the field.
At the plate, his swing felt… well, it felt like a swing. Not too fast, not too slow. I made contact pretty consistently. A few singles here and there, worked a couple of walks. He wasn’t launching moonshots, but again, not his role. I focused on just trying to get on base with him.
Defensively, at second base, he was… solid. Yeah, solid is the word. He handled all the routine plays. Ground balls hit his way, he fielded them cleanly, made the throw to first. He was part of a few double plays, and his animations seemed fine. No incredible diving stops, but also no costly errors. His arm strength felt adequate for the position. He just did his job, you know?
I played maybe three or four Conquest games, making sure he got plenty of action. Then I decided to try a Mini Seasons game, just to see how he’d do against slightly tougher CPU pitching and with a bit more on the line. Pretty much the same story. He got a hit, made the plays in the field. Didn’t win or lose the game for me, just contributed.
Final Thoughts on the Estrada Experience
So, after all that, what’s my take on Jeramiah Estrada in Diamond Dynasty? He’s alright. He’s a perfectly serviceable card if you need a budget infielder or are just starting out. He’s not going to be a superstar on a god squad, but he’s not supposed to be.
It’s funny, you spend so much time in this game chasing the latest shiny objects, those high-overall diamonds. And sometimes you forget that there are these other guys, these role players, who can just fill a spot and do a decent job. It’s like my old toolbox in the garage. It’s got a mix of tools, some newer, some really old and a bit rusty. But when I need to fix something simple, those old reliable tools often get the job done just fine. They’re not flashy, but they work.
Estrada kind of feels like one of those tools. He’s not the power drill with all the attachments, he’s more like a trusty screwdriver. He does his specific job without much fuss. And in a game mode like Diamond Dynasty, where you’re always tweaking and building, sometimes finding those reliable, no-drama guys is a small win in itself. It makes you think, it’s not always about the biggest stats, but about how a player fits and what they bring for their cost. For what he is, Estrada is okay. He does the job. And sometimes, that’s all you need.
