It's that time of the year again when MLB The Show 24 is here, and if you've snagged the deluxe edition or any pre-order bonus, you're in for a treat! Which cards are home runs, and which ones might strike out? Let's dive in.

• The best of them all
• Cornerstone Captains – Anyone Can Be Their Captain!
• Legend Pack – MVP Edition Exclusives
• Barrier Breakers – Deluxe Edition Darlings

↖ The best of them all

Martin Dihigo is The two-way player with gold defence, speed, and a strong bat. If you had one card to pre-order, this is the one!

↖ Cornerstone Captains – Anyone Can Be Their Captain!

Whether you've found it on the sidewalk or spent tons of money on it, the Cornerstone Captains pack belongs to you. Here's what these cards do:

• Byron Buxton (88 OVR): Worse vision than most other cards but with power and speed. Good fielding too. He's not powerful against high-rated pitchers, but he can crush them early on. Also, note that he's a Captain with stat boosts!
• Nolan Arenado: Some people don't like his swing, but reasonable power and incredible fielding make him a solid choice as an infielder with good contact rates (better than Buxton's). You lose some versatility and speed though.
• Greg Maddux: We don't know every stat yet but we know Maddux can find corners with precision. A nightmare for beginners as predicted by many players because of his cutter from hell and four-seamer hitting 97 mph. Early pick for pitching prowess.

Note that you might not like your Cornerstone Captains at all once gameplay starts — they're swappable at least!

↖ Legend Pack – MVP Edition Exclusives

If you got the MVP Edition or higher, these Legends could be game-changers:

• Chase Utley: His mid-70s/low-80s stats across the board aren't anything amazing — but consistent performance isn't so bad either if that's what you're looking for.
• Adrian Beltre: New Legend with great contact from both sides (v.righties is where his power lies), diamond-level defence immediately plus flexibility. What more could you ask for?
• Ken Griffey Jr.: Legendary name and the swing is nice, but he doesn't hit lefties well, so don't use him daily unless you're a high-ranked pro already.
• Johan Santana: Sinkers and cutters that could make him a good starter as a lefty. Not quite Maddux level but worthy of your rotation consideration.
• Richie Sexson: If you only care about power-hitting, Sexson's your guy. Watch out for fielding disasters if you put him first all day.
• Andrew Miller: Possibly the best lefty reliever in the game on launch. Fastball/slider/change mix will always be there plus a sinker that'll ruin days too. Get it if you can afford to!

↖ Barrier Breakers – Deluxe Edition Darlings

Here are what Deluxe Edition owners get:

• Josh Gibson: New Legend with a strong arm and power. It could be your catcher for some time once unlocked.
• Toni Stone: Great contact, nice power at second base and decent speed to boot.
• Buck Leonard: Good power with okay speed makes this card an asset early on in left or first base.
• Henry Hank Aaron: Bad fielding but excellent contact and power with premium position eligibility.
• Satchel Paige: Throws fast but doesn't control his pitches — might be useful in specific situations though!