PT 27 A Sea of Pain So Far.

[Dr.Drill]

My 6th OOTP in 9 years. 4th PT.


300+ packs opened so far.


So few helpful picks to build main team and tourneys, compared to 26.


Seems a continuation of post-Oct 26, when basic packs turned into nightmare of failed LIVE cards/dups. Seems designed to push players to much higher real money.


Not complaining but balance is WAY OFF.

[cwhitman]

standard packs are absolutely incredible right now: especially if you consider future value and mission live spec

[LeeD]

Yep. In most cases, buying packs is not good strategy. Right now, standard packs are a great value.

[Souchie]

How does the PT career mode work? If we pull a card of an unproven rookie right now (as an example, that younger Acuna who was traded by the Mets to the White Sox in the Luis Robert deal) who starts playing better in real life, does his potential also improve in Perfect Team so his overall ranking might start going up?

[LeeD]

There are no potential ratings in PT, only actual, in-game ratings. PT handles prospects three ways.

The first is Future Legends cards, which are fantasy cards built on the assumption that the prospects succeed and have solid-to-great major league careers. They'll range through almost all tiers, including some Perfect cards that are absolute beasts. These will not change as the PT cycle progresses, as they're essentially future historical cards. If they develop well this year and remain prospects, they'll probably get a better card, but not until PT28 opens up next year.

The second applies to prospects promoted to the major leagues. They'll get a live card representing current season (at the beginning of the month following promotion if they aren't on the major league roster to start). This card's ratings are reevaluated each month from May to season end and will improve or regress based on actual performance in 2026 MLB. However, the card ratings are a mix of projections and actual performance, so don't expect huge improvements early on. Projections are still the dominant factor for the first few live updates.

The third way that prospects are handled also applies to every current major leaguer. PT has been running a PT Elite card set after the season wraps. This is another semi-fantasy set with juiced ratings for current season players, which can best be described as asking "what if everything had gone right for this player this season."

Luisangel Acuna in particular is no longer a prospect because he's spent enough time in the majors to exceed rookie limits. He's got a 49-rated live card in the White Sox set, which could improve if he puts up the numbers in MLB play. Given the generally woeful state of the Sox, he should get the opportunity to do that. I believe they've got him penciled in as the starting center fielder, which makes sense considering they traded Luis Robert in order to get him.

[Souchie]

Thanks Lee - that's very helpful and useful information. Can I follow up by asking why you feel (and cwhitman agrees) that sticking to standard packs is a good strategy right now? I'm trying to improve my first-ever Perfect Team squad which only has two players with 80-or-higher ratings and didn't think I'll be able to acquire anyone really at that higher level with standard packs.

[cwhitman]

Originally Posted by Souchie

Thanks Lee - that's very helpful and useful information. Can I follow up by asking why you feel (and cwhitman agrees) that sticking to standard packs is a good strategy right now? I'm trying to improve my first-ever Perfect Team squad which only has two players with 80-or-higher ratings and didn't think I'll be able to acquire anyone really at that higher level with standard packs.

it depends on how you play, but the thing you want to understand is that resource allocation and acquisition are one of the most important things in this game. it's a market game just as much as it's a card game. so you need to find ways to make points or you'll never get good cards.


the best ways to make points are by doing well in tournaments or doing market speculation, either through live spec or mission spec. live spec (i have a video on this you can look for on my youtube or in my strategy videos thread) is based on live cards moving up or down each month based on real life production. this happens the first monday of every month starting in may. so if you have 15 copies of an iron card, and it moves to silver, you make a lot of points off of that. market speculation is more mission speculation, where you hold onto cheap historic cards that then go up when missions go out.


the points i'm making here is that in my opinion, most cards that you open in standard packs are either at their highest value or their lowest value right now. the cards at their lowest value (cards not in missions, irons close to quicksell) have a ton of potential future value which L10 isn't seeing. in my opinion, there is a ton of future value in standard packs.


i'm planning on making a video about this concept of EV and future value this week at some point, but this is kind of the run down here

[Fabtron7]

I would also add that standard packs also need to be opened in volume.

[cwhitman]

Originally Posted by Fabtron7

I would also add that standard packs also need to be opened in volume.

that's fair: but i also think right now more standard packs than not, if you sell the cards in them at the highest value they'll be all cycle, will be worth more than the cost of it.

[LeeD]

The primary reason that standard packs are such a good value right now are the inflated prices for live cards, especially the silvers. Most live silvers can be sold for 500+ points, and most live bronzes are going for 100+ each. This increases the low-end payback substantially, as you are guaranteed one bronze, have a one-in-five chance for additional bronzes, and a one-in-ten chance of pulling a silver. Most of these will be live cards.

Of course, you're really looking to score a perfect, diamond, or gold card and are also filling out your collection, but it's nice to know that a "bad pack" that gets you nothing new or exciting can still recoup a large portion of its cost through selling duplicate live cards for inflated prices.

[Dr.Drill]

Put $100 into the kitty after buying 27 on Saturday.


Got basic cards and upgrades. Running every tournament and perfect draft (max limits). Loved the first few days, getting ridiculous Club points for no reason. Now day 6: about 60 standard packs in tourney/PD. Also opened like 200-300 from missions, cashing in club points etc.


Duplicate basic card level is near 50%. Ugh. Do not recommend after 200-400.


Fun part (listen new souls): No strategy yet in tourneys. Cards flipping too fast. I just build AI team, delete 100% reserve roster after new rips, and rebuild roster and AI strat. Will actually address strategy once upgrade cycle slows down.


Still my main team went 3-20 in high silver through Wednesday. WTF.

[Dr.Drill]

Funny part: entry league lifted my rating from 80 to 85.
Got dumped back to 80 starting High Silver.


Raised to 83 on Tuesday, 85 today.


Still main is 38-51 and 22nd in league with a minus 7 diff.


The gods have no mercy. Maybe the 'double promotion' week discussed in 26? Pure hell.

[szczepam]

Originally Posted by Dr.Drill

My 6th OOTP in 9 years. 4th PT.


300+ packs opened so far.


So few helpful picks to build main team and tourneys, compared to 26.


Seems a continuation of post-Oct 26, when basic packs turned into nightmare of failed LIVE cards/dups. Seems designed to push players to much higher real money.


Not complaining but balance is WAY OFF.

I don't know... as critical as I was about PT 26 (the whole year just felt off), so far things feel about right with 27 IMO

[Dr.Drill]

Got 100 Dickey card after 27 Yankees hack in Challenge Mode - 1st five days of OOTP 26. Bankrolled strong play.


Put $100 in the kitty this year because random numbers are a bitch.


Bankrolling too early a fool's play.

[bailey]

I like bumping this thread to the top because the title is just so true.

[LeeD]

I'd describe it as a becalmed sea so far, as I fit the proper silver and gold cards onto my rosters in support of the few diamonds and perfects I have. 100 wins and a promotion to High Silver for the main, treading water in Low Silver with live cards on another, .600 ball in Iron for the week two teams.

Without a lot of points to spend, separating the wheat from the chaff is really the key at this point. There are definitely some worthwhile cards available at lower prices.

[bailey]

There is nothing wrong with the gameplay which is as good as ever. It's the new UI which emphasizes color and glitz over functionality and legibility that is painful. "Let's put light printing on a light background! The fans will just love how hard that is to read!!"

[Dr.Drill]

After hours of contemplation and calculation, can't justify filling MLB LIVE missions vs. cashing in those 80s/90s for cold hard PP.

Rewards don't justify PP investment, given rapid depreciation of Mission cards (can buy cards cheaper than playing Missions).

Also Artifact rewards have same issue as variant boosters in 26, ie whales invest huge $$$ stacking Iron/Bronze/Silver tourneys with +5 players in 1st weeks so the rest of us forced to play catch up into late summer, when variants lose their value.

Averaging 40+ packs/week in tourneys and 170+ CS in 10 days played.

Basic cards now 80% dupes. Total waste.


Waiting for Spotlights, my kryptonite, because one 200k card buys a lot of happy days.

[LeeD]

Don't forget to factor in that those live golds and diamonds are PT Live earners now that we've hit Opening Day.

[Dr.Drill]

I hate admitting I dont pay attention to the live season until September.