How to Quickly Progress Through Team Affinity in MLB The Show 25

Team Affinity represents one of the most rewarding — yet potentially time-consuming — programs in MLB The Show 25‘s Diamond Dynasty mode. This revamped system offers exclusive player cards, packs, All-Star vouchers, and stubs for completing missions tied to specific clubs — though some say these aren’t as strong as prior versions. But it appears that they are probably baking availability to other future items in the game to Team Affinity goals, so it can’t be fully sidestepped if you want access to these unknown items.

At its core, Team Affinity pushes players to complete various missions — from securing wins and stolen bases to accumulating hits and strikeouts — all while using players from specific teams. Complete these missions with a card-counting mentality, and you’ll get points and rewards — wash and repeat. The point is to avoid turning a 90-minute grind into a less enjoyable multi-day slog.

The following corner-bending guide dissects this system, offering practical methods to speed-rush through Team Affinity whether you can punch out a couple hours or a full day to devote.

Date Around, Bro

The big rookie mistake many players make is getting into that tunnel vision. The advice is pretty simple here: Don’t get stuck gazing too long down that straw. Getting obsessed over completing one team’s program before starting another will waste your time.

Instead, focus on two or three TA programs simultaneously. This strategy allows you to max out progress across different teams without fielding nine players from a single franchise — which will not be ideal for what you’re trying to get done. If your Phillies lineup, for example, includes only five solid contributors, fill the remaining slots with Padres or Marlins players to advance multiple programs concurrently.

This approach proves particularly effective for pitching missions. We’re talking smarter, not harder. For example, you can start a Yankees pitcher for a few innings, then bring in relievers from the Tigers and Mariners — or whatever teams you’re picking — to juice your innings pitched and strikeouts for three different Team Affinity programs in a single game.

Starter Moments

As a nice push downhill, complete each team’s “Start Here” Moment under the My Journey tab. These simple challenges award 5,000 Team Affinity points and unlock a Silver player card for that franchise —essentially jumpstarting your progress with minimal effort.

These moments typically involve straightforward tasks like hitting a home run or striking out multiple batters — achievable within minutes. You’re gonna want to prioritize these points for all selected programs to get immediate momentum and usable cards for following missions.

Hybrid Lineups

After unlocking Silver, Gold, or Diamond cards from completing the initial moments, incorporate these players into strategic hybrid lineups. The key here lies in picking up Parallel XP (PXP) with these cards because it unlocks bonus Team Affinity (TA) points. Reaching 300 PXP with a Gold card, for example, generates 10,000 additional TA points.

Don’t waste statistical achievements by overpacking your lineup with players from a single team. You want balance — something like three hitters from the Braves, a couple of pitchers from the Cardinals, and then fill the remaining spots with players from the Rangers.

Use whatever team you want, but this approach ensures every hit, strikeout, and inning pitched contributes toward TA progress without wasting accomplishments beyond completed missions.

Target High-Yield Missions

Not all Team Affinity missions offer equal ROI, so lock in on tasks with favorable effort-to-reward ratios. I repeat, we are working smarter, not harder:

Quick-Hit Offensive Missions: Prioritize stolen bases, doubles, and RBI. Don’t go for triples. One effectively executed game against the CPU can yield multiple stolen bases and doubles, accelerating progress dramatically. You might want to consider teams with fields with deep lines and gaps.

Pitching Efficiency: Pitching missions often provide the quickest path to Team Affinity completion. Focus on innings pitched and strikeouts, as both accumulate rapidly when playing on Rookie difficulty. Getting three innings pitched with multiple relievers from different teams creates exponential progress.

Repeatable Bonuses: We’re using the KISS method here. ‘Keep it simple, stupid.’ Don’t overlook repeatable mission rewards. Every three innings pitched in single-player modes awards 10,000 TA points — a major boost available multiple times per game when using pitchers from your target squads. Take advantage of this as often as you can.

Which CPU Team Should You Face?

This is important — take on the White Sox! They’re rated among the lowest teams, so you’ll feast on their pitching. Make sure you play as the home team at Coors Field. This combination creates the perfect storm for accumulating offensive statistics — a weak opponent in baseball’s most hitter-friendly park. Each game potentially yields dozens of hits, multiple home runs, and ample opportunities for stolen bases.

You can even be selective about which White Sox pitcher you face. If you use your #1 starter, they’ll use theirs (which might be tougher). Use your #5 starter, and they’ll throw out their #5 guy — making hitting even easier. Smart!

Optimize Game Modes

Different game modes provide varying efficiency for missions. Selecting the right environment for your goals is critical:

Conquest: This mode provides the most efficient setting for pitching missions. Start a pitcher from one team, secure three innings to earn 10,000 repeatable TA points, then cycle through relievers from other Team Affinity programs to accumulate innings and strikeouts across multiple teams in a single game.

Play vs. CPU: As mentioned, target the Chicago White Sox on Rookie difficulty at Coors Field. You can expect to put up ridiculously lopsided affairs. Perfect for stat-padding.

Mini Seasons: Set to Rookie difficulty in smaller created stadiums like Blank Canvas (which you’ll need to download), this mode enables rapid mission completion with shortened three-inning games. Perfect for quickly accumulating wins (each worth 5,000 TA points after reaching three victories) while making progress toward other statistical achievements. However, some players report the competition is surprisingly tough here, so your mileage may vary.

The TA Program Path

Here’s what a typical program path might look like:

1. Complete the starter moment (5,000 points).
2. Get 150 PXP with your Silver card (10,000 more points).
3. By game two, you’ll hit around 30,000 points and unlock the Gold card.
4. Use your Gold card and get 300 PXP (10,000 more points).
5. By game three, you’ll be around 50,000 points — almost at your Diamond!
6. Focus on completing your last few missions to cross the finish line.

Once you’re near the end of one program, don’t waste stats! Shift your lineup to include just one or two players from that nearly-completed team, and start working on your next target. You could potentially juggle three teams at once if you get deep enough into a couple of programs.

Grind It Out For A Day

For players legit willing to commit to a full day, follow this example that I’ve researched or synthesized from people who’ve already done the work for you:

Morning Session (2-3 hours):

• Complete starter moments for 5-6 different teams
• Build hybrid lineups focusing on NL East and AL West teams
• Play 4-5 Conquest games using pitchers from these divisions
• Complete 3-5 Play vs. CPU games specifically targeting offensive stats

Midday Break/Lunch (30 minutes):

• Assess progress across all active programs
• Adjust lineups based on completed missions
• Identify remaining high-yield opportunities

Afternoon Session (3-4 hours):

• Shift focus to NL Central and AL East teams
• Complete their starter moments
• Build new hybrid lineups with unlocked cards
• Continue Conquest grind focusing on pitching missions
• Play additional CPU games for remaining offensive stats

Evening Cleanup (1-2 hours):

• Target nearly-completed programs for a final push
• Focus exclusively on remaining missions
• Claim all accumulated rewards
• Begin building competitive squads with newly acquired cards

If you don’t peter out by lunch or take a nap, this structure enables completion of roughly 8-10 Team Affinity programs within a day. The real grinders report about 1 hour and 15 minutes per program when efficiently executed.

Avoid the Quicksand

Several common mistakes dramatically increase grinding time. Steer clear of these time-wasters:

Overcommitting to Theme Teams: Listen, I get it, you want more authenticity. But that’s not the name of the game. Using nine players from a single team means you’ll complete certain missions way before others, wasting valuable stats along the way.

Hunting Triples: If you get them, cool; if not, cool. Three-baggers represent the most time-consuming offensive statistic to accumulate, and you will need favorable gap situations for them. Focus on doubles, home runs (which are harder this year, so matchups matter), and stolen bases instead — all substantially easier to generate consistently.

Ignoring Pitching Missions: Don’t fixate on offensive statistics while neglecting the efficiency of pitching missions. Get the punchouts and innings pitched up when playing on Rookie difficulty.

Neglecting Parallel XP: The bonus TA points awarded for PXP milestones provide substantial progress. Consistently using the same cards across multiple games accelerates these bonuses.

Is It Worth It?

That’s the million-stub question. Team Affinity is definitely a bigger grind than in previous years. No more simple ‘Conquest’ maps or ‘Showdowns’ to quickly rack up points. It’s a legitimate commitment.

The Jolt Series Captain cards (85-86 OVR) provide boosts to teammates from their franchise, which is nice. But the real value might come later — through All-Star vouchers and Finest vouchers you earn along the way. So there’s a potentially long-term benefit to grinding now.

But choose wisely! Not all Team Affinity rewards are created equal. Kyle Schwarber from the Phillies might be a beast, but do you really want to grind hours for a lackluster card from another team? A tier list of the best Team Affinity rewards might help you prioritize.

“And That’s The Bottom Line…”

With smart program selection, hyper-optimized gameplay approaches, and perhaps an espresso or Red Bull drip, completing a single Team Affinity program takes roughly 90 minutes. So, if you’re willing to invest a full day, you could complete maybe 8-10 programs, unlocking multiple Diamond cards and substantial pack rewards.

The system rewards grinding with intelligence and savvy rather than brute-force approaches. Build hybrid lineups, leverage high-yield missions, and maximize returns across multiple programs simultaneously. Follow these guidelines, and Team Affinity transforms from an endless grind into a manageable — even enjoyable — pursuit of Diamond Dynasty‘s most coveted rewards.