GOAT difficulty is Hall of MLB The Show 25 Stubs Fame+ level pitching and Legend-level hitting with CPU logic boosted. Reaction times are faster, AI pitch sequencing is smarter, and mistakes are punished hard. However, completing runs at this level earns you:

Huge XP boosts

Pack rewards

GOAT-tier card progression (used in some evolution/Incognito quests)

Stubs per run + flipping potential

Best Team Composition for GOAT Runs
Focus on meta-heavy builds that offer consistency, defense, and control:

Hitters
Contact > Power: On Legend difficulty, contact rate and PCI size matter more.

Prioritize:

110+ Contact vs R/L

80+ Vision

70+ Discipline

Top Examples:

Tony Gwynn (99) – elite contact, speed

Mauer, Ichiro, Wade Boggs, Luis Arraez

Defense
Defensive ratings must be 85+ at key positions: SS, CF, Catcher.

Poor defense will ruin you on GOAT.

Use P5 cards with better fielding animations (ex: Ozzie Smith)

Pitchers
Use starters with:

Outlier or sinker/cutter mix

High K/9 & BB/9 (≥90)

Fast slide-step delivery

Best GOAT pitchers:

Jacob deGrom 99, Pedro Martinez, Cliff Lee, Logan Webb

Best In-Game Strategy for GOAT Runs
1. Don't Chase Early Runs
Play small ball for the first 3 innings. Work counts.

Wait for hanging off-speed or walk chances.

2. Bunt + Steal Against CPU
CPU can't handle repeated bunts + hit-and-run on lower power hitters.

Use players like:

Kenny Lofton, Ricky Henderson, Mookie Betts

3. Pitching Approach
Mix speeds. Use:

High fastballs

Low sinkers

Front-door cutters

0–2 waste pitches

NEVER throw high off-speed or center fastballs.

4. Bullpen Usage
Use meta relievers every 2 innings:

Devin Williams, Josh Hader, Mariano Rivera

Pinch hit in the 7th if you're down and rotate bullpen early.

5. Use Fielding Shifts Smartly
Turn off auto-shift.

Manually adjust OF depth and INF position based on tendencies.

CPU adapts quickly — break their rhythm with buy MLB Stubs new shifts each inning.