📢 2026 Departure Diamond Dynasty League: Spring Season Registration is OPEN
MLB The Show 26 • PS5 / Xbox • Crossplay
 
Season Dates: 3/26 – 5/15
Playoffs: 5/16 – 5/31
Format: 8 weekly regular-season matchups (1 game per week) + playoffs (up to 2 games)
 
This is a friendly, structured Diamond Dynasty league for the Departure community. Any skill level is welcome, as long as you’ll stay active and complete your weekly game.
 
Entry Fee: $10 per team (100% goes to prizes) + I’ll add extra on top.
Eligibility: Must have participated in at least a few Departure breaks in the past 365 days.
Discord Required: Our league hub (matchups, scheduling, results, clips, badges, announcements).
 
Sign-ups close: Thursday night 4/3 after the break stream
Schedule posted: Friday 4/4 (matchups start that weekend)
 
How it works each week
You’ll be assigned one opponent per week (posted in Discord well in advance).
You and your opponent schedule a time and play one full 9-inning game (friendly DD game).
Post the final score (and any highlights) in the weekly results channel.
 

More Details: 
Weekly themes (optional, but fun)
Each week has a simple theme. Play the theme and you’re eligible for that week’s theme prize.
Examples (final list posted with the schedule):
Rookies & Star Week: start eight rookie position players and one star/vet/legend
Budget Beast Week: start 1 position player rated 79 OVR or lower
Legends Week: all players must be retired vets 
 
Micro-prizes and weekly awards (keeps every week exciting)
Small rewards are awarded weekly (break credit / packs / shipping credits), announced in Discord. Typical weekly prizes include:
Walk-off of the Week (clip/screenshot proof)
Upset of the Week (beat an opponent with a better record)
Play of the Week (best defensive highlight / “how did you do that?”)
Theme Winner (random draw from players who played that week’s theme)
On-Time Bonus (random draw from matches completed by Sunday night)
 
Sportsmanship Points (separate prize race)
Even if you’re having a rough season, you can still win.
Earn Sportsmanship Points each week:
+1 Completed match by Sunday 11:59pm ET
+1 Reported score correctly (both players confirm in the results thread)
+1 Posted a highlight clip/screenshot 
+1 Posted a short post-match recap in Discord (3 bullets: MVP, turning point, "coach" quote, final score, etc)
Top 3 Sportsmanship Point finishers win prizes at season end.

Scheduling rules (simple and fair)
To keep things moving, scheduling follows one clear system:
Matchups post each Monday.
By Tuesday 11:59pm ET, each player must post two time windows they can play (examples: “Thur 8–10pm / Sat 7–9pm”).
By Wednesday 11:59pm ET, both players must agree on a scheduled time in the thread.
If one player doesn’t post windows by Tuesday, they lose scheduling priority and must accommodate the opponent’s posted times.
If a match can’t be completed due to non-responsiveness, the active player can request an admin win.
 
Mercy / quit / disconnect rules
Mercy: If you are down 10+ runs after 5 innings, you may offer a mercy. If accepted, the game ends and the score stands as-is.
Quits: If you quit without a disconnect and you’re not in a mercy situation, it’s a forfeit.
Disconnects: If a disconnect happens:
If the game is past the 6th inning, the current score stands unless both players agree to continue.
If it’s before the end of the 6th, continue the game (or pick up later that week). If something weird happens, post in Discord, admins will make the call.

Divisions (tiered for competitiveness)
We’ll run tiered divisions based on last season’s finish (and new players placed appropriately):
Division A (top finishers / experienced)
Division B (developing / new or returning)
You compete within your division for standings and prizes.

Playoffs (made extra special)
1–2 featured playoff matches will be streamed with live commentary (optional for players).
Custom Discord roles/badges awarded:
Playoff Bound
Top Seed 
Champion
 
Prize pool
Prize pool = $10 per team + added bonuses (all paid out as prizes). Payout examples (final depends on number of teams):
Champion: ~40% of pool in break credit
Runner-up: ~20% of pool in break credit
3rd/4th: ~10% each of pool in break credit
Sportsmanship Points (Top 3): remaining ~20% split in break credit & free PSA submission! 
Weekly micro-prizes come from the “added bonuses” from Departure, and will include free shipping credits, sealed packs, etc.

Ready to Register?
Registration is completed on this page. Once paid, you’ll receive a Discord invite via email (if you're not already a member) and you’ll be assigned your team manager role. All future details will be posted there as the season approaches!