The May Monthly Awards program has arrived mid-week as a nice change of pace, and there are plenty of good looking cards to discuss here. Last month’s Lightning Byron Buxton is now replaced by Lightning Marcus Semien as the top reward. The other May Monthly Awards players include Austin Meadows, Jesse Winker, Brandon Crawford, Ryan Tepera, Ramon Laureano, Corey Kluber, Jose Abreu, and Zack Wheeler.
As an added bonus, you also will get one of the Series 42 cards in the rewards track, which is a nice bonus as people still try to climb towards that securing 99 overall Jackie Robinson (and by association, Milestone Mariano Rivera). Everything else is by the book here, so (as usual) you will need to do the collection mission to get the 100 points and Lightning Marcus Semien.
Let’s get to all the players and how you can finish this program in a timely fashion.
May Monthly Awards Program Guide
Cards
- Austin Meadows (88 overall)
- Jesse Winker (89)
- Brandon Crawford (90)
- Ryan Tepera (91)
- Ramon Laureano (91)
- Corey Kluber (92)
- Jose Abreu (93)
- Zack Wheeler (94)
- Marcus Semien (96)
Missions
- Tally 30 total bases with Topps Now players – 10 points
- Hit 5 home runs with Topps Now players – 10 points
- Tally 15 strikeouts with Topps Now players – 10 points
- Tally 3 XBH with Monthly Awards Austin Meadows – 4 points
- Hit 2 home runs with Monthly Awards Jesse Winker – 4 points
- Tally 10 total bases with Monthly Awards Brandon Crawford – 4 points
- Strike out 5 batters with Monthly Awards Ryan Tepera – 4 points
- Tally 3 XBH with Monthly Awards Ramon Laureano – 4 points
- Strike out 9 batters with Monthly Awards Corey Kluber – 4 points
- Tally 10 total bases with Monthly Awards Jose Abreu – 4 points
- Strike out 9 batters with Monthly Awards Zack Wheeler – 4 points
62 points in total here.
Moments
Each moment is worth 4 points. There is a total of 36 points to be had here.
- You Can’t Walk Through Meadows
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 8 total bases
- Three Winks And Jesse’s Gone
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 3 hits
- Tally 1 XBH
- Craw’s Law – 3 games
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 11 total bases
- Ramon Bangs The Cajon – 3 games
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 3 XBH
- Ryan Tepera: MVP
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Save 1 game
- Strike out 2 batters
- Do not give up 1 hit
- Do not walk 1 batter
- Do not hit 1 batter
- No Shot Against Klubot
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Win 1 game
- Do not give up 1 hit
- Do not give up 1 run
- No Way Jose
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Tally 2 hits
- Tally 1 XBH
- Zack Wheeler: Bat Stealer
- Difficulty: Veteran
- Strike out 10 batters
- Do not give up 2 runs
- Monster Marcus
- Difficulty: Rookie
- Tally 8 total bases
Collections
- Collect 38 total Topps Now May and May Monthly Awards players – 15 points
Rewards Track And Cards Discussion
- 5 points – May Monthly Awards Austin Meadows
Austin Meadows comes with all the usual expectations. He’s a bit of a hot mess in the field, but his swing is a delight, and he’s got 115 power vs RHP to settle the score.
- 10 points – Topps Now May (4/26-5/2)
- 15 points – 1,000 stubs
- 20 points – May Monthly Awards Jesse Winker
I would not have been shocked if Winker ended up being the Lightning player this month. He has great attributes from both sides of the plate, and so like Meadows the issue is more in the field. However, he’s even better than Meadows as a hitter so he’s worthier of the the risk/reward.
- 25 points – The Show pack
- 30 points – May Monthly Awards Brandon Crawford
Like Meadows, I love Crawford’s swing. Here you do get plus-plus defense at multiple infield positions. He has 48 contact vs. LHP and 56 vision, but otherwise this card holds up well in most non-speed categories.
- 35 points – Topps Now May (5/3-5/9)
- 40 points – May Monthly Awards Ryan Tepera
The lone reliever, Tepera comes equipped with plus-plus control of three fastballs. With the cutter being his primary pitch, it’s good to see some speed differences between his other two fastballs to help make him more viable.
- 45 points – 2,000 stubs
- 50 points – May Monthly Awards Ramon Laureano
Laureano could be the most enjoyable card to use from this set because it’s just major boom-bust in every way. He has 99 arm strength and accuracy in center field (as expected), plus he has 105 power vs. RHP and 125 contact vs. LHP. With 49 contact vs. RHP and 46 vision, he comes with obvious shortcomings in certain situations, but I’m all-in on him.
- 55 points – Topps Now May (5/10-5/16)
- 60 points – May Monthly Awards Corey Kluber
Once Kluber did not get a Topps Now card for his no-no, it became sort of a given that he would get a card here. If you’re familiar with Klubot in The Show, I don’t really need to sell you on why you might need to try out this card.
- 65 points – Topps Now May (5/17-5/23)
- 70 points – May Monthly Awards Jose Abreu
Abreu cards can sneak in under the radar at times because they always have to have relatively miserable fielding and speed ratings, which can bring down his overalls. Here you get quality contact and power from both sides of the plate, and so he’s your standard all-bat option at 1B.
- 75 points – Topps Now May (5/24-5/30)
- 80 points – May Monthly Awards Zack Wheeler
Your power pitcher for this month is Zack Wheeler. He has better control of his top three pitches than I expected, so he’s a fastball-slider-sinker guy who has a loopy enough curve to use that as a change of pace.
- 85 points – 3,000 stubs
- 90 points – 42 Series choice pack
- 95 points – Yellow Lightning bat
- 100 points – Lightning Marcus Semien
Perhaps a bit of a surprising pick, but he’s welcomed because Semien can fill in at three infield positions, including a somewhat barren 2B. With 125 contact vs. RHP and a slew of other solid hitting stats, he’s going to be able to find a spot somewhere in your lineup.
