As Major League Baseball teams gear up for spring training, sports gamers inevitably are equally excited about the latest release of iconic baseball simulation,MLB The Show 23. The title is an annual rite of passage for gamers, which renders in stunningly accurate detail the latest MLB stadiums, teams, and players. Unfortunately, like many sports video game series,MLB The Showis sometimescriticized for not introducing enough new game modes and features. It’s an undeniable fact that some sports game releases end up offering little more than roster updates and a new cover. This year, however, there are plenty of innovativeMLB The Shownew features that warrant its price tag.
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Offering a realistic representation of baseball, gamers demand that as Major League Baseball changes,MLB The Showevolves as a simulation accordingly. In a series of recent announcements, developers did not disappoint fans of the game revealing some truly groundbreaking additions. Whether it’s new stadiums, historical tributes, or rule changes,MLB The Show 23will satisfy all baseball fans with a bevy of gameplay changes and new game modes highlighted below.
10Throwing Meter
For years,MLB The Showhas offered athrowing meter when fielding to make the process of throwing to bases more interestingthan just pressing one button. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take most players long to master the timing of the throwing meter and human errors are rare.
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As we approach theMLB The Show 23release date, the developers have responded by making the ideal green portion of the throwing meter move while a play unfolds. In addition, if players hit the yellow part of the throwing meter, they will have to rely on the 1st baseman’s ability to block or dig out a low throw.
9New Quirks
Quirks have always caused some confusion amongMLB The Showplayers who wonder what they are actually for. Active quirks are special abilities beyond Diamond Dynasty card stats some players have which allow them to excel in certain game situations.
One of the most anticipatedMLB The Showfeatures are new quirks for offense, including bad ball hitters which come into play when a pitcher insists on throwing pitches outside the strike zone. There are new quirks for pitching and defense as well, such as Pick Off Artist and Break Outlier. Also, the developers have removed passive quirks, which really were nothing more than badges of honor.
8Competitive Gameplay Style
One frustrationMLB The Showplayers have had in online multiplayer is with the enormous amount of foul balls. Good pitchers pitching well would struggle to strike out mediocre hitters who could endlessly keep ABs alive, not ideal for multiplayer games that otherwise move along swiftly.
Fortunately, developers have adjusted multiplayer gameplay to reward effective pitching with strikeouts while batters need to make solid contact to accumulate hits. Hopefully, the new competitive gameplay style will encourage more traditional offline players tobranch out from single-playerMLB The Showmodes into multiplayer Diamond Dynasty.
7New Stadiums
During the run-up to theMLB The Show 23release date, many players have wondered what new stadiums would make it into this year’s game, if any at all. Developers recently revealed that 6 new stadiums would debut inMLB The Show 23, mostly to complement the historic Negro League mode.
Highlights among the 6 new stadiums areOld Comiskey Park which existed from 1911 to 1951and also was the home field of the Chicago American Giants, one of the original members of the Negro National League. The other 5 new historic stadiums are:
6Custom Practice Mode Enhancements
Hitting is one of the most challenging things to do well in professional sports, so it’swise for beginners and veterans to spend time in Custom Practice, one of the most overlookedMLB The Showgame modes. Developers have made several enhancements to the mode forMLB The Show 23, including an ability to specify incoming pitch types and locations.
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Players inMLB The Showoften have trouble with certain pitches, like sliders on the outer halves of the plate. Now they can practice facing them for as long as necessary to avoid humiliation when playing online.
5New Legends
Another highly anticipated event for each edition ofMLB The Showis learning which legends will make their way into the game. It’s no surprise that most of the legends announced so far were Negro League stars with Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige leading the way.
In some cases, the choices of players seem questionable, such as Ian Kinsler who was recently confirmed as a more modern legend leading up to theMLB The Showrelease date. However, there is no doubting the talent and significance to the history of baseball of these 8 players:
4Ranked Co-Op
One of the newMLB The Showgame modes introduced last season was Co-Op, wherefriends from around the country or world could team up in online multiplayer. Unfortunately, the functionality was rather bare bones, with only random opponents available as competition instead of teams comprised of other friends. Once Co-Op games start, friends assume different roles, such as batter, pitcher, or fielder.
Developers inMLB The Show 23promised to improve the mode and added ranked Co-Op, so friends can pursue season-long goals instead of occasionally teaming up for casual matchups online.
3MLB Rule Changes
Over the years,MLB The Showhas done an admirable job keeping up with rule changes in Major League Baseball.MLB The Show 23will be no exception with the universal DH rule as one of theMLB The Show’s new features, resulting in pitchers no longer hitting in the AL or NL.
Fans of Shohei Ohtani will appreciate that the functionality of 2-way players is more realistic than ever, with changes to the rating system to accommodate these versatile MLB talents. Other rule changes likebans on extreme shifts are also inMLB The Show 23, although larger bases will have to wait for future updates.
2PCI Changes & Swing Feedback
Hitting inMLB The Show 23has always relied on timing above all other factors, but thesignificance of the Plate Coverage Indicator (PCI) is not as clear-cut. This year, developers have removed the indicators for fly balls and ground balls to simplify the batting cursor. Also, to make the PCI indicator less intimidating, there is an option to have a bat icon appear in the strike zone indicating where perfect contact is possible.
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The after-pitch swing feedback for PCI placement and timing that appears in an on-screen graphic has also undergone some dramatic enhancements, taking some of the mystery away from what results in an ideal swing.
1The Negro National League
By far, the addition of Negro League Storylines has garnered the most attention out of all theMLB The Show’s new features. The developers of the game have worked for years to include this vital historic baseball era in the most comprehensive way possible.
ManyNegro National League stars who played in the 1920s to 1940s when segregation was commonplace, are available in the new Storylines narrative, which will take place across various game modes. Essentially, players view a short clip highlighting the achievements of a legend before teleporting into a playable historical scenario featuring stars like Jackie Robinson and Buck O’Neil. The Negro National League inMLB The Show 23is here to stay as well, with more teams and players scheduled for future releases of the game.
TheMLB The Show 23release date is set for May 21, 2025 and will be available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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