Sony’s MLB The Show franchise has been in a somewhat odd position the last couple of years. Since going multiplatform in 2021, the series has become more successful than ever, but the games themselves have been rather underwhelming. MLB The Show 22 in particular was one of the most conservative annual sports updates I’ve ever played, adding almost nothing of significance to the franchise’s (admittedly solid) core experience. Honestly, the bar hasn’t been set all that high for MLB The Show 23.
Is Sony’s San Diego Studio happy to keep coasting on their success with another easy walk this year? Or are they aiming to uncork something big with MLB The Show 23? Time to see if this year’s game has its bases covered…
When it comes to the on-field action, MLB The Show 23 doesn’t feel much different the last couple entries in the series. The Zone-style hitting introduced in MLB The Show 20 and the Pinpoint Pitching added in MLB The Show 21 both return here. As before, Zone hitting requires you to aim your swing more precisely, in exchange for more solid contact if you line things up right, and Pinpoint Pitching tasks players with tracing shapes with the right analog stick in order to put the ball over the plate. Neither mechanic has changed much, but both still work well (particularly Pinpoint Pitching). San Diego Studio claims the Competitive gameplay style has changed, with more of an emphasis on mastering inputs and fewer cheap hits and foul balls, but I didn’t notice a big difference.
MLB The Show 23’s biggest gameplay changes affect fielding, with San Diego Studio actually opting to make things a bit more difficult to manage this year. Fielder stats now have more of an effect on how fast a player is on the hop and chucking the ball is potentially more complicated as the green zone on the throw meter now changes based on the player and situation. Needless to say, these aren’t the most exciting updates. The makers of MLB The Show 23 have argued these changes were necessary as past games allowed you to be almost supernaturally good at shutting down opponents, but honestly, I don’t think most people cared that much. Fielding isn’t what most people play baseball games for, so keeping things simple yet functional is usually best.
Visually, MLB The Show 23 hasn’t changed much either. This is still a fine-looking game, and the presentation of the new Storylines mode is well-handled (more on that in just a minute) but this is still the same engine San Diego Studio has been using for years at this point. Compared to other top video game sports franchises, MLB The Show is starting to show its age.
Despite the somewhat critical tone of the above paragraphs, make no mistake, MLB The Show 23 is, by and large, still a joy to play. No other baseball series has ever captured the intense back-and-forth between pitcher and batter, and a wide array of options make this one of the most accessible sports franchises around. I understand San Diego Studio not wanting to fix what isn’t broke, but I wish this series delivered more surprises on the field.
Don’t worry though, MLB The Show 23 does offer some new pitches when it comes to modes and features. This year’s standout rookie is the new “Storylines” mode, which focuses on the history of the pre-integration Negro Leagues. MLB The Show has done historical challenges in the past, but they tended to be somewhat scattered and easily overlooked. Storylines mode brings everything together under one banner, with a series of challenges devoted to different players, each of which comes with its own partially-animated intro. These intros are narrated by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick, who proves to be a consistently engaging and entertaining historical guide.
Needless to say, San Diego Studio had a fine line to tread when it comes to the subject matter covered by this year’s Storylines mode. This is largely a celebration of the Negro Leagues and its often-underappreciated players, but the hardships they faced aren’t glossed over. Kendrick and San Diego Studio also keep things surprising real. For instance, the series of challenges devoted to Jackie Robinson could have been a simple hagiography, but they make clear that he wasn’t actually the best player in the league and was instead chosen to break the color barrier because of his off-the-field personality and wholesome image. Overall, this year’s Storylines mode was a fascinating, and fun, addition that provided a lot information without ever feeling like a stodgy homework assignment. While I already knew something about names like Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige, I very much enjoyed learning about lesser-known players like Rube Foster and Martin Dihigo. Hopefully, this format returns in future MLB The Show games, because there’s certainly a lot of rich baseball history to cover.
Aside from the new Storylines mode, the Ultimate-Team-style Diamond Dynasty is probably the most significantly updated part of MLB The Show 23. A new system, which awards you top-level cards sooner, but also introduces seasons that force you to remake your team, has been implemented. Whether players respond well to that long-term remains to be seen. World Baseball Classic content has also been added to Diamond Dynasty, with a variety of player cards from around the globe to collect. These types of card-collecting microtransaction-pushing modes still aren’t my thing, but admittedly, Diamond Dynasty feels like one of the more compelling and less exploitative examples of the form.
Elsewhere, San Diego Studio have also completely revamped how the MLB Draft works in Franchise and March to October modes. You can now set scouting priorities from week to week and the draft itself is a more dynamic and exciting event. Unfortunately, while the Draft adds a lot to Franchise mode, it feels less consequential when playing March to October. An innovative season mode that lets you play through various highlights with your favorite team, March to October has long been one of MLB The Show’s best features, but it’s been a while since San Diego Studio has brought anything truly new to it. That said, the most neglected part of the new game is the Road to the Show career mode, which is unchanged from last year outside of a few tweaks.
While not all the game’s modes get equal love, with the additions of Storylines, MLB The Show 23 feels closer to the total package you get with other top-tier sports franchises. If you’re into the Grand Old Game at all, this one should keep you busy into extra innings.
This review was based on a PS5 copy of MLB The Show from publisher Sony.
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