MLB The Show 23 will make every baseball fan fall in love with the game again

By James On Mar 29, 2023

For the greatest players in baseball, and especially for them who have worked Unpleasant to keep alive their memory And deeds, MLB The Show 23 must seem like a dream come true. The main game mode, an exploration of the Negro Leagues – one of the greatest infamy and greatest stages of pre-war American sport – brings real justice to those whose word-of-mouth adventures have been met with a cocked eyebrow or condescending grin for almost a while . century.

It really takes an interactive museum exhibit, which is Storylines: The Negro Leagues, to understand what the stars of the segregated baseball leagues accomplished in their day. “What they went through” is a topic being explored by more competent authorities with foil And book. But what they actually did is not embraced – in the same way as Willie Mays’ catch basket or Hank Aaron’s 715th home run – until now, simply because there is no visual record of it. MLB the show 23 provides that evidence.

And it’s delicious. Oh sure, a lot of these scripted moments are easy for anyone to pull off if they’ve been playing MLB The Show for two or three years and know a thing or two about baseball. But come on: pitch like Satchel Paige, with all his infielders kneeling on the mound like he’s reading a bedtime story – with a runner on first base, might I add? That is amazing. It’s great, even when you know you can’t help but make fun of NPCs’ batting order with Satchel’s “bee-ball” and “dipsy-do” deliveries.

Storylines: The Negro Leagues rely a little too much on pitching rather than hitting, in terms of the scripted moments the first season offers. I understand there will be future seasons of storylines in future MLB The Show games that will cover the exploits of big hitters like Josh Gibson. Still, I’ve modeled my created players after Cuba’s Martín Dihigo since the game first allowed two-way characters (pitcher and batter) in MLB The Show 21. It was, frankly, amazing to meet the man in a video game, let alone take control of him and his pitch repertoire. When I discovered that Dihigo was using a steep 12-6 curveball instead of a modification for his off-speed pitch, just as my created players have been doing for over three years, I squealed with joy – and the satisfaction that I had actually gotten something right.

MLB The Show 23 easily conveyed Dihigo’s prowess as a pitcher or batter through a list of 99-rated attributes read on the back of his player card. More importantly, however, is how the game relates to the day-to-day survivability of players in the Negro National League, when even future Hall of Famers have had to wrinkle the game to give fans their money’s worth and get them back – with a friend – the next day.

This showmanship wouldn’t translate without it MLB The Show 23basic game. If you’re going to pitch or hit scripted events, you need a clean and well-designed game that will run underneath. The product here is still as consistent from coast to coast as a box of Budweiser bought in Seattle or Miami. Developer SIE San Diego Studio has added some new firecracker sounds, which you’re sure to notice when you click one deep into a cavernous alley in San Diego, or to the midfield triangle in Fenway Park. I’m continually in awe of how MLB The Show can feel so familiar year after year while still delivering new experiences, or maybe a little extra polish on the old ones.

However, the real secret weapon is the Negro Leagues mode and its narrator, Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a born storyteller. (And host of a great podcastalso.) Just by sitting down for one of his history lessons, you’re going to unlock so many great players and cosmetics for use in MLB The Show’s Ultimate Team-esque Diamond Dynasty mode, you can’t help but get out of it with a team with a 90 rating that looks sharp as hell.

I am now almost 50 years old. I was once the newspaper reporter for Cooperstown itself. Boyfriend, I chewed tobacco when I played T-ball, and I’m connected to baseball through my dad and friendships that go back to kindergarten. Still, MLB The Show 23 found a way to teach me about the sport and give me a new reason to love it.

MLB The Show 23 launched on March 28 Nintendo switch, Playstation 4, PlayStation5, Xbox OneAnd Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed using a pre-release download code from Sony Interactive Entertainment. Vox Media has partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy here.