Year after year, the MLB The Show series continues to carry the weight of being the definitive digital version of America’s pastime. With expectations always high for the franchise developed by San Diego Studio, this year’s entry looks to refine its already strong foundation while adding enough new features to keep longtime fans invested.
From the crack of the bat to the tension of a full count in the ninth inning, MLB The Show 26 aims to capture the drama, strategy, and spectacle that define Major League Baseball. The question is whether this latest instalment truly pushes the series forward or simply plays it safe behind the plate.
Game Name: MLB The Show 26
Platform(s): Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch
Reviewed On: Xbox Series X
Developer(s): San Diego Studios
Publisher(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: 17th March 2026
So where to begin? Some people with be instantly drawn to Diamond Dynasty, the card collecting online behemoth or maybe Road to the Show, the career driven My Player mode of MLB The Show 26. But I would highly recommend playing through this year’s season of The Negro Leagues.
Storylines: The Negro Leagues Season 4
Back again for the 4th year, with this years roster boasting 5 of baseballs past. Catcher Roy Campanella, George “Mule” Suttles, John Henry “Pop” Lloyd, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson (The first and only Female pitcher in the Negro Leagues) & Finally James “Cool Papa” Bell. 5 Different story all told with music in mind and of course narrated by The Negro League Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick. Split over 7 challenges per player, at the end you earn a Diamond Dynasty card for each person.
I have enjoyed the time I’ve spent with this mode over the past few years. It has helped me learn more about players I already knew, such as Jackie Robinson, while also introducing me to players I had never heard of before, like this year’s entry, George “Mule” Suttles. Looking back at the past and acknowledging these legends matters. Many of them played during a time when the world was far less inclusive than it is today. I hope San Diego Studio continues highlighting this history, and it would be great to see other franchises, such as 2K’s NBA series, do something similar by spotlighting players and stories from the ABA and NBA’s past.
Time To Play Ball
This year, MLB The Show hasn’t tried to drastically change the formula it has been refining year after year. Instead, the team focused on improving and expanding existing gameplay systems. One of the new additions is a depth-of-field option while batting, which allows players to blur the background so they can focus entirely on their PCI. There is also a new PCI Sensitivity setting, which helps players like me who tend to pull their PCI when trying to make contact. Other additions include Big Zone Hitting and Fixed Zone Hitting, providing more options for players when stepping up to the plate.
Pitching has also received some new features this year, most notably Bear Down Pitching. This is one of the biggest gameplay additions in MLB The Show 26. By consistently throwing strikes and racking up strikeouts, pitchers can earn and store special “Bear Down” pitches. When used, these pitches temporarily boost both velocity and control by shrinking the Perfect Accuracy Region. The number of these high-leverage pitches a player can build up depends on the pitcher’s Clutch rating, adding another layer of strategy during tense moments on the mound.
Also new the Automatic Ball-Strike challenge system for calls at the plate. Each team receives two challenges per game, and a successful challenge does not count against that total. Currently, the feature is limited to offline modes, but it does a solid job reflecting Major League Baseball’s real-world experimentation with automated strike zone technology.
Road To The Show
The name says it all. Road to the Show is the career mode where you “pave your way to the majors.” This year, that journey actually begins in high school. You start by creating your pro, whether that’s a male or female player, and customizing their appearance to look exactly how you want.
Before you spend too much time making your player look perfect, however, you’ll need to decide what position you want to play. My position of choice has always been First Base. Of course, the game gives you other options. You can attempt to become a two-way player in the style of Shohei Ohtani or even focus entirely on pitching.
But for me, it’s simple. First Base is life.
Starting at one of four high schools, you’ll play through four regular-season games and the playoffs while being scouted by both colleges and MLB teams. Your performance in these games directly impacts your draft stock. The better you play, the higher your stock rises, which increases your chances of being recruited by a major college program.
In my career playthrough, I managed to win the high school championship and was offered the opportunity to go straight to the MLB, getting drafted 28th in the 7th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Instead of jumping straight into professional baseball, I decided to take the college route and committed to Fresno State, joining the Diamond Dogs.
Unfortunately, the “college experience” is pretty limited. Rather than actually playing through multiple seasons, the game skips ahead three years to your junior season, where you participate in the College World Series. While I understand that this is MLB The Show and not a full-fledged college baseball game, it still feels like a missed opportunity. Even a short stretch of games or a few months of college play would have helped make the journey to the majors feel a bit more authentic and rewarding.
After winning the College World Championship, you’re presented with two choices. You can return to college for another year and attempt to go back-to-back as champions, or you can declare for the MLB Draft. I decided it was time to take the leap and entered the draft.
Thankfully, my gamble paid off, as I was selected 12th in the 2nd round by the Miami Marlins. From that moment on, the real journey began. Starting out in AAA, it was now up to me to prove that I belonged and fight my way onto a Major League roster. Every at-bat, every play in the field, and every series felt like another step toward the ultimate goal: reaching the MLB and eventually carving out a path to the Hall of Fame.
Road to the Show has long been the staple career mode of MLB The Show. Over the years, it has seen its share of highs and lows, including some questionable decisions, like the period when the mode became too closely tied to Diamond Dynasty. Thankfully, it looks like San Diego Studio has taken those past mistakes to heart. This year’s version of Road to the Show feels like a return to form, bringing back the kind of fun and focus that made the mode so popular in the first place.
Time for the Card Game
Diamond Dynasty, MyTeam, Ultimate Team. Call it what you want, they all have a lot of similarities. However, I’ve always felt MLB The Show is one of the better ones when it comes to execution. Yes, it has a Progression Pass that uses XP to level up, but you can earn that XP in any mode. It also doesn’t cost any money, unlike its distant brothers, and boasts prizes ranging from player cards all the way to packs.
This is also where you will spend most of your time if you’re like me, grinding for those players and just trying to make your team better while also doing collections, as well as other programs that are added very regularly.
While nothing is really new in this mode this year, the big draw is the inclusion of the World Baseball Classic, a World Cup of baseball. Each team is represented by a country from around the world. Yes, that does mean the USA is stacked. But it’s cool that some lesser-known players will take the spotlight depending on their real-life performance.
Franchise Mode
The mode that doesn’t get the love it deserves is Franchise. You take control of the team you choose, whether that’s your favorite or maybe a struggling team you want to rebuild. This year, you can decide if you want full control or a streamlined experience. It also boasts a new Trade Hub that is meant to make it the best it has been in years, with AI logic apparently being better. But only time will tell on that point.
With Full Control, you do exactly as it sounds. You have the choice to take over up to all 30 teams, handling everything a front office would do: signing players, negotiating contracts, sorting trades, and of course doing draft scouting and selections. Full Control also means you can choose to play all 162 games in full over the season.
However, there is a Game Entry Condition setting that allows you to dictate how you want to play the season. You may choose to only play the most important games and come in after the 4th inning, or play the crucial highlights during the later innings.
In Streamlined mode, you can only take control of one team. Instead of doing everything a front office would normally handle, you focus only on the things that directly impact the squad, like drafting, trades, and free agent signings. This mode is meant to make it much quicker to get through seasons. Streamlined also locks some settings, such as contracts and staff hiring.
Accessibility
While there aren’t really any big accessibility aids, there are some things that make the game easier in certain aspects. Being able to use buttons instead of the right stick to pitch and hit means that if someone is unable to use a full controller, they aren’t totally shut out from playing the game.
Bottom Of Ninth
While I have really enjoyed my time with MLB The Show 26, it does unfortunately fall into the category of “just another sports game update.” Some of the new features do improve the quality of life, like PCI Sensitivity and Depth of Field.
While things like the menus in Diamond Dynasty are very hard to navigate at first, over time you will get used to them and it will be a breeze to find what you’re looking for. Another thing that has been noted by the community is that trade logic inside Franchise is still a little wonky, but it always is in nearly every sports game franchise mode.
If you enjoyed this review, explore more of our in-depth video game reviews across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
Review Disclosure Statement: MLB The Show 26 was provided to us by San Diego Studios for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
While MLB The Show 26 does expand and move the dial forward for the franchise, some other things do make you realise that it isn’t a massive step forward. With its new features and World Baseball Championship inclusion they have opened up a lot of content. Also, another year of The Negro League is a massive win for history and learning.
Pros
World Baseball Championship
Negro League Season 4
High School & College in Road To The Show
More PCI Control
Depth of Field while Batting
Cons
Franchise Trade Logic Still Broke
Diamond Dynasty Menus a little confusing
Only play a few College games in Road To The Show