It’s hard to look at a game like MLB The Show 26 and put it in the right category.
On the other hand, it is still one of the best sports games you can play. New features, such as updated calling tools, are very welcome. Franchise Mode has seen an overhaul, and Diamond Dynasty remains a great feature. There is a lot of good in MLB The Show 26, however, here I am, not sure about my time with it.
For all the good things it does, there are equally frustrating things that take me out of it. The result is an uneven experience that bears its legacy but a solid foundation that remains. The cracks are starting to show more and more, though, and it worries me.
The MLB Show Is Still One Of The Best Sports Games To Play
The core gameplay experience that exists within MLB The Show honestly hasn’t changed much over the years. This is not a bad thing; there is something about baseball games that translates well to the video game format. You’d think it’s the same in all other sports, especially football, but in my eyes, it’s not. It’s an ongoing chess game where you get to play both sides, and the presentation of MLB The Show has always done a good job of presenting this.
It has also done a great job in terms of balancing between accessibility and practicality. Baseball is tough; you can do everything right but not succeed. A hitter who only succeeds 30% of the time can be considered a Hall of Fame talent. It’s always nice to see this represented in a real game, even if it’s frustrating to have a perfectly timed swing and good contact on the ball only to have it fly to the center fielder.
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Of course, if you use the Plate Coverage Indicator (PCI) scoring method in addition to the old-school method, you will be able to control your changes, and therefore, you will see better results. This is done by pointing and holding the analog stick where you think the ball will be thrown. As you can imagine, it is very difficult to withdraw successfully.
MLB Show 26 addresses this by allowing you to lock into your PCI slot without having to constantly hold an analog antenna. It’s one of the few changes in the playing experience that allows me, someone whose special talent in Little League was hitting and running to first, pretend I can hit a baseball. Pitching gets some love, too, with Bear Down Pitching, which allows you to dig deep and deliver that key pitch when you need it most.
There are many great ways to play MLB The Show
Recently, I spent some time with WWE 2K26 and, like last year, I enjoyed my time with the variety of gameplay and display modes. There aren’t many sports shows that compare in this regard, but MLB The Show alone holds its own. Diamond Dynasty has the advantage of not being anywhere near as monetizing as its peers, but it feels like we’re about to go down a slippery slope in that regard. It’s one thing to keep an eye on in the future.
Franchise Mode is also still as fun as ever and, sadly, the only place where you see other teams not named the Los Angeles Dodgers can spend money on free agents. As with Diamond Dynasty, MLB The Show’s Franchise Mode is a step above its peers. I understand the frustration that comes with spending $70 year after year on what can feel like the same old story, but it also comes with the added benefit of a great baseball game, so there’s that.
There is a lot of good in MLB The Show 26, however, here I am, not sure about my time with it.
It also comes with the best mode in any sports game: Road to the Show. Being able to start your career in high school, pick up college offers leading up to the College Baseball World Series, and make it to the minor leagues for your favorite team is a huge highlight. I’m very happy that MLB The Show 26 is expanding on the Road to the Show, rather than taking a break.
Heck, even if San Diego Studio hadn’t changed a single thing on this year’s Road to the Show, I would still have enjoyed it. That’s a great way to game, especially since it’s a great way to ease into the game and get used to the changes. However, it’s also a great way to spot the game’s growing flaws, especially with its launch.
As much as I love my time during Road to the Show, the commentary gets old really, really fast.
I don’t need to be constantly reminded of the important decision my player has to make about entering the MLB Draft or playing in college. I don’t need constant reminding about the fact that a High School game only has seven innings, not nine. Playing along with MLB The Show, its in-game presentation is very lacking, and very visible.
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Compare that to, say, last year’s Madden. It has its problems, yes, but there was something about the team of Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen that made the games feel like a big event. I don’t get the same feeling from the staff here. That doesn’t mean Jon Sciambi is bad at what he does; this is not the case. Instead, it’s a combination of factors that drag you down.
Singleton, Mendoza, and Flores don’t bring their A-game here, and it’s a problem compounded by the fact that their lines of dialogue are repeated ad nauseam. The fact that I hear the same dialogue before my first hour in the game is a big problem. It’s a frustrating thing that detracts from what is otherwise a great game.
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As a judge, MLB The Show 26 is a great game all season long. It puts up numbers, it’s MVP worthy, and it’s worth the money. However, when it matters most, it crumbles under the pressure of light. When I play MLB The Show, I get really frustrated with it, and that’s something that hasn’t happened in the past.
It’s like the more pressure on Aaron Judge, the worse he does. His home run in the 2025 ALCS, which looked like an iconic moment? Of course, that was helped by the weather. His signature playoff home run came from a pitcher who was proven to be betting on games. He is the definition of underrated.
I’m very happy that MLB The Show 26 is expanding on the Road to the Show, rather than taking a break.
Again, he’s a great regular season hitter and the best of our generation, but when it matters most, he fails to deliver. That’s MLB The Show 26 in a nutshell: another solid entry, but one that ultimately failed to deliver. Technical issues in trying to play online only add to the incredibly frustrating experience.
MLB The Show 26 is still one of the best sports shows in town, but it’s starting to show its flaws. Despite all the improvements and nice additions, it’s getting hard to ignore some of its issues. For the first time in years, I’m not sure if MLB The Show is worth the money. For all the good things the game does, I can’t continue to ignore all the growing problems.
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