The launch of sports games has become an annual tradition that many fans have used as the punchline of a joke. Sure, new iterations of sports games tend to have the latest graphics and mechanics, but they’re mainly a glorified roster update. That isn’t the case with MLB The Show 23.

Already praised for being the most authentic baseball simulator available, this year’s game introduces the Negro League Storylines that teaches fans about key iconic Black ballplayers that influenced the sport today. 

In addition to that, the gameplay feels 

Remembering Forgotten Stars

The newest mode in MLB The Show 23 is without a doubt its best. The Negro League Storylines highlights eight black players who impacted the sport in several ways: Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Rube Foster, Hank Thompson, Buck O’Neil, Jackie Robinson, John Donaldson, and Martin Dihigo. Without these historic people, baseball wouldn’t be the sport we all know and love today.

Most fans recognize Jackie Robinson’s name immediately, as he was the first Black player to break the color barrier and play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But what about John Donaldson, the man who likely invented the Slider? Or maybe Rube Foster, the man who formed the Negro Leagues in the first place? These are baseball’s greatest pioneers, and MLB The Show 23 does a beautiful job of telling their stories and making sure their sacrifices and triumphs aren’t forgotten.

Each player will have eight or nine episodes that contain situations in their career. You’ll complete the tasks in each episode while also learning about the impact they made on baseball. After completing each player’s episode, you’ll receive their player card to use in Diamond Dynasty.

Major League Dream

Besides the Negro Leagues Storylines, MLB The Show 23 offers the same game modes as previous iterations: Road to the Show, Diamond Dynasty, March to October, and Franchise. While it might seem uninspiring to see the same stuff, maybe it’s just really great stuff that doesn’t need any changing at all? Road to the Show remains a top career mode as you try to achieve your MLB dreams. 

Being a two-way player is the recommended way, as you get to experience pitching, fielding, and hitting, you’re welcome to choose any position to play. Once you finish customizing your character, you’ll be drafted to a team (probably your favorite one) and begin your career. You’ll need to complete tasks to unlock new equipment and Perks to help increase your attributes. It might be hard sledding at first, but when you finally get the call to the majors, it’ll all be worth it.

Controlling Teams

But if Road to the Show isn’t your cup of tea, there’s always Diamond Dynasty or Franchise. Franchise remains the standard team-building mode, with you taking control of a team and trying to win a World Series. You can choose how much control you have over the team when it comes to setting lineups, scouting, and dealing with free agency. The level of customization in how much or less control you have over the team allows you to dictate how complex it is. For seasoned players, you might choose to have the budget on and figure out ways to increase the revenue. That’s a bit too much for me, but it’s nice having the option.

The other team-building mode is Diamond Dynasty. It incorporates card-collecting into team-building by creating a team based on cards you unlock in packs. You can customize the team by changing the name, jerseys, and stadiums in which you play. There are missions to complete that will earn you XP and the Stubs currency for you to use to purchase more card packs. The XP is applied to a general reward path, and you’ll receive prizes as you play games. 

Diamond Dynasty has mini-seasons with 28 regular season games that are three innings long if you want a more traditional baseball experience. Conquest is more of a board game-style experience where your goal is to control the entire map. There are online modes as well, with special timed events and missions that reward team-specific unlockables. All in all, there is tons of content to play through in Diamond Dynasty, and no matter what you play, you’ll be earning XP toward various rewards.

Verdict

Even though annual sports games are becoming more of a joke, MLB The Show remains an impeccable product. It offers several ways to enjoy the baseball experience, whether it’s creating your own character in Road to the Show or trying to build a championship team in either Franchise or Diamond Dynasty. But the most important part of MLB The Show 23 is the Negro League Storylines. San Diego Studios should be praised for telling the amazing stories of baseball’s forgotten stars. It’s features like this that transform a game into something more than just random pixels on-screen, and that’s exactly what MLB The Show 23 managed to do. San Diego Studio didn’t just manage to craft a good baseball game, but something special that goes beyond the sport it represents, which is no small feat for any title, more so for an annual sports game.

Score: 9.5/10

Pros:

• Negro Leagues Storylines
• Road to the Show Skill Set and Perks
• Earn XP through any mode
• Soundtrack

Cons:

• Diamond Dynasty jersey customization is almost unusable
• No place to just look at all the rosters

A copy of MLB The Show 23 was purchased by the reviewer. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.