Sony details big changes to MLB The Show 16’s “Road to the Show”

With the NFL season coming to a close and weather heating up, you know what that means, right? It's time to talk baseball — specifically Sony's PlayStation-exclusive franchise MLB The Show 16.

Over the next few weeks, Sony San Diego Studio will be releasing new videos and livestreams for this year's installment of the annual franchise. And today, they start by showing off new features in the game's Road to the Show, a mode which allows you to create a player and rise to superstardom.

Realistic Scouting

Looking to make The Show even more realistic, MLB The Show 16 will feature Bowman Scout Day, an opportunity for you to display your individual skills for scouts. Your performance during scout day and the showcase games that follow will generate your official MLB scouting report, which is now based on the true-to-life 20-80 scouting grade scale used by MLB teams to determine your draft value.

More Streamlined

Sony's MLB The Show franchise has always been good about allowing you the opportunity to get through a lot of Road to the Show games in a short amount of time. This year, Sony has streamlined that experience even more. You are now able to play a full series of games without ever having to load back to the main menu. You'll have access to the training screen in between games so that you don't miss out on using just-earned points.

Showtime Perks

Speaking of training, an entirely new dimension has been added in the form of unlockable perks. Showtime Perks are bonuses that you acquire by training player attributes. You can then choose equip these perks and bring them into a game with you.

There are two types of perks:

Consumable perks can be used once per game, but you choose exactly when to use them. Examples include "No Junk," which has the pitcher throw only fastballs, and "Green Light" which will have hte hitter take a pitch to allow you to steal.

Passive perks are immediately active once equipped and come into play automatically depending on the situation. Examples of passive perks include "Relaxed Hitter," which fast-forwards to a 2-0 count when the bases are loaded," and "Head Start," which will start off your every at-bat with a 1-0 count.

Showtime, aka Matrix Bullet time

Perk loadouts will impact how much Showtime is added to your meter at the start of each game. The more powerful your perks, the less Showtime you regenerate. So what's Showtime, you ask? Showtmie is a new feature that allows you to slow down time at critical moments to make amazing plays, kind of like the Matrix's bullettime. Your Showtime meter will deplete as you use it.

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That's all this week, but be sure to check back next week for a deeper look at the Road to the Show in MLB The Show 16.

MLB The Show 16 is set to release for PlayStation 4 on March 29, 2016.