Review: MLB The Show 20 is great despite not swinging for the fences

MLB The Show 20 marks the 15th anniversary for the acclaimed baseball series but you wouldn’t be able to tell its age just by looking at it. The newest entry in the PlayStation-exclusive franchise (for now) continues to bring a mostly steady flow of small yet worthwhile innovations and improvements that will satisfy veterans and newbies alike.

The biggest changes come to fan-favorite modes like March to October, Road to the Show, and Diamond Dynasty. Last year gave us the introduction of March to October which sees you playing as an MLB team of choice during make or break moments in the final innings during their season.

In MLB The Show 20, Sony San Diego has deepened the mode by adding trades and a momentum system. There’s a manager aspect to the mode now by allowing you to call-up players and trade others, allowing you to strengthen your team to your liking rather than being stuck with the default teams.

March to October’s new momentum system also brings a new level of investment. If you start losing consistently while playing, your team will be more likely to lose when it’s simulating matches. The same applies if you’re pulling out consistent dubs. You begin to feel the pressure and the stakes which then allow for frustrating losing streaks but also rich comebacks.

In Road to the Show, players are now able to build relationships with the players on their team and create rivalries with the opposition. This results in a variety of different bonuses such as boosts to attributes with successful attempts at fielding, hitting, and more.

I played second base and would work on my bond with the first baseman by training with him and giving him pep-talks between games. Since I’m constantly fielding the ball and throwing it to him to get easy outs, I was rewarded significantly thanks to the boosts from our bond. The better bond you have across the entire team, the better you’ll work together as a team and you’ll see more lucrative rewards.

The only problem is that this relationship mechanic is the only significant new feature MLB The Show 20 brings to Road to the Show this year and it feels one-note. The conversations between players are largely the same thing over and over again with no voice-over from the players just narration from the baseball gods. It’s lacking dynamics, I never saw my relationships dwindling or teetering, they can seemingly only increase rather than decrease.

If there was more depth invested into this, maybe it would feel like Road to the Show was getting some love this year but it’s feeling a bit shallow in MLB The Show 20.

In MLB The Show 20’s other tentpole mode, Diamond Dynasty, there’s a major new addition in the form of Showdowns. Using the players you’ve drafted to form your dynasty, you’ll be tasked with taking on a series of back to back challenges such as pulling clutch performances, going toe to toe against a legendary pitcher, and more.

There are no restarts, no do-overs, it’s all or nothing. During the build-up to the “final showdown” of a series, you may end up in an elimination challenge that will discard all of your progress if you fail. The better you perform across the entire series of challenges, you’ll earn more runs for the final showdown making it much easier to secure a victory.

Come out on top in the final showdown and you’ll be treated to a wealth of rewards. The showdowns provide an incredibly strong but healthy dose of difficulty to MLB The Show and truly test your skills. It’s some of the most challenging stuff I’ve done in a sports game but it makes those sweet victories all the more euphoric.

MLB The Show 20 has also found ways to really separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to players. With enhancements to core gameplay mechanics like hitting and fielding, Sony San Diego ups the ante on the realism factor and immerses you in the shoes of a pro baseball player. It makes you work for the win by putting forth more effort.

This year, we see the introduction of what’s being dubbed as the “Perfect Perfect” system. Hitting the ball with absolutely perfect timing and perfect contact will be noted and rewarded with that beautiful sound of the ball cracking against the bat and the crowd erupting in Earth-rumbling cheers. It’s not an easy task to pull off, I only did it once in my entire week of playing the game for review, but when it happens, it’s nothing short of satisfying.

When you’re in the outfield, you’ll also be given the opportunity to throw the ball perfectly to home plate if needed. A new meter has been put in that allows for a precise throw from way out in the green to tag out a runner coming in to score a run. If you manage to time it just right, you’ll be rewarded with a play worthy of the highlight reel on Sportscenter.

The Verdict

By delivering the thrills of being part of “The Show” through energetic, immersive gameplay and a plethora of varying content, MLB the Show 20 is another great entry in the annual series. Despite some modes not getting the love they deserve and some additions not adding a ton of value to the experience, Sony San Diego still continues to prove they’re more than deserving of the MLB license.