‘MLB The Show 25’ review: The most realistic baseball video game continues its tradition of excellence

Since “MLB The Show” landed on the scene back in 2006, the video game franchise has dominated the landscape when it comes to baseball games. And since 2014, “MLB The Show” has been the only MLB game on the market for consoles.

“MLB The Show” has become the standard bearer for what a sports video game should be. In 2021, the franchise became more readily available when “MLB The Show” was made available on the Xbox gaming consoles.

“MLB The Show 25” features Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson on the cover. It marks the first time that the franchise has had three players appear on its cover. It makes a ton of sense to do so considering that Skenes, De La Cruz and Henderson are three of the most exciting young stars that the sport has to offer.

The latest edition offers some minor changes with several of the features that fans have enjoyed for many years. Let’s take a closer look at the latest installment — which I played on Xbox Series X — with some of the positives and negatives of the world’s most popular baseball game franchise.

What I liked

Same stellar gameplay and presentation: Very few sports video games have the spectacular presentation and detail-oriented experience that “MLB The Show” does. The franchise continues to provide an insanely realistic experience, while having all the nuances that one could come to expect from a top-tier sports video game. The crisp gameplay remains, and the graphics seem to be even more elite in this year’s game. 

One of the new features in this year’s game is the concept of “Ambush Hitting” when you’re at the plate. Players are able to guess the pitch and location within the strike zone, which adjusts the PCI zone based on that guess. If a player guesses correctly, the area for contact increases. If a player gets it wrong, that area decreases and it’s hard to come away with a hit. Personally, I didn’t find that the concept enhanced the overall experience too much. However, it’s a fun little tool that can be used in late-game situations when players absolutely need a base hit.

Diamond Dynasty: This mode has been one of the staples when it comes to “MLB The Show,” especially in recent years. Much like Madden’s “Ultimate Team” or NBA 2K’s “MyTeam, players begin their squads with packs of cards that feature present-day players as well as MLB legends. You obtain those cards by playing games and attempt to build an impressive roster. 

The more you play games, the more packs that you can accumulate. Much like collecting actual cards, you have an abundance of base cards in addition to “diamond” cards, which are star players. In the first “Diamond Dynasty” season upon the game’s release, players from Adrian Beltre to Manny Ramirez to Mark McGwire are among the “diamond” cards that are available for fans to obtain in the game’s opening season.

Storylines: This is one mode that continues to impress in the “MLB The Show” series. Much like in the 2024 installment, “MLB The Show 25” continues to place an emphasis on the history of the sport with the Negro Leagues being featured. It’s a series of challenges that players can complete for additional rewards. The mode features a series of tasks that focus on the career of James “Cool Papa” Bell, Wilbur “Bullet Joe” Rogan, and Walter “Buck” Leonard among others. It’s an opportunity for younger generations to learn about some of the pioneers of the sport and how they overcame incredible obstacles to have an impact on the game of the baseball. This is easily one of my favorite aspects of the game on a yearly basis.

What could be improved

Road To The Show: When it comes to sports video games, career modes are always going to be among the most popular offerings. It’s a chance for gamers to go through the process of becoming a professional athlete, and normally career modes can be quite realistic.

That’s definitely the case when it comes to “MLB The Show 25.” The game’s “Road To The Show” mode has had a track record of being very entertaining over the years and now a new degree has been added to this year’s installment.

Players begin play at the high school level in whatever state that they choose to be from. As you play those games, you’ll be approached by colleges that are actively recruiting you to their school.

Next, you’ll participate in the Draft Combine at Chase Field. You’ll compete in drills before playing in a few games in which you can attempt to improve your draft stock. Following the Draft Combine, you’ll be selected in the MLB Draft by a team. After your player is picked, you then have the option to either join that major league organization or go and try to improve your draft stock at the collegiate level. The collegiate aspect is something that “MLB The Show” has never done in the past.

Once you play a few games in the College World Series, your player will be selected in the MLB Draft. What is most enjoyable about this process is that you have a say in what teams drafts you. Gamers can compare every MLB organization to see who has the most depth at a certain position and what situation could lead to the easiest path to the majors. I ended up picking the Pittsburgh Pirates for the simple reason that the path to becoming a start at the MLB level would be fairly easy. Once you’re drafted, you’ll start out at the Double-A level and attempt to make your way through the team’s farm system.

I certainly don’t have much negative to say about this year’s “MLB The Show” as a whole. However, I do think that the “Road To The Show” mode could use a little bit of fine-tuning. One of the biggest selling points of the NBA 2K franchise is its open world concept. Players can roam around town and interact with players, trainers and coaches in addition to playing on the court. It would be nice to be able to have little side challenges that present themselves if you approach a member of the coaching staff or one of your teammates. As it stands now, players just participate in games throughout the minor and major leagues, and that’s about it. Adding some secondary tasks to complete for additional rewards would be a nice change of pace.