MLB The Show 23

MLB The Show 23 is a huge improvement over the past few installments, and the addition of a great historical mode is just an added bonus in this already near-perfect package for all baseball fans.

MLB The Show 23 is likely one of the strongest entries that we've received in quite some time. The addition of the Negro Leagues Storylines mode doesn't simply make for a lot of fun, but it's something that I'm convinced every hardcore baseball fan needs to experience for themselves. Between MLB The Show 23's other game types, much less has changed, but there's still enough meat on the bone that you'll find yourself plenty busy. Moving forward, I would love to see the gameplay and graphical elements of MLB The Show overhauled to some degree. But for now, I'm more than happy with the version of the game that we got this year.

MLB The Show 23 is the best-damned sports game money can buy. I think I say this every year, but the fact remains: Sony San Diego provides the most authentic representation of a sport with their MLB The Show series. Just as I did with The Show 22, I’ll be playing this year’s entry right up until next season. Take me out to the ballgame, and don’t ever bring me back.

MLB The Show 23 dives deep into its best modes, refreshing the experience with a bevy of new features and tweaks to make the old feel new. The addition of the WBC and the long-awaited inclusion of the Negro Leagues makes this year's version the best Show to date.

MLB The Show 23 is a great step forward for the series, thanks in large part to its brilliant new Negro Leagues mode.

MLB The Show 23 will have you practice your best home run calls because the latest installment in the iconic franchise knocks it out of the park. The game’s new storylines mode, improved animations, and latest gameplay changes are worth the price of entry to your favorite ballpark this year.

Real-life Major League Baseball continues to evolve in ways to encourage faster play in hopes of appealing to a broader audience, but MLB The Show 23 feels somehow ahead of the game. At the same time, the new Storylines mode shows the past is just as important as the future, providing players with the best of both worlds. Myriad options and modes allow you to engage with America’s Pastime precisely how you want, and in the process, MLB The Show 23 delivers one of the best baseball games in years.

While San Diego Studio doesn’t take a huge leap with MLB The Show 23 compared to last year’s game, it’s still entertaining and the best baseball game on the planet. The addition of The Negro Leagues mode makes for a deeper and more enriching experience.

MLB The Show 23 moves the franchise forward in several ways. The Negro Leagues storyline shines bright as the best addition we’ve seen in the series. While San Diego Studios didn’t pitch a perfect game, they delivered a game worthy of being called The Show.

After repeating the same exact gameplay year after year, MLB The Show 23 finally offers some interest-ing new features in an fresh enjoyable experience, both in old and in new game modes. There’s a great atmosphere on the diamond, and there are tons of things to do, games to play, stars to unlock. Some shadows on the online, with a netcode that it's shaky at times.

Supported by the great new Storylines mode and the already incredibly solid foundation of previous years, MLB The Show 23 is another excellent sports simulator game from the masters of baseball. There were few changes, but the series keeps showing how much it understands the players' passion for the past, present and future of the sport and brings something capable of satisfying every fan.

MLB The Show 23 is a superb title that has a great balance of enjoyable gameplay, well-researched and deeply educational story elements.

MLB The Show 23 doesn't reinvent the genre, but the franchise continues to stand as one of the best on the market. The gameplay is fantastic across all phases of the sport, and the line-up of modes has been improved thanks to the addition of Storylines. There is still room for improvement, but The Show remains a contender for best sports title of the year.

This is a truly terrific baseball video game. And it starts with those excellent Negro League Storylines, a must-play for all baseball fans.

MLB The Show 23 avoids the same disappointment as its predecessor with the addition of excellent and meaningful content. While there are some annoying performance issues in online modes that will hopefully be ironed out, it’s definitely worth any baseball fan’s time.

The 2023 version of MLB The Show is by far the best and most visually advanced Baseball simulation on the market, and if you watch or play the sport, there is no harm in giving it a try, although it doesn’t offer much outside of the story mode.

All things considered, the misfires in MLB The Show ‘23 feel smaller than they have in years, and the upsides in this year’s entry elevate the full package. The game’s core product is solid, and the Negro Leagues mode offers something that hasn’t been explored at this level before.

While confirming itself as the best baseball simulation on the planet, MLB The Show 23 has been experiencing the same problem for several years: the graphics sector. The next-gen seems to be a mirage for SDS which continues to bring back the same dated engine. It may be fine for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch but on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S (available on Game Pass) it is reasonable to expect more. While on the gameplay front the lack of implementation of the new MLB rules is perplexing, in terms of content World Baseball Classic and The Negro League are two excellent additions.

After feeling like the series was treading water for the past couple of years, MLB The Show 23 sees Sony San Diego introduce some significant additions to its baseball sim. Road to the Show has still been neglected, but incremental gameplay improvements slightly enhance the on-field action, and Franchise has received a long-overdue shot in the arm with its expanded scouting system. The new seasonal structure to Diamond Dynasty should also make for a more interesting mode throughout the course of the year, and Storylines: The Negro Leagues is worth the price of admission alone. It may not move the needle in every area, but MLB The Show 23 is another deep sports title that will keep you busy long into October and beyond.

It knows what it does well and does that extremely well. There are games that I play when I just want to decompress and enjoy myself, and this is one of them. Fans of baseball and sports game enthusiasts alike will find something to enjoy with this title, and I will be playing it as much as I can.

The Show maintains its place atop the sports games landscape.

As solid as ever from San Diego Studio, but a few tweaks and a superb Storylines mode make MLB The Show 23 an even more worthwhile purchase than recent editions.

The makers of MLB The Show 23 clearly heard the complaints about a lack of fresh features in recent entries, as this year’s game offers up the new exciting and enlightening Storylines mode as well as significant tweaks and improvements to Franchise, March to October, and Diamond Dynasty. A lack of innovation when it comes to core gameplay keeps this year’s title from being a true home run, but it’s at least a strong double.

With so many different game options, there really is no right or wrong way to experience it. The lack of an Online Franchise can be a hinderance to some, but the accessibility of Diamond Dynasty gives players plenty of ways to compete. Likewise, Road to the Show does feel like a genuine letdown, but the addition of Storylines is not only beautiful in its retelling and presentation, but necessary in enhancing our knowledge and love of baseball.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when you already have a winning formula. MLB The Show 23 doesn’t stray too far away from what has made the series successful, and that’s a good thing. Sets and Seasons is a bold but welcomed change in Diamond Dynasty, and revamped drafting and scouting was long overdue in Franchise mode. Road to The show once again disappointed, but Storylines managed to steal the show, rounding up another impressive entry for the baseball sim franchise.

Baseball fans will love it, but the game does nothing special to feel like something new – or next-gen.

The excellently executed Negro Leagues are the MVP of MLB The Show 23, adding an educational and entertaining interactive documentary to an already strong sports game. Diamond Dynasty sees some of its biggest structural changes yet, and has strengthened its respectable single player slate with some smart additions to Mini Seasons. Meanwhile, rebalanced fielding and batter/pitcher matchups add more tension to the gameplay, but the graphics are starting to look stale and Road to the Show feels like it’s almost been abandoned at this point.

While not a lot has changed in terms of ways to play MLB The Show 23, the experience on the field is much improved. The time spent on the audio aspect and the focus on better replicating a television broadcast are this game’s specialty. The lack of updated rule changes, however, is a weird gaff. The modes remain the same for the most part outside of the inclusion of the Negro League stories. This is hampered by tying progression down to the Challenge Mode, which has been historically frustrating. Spreading the game across multiple outdated platforms and also tying this to Game Pass is hurting the progression of the series as it has become visually dated. This isn’t a big deal if you’re already paying for Game Pass, but paying $70 for a dated-looking game where a good bit of it is unchanged and previous Diamond Dynasty progression is reset is a hard ask. MLB The Show 23 is still a solid game of baseball, but it has been a solid game of baseball for years and being stuck on one platform no longer offers an excuse for attracting new players.

MLB The Show 23 offers solid and engaging gameplay, along with captivating Negro Leagues storylines. Still not in French though...

To be fair, part of the reason it feels like MLB The Show 23 is treading water is that, for so many years, it was far and away the best sports game available. When you nail a sport so accurately, all that’s left is the sort of tinkering around the edges that MLB The Show 23 does here. But unless you have a burning need to play as Satchel Paige – and who could blame you if you do? – it makes it really difficult to see why you’d want to pick it up rather than just sticking with MLB The Show 22.