Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

[LegendKillerOne]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

wow good question


MLB 20 for sure is number 1 for me

Then I guess MLB 12

Before that I need to go back to 989 games. I miss Vin Scully being the voice

[KnightTemplar]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

It’s a toss up for me on the best.
20 was a solid game, Y2Y, SOS and an incredible amount of historical rosters.
23 is smooth as silk on gameplay. The base running is as good as it has ever been but the AI batting is terrible, swinging at pitches that are still 15 or 20’ from the plate and too many strikeouts.

The worst is 21

You are right about the base running, even tho I play on AUTO I’ve not seen a misstep and see tag ups not seen before. It’s funny you mention swinging at pitches. I swear, wish I would have kept the screen shots I sent to SDS, the swings on changeups had to have been glitched. Balls were literally ten feet in front of the extended bat. They say there was no gameplay fixes, but it appeared to have gotten fixed, at least on the changeups. I think this was one of the reasons the CPUs hitting was so poor release date.

Anywho….

[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

MLB The Show 16

That was the first MLB The Show game that I had ever played and was blown away. It was like nothing that I had ever seen in a baseball game before. Will always have a special place in my heart.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

I have to mention the complete awe I was in when I first played MLB The Show 09 on my PS3.

I had been playing MVP 2005 for 5 straight years on my PS2 and the only reason I jumped ship and got my first fatty PS3 was to play MLB The Show.

Man.....it was something to behold.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Funkycorm]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

Fun question.

I don't really have a best to worst ranking so I will highlight some things.

MLB 09: I bought a PS3 for this game. It was my first in the series.

MLB 12: This was the first I really played a franchise on. I played about half a season of an Indians franchise on here.

MLB 15: My first on the PS4. I played another Indians franchise for half a season here.

MLB 17: This is when I had discovered the OS full minors roster.

MLB 18: This is when I really started diving into the potentials and rosters and simming franchises into the future in the game. It was year 1 of my future Indians franchise (2025) and was the first franchise season I had finished in a baseball game since Ken Griffey Jr Major League Baseball.

MLB 19: This was year 2 (2026) of my future Indians franchise. Again, finished the season accomplishing another goal of mine. It was also the start of my RTTS player and also the start of my full potential edit roster.

MLB 20: This held year 3 of my future Indians franchise, though it took me 2 years in real life to finish it because of the pandemic.

MLB 21: I wasn't a big fan of the check swing changes but this was the last year the Indians were in the game and this is the year they introduced the 94 Indians jerseys. My first on PS5. Ended up going back to 20 to finish my Indians franchise.

MLB 22: I had made sliders and a roster for 22 but in the end, I couldn't click with the game. Went back to 20 to try and play year 4 of my Indians franchise but couldn't get invested. My gaming patterns really started to change here and that is a big reason why I didn't play much MLB this year at all.

MLB 23: This was the first in a while I didn't pre order or anything. The last stream with the scouting changes convinced me to give this game a go. I simmed 10 years into the future to test the new scouting. I also made a roster here, but never released it. I put this down last June. More to my change in gaming patterns than the game itself and barely touched any MLB game for the rest of the year.


I would say my favorite is MLB19 and my least favorite was MLB 21.

[KnightTemplar]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

Fun question.

I don't really have a best to worst ranking so I will highlight some things.

MLB 09: I bought a PS3 for this game. It was my first in the series.

MLB 12: This was the first I really played a franchise on. I played abour half a season of an Indians franchise on here.

MLB 15: My first on the PS4. I played another Indians franchise for half a season here.

MLB 17: This is when I had discovered the OS full minors roster.

MLB 18: This is when I really started diving into the potentials and rosters and simming franchises into the future in the game. It was year 1 of my future Indians franchise (2025) and was the first franchise season I had finished in a baseball game since Ken Griffey Jr Major League Baseball.

MLB 19: This was year 2 (2026) of my future Indians franchise. Again, finished the season accomplishing another goal of mine. It was also the start of my RTTS player and also the start of my full potential edit roster.

MLB 20: This held year 3 of my future Indians franchise, though it took me 2 years in real life to finish it because of the pandemic.

MLB 21: I wasn't a big fan of the check swing changes but this was the last year the Indians were in the game and this is the year they introduced the 94 Indians jerseys. My first on PS5. Ended up going back to 20 to finish my Indians franchise.

MLB 22: I had made sliders and a roster for 22 but in the end, I couldn't click with the game. Went back to 20 to try and play year 4 of my Indians franchise but couldn't get invested. My gaming patterns really started to change here and that is a big reason why I didn't play much MLB this year at all.

MLB 23: This was the first in a while I didn't pre order or anything. The last stream with the scouting changes convinced me to give this game a go. I simmed 10 years into the future to test the new scouting. I also made a roster here, but never released it. I put this down last June. More to my change in gaming patterns than the game itself and barely touched any MLB game for the rest of the year.


I would say my favorite is MLB19 and my least favorite was MLB 21.

What a memory, lol. I can’t remember where I put my glasses.

[bilbobeuli]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

MLB 09: The Show is still the best game of the whole series, this was back when they both cared about presentation AND making the gameplay fun.

Hearing the announcers talk about trivia or things that happened the previous season for SO MANY players is just fascinating. It really feels like watching a game of baseball, soon after they just went with "here are the stats of said player on screen (not even saying his name)"...by that point it's just ratings in an uniform and not the ACTUAL player. And the roster back in 2009 is just awesome, so many iconic players still playing, and so many legends in the Free Agent tab.

Also, they still had the owner mode stuff in franchise, with setting prices for tickets or pretzels, buying new facilities, reading newspaper articles, seeing fan and player feedback etc.

The game is honeslty not just the best The Show game, it also ranks among the best sports games ever created (with NFL 2K5, PES 5-6...you know the rest).


MLB 09: The Show is GOATed.

[Circle the Wagons]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

This is a great thread. I’ve played every Show since 2006 and off the top of my head I’d probably group them like this:

Best:
-2008 & 2009. The early ps3 era was incredible.

-2006 & 2007. Surprisingly deep franchise experience for the era.

-2020. Easily the best of the last decade, imo.

-2014. I remember being blown away by the graphics.

-2017(ish). Whichever year they upgraded the batted ball physics was great. I think this is around the time they reworked the nighttime lighting as well.

Worst:

-2021 & 2022 on Series X. The game still played pretty well but there was nothing about it to draw me in. Shallow franchise experience, outdated graphics, no sounds of the show.

-2023 on Series X. Marginally better than 21 & 22 but the same issues still persist.

-2010. I can’t put my finger on it but I remember something about this game just feeling a bit off. Perhaps if I replayed it I would think otherwise.

[IndianSummer]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

What a memory, lol. I can’t remember where I put my glasses.

Your not wearing them are you? Just saying.

[tinpanalley]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

For me, for pure gameplay, immersiveness into the season, mechanics, and honestly the best game of ball on the field, nothing tops 07-09 on the PS2. It just doesn't. Take all the fancy graphics and sound and other meaningless bull. On the field 07-09 on PS2 were the most fun. It's the same reason why MVP 2005 still beats every The Show every year.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

Your not wearing them are you? Just saying.

About half the time I can't find my glasses, they're on top my head. The other half they're in my hand.

For me, for pure gameplay, immersiveness into the season, mechanics, and honestly the best game of ball on the field, nothing tops 07-09 on the PS2. It just doesn't. Take all the fancy graphics and sound and other meaningless bull. On the field 07-09 on PS2 were the most fun. It's the same reason why MVP 2005 still beats every The Show every year.

My problem with sports video games pre-PS3, I always dominated the CPU whatever sport game I was playing. It's why I can't go back and play the CPU in old sports games pre-PS3. I enjoyed the one-on-one versus other humans pre-PS3, but once the Show (as well as other sports games) hit the PS3, it took my entertainment level to a whole other level. I never knew the thrill of defeat until I started losing, and always suffered thru the agony of victory on pre-PS3 games. It's been so long since I was dominate against the CPU, and I don't want to go back. The Show came around for the perfect time for me, it pretty much getting started when the PS3 debuted.

[tinpanalley]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

My problem with sports video games pre-PS3, I always dominated the CPU whatever sport game I was playing.

I'm telling you, go back to a PS2 game you liked, play on a regular level, then tweak sliders to make it challenging for you personally, and I promise you you'll be blown away by how much cleaner and pure those games were.

[Detroit Tigers]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

I can’t really remember each game well enough to rank them so thought I’d chime in with some raw data:

‘23 - 642 hours
‘20 - 584 hours
‘22 - 490 hours
‘21 - 439 hours
‘19 - 417 hours
‘17 - 392 hours
‘16 - 337 hours
‘18 - 267 hours

So I suppose that’s my ranking too, since 2016 at least.

[eric7064]

Re: Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

I miss online franchise. So the MLB 14-16 years were the best for me and my buddies. We would get close to 10 years in. I want it back so badly.