MLB The Show 26 Review: A Regular Season MVP That Falls Apart When It Matters

1 week ago 11

Published Mar 20, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT

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It's tough to look at a game like MLB The Show 26 and properly grade it.

On the one hand, it's still one of the best sports games you can play. The new features, such as revamped hitting tools, are a very welcome addition. Franchise Mode saw an overhaul, and Diamond Dynasty remains an excellent feature. There's a lot of good in MLB The Show 26, and yet, here I am, uncertain about my time with it.

For all the good it does, there's something equally frustrating that drags me out of it. The result is an uneven experience carried not by its legacy but by the solid foundation that remains. The cracks are starting to become more obvious, though, and it has me concerned.

MLB The Show is Still One of the Best Sports Games You Can Play

The core gameplay experience that exists within MLB The Show honestly hasn't changed much over the years. This isn't a bad thing; there's just something about the sport of baseball that translates well to the video game format. You'd figure that the same is true for every other sport, especially football, but in my eyes, that's not been the case. It's a constant chess match where you get to play both sides, and MLB The Show's presentation has always done a good job of delivering on this.

It's also done an excellent job in terms of balancing between accessibility and realism. Baseball is hard; you can do everything right and still not succeed. A hitter who only succeeds 30% of the time can be considered a Hall of Fame talent. It's nice to always see this represented in the actual gameplay experience, even if it's frustrating to have a perfectly timed swing and perfect contact on the ball only to fly out to the center fielder.

Of course, if you're utilizing the Plate Coverage Indicator (PCI) hitting method over just the old-school timing, you'll have better control of your swings and, therefore, will generally see better results. This is done by pointing and holding the analog stick where you think the ball will be thrown. As you can imagine, it's incredibly hard to successfully pull off.

MLB The Show 26 addresses this by letting you lock in your PCI zone without having to constantly hold the analog stick. It's one of several changes to the gameplay experience that lets me, someone whose special talent in Little League was bunting and outrunning the throw to first, pretend I can hit a baseball. Pitching gets some love, too, through Bear Down Pitching, which allows you to dig a little deeper and deliver that key pitch when you need it most.

There are a Lot of Great Ways to Play MLB The Show

There's A Lot of Great Ways to Play MLB The Show

Recently, I spent time with WWE 2K26 and, like the year before, enjoyed my time with the variety of gameplay and showcase modes. There aren't many sports games that compare in this regard, but MLB The Show is one that holds its own. Diamond Dynasty has the benefit of being nowhere near as predatory with its monetization as its peers, but it feels like we're about to go down a slippery slope in that regard. It's one thing to keep an eye on in the future.

Franchise Mode is also still as fun as ever and is, sadly, the only place where you realize that other teams not named the Los Angeles Dodgers can spend money on free agents. As is the case with Diamond Dynasty, MLB The Show's Franchise Mode is a step above its peers. I understand the frustrations that come with spending $70 year after year on what may feel like the same old story, but it also comes with the added benefit of an excellent game of baseball, so there's that.

There's a lot of good in MLB The Show 26, and yet, here I am, uncertain about my time with it.

It also comes with arguably the best mode in any sports game: Road to the Show. Being able to start your career in high school, take offers from college schools leading to the College Baseball World Series, and make your way through the minor leagues of your favorite team is an absolute blast. I'm so glad that MLB The Show 26 is expanding on Road to the Show, rather than resting on its laurels.

Heck, even if San Diego Studio didn't change a single thing in Road to the Show for this year, I still would have enjoyed it. It's that good of a game mode, especially since it's the perfect way to ease into the game and get accustomed to the changes. However, it's also the perfect way to notice the game's growing flaws, particularly with its presentation.

MLB The Show 26 The Commentary and Presentation Are Getting Old

As much as I love my time during Road to the Show, the commentary gets really old, really fast.

I don't need constant reminders of the important decision my player has to either enter the MLB Draft or play in college. I don't need constant reminders about how a High School game is only seven innings, not nine. For as well as MLB The Show plays, its in-game presentation is seriously lacking, and it's becoming more noticeable.

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Compare that to, say, last year's Madden. It has its fair share of issues, yes, but there was something about the team of Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen that made the games feel like a big event. I don't get the same feeling from the crew here. That's not to say that Jon Sciambi is bad at what he does; that's not the case. Instead, it's a combination of things that drag it down.

Singleton, Mendoza, and Flores do not bring their A game here, and it's an issue compounded by the fact that their dialogue lines are repeated ad nauseam. The fact that I hear the same dialogue before my first hour in the game is a major problem. It's a frustrating experience that detracts from what's otherwise a very good game.

MLB The Show 26 Is Truly the Aaron Judge of Sports Games

MLB The Show is Still One of the Best Sports Games You Can Play-1

In many ways, Aaron Judge is the perfect cover athlete for MLB The Show 26.

Like Judge, MLB The Show 26 is a great game throughout the season. It puts up the numbers, it's worthy of the MVP, and it's well worth the money. However, when it matters most, it crumbles under the pressure of the spotlight. The more I play MLB The Show, the more I become frustrated with it, and that is something that hasn't happened in the past.

It's just like how the more pressure there is on Aaron Judge, the worse he performs. His home run in the 2025 ALCS, that looked like an iconic moment? Yeah, that was assisted by the weather. His signature playoff home run came off a pitcher who was proven to have been betting on games. He is the definition of low leverage.

I'm so glad that MLB The Show 26 is expanding on Road to the Show, rather than resting on its laurels.

Again, an excellent regular-season hitter and one of the best in our generation, but when it matters most, he fails to deliver. That's MLB The Show 26 in a nutshell: another solid entry, but ultimately failing to deliver. The technical issues in trying to play online only add to an incredibly frustrating experience.

MLB The Show 26 is still one of the best sports games in town, but it's starting to show its flaws. Despite all the advancements and positive additions, it's getting harder to ignore some of its issues. For the first time in recent years, I'm not sure if MLB The Show is worth the money. For all the good the game does, I can't keep ignoring all of the mounting issues.