MLB The Show 26 is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about entries in San Diego Studio’s long-running baseball franchise. With official features already revealed on the game’s website, it’s clear the developers are continuing to expand the series in meaningful ways—especially when it comes to realism, historical representation, and player choice. From the introduction of the ABS challenge system to the expansion of Diamond Dynasty storylines and Road to the Show, MLB The Show 26 Stubs has plenty to be excited about.

That said, excitement doesn’t mean perfection. While MLB The Show 26 builds on a strong foundation, there are still major opportunities being left on the table—opportunities that were somehow addressed better nearly 20 years ago. To understand where MLB The Show 26 could truly evolve, we need to look both forward and backward at what baseball games can and should be.

ABS Challenge System: A Major Step Toward Authentic Baseball

One of the most impactful additions confirmed for MLB The Show 26 is the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system. This feature allows players to challenge questionable balls and strikes during gameplay, mirroring the real-world experiments currently taking place in professional baseball.

This is a big win for immersion. Close calls are part of baseball’s DNA, and giving players agency to challenge umpire decisions adds tension, strategy, and realism to every at-bat. It also helps balance frustration—no longer will a borderline pitch completely derail a key moment without recourse. For competitive players, especially those who value realism, ABS challenges feel like a long-overdue evolution.

Diamond Dynasty Expands with the World Baseball Classic

Diamond Dynasty continues to be MLB The Show’s most popular mode, and MLB The Show 26 is expanding it in smart ways. The inclusion of World Baseball Classic content adds international flavor, bringing new players, teams, and storylines into the mix.

This move helps baseball feel global rather than strictly MLB-centric. Fans of international play finally get representation, and Diamond Dynasty benefits from a more diverse player pool and narrative variety. Alongside this, San Diego Studio is continuing its effort to spotlight Negro League players, ensuring baseball’s overlooked legends receive the recognition they deserve.

Road to the Show Gets More College Representation

Road to the Show also sees meaningful expansion in MLB The Show 26, particularly with more colleges added to the amateur pipeline. This gives player-created athletes a deeper sense of progression and identity before entering the professional ranks.

College baseball has long been a major part of player development in the real world, and its growing presence in Road to the Show helps bridge the gap between realism and role-playing. This is one area where MLB The Show continues to quietly improve year after year.

What’s Still Missing: Learning from MVP Baseball 2005

Despite all these upgrades, MLB The Show 26 still lacks something crucial: depth beyond the field. To understand what’s missing, we need to revisit one of the most beloved baseball games ever made—MVP Baseball 2005.

MVP Baseball 2005 featured an Owner Mode that put players in charge of far more than lineups and trades. You weren’t just managing a roster—you were running a franchise.

Stadium construction and upgrades

Concessions and merchandise management

Team finances and revenue generation

Long-term investment decisions

You had to earn money, build revenue streams, and strategically grow your organization. Building a new stadium wasn’t handed to you—it was earned. That sense of progression made every decision matter.

MLB The Show’s Franchise Mode still feels surface-level by comparison. Adding deeper ownership mechanics would give long-term players a compelling reason to stay invested across multiple seasons.

Earning Content vs. Buying It

Another standout feature from MVP Baseball 2005 was its unlock system. Stadiums, legends, uniforms, and special content had to be earned by playing the game—not purchased instantly.

In contrast, MLB The Show heavily relies on microtransactions, particularly in Diamond Dynasty. While optional, the temptation to buy stubs, packs, and players can undermine the sense of accomplishment.

MLB The Show 26 would benefit greatly from shifting emphasis back toward earning rewards through gameplay. Unlocking a legendary player or historic stadium should feel like an achievement, not a purchase. Given that the game already costs close to $100 USD for premium editions, players deserve more content-driven progression instead of pay-driven shortcuts.

Legends and Storylines: Add, Don’t Replace

MLB The Show’s Negro Leagues Storylines are one of the franchise’s strongest additions in recent years. However, MLB The Show 25 saw a noticeable dip in narrative depth, which was disappointing.

The solution isn’t removing what exists—it’s expanding it.

Imagine fully realized storylines for:

Hank Aaron, from the Negro Leagues to home run king

Babe Ruth, from troubled youth to pitcher to baseball icon

Nolan Ryan, spanning his journey from the Mets to the Rangers

These stories aren’t just baseball history—they’re human stories. MLB The Show 26 has the framework to tell them beautifully if San Diego Studio commits to deeper narrative investment.

Classic Games Mode: A Goldmine Waiting to Be Used Properly

One of the most exciting ideas MLB The Show 26 could implement—likely within Diamond Dynasty—is a true Classic Games mode.

Baseball history is filled with legendary moments that deserve interactive recreations:

The 1923 World Series at the original Yankee Stadium

Bobby Thompson’s 1951 “Shot Heard ’Round the World”

The Yankees’ 1976 World Series walk-off home run

Playing these moments with era-accurate rosters, uniforms, and stadiums would be unforgettable. However, this leads to one of the franchise’s biggest ongoing issues.

Stadium Accuracy: A Constant Frustration

Historical inaccuracies in stadiums seriously undermine immersion. Legends are often placed in modern parks they never played in, which breaks authenticity.

Examples include:

Montreal Expos legends playing at Nationals Park

Cal Ripken Jr. is being showcased outside of Memorial Stadium

Historic Orioles moments are ignored in favor of Camden Yards

If MLB The Show wants to celebrate history, it needs to respect it. Accurate stadiums matter just as much as accurate players.

Graphics and Platform Support

Visually, MLB The Show 26 looks solid—but incremental improvements are still needed. Player models, lighting, and crowd animations could benefit from another refinement pass.

The game is confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and San Diego Studio has already ended support for older consoles. That’s a good thing. Holding onto outdated hardware only limits progress.

And no—bringing it back to older consoles is not the solution. That chapter is closed.

The Case for a PC Version

One of the biggest missed opportunities for MLB The Show is PC gaming. The PC market is massive, competitive, and hungry for sports titles.

A PC release would:

Expand the player base

Increase long-term revenue

Improve online ecosystem diversity

Encourage technical innovation

Ignoring PC gamers in 2026 feels increasingly outdated.

Why Competition Matters

Finally, MLB The Show desperately needs competition. Baseball video games thrive when developers push each other to innovate.

RBI Baseball once offered an alternative, but its decline—and eventual crossover with MLB The Show—eliminated meaningful competition. Without rivals, complacency becomes a risk.

Healthy competition would benefit everyone:

Better features

More innovation

Higher-quality experiences

Baseball fans deserve options.

Final Thoughts

MLB The Show 26 has enormous potential. The ABS challenge system, expanded storylines, international content, and Road to the Show upgrades all point in the right direction. But to truly become the definitive baseball game, it needs deeper franchise mechanics, stronger historical accuracy, more earnable content buy MLB The Show 26 Stubs, and a willingness to evolve beyond microtransactions.

Baseball is a game of history, strategy, and passion. MLB The Show 26 already understands that—it just needs to go a little further.

And when it does? The sky’s the limit.