Beyond the game releasing in the third or fourth week of March, there isn’t a ton that we know about MLB The Show 24.
If Sony San Diego Studios sticks to the script they’ve written over the past two years, the significant details for MLB The Show 24 should be coming in this month.
MLB The Show 23’s initial reveal came in late January, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the information for 24 arrive around the same time this year.
With about a month of speculation time still available, here are the ten things I hope to see revealed when MLB The Show 24 is unveiled.
More Legends Who Have Been Notoriously Absent From MLB The Show
Last year’s game welcomed in previously excluded legends like Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. No one boycotted the game, so perhaps the coast is clear to include other legends whose legacies have been somewhat tarnished by PEDs in the early 2000s.
I sure hope that’s the case because The Show’s stock of impressive legends with Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Roger Clemens would be all the more attractive. And what about Jose Canseco?
OK, maybe that’s asking a little too much.
A Salary Cap Mode in MLB The Show 24 Diamond Dynasty
MLB The Show 23 tried some new things with Diamond Dynasty.
Making 99 overall cards available on release day was a daring choice completely different from every other collector mode.
The results were a mixed bag, but it made me a little bored with the mode earlier than I’ve been in years past. The end game with collector modes is always a concern for me as I have to determine how long I will stay plugged into the live ops machine.
A salary cap mode would extend the draw and add some needed regulation.
All 99-overall-player teams have a place in Diamond Dynasty, but I’ll always contend there is something to be said for a more realistic option in the mode that forces users to make some harder decisions with their lineups.
After a while, choosing between 99-overall Jonah Heim and Jorge Posada cards doesn’t carry much consequence.
A budget concept in a salary cap mode would convert more franchise mode players to the mode as it would deliver a bit more of a team management component.
A separate Salary Cap Ranked Seasons program would be ideal, adding another layer of excitement to the game’s biggest mode.
In-Game Program Progression Meters in MLB The Show 24 Diamond Dynasty
This is more of a user-interface desire than pure gameplay, but one that would still make the overall experience better.
Diamond Dynasty routinely has users chasing multiple carrots at a time. For me, it’s a significant part of the charm and the addictive quality of the mode.
While you can see your progress after the game, you cannot see how close you are to your goals during a contest. I’m a fan of having the option to see on-screen effects in the form of “+2” and the like whenever anything is accomplished that progresses me toward completing a program or challenge.
Some will prefer a cleaner on-screen feel, and that’s why it should be something the users can turn on or off.
Consistent progress reminders keep the user plugged in, on task, and motivated to complete programs. It will also alert you to things within your reach that might have slipped past you.
A New MLB The Show 24 Diamond Dynasty Mini-Game
With Conquest, Moments, Battle Royale, Events, Mini-Seasons, and Ranked Seasons, Diamond Dynasty has a good amount for users to play. However, besides the addition of Mini-Seasons, the mode hasn’t had a lot of new blood added to the mix in recent years.
A more arcade-like mini-game would be a sweet addition.
Adding a spin on Home Run Derby makes sense. A Diamond Dynasty version with specific targets arranged throughout the ballpark that carry rotating rewards is a concept introduced previously, but it could be expanded in The Show.
The Bigs wasn’t a very good baseball game overall, but their Home Run Pinball concept was on to something as a mini-game with charm.
This sort of mode would get heavy rotation with users. It should be available for a limited time each month to prevent users from using it to farm.
The Return of Carry-Over Rosters, Saves, and Stadiums in MLB The Show 24
Sony should have never given its fanbase carry-over rosters if it would take it away from them shortly after unveiling the user-friendly feature.
Roster makers work feverishly to expand the game’s appeal with historical and fantasy creations that are outside SDS developers’ reach. Users love and depend on the Vault to add the special sauce to the main ingredients the developers have prepared.
It’s a shame for the dedicated users to have to recreate the same sauce yearly to keep their creations alive. When Y2Y saves was introduced to help transition users from PS3 to PS4, I called it the single-best innovation to franchise mode gaming.
Since it was removed in 2021, the single feature that set MLB The Show’s franchise mode suite apart from the rest has been absent.
An MLB The Show 24 Road to the Show Refresh
It’s been years since anything of note was done to improve Road to the Show.
Game-wide improvements have passively boosted RTTS, but not much has been specifically aimed at enhancing the career mode.
MLB The Show 24 should be the year we see something exciting land with RTTS.
A strong story, an engaging progression system, a tie-in to a multiplayer concept, and an even better way to bring your player into Diamond Dynasty are the likely focus areas if this wish comes true.
Visibly Aging Players in MLB The Show 24’s Franchise Mode
We know MLB The Show has represented players at different stages of their careers and the player models have been altered to reflect their physical changes at those ages.
It would be excellent to see this implemented across a franchise mode concept where all players age into three physical forms: young and lean, prime and optimally fit, and older with the potential for a little more heft.
Every player doesn’t need to have major physical transitions, and the body development could be based on events or accomplishments during your franchise mode journey.
Any model-evolving concept would add immersion to the franchise mode that isn’t present in other sports video games.
Expansion and Realignment in MLB The Show 24’s Franchise Mode
You can do a lot in MLB The Show 23’s franchise mode, but you cannot realign the league or add expansion teams.
NBA 2K is still the reigning king of franchise mode options and customization, and they allow both of these options in MyNBA.
If SDS wants to close the gap, adding the ability to expand and realign the majors is a huge step in the right direction.
Fix Player Progression in MLB The Show 24 Franchise Mode
Malfunctioning under-the-hood systems will sink a franchise mode experience. Player progression is one of those systems that won’t get a ton of shine, but when it doesn’t work, it stings.
The back-of-the-box franchise mode features excite users, but it’s a bummer when you get halfway through a season and realize your young players aren’t improving how they should and older players are declining too fast or not at all.
This situation is tricky for developers and more complex than most users think. Still, it’s frustrating and demotivating for franchise mode players.
While it’s arguably a feature, considering the game should function appropriately from the outset, it’s still something franchise mode players will appreciate if it gets the proper fixes.
Ronald Acuna Jr. As the Cover Athlete of MLB The Show 24
SDS went off the beaten path with Jazz Chisolm as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 23. Perhaps they’re going to target more under-the-radar stars moving forward.
If they get back to selecting the game’s more obvious and (dare I say) deserving stars, the Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. is the right choice to be the cover athlete of MLB The Show 24.
He’s coming off an MVP season that saw him record the first-ever 40-70 season, and he also brings the requisite cool factor that helps to make the reveal presentation all the more effective.
Look out for information on MLB The Show 24 once it becomes available.
