MLB The Show has reached an awkward point in its yearly cycle. The game is solid, and it’s fun to play, but there is still a lot missing. For the growing part of the fanbase, just good is no longer enough.
Release after release, we have only seen incremental changes. Fans want the next game to be less about flashy additions and more about fixing the long-standing issues plaguing the franchise. While fans are asking for noticeable progress, they are likely to get something more conservative.
What Fans Really Want
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Franchise mode is where long-time players feel the most let down. While MLB The Show 25 added small management tweaks, the mode still lacks depth. For instance, trade logic feels very inconsistent, and CPU decision-making can be questionable. All fans want is smarter and more realistic AI, better storytelling, and systems that feel immersive and engaging. Currently, the franchise mode is decent, but it feels very bland.
That’s not all, Road to the Show suffers from similar problems. Apart from the lack of depth, the progression is slow, archetypes feel very restrictive, and the mode does very little to make your player feel important. Even career moments are often underplayed, which drains the excitement from making progress in the mode.
Even Diamond Dynasty, the game’s most popular mode, draws criticism. Many players feel it leans too heavily on grinding instead of skill. Programs can feel bloated, online balance can be inconsistent, and the overall structure can feel exhausting rather than rewarding.
Commentary and presentation are also points of complaints but they aren’t as bad. Yes, commentary does feel repetitive, but it’s still bearable, and most players just turn it off. On the other hand, the presentation can be improved. Although the game looks great visually, there are still problems. For instance, the crowd feels dead, and the stadium atmosphere often feels soulless.
What MLB The Show 26 Might Deliver
Based on how San Diego Studio has approached past releases, MLB The Show 26 is more likely to focus on refinement than reinvention. That probably means targeted improvements rather than sweeping overhauls.
You might see UI and visual fidelity improvement or better sound design. Players’ models will be improved, there will be better lighting, and there will be small gameplay improvements. Basically, just polishing the existing game and re-releasing it. To be fair, that’s the case for most annual games, but with MLB The Show, it’s even worse.
In terms of modes, MLB The Show 26 is likely to continue adding layers instead of rebuilding systems. Franchise could see expanded management options, tuning to trade logic, and minor AI improvements rather than a deep rework. Road to the Show may get new progression hooks or presentation tweaks, but its core structure will probably remain intact. SDS has talked about improving the Franchise mode and Road To Show, and the additions sound promising, but it’s still a bit far from what fans want.
Diamond Dynasty is also unlikely to change dramatically. Adjustments to programs, balance, and rewards are realistic, especially in response to player feedback. A complete rethink of how the mode works is far less likely.
The Gap That Still Matters
The risk for MLB The Show 26 is not that it will be bad. It is that it will feel too familiar. Fans are not asking the series to abandon what works, but they are asking for visible proof that it is moving forward.
If MLB The Show 26 delivers meaningful improvements to presentation, depth, and quality-of-life issues, it could rebuild some goodwill. If it leans too hard on safe iteration, the gap between what fans want and what they get will remain. And at this stage of the series, patience is wearing thin.
