Baseball season is just around the corner. Every spring, Sony has made it a tradition to release a new MLB The Show game. Here’s a look at everything we know so far about MLB The Show 26, including new additions for Franchise Mode & Road to the Show.
Will there be an MLB The Show 26?
Yes, there will be an MLB The Show 26 title.
Sony hasn’t missed a yearly installment of the game, and the development team confirmed the existence of a new one back in November 2025, along with other details.
What is the release date for MLB The Show 26?
MLB The Show 26 will be released worldwide on March 17. 2026. Early access for the title will open up on March 13, 2026, available through the Digital Deluxe Edition.
Much like for ’25, there will be no physical Collector’s/Deluxe edition.
What consoles will it be on?
MLB The Show 26 will be available for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
The Switch version is playable on the Nintendo Switch 2. However, there won’t be a specific version for the latter.
Who is the cover athlete?
Yankees star Aaron Judge will be on the cover of MLB The Show 26.
This news was confirmed on January 27.
Announced game features
Many of the same game modes, like Diamond Dynasty, Franchise, and Road to the Show, will return for ’26. Each, per the developers, will have new enhancements.
Gameplay will also receive refinements, including a promised PCI sensitivity modifier in the Settings menu, new fielding animations, and rating modifications that will see Reaction split into four new sub-attributes.
Additionally, SDS confirmed that Negro Leagues Storylines will be back for a fourth season. Storylines, a Moments-based look back into the history of the Negro Leagues, was first introduced in MLB The Show 23.
Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Willie Mays, Larry Doby, Hank Aaron, Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Buck O’Neil are among the players who have received a Storylines feature at one point or another through the first three years of Storylines.
Diamond Dynasty will also bring back Now & Later rewards, obtainable through MLB The Show 25. Many of the packs are obtainable through the 11th Inning Program. More will be inserted in February 2026 via a new program. World Baseball Classic-themed content will also be in the mode.
Sony also confirmed that functionality like cross-progression and Stadium Creator will be back. However, unlike for ’25, all past custom stadiums made through Stadium Creator will not be available for ’26. That part of the vault will be reset.
Changes to Franchise & RTTS
In November, Sony indicated that it would look to deepen Road to the Show by adding new content for players in the middle & end of their career. Additionally, more playable universities will be added for ’26.
Oregon State and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are among the announced schools.
As for Franchise Mode, the development team has promised new AI logic that will ensure that the best offensive threats will bat higher up in CPU lineups.
Will there be a Tech Test/beta?
No.
Sony confirmed that on January 27.
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