MLB The Show 23 brings Massive Improvements to Fielding, Competitive Mode and More!

The Gameplay Feature Premiere was a make-or-break moment for the excitement surrounding MLB The Show 23. After the 30-minute stream, the feeling seems to be universal — we all can’t wait for the game to drop.

Ramone and Co. are saying all the right things about gameplay. They even went so far as to take ownership for some of MLB The Show 22’s flaws.

Fielding revamps. Rebalancing and redefining certain attributes. A more competitive “Competitive” setting. HITTING IMPROVEMENTS. Fire me up.

We’ll be able to experience these changes firsthand when the Tech Test goes live on February 15. Here’s what’s changing for MLB The Show 23:

Fielding

Fielding is no longer going to be mindless. New animations coupled with fielding rating better impacting how outfielders get jumps to the ball will surely make a difference, but the biggest change comes with the throwing meter for both infielders and outfielders.

Previously, attempts at a throw within the “green” region of the throwing meter weren’t dynamic. The throw region was stationary. Now, the meter will move across the bar depending on the difficulty of the throw that needs to be made. Timing and accuracy mean more than ever before. The size of the region depends on the throwing accuracy rating of the player.

For infielders, “yellow” throws then shifts the onus to the first baseman to pick the ball. Fielding ratings for first basemen matter more than ever before.

Competitive Mode

Diamond Dynasty is locked into “Competitive mode” even if you’ve selected a different option when loading the game upon download. Competitive now seems truly competitive.

Referencing the abundance of foul balls in 2022 and how difficult it was to strike batters out, the developers made a massive change. The “plate vision” attribute, which impacts the size of the PCI, is automatically cut by 50 percent in Diamond Dynasty.

That’s a foolproof way to cut back on foul balls, in theory. Continued balancing and small tweaks can only do so much. And after a few years of making very minor changes, they’ve gone big for 2023 by making such a drastic change with plate vision.

With that, the number of late hits and flares have been “significantly reduced.”

Man, SDS is saying all the right things.

Clutch Attribute Changes

OK, so this one’s interesting. We’ll have to see how it works, but the “clutch” attribute will now replace a batter’s contact ratings when there are runners on base, making “clutch” an actually integral rating. “Pitching clutch” will replace hits per nine when runners on base, too.

Quirks

SDS added four new quirks to the game — pickoff artist, table setter, break outlier and bad ball hitter. Passive quirks have also been removed, which is a nice change that makes a player’s boosts easier to manage and understand.

New Quirks in MLB 23! pic.twitter.com/WKU9YUrntY

— Scann (@TheScann) February 14, 2023

Rules/Other Changes

Rejoice: the universal DH is in Diamond Dynasty.

Rejoice again: the shift is banned, reflective of the new MLB rules.

Keep rejoicing: Two-way players now truly exist in Diamond Dynasty.

Also, which may not be as exciting for some, the Co-op mode will now have a rewards system just like Ranked Seasons. Ranked Co-op features the same ratings system, with 900 representing World Series. It’s unclear if Ranked Co-op will have the same rewards each season as standard Ranked.