February 13, 2024 by Cory Dell
While the first Feature Premiere will debut on Thursday, February 15, SDS satiated our craving for MLB The Show 24 news with a trailer on Monday.
We knew Storylines: Negro Leagues Season 2 was coming but didn’t know who would be featured yet. The trailer revealed a couple existing legends that will be part of the new season but also revealed two huge legend names.\
For those that may not have played last year’s game, Storylines was a brand new game mode introduced that highlighted the amazing story of the Negro Leagues. Focusing on eight key men who helped establish the Negro Leagues lore, we were treated to curated Moments specifically detailing and highlighting incredible stories featuring those players.
While the roster last year was fun and carried big names (and legendary Diamond Dynasty cards), we still had a couple big names we wanted to see.
New legend Buck Leonard is a Hall of Famer that won two batting titles and was a 13x All-Star. Leonard’s Baseball Reference page implies he could be a sneaky lethal option at 1B with a great mix of Contact and Power.
One of the greatest players to ever play Major League Baseball. Perhaps unbeknownst to many, Hank Aaron actually got his professional start in the Negro American League while playing for the Indianapolis Clowns. Though Aaron didn’t play in the Negro Leagues for long (about three months), getting to explore the very beginnings of a true baseball icon’s storied career should be a thrill.
Arguably the most anticipated legend from this year’s crop of Negro League stars, Gibson is one of the most legendary players in all of baseball lore. Known for his prodigious power, Gibson was an absolute star in the Negro Leagues and considered by many that played in the Negro and Major Leagues to be one of the best players of all time.
SDS has done an amazing job bringing the Negro Leagues to MLB The Show. Not only is it fun to use these players in Diamond Dynasty and within Storylines, but their inclusion was part of a groundbreaking moment. Introducing the masses to and educating them not only about statistical or mythical accomplishments, but digging into the hardships and adversity these players faced has been powerful.
Now – women have come to MLB The Show.
Toni Stone joined the San Francisco Sea Lions in 1949 and immediately immortalized herself as a trailblazer. We’ve talked before about the possibilities of women coming to MLB The Show and it looks like it’s finally happened. This will surely bring a new level of storytelling as Stone had to not only fend against the rampant racism of the time, but the undeniable sexism in tandem.
Perhaps this is a sign that Ballplayers can be female now. How cool would it be for young girls just learning about baseball to be able to create themselves in-game and play Road to the Show as themselves?
MLB The Show 24 is available for pre-order and launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on March 19. Early Access is available with pre-order of specific versions and begins on March 15. Check back on February 15 for a detailed breakdown of the first Feature Premiere.
Cory has been writing about all things baseball and gaming since 2022 and has written for Operation Sports and cited in Forbes. Baseball, video games and music have dominated his interests and Cory recently launched his own website, Cathartic Scribe, as his personal destination for thoughts beyond his featured writing. Cory also founded Cargocastle, a one-man music project, that can be streamed on all major streaming platforms as well as Soundcloud and Bandcamp.
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