At the beginning of the MLB The Show 24 news cycle, we learned that Toni Stone would be one of the legends included in Season 2 of Storylines: Negro Leagues. Stone was one of the first and most prominent female players in organized professional baseball and the first female to appear in MLB The Show.
There’s long been speculation about women being playable in the series. We’ve discussed it in the past and the inclusion of Stone seemed like a step in that direction.
Well, there’s no steps to take anymore as we’ve taken the massive leap to female ballplayers in The Show.
Women Pave Their Way
SDS announced that a unique narrative experience is included in the game this year, featuring a personalized story following a female player as she embarks on her journey to the Majors. This is a huge addition to MLB The Show that creates an entirely new experience within Road to the Show.
In addition to the female ballplayer you can play as, there will be a secondary female character named Mia Lewis involved with the story.
In a short Q&A, SDS developer Mollie Braley stated that career paths can change with each playthrough. This implies some level of replayability within Road to the Show’s new narrative experience.
The very same Q&A also features Kelsie Whitmore, the first female player in an MLB Partnered League.
Impact
It goes without saying that this is a huge deal. There’s plenty of people that get turned off by “buzzwords” like inclusivity and representation. However, the impact of women coming to MLB The Show doesn’t just stop at the video game.
Young girls can now create themselves in the game and learn about baseball. They can see themselves with their names on the back of their uniforms playing against men.
In short: women can now enjoy the immersion of Road to the Show.
For baseball to grow, we need more people to learn the game and love the game. My love of baseball was cemented as kid, not just playing Little League or watching games on television. The various baseball games I played brought me closer to baseball by helping me learn players across the league, learn certain rules and simply expose me to the game more.
I’m willing to bet that’s true for many other hardcore MLB The Show gamers.
Now, women of all ages can do the same and hopefully develop their love of baseball the same way the rest of us did.
Stay plugged into all the latest MLB The Show 24 news here at ShowZone with our ever-updating megapost. We’ll also have breakdowns like this on any other news that comes out and of course – we’ll have all the latest news, tips and more once the game releases into early access on March 15 with a standard release on March 19.
Cory Wayne Dell
Cory has been writing about all things baseball and gaming since 2022 and has been featured at Operation Sports as well as cited by Forbes. Cory is also a multi-instrumentalist and founder of the band Cargocastle. Cargocastle's latest single, "Truth and Reconciliation," is available on Spotify and all major streaming platforms. Cory is also the author of Shadow of a Monster, a personal memoir currently seeking publication.
