As with every new iteration of MLB The Show, dreaming about new legend additions is one of the best parts of the pre-release cycle. There’s countless legends that aren’t currently in the game and it’s quite easy to slap together these lists.
With each new release, legends are added which brings about a new list every year. We’ve already seen Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, and Cool Papa Bell announced for MLB The Show 25. These are three legit top-tier legends so it’s only natural to ponder a new list.
All-Time Greats
- Barry Bonds
- Ty Cobb
- Tris Speaker
- Rogers Hornsby
- Eddie Collins
- Ted Williams
- Grover Alexander
- Alex Rodriguez
- Kid Nichols
- Mel Ott
- Frank Robinson
This list is exclusively made of the top players by WAR in the history of the game. Not as a lazy means of research, but it stands to reason that the absolute best in the history of the game would be represented.
This list features plenty of unique challenges for SDS when it comes to player rights. Barry Bonds has been notoriously absent from baseball history since his retirement. I’m firmly in the camp that Bonds is not only a surefire Hall of Famer, but the actual best player in the history of the sport. Bonds’ reappearance in Topps baseball cards, as well as the media rounds he’s been doing are encouraging. You’d think SDS would have popped the cork on this already with a huge cover announcement. We can always dream, but this no longer feels like an impossibility.
Ty Cobb has a notoriously checkered story. Cobb, Hornsby, and Williams (among others) have been in previous iterations of the game before disappearing. Whether this is a conscious “refreshing” by SDS with vintage legends, or an actual reflection of rights changes; these guys would all be welcomed additions on the virtual diamond.
Personally, I feel Frank Robinson is one of the biggest omissions. Before Shohei Ohtani last season, Robinson was the only player to win MVP in both the American League and National League. Think about that.
Vintage Era
Fight me if you want, but I’m defining “vintage” as pre-1980.
- Nap Laojoie
- Eddie Plank
- Shoeless Joe Jackson
- Bill Dickey
- Don Newcombe
- Roy Campanella
- Roger Maris
- Boog Powell
- Hank Greenberg
- Dick Allen
- Steve Carlton
- Sandy Koufax
Modern Era
1980-present
- Brian McCann
- Brian Giles
- Marcus Giles
- Lance Berkman
- Magglio Ordonez
- Nomar Garciaparra
- Andres Galarraga
- Juan Gonzalez
- Mark Teixiera
- Jonathan Papelbon
- Tim Hudson
- Barry Zito
- Mark Mulder
- Andrew Jones
- Kirby Puckett
- Deion Sanders
- Curt Schilling
- Javier Vazquez
I could go on for ages, but this is a selection that came to mind immediately.
Who did I miss? Who do you want to see in MLB The Show 25?
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.
