MLB The Show 26: Early Access First Impressions

The launch of each new MLB The Show game is one of the few times each year I take time for myself. I rearrange work commitments to have some extra time to play, rest up before midnight, then jump into Diamond Dynasty at launch.

I've been playing MLB The Show for many years, and it becomes my primary game once it releases. I was very excited to get my hands on MLB The Show 26, as I loved virtually everything that was shown during pre-release streams.

I've compiled my thoughts on the game to this point, but it's important to remember that the standard release hasn't occurred yet. That happens on March 17, and this is a live content game which means there's new content and updates every week for pretty much the remainder of the year.

To this point, I've played for 20+ hours over the weekend. This is not my normal cadence, meaning I'll typically have less time to actually grind. This is important when it comes to understanding content and the grind. Additionally, my time was spent exclusively in Diamond Dynasty. I may dabble in Franchise and RTTS later on, and I'll absolutely complete the fantastic Storylines Season 4. Diamond Dynasty is my jam, though, and that's what I wanted to play most.

Graphics

There was a lot of talk about graphics after the initial gameplay trailer. MLB The Show in many ways has lagged behind other sports games like Madden and NBA 2K visually. Those games have incredibly detailed player models, down to sweat dripping off of them during play. I think there was a lot of drummed up disappointment as people seemed to be decrying Nintendo Switch footage as if it represented the overall product.

This screenshot of Manny Ramirez was taken on my Xbox Series X. I think the game looks great, while still having areas that are lagging behind the rest of the game. Some player models look new and improved, others still look boxy and outdated. I don't care about the fans and how they look, so their butterfaces don't bother me in the slightest.

Colors are popping more this year to my eyes, and there's not as much "harshness" or "blandness" that I've noticed over the years. Stadiums and environments continue to be highly detailed, yet some of the exterior stadium shots look like they were ripped from a PS2. However, I feel like SDS even mentioned a couple of years ago that some of this is placeholder and it gets updated over time.

If graphic fidelity was a selling point for you this year, all I can say is I have zero qualms with the graphics. I focus more on gameplay and content, but certainly can't fault anyone that hasn't seen their desired upgrades. I can only state the game looks better than it was getting credit for.

Content

There's more launch content than ever, with two full Team Affinity drops wrapped up in one. All teams have both a hitter and pitcher Captain in their TA paths, meaning double-boosted Captains are available for all teams from launch. You'll still need to grind and earn the cards, but there's no more waiting and hoping for a double-barrel Captain boost.

On top of that, there's the massive influx of new cards thanks to the World Baseball Classic. This was a huge hit a couple of years ago when WBC content was introduced for the first time. SDS appears to have knocked it out of the park again, as there's 4-separate programs for each of the team pools.

There's cards of established MLB stars at multiple rarities (Gold, Diamond, etc.) which is a big deal at launch. There's also the addition of non-MLB stars who get to appear in the game this year because of the WBC partnership.

In terms of launch content and the general structure, I'm very excited for this year in Diamond Dynasty. Inning Programs return, with one Boss available in the path itself and a Choice Pack available at the end. So we're still getting two of the three Bosses in each path like usual, only now there's a more strategic selection on the Choice Pack reward.

I like what I've seen in terms of direction for content this year.

Structure

There's been some notable changes to the fabric of DD for longtime players. Battle Royale no longer rewards cards, only 50,000 Stub vouchers for a Flawless run. I've never been a big BR grinder, so this doesn't mean much to me. However, for those that are skilled enough to just loop BR over and over, this could result in less Stubs earned than normal. I think we'll need some time to see how this lands for that sector of the community, with SDS already stating they'll monitor and make changes if they feel they need to.

Ranked is mostly the same and that goes for Weekend Classic. Co-Op has all diamonds that populate your bench now, so no more random Golds on your squad in addition to your own choices. I played a couple of Co-Op games that were pretty laggy, and cross-platform games I played were laggier than before. When I matched up on Xbox-only, the games were smooth and felt great for the most part. I enjoy Co-Op with the homies, but it continues to look like it's going to be a lesser experience unless there's some stabilization post-launch.

The Multiplayer Program can be completed without waiting for future mission drops. This is awesome, as it makes it easier for people like me who end up strapped on time some weeks and months. If there's a week I have more time, I can grind to my heart gives out and make up for the time versus being stuck progressing. I'm also a big fan of the change to Events, as the rewards are no longer locked behind wins. Instead, there's a program and you just play the game and get the card over time. If you win, you earn more stars for the program and in the Multiplayer Program, meaning that a win matters arguably more than ever without the feels-bad for others.

Gameplay

The single most important aspect of MLB The Show for me is always gameplay. For me as a gamer, it doesn't matter how pretty a game looks, how much content there is, or what I can do in the game. If the gameplay isn't there, then nothing else matters for me.

So far, MLB The Show 26 plays and feels great. Not accounting for the lag experienced and simply hoping that's Early Access buggage, my online games have felt great and offline is a joy. I haven't once used Bear Down while pitching, mostly because it doesn't stand out to remind me it's a feature now. The PCI Sensitivity slider is incredible and one of the best additions ever, as you can fine-tune your swing like never before. Just a couple of ticks lower than default has stopped my incredible dropped PCIs and turned them into solid contact just because I finally have control over the PCI.

Even having the ability to fix my pitch-trail when pitching, and really line up where I want to tunnel from, has been a joy to play with. I've seen a wider variety of new hit types, and I've seen some hits through the infield holes on either side that feel fresh. I need more time to truly calibrate with the new defensive metrics and handedness metrics for pitchers, but outfielders look very fluid to me with their breaks.

Gameplay feels tight and fun. I can only hope the lag I experienced will smooth out, but the franchise has long suffered from server instability so it's always worth mentioning and monitoring.

Closing Thoughts

My first 20 hours with MLB The Show 26 have been a blast and I can't wait to see what SDS cooks up the rest of the year. This is the most fun I've had on launch with the game in years. I'm cognizant that stuff can happen from now until forever that changes that sentiment, but I truly think we're in for a great year this year.

Early Access is available now with pre-orders of the Digital Deluxe Edition with standard release on March 17, 2026.

Stay tuned to ShowZone all year for everything MLB The Show 26, including some incredible upgrades here at ShowZone that will make your gaming experience even better!