MLB: MLB The Show 18 – All information about the official video game of Major League Baseball

MLB The Show 18 is the official video game of Major League Baseball and will be released again this year on Playstation. SPOX looks ahead and provides you with all the important information about the game, the release day, the features, commentators and everything else worth knowing.

MLB The Show 18 is the latest edition of the officially licensed Major League Baseball video game. It’s already the 13th. Issue of the franchise, which began with the game “MLB 06: The Show” in 2006. It is a sports simulation that wants to be as close to the real thing as possible in terms of gameplay, presentation and graphics.

The 2018 version of MLB The Show will be released on 27. March in North America. If you pre-order the game at the Playstation Store, you will already receive a bonus on 23. March “early access” and can go hunting for homeruns four days before the official release.

MLB The Show 18, produced by Sony’s SIE San Diego Studio, is an exclusive title for Playstation 4. It is also one of the so-called “Playstation 4 Pro enhanced”titles that are produced in 4K resolution and on which PS4 Pro can be played in full resolution.

In addition to MLB The Show 18, there is also “RBI Baseball 18”, which is also equipped with an official MLB license and will be available on all major gaming platforms such as Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, App Store and Google Play Store.

MLB The Show 18 will not be available in Germany. However, it can be purchased at the German Playstation Store. There are three versions: a Standard Edition, an MVP Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition costs 49,99 Euro, the MVP Edition is available for 54,99 Euro and Digital Deluxe costs 79,99 Euro.

Those who pre-order one of the versions will receive the game on 23. March per Download. Depending on the version, various extras for the so-called Diamond Dynasty, a kind of Ultimate Team a la FIFA, are also included. In the MVP and Digital Deluxe versions, there are also 30 PS4 designs and a Classic Stadium extra.

In terms of game modes per se, no dramatic changes are expected compared to the previous year. There will be an exhibition mode for spontaneous friendly games, a season and franchise mode, Road to the Show, Diamond Dynasty, Homerun Derby and a training mode. In addition, there is also the retro fashion known from 2017, which makes the game look like on old consoles of the 90s.

Franchise Mode is in a sense the career mode at The Show and lets the player act as the general manager of a team that controls all aspects of the club and, of course, plays the games. Season Mode extends over a single season and is a slimmed-down version of franchise. Road to the Show lets the player experience the career of a single player – self-created or an established actor – from the Minors to the MLB.

Diamond Dynasty is an online game based on virtual trading cards in which you can build your own super team and compete against players from all over the world. In Homerun Derby you replay the Homerun Derby, while the training mode covers the areas of pitching, hitting and base running. As an innovation, a situational mode has been added here, with which you can train specific game situations.

Thanks to the official license, all 30 franchises of the MLB are included. It also includes all Minor League Franchises of the Double and Triple-A classes. However, there is a decisive limitation for players: only players who have completed at least one MLB game and are therefore part of the MLBPA player union may be shown in the game.

This means, for example, that Rookie Shohei Ohtani from the Los Angeles Angels will not be in the game on release day. But since the developers provide weekly cadre updates, fans don’t have to wait long for the newcomers.

All 30 MLB ball parks are included. In addition, the ten classic stadiums already known from MLB The Show 17 are in play. There are also a number of generic ball parks for jumping training and minor leagues. Especially the ball parks for the Minor Leagues in particular received a graphical update compared to the previous year, including some spectacular background panoramas, which the player will appreciate when looking beyond the grandstands.

) This refers to the present Hard Rock Stadium of the Miami Dolphins before the reconstruction.

) Period in which the Florida Marlins used the stadium.

***) Period in which the Minnesota Twins used the stadium.

There will be two covers of MLB The Show 18. Aaron Judge from the New York Yankees can be seen on the American cover, which is also distributed in selected international markets. The American League Rookie of the Year is the first Yankee player to grace the cover of MLB The Show.

There is also a Canadian version. On this one Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays will be shown.

One of the innovations in 2018 is the composition of commentators. Matt Vasgersian is still on board as a so-called play-by-play, the main commentator. In real life he works for the MLB Network and from this season he will also be the main commentator on “Sunday Night Baseball” on ESPN.

As in recent years, he has been assisted by Dan Plesac, a former Major League pitcher. These days he is working as an expert for the MLB Network.

Another new addition to the alliance is former All-Star Mark DeRosa, who is also active in the MLB Network and will take over from Harold Reynolds (FOX Sports, MLB Network).

For the first time, the recording for MLB The Show was done in a studio together with all three commentators, leading to even more authenticity in the commentaries.

A special new feature in MLB The Show are the legend teams, which can now be played in Exhibition Mode. There are three numbers representing different eras. There will be a team of the 90’s and 00’s, one of the 70’s and 80’s and one of the 60’s and earlier. The latter will also be home to Babe Ruth, perhaps the biggest player in the history of the MLB.

This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.