MLB The Show 26: Five Realistic Predictions
MLB The Show 26 is right around the corner, and if SDS follows the same annual reveal pattern we've seen the last several years, fans should be expecting the announcement trailer and cover athlete reveal any day now. With excitement building, it feels like the perfect time to break down several realistic predictions for what this year’s installment could bring.
Every sports game community has wish lists filled with dream features, but the reality is that annual sports titles rarely overhaul their core systems in a single cycle. Development teams operate on tight timelines and typically focus on incremental improvements rather than sweeping changes. That is not a criticism of SDS—it is simply how yearly sports development works.
With that context established, here are five realistic, grounded, and highly probable predictions for MLB The Show 26, plus one honorable mention that feels nearly inevitable.
Honorable Mention: AI-Enhanced Trade Logic in Franchise Mode
For years, SDS has attempted to refine CPU trade logic and roster management in Franchise Mode. While there have been improvements, the system still lags behind more simulation-heavy baseball titles such as Out of the Park Baseball. Trades remain inconsistent, long-term roster building feels unreliable, and CPU decision-making often breaks immersion.
But for the first time, the timing finally aligns with a meaningful leap: AI-driven trade logic. With the rapid acceleration of AI tools across industries, SDS has a clear opportunity to leverage AI in:
• Trade evaluations
• Player aging and regression modeling
• Contract management
• Organizational depth chart decision-making
• Multi-year team-building strategy
Even if the system is not fully mature in MLB The Show 26, it feels inevitable. If not this year, MLB The Show 27 will almost certainly take this step. But the momentum suggests SDS has every incentive to start integrating AI now, both for realism and for marketing appeal. This prediction feels less like a wild guess and more like checking off a free square on the bingo card.
Prediction #1: A Full World Baseball Classic (WBC) Offline Tournament Mode
The World Baseball Classic has become one of the most electric events in baseball, and SDS embraced it heavily in MLB The Show 23’s Diamond Dynasty content. Fans were introduced—or reintroduced—to global stars such as Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Munetaka Murakami, and the WBC program ended up being one of the most memorable parts of that year’s cycle.
This year, expect SDS to take the next logical step: a complete WBC offline tournament mode. This would be a massive quality-of-life addition for offline players, offering a structured, story-driven experience without requiring the time commitment of a full 162-game season. It would also provide:
• A fresh alternative to Conquest and Mini Seasons
• A mode with genuine competitive stakes
• Highly marketable promotional opportunities
• A bridge between offline and Diamond Dynasty engagement
Conquest has remained largely unchanged for years and feels stale for many players. Mini Seasons has potential but requires a heavier time commitment. A WBC tournament—short, replayable, and rooted in real international passion—feels like the perfect new offline mode for MLB The Show 26.
Based on SDS's past WBC content and baseball’s growing global appeal, this prediction feels extremely likely.
Prediction #2: BR and Events Receive Major Reward Overhauls
One of the biggest criticisms of MLB The Show 25 was the lack of meaningful, exclusive rewards in Battle Royale (BR) and Events. Early 12-0 rewards existed briefly, but the shift toward non-exclusive chase packs reduced the excitement. Events were even more barren, offering almost no desirable grind-specific rewards.
When two once-popular online modes become irrelevant, it is a major red flag—and SDS has a long history of reversing such missteps in the following year.
Expect MLB The Show 26 to:
• Reintroduce exclusive 12-0 BR players
• Bring back meaningful event rewards tied to the mode itself
• Potentially add new BR reward tiers
• Increase incentive structures for online competitive play
• Rebalance DD progression so BR and Events matter again
Fans were vocal about the shortcomings last year, and SDS historically responds quickly to widespread negative sentiment. Restoring these modes feels like a guaranteed W.
Prediction #3: ABS System Integration and a Reworked Strike Zone
With MLB officially implementing the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system this year—already used in the minors, spring training, and select MLB events—it is almost certain SDS has been preparing digital integration for multiple seasons.
In MLB The Show 26, expect:
Offline
• A fully functional ABS system
• A manual challenge mechanic mirroring live baseball
• A time-limited button prompt to contest a call
Online
Even if full ABS doesn’t appear in Diamond Dynasty, expect:
• Perfectly accurate strike/ball logic
• A reworked strike zone reflecting ABS parameters
• More consistent calls on the edges (“the black”)
• A subtle shift back toward pitcher-friendly gameplay
For years, hitting has been the dominant side of gameplay, and increasing strike zone precision may finally rebalance pitching effectiveness.
ABS integration feels like one of the safest predictions on this entire list.
Prediction #4: A Major Focus on Pitching Improvements
After multiple cycles focusing on hitting improvements, the imbalance between hitting and pitching has gradually increased. Many players argue that even perfect input on pitching does not result in consistent pitch locations. Between PAR sizes, random break deviations, and edge-zone inconsistencies, pitching often feels less about skill and more about RNG.
MLB The Show 26 has a clear opportunity to fix this.
Expect SDS to focus on:
• Smaller PAR sizes for high-accuracy pitchers
• More precise reward systems for perfect input
• Improved edge-zone strike consistency
• A return of “super dots”—elite corner pitches barely clipping the zone
• An overall shift toward pitcher control and realism
In higher-level online play, hitters already demonstrate elite plate discipline. Improving pitch reliability is essential for competitive balance, and SDS knows this. With ABS changes likely, pitching improvements pair naturally with that development effort.
Prediction #5: Long-Overdue Player and Uniform Customization Upgrades
This is the boldest prediction—but also one with strong signals behind it. Compared to customization suites in Madden, NBA 2K, and College Football, MLB The Show is lagging badly. Player creation tools and Diamond Dynasty uniform creation menus have remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade.
However, last year saw one subtle but meaningful upgrade: new hair physics and free-flowing hairstyles. This improvement, which required major engine work (and caused framerate issues that SDS later optimized), signals that SDS is not content to let customization stagnate forever.
MLB The Show 26 could finally bring:
• New player body types
• Expanded facial customization
• More hairstyles and physics improvements
• Updated team logo tools
• Modern uniform templates inspired by Nike City Connect designs
• More layering and placement options on jerseys
• Potentially new color gradients and advanced design tools
Even if SDS avoids image upload functionality (common in other sports titles but understandably risky due to moderation concerns), the creation suite desperately needs modernization.
Given the groundwork laid last year, this could finally be the year.
Final Thoughts
While SDS is unlikely to overhaul MLB The Show 26 in a single cycle, these predictions reflect realistic, achievable improvements that align with both development history and current baseball trends. If even most of these enhancements appear in the game, MLB The Show 26 could mark one of the most meaningful year-to-year upgrades in several seasons.
Improved AI trade logic, to make MLB 26 Stubs economic system more rational.
A true World Baseball Classic mode.
Restored BR and Events rewards.
Pitching and ABS enhancements.
Modernized customization tools.
If SDS delivers on these fronts, MLB The Show 26 could be a standout entry—one that pushes the franchise into a new era while respecting its annual development cadence.
MMOexp MLB 26 Team