Ranking MLB The Show Games From Best to Worst?

[ChaseB]

I think I'm finally going to do this in the buildup to the release of MLB 24, but I'm asking the peanut gallery for thoughts. You obviously don't have to rank them all, but curious if specific versions really stand out as very bad or good in your minds.

Also I don't know if you would just consider the SDS ones in your rankings rather than 989 or say only the versions with The Show in the name count, but I think I'm going to do every version starting with MLB '98.

[LowerWolf]

I'm the weirdo I guess since I go against how seemingly most people feel.

I loved 21. Got through two and a half seasons playing every pitch of every game. And I haven't given up yet on finishing season 3.

I also have fond memories of 12 and 19 because those are the other ones where I managed to complete a full season playing every pitch of every game.

Also had a lot of fun with 98-00, if you count the days before it was The Show.

I had a hard time sticking with 20 and 23 because I found hitting a bit too easy, and got stuck chasing difficulty and sliders. Both still good games, just not quite my cup of tea. I'm ready for 24.

MLB 22 is the only one I never played since the start of the PS3 era.

[Jolly Roger]

I'll always be amazed that some people can keep track of what each game felt like over a 10+ year period.

[MannybeingManny]

Honestly my favorite was the first one. I never had so much fun playing a game. I have often hoped to bring that youthful excitement into other versions over the last 18 years of this game (Now I feel old) I might have won a 120 games in my first season but I couldn’t have cared less.

But in all honesty I’m probably not far from the majority of us that would rate 20 as the best. I agree that the hitting engine was much more forgiving than the previous three years. I also absolutely love 23 for the opposite reason of 20 with hitting being more of a challenge. I will be getting at least two maybe even three full seasons out of it. Although as mentioned in the opening post I can’t rate them all but would definitively say that I found 21 to be the worst of the series. A lot of great memories though the years with this series.

[Ghost Of The Year]

MLB19 is my favorite, but from MLB10-18 I thoroughly enjoyed them all. I still got my money's worth out of 20-23 but when in real life MLB instituted the 3-batter minimum, that one small detail affected me big time. MLB23 brought me back a little closer to enjoying the here-and-now, because of the new scheduling where everyone plays everyone, so hopefully MLB24 will pull me all the way back. I think the pandemic also negatively impacted my views of 20-22, along with pretty much everything else in life for that matter.
So: MLB19 = A++
MLB10-18 = A+
MLB 20-22 = A-
MLB 23 = A

[Armor and Sword]

Awesome thread. Different games meant different things to me.

My Mount Rushmore for the series would have to be

MLB 12 - Ball Physics 1.0 where it all began. Hitting went to the next level here.

MLB 19 - The last of the old pitching rules and a very good game. 3 unique presentation packages!!

MLB 20 - The Goat. Nuff said

MLB 23 - The best playing game the Show has ever released to date.

My next tier would be:

MLB 09 - my first entry into the series!!

MLB 11 - Playing JMyers and JetroTulls 1987 Full Minors was an absolute joy on MLB 11


MLB 16 - ahhhh The Matheny Manifesto Fantasy Draft Cardinals...such amazing memories of that franchise. And this was the first to last year of the old franchise menus and daily recap screen (damn it bring that back).


Quite frankley I only dislike 2 versions from 2009-2023

MLB 21 and 22




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[KnightTemplar]

Quote: Originally Posted by Armor and Sword

MLB 23 - The best playing game the Show has ever released to date. Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Believe this “fanboy”. I bit@hed and moaned when this game came out. Wrote bug reports ad nauseam to SDS, sent screen shots how off swings were on changeups, etc. I may even have stomped a foot here, or there. Supposedly gameplay was never patched, but then…….I put the danged game sliders back to default, had to move up to HOF v. HOF and presto….haven’t looked back.

20….great game, 2nd place, but danged 23 plays so well. I’m a graphics guy and presentation. Best of the bunch. Hopefully 24 will take the spot of this one.

[Armor and Sword]

Quote: Originally Posted by KnightTemplar

Believe this “fanboy”. I bit@hed and moaned when this game came out. Wrote bug reports ad nauseam to SDS, sent screen shots how off swings were way on changeups, etc. I may even have stomped a foot here, or there. Supposedly gameplay was never patched, but then…….I put the danged game sliders back to default, had to move up to HOF v. HOF and presto….haven’t looked back. 20….great game, 2nd place, but danged 23 plays so well. I’m a graphics guy and presentation. Best of the bunch. Hopefully 24 will take the spot of this one.

I was very late to 23. Glad I waited as long as I did. HOF with some slider tweaks is dialed in for me as well.


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