MLB The Show 23 Reviews

MLB The Show 23 is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Mar 31, 2023

MLB The Show 23 is a great step forward for the series, thanks in large part to its brilliant new Negro Leagues mode.

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8.8 / 10.0
Apr 12, 2023

Real-life Major League Baseball continues to evolve in ways to encourage faster play in hopes of appealing to a broader audience, but MLB The Show 23 feels somehow ahead of the game. At the same time, the new Storylines mode shows the past is just as important as the future, providing players with the best of both worlds. Myriad options and modes allow you to engage with America’s Pastime precisely how you want, and in the process, MLB The Show 23 delivers one of the best baseball games in years.

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8 / 10
Apr 3, 2023

By exploring the Negro Leagues and some of its most notable players, MLB The Show 23 shines a spotlight on an important part of baseball and American history.

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Polygon
Top Critic
Unscored
Mar 29, 2023

I am almost 50 years old now. I was once the daily newspaper reporter for Cooperstown itself. Buddy, I chewed tobacco when I played T-ball, and I am bonded to baseball through my father and friendships going back to kindergarten. Still, MLB The Show 23 found a way to teach me something about the sport, and give me new reason to love it.

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Forbes
Top Critic
Unscored
Mar 28, 2023

In totality, MLB The Show 23 offers a deep baseball simulation with a variety of new features to gameplay, Diamond Dynasty and franchise mode, but almost nothing new in RTTS.

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8 / 10
Mar 31, 2023

MLB The Show 23 is another solid addition in what is the best annual sports sim franchise. San Diego Studio continues to show a deep knowledge and understanding of baseball and the culture surrounding it. The addition of The Negro Leagues is a massive improvement to the overall product, and the ability to scan your face into Road to the Show is a fun new feature as well. Outside of some minor league woes, MLB The Show is another grand slam.

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Mar 28, 2023

MLB The Show 23 will have you practice your best home run calls because the latest installment in the iconic franchise knocks it out of the park. The game's new storylines mode, improved animations, and latest gameplay changes are worth the price of entry to your favorite ballpark this year.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 27, 2023

MLB The Show 23 is a superb title that has a great balance of enjoyable gameplay, well-researched and deeply educational story elements.

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85 / 100
Apr 7, 2023

MLB The Show 23 moves the franchise forward in several ways. The Negro Leagues storyline shines bright as the best addition we've seen in the series. While San Diego Studios didn't pitch a perfect game, they delivered a game worthy of being called The Show.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2023

After repeating the same exact gameplay year after year, MLB The Show 23 finally offers some interest-ing new features in an fresh enjoyable experience, both in old and in new game modes. There's a great atmosphere on the diamond, and there are tons of things to do, games to play, stars to unlock. Some shadows on the online, with a netcode that it's shaky at times.

Review in Italian | Read full review

90 / 100
Apr 1, 2023

MLB The Show 23 is the best-damned sports game money can buy. I think I say this every year, but the fact remains: Sony San Diego provides the most authentic representation of a sport with their MLB The Show series. Just as I did with The Show 22, I’ll be playing this year’s entry right up until next season. Take me out to the ballgame, and don’t ever bring me back.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2023

As solid as ever from San Diego Studio, but a few tweaks and a superb Storylines mode make MLB The Show 23 an even more worthwhile purchase than recent editions

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7 / 10
Mar 28, 2023

The excellently executed Negro Leagues are the MVP of MLB The Show 23, adding an educational and entertaining interactive documentary to an already top-tier sports game. Diamond Dynasty sees some of its biggest structural changes yet, and has strengthened its already respectable single player slate with some smart additions to Mini Seasons. Meanwhile, rebalanced fielding and batter/pitcher matchups add more tension to the gameplay, but the graphics are starting to look stale and Road to the Show feels like it's almost been abandoned at this point.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 28, 2023

The makers of MLB The Show 23 clearly heard the complaints about a lack of fresh features in recent entries, as this year’s game offers up the new exciting and enlightening Storylines mode as well as significant tweaks and improvements to Franchise, March to October, and Diamond Dynasty. A lack of innovation when it comes to core gameplay keeps this year’s title from being a true home run, but it’s at least a strong double.

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8 / 10.0
Apr 3, 2023

Despite confirming itself as the best baseball simulation on the planet, MLB The Show 23 continues to manifest the same problem for several years: the graphics sector.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Apr 3, 2023

MLB The Show 23 dives deep into its best modes, refreshing the experience with a bevy of new features and tweaks to make the old feel new. The addition of the WBC and the long-awaited inclusion of the Negro Leagues makes this year's version the best Show to date.

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7 / 10
Mar 28, 2023

MLB The Show 23 is a better all-round package than last year's outing, thanks in large part to the new Storylines mode that adds a well-presented and educational history lesson for players to get involved in. In terms of this Switch port, presentation is perfectly acceptable, with the expected graphical downgrades made, but the frame rate can still be troublesome in places, making for play that feels sluggish in comparison to other platforms. This issue aside, though, this is a solid port that brings all the modes found in other versions of the game, making for a decent overall option for MLB fans.

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85 / 100
Mar 27, 2023

MLB The Show 23 is far from a perfect game. Diamond Dynasty is still a pay to win, albeit without so much brazenness; the character models still need a little more work for photorealism, while aspects such as character creation still need more work for a player to take advantage of. However, this is the best installment in the history of an excellent sports franchise.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

4 / 5.0
Mar 26, 2023

There will always be missteps, but if MLB The Show 23 is any indication, the future of this series looks bright.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 10, 2023

While San Diego Studio doesn’t take a huge leap with MLB The Show 23 compared to last year’s game, it’s still entertaining and the best baseball game on the planet. The addition of The Negro Leagues mode makes for a deeper and more enriching experience.

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