This week of promotion for MLB The Show 20 centered on the new (Online) Custom Leagues mode. While it appears to be intended as a substitute for Online Franchise it isn’t remotely a feature-for-feature replacement and there are still unanswered questions – even after multiple teases a blog and a full stream – that will heavily impact how widely adapted and ultimately how successful it may become. Its simplicity could prove to be a draw for some but the lack of depth and possible exclusion of CPU teams could limit the potential for those seeking something more beyond just a brief competitive run against friends. Read more

The developer stream for MLB The Show 20 centered on Road to the Show and Franchise Mode was held yesterday putting on display the new additions and improvements. The RTTS enhancements look to be intriguing as relationships with teammates now play a role, immediate upgrades to ratings, and new in-game challenges that influence the outcome of games.

Unfortunately it’s shaping up to be another disappointing year for Franchise Mode. Limited rebranding rather than the “relocation” being advertised that utilizes the atrocious Diamond Dynasty creation tool is the only new feature of note beyond the named minor leaguers. The development focus that for many years has been heavily on Diamond Dynasty is probably seeing a further shift away from Franchise with March to October now competing for resources.

For the first time actual minor leaguers will be represented in a console video game. MLB The Show 20 will introduce “full minor league rosters” although the extent to what that means remains unclear despite a brief trailer that reveals the addition.

Until now players could not appear in the game until they became part of the MLBPA which follows having made a single appearance in a Major League game. Only on rare occasions was a player targeted for their rights prior to that occurring. Shohei Ohtani was the most recent example as he was included on the default roster of MLB The Show 18 before he had played a game.

Given there is no union for minor league players SCEA would then have had to negotiate deals with every single individual (there are thousands of them) and that seems unlikely to say the least. Not knowing with any certainty at this moment it’s fair to question whether only the most notable players will have their likenesses in the game while others will have random names and faces but potentially the real attributes tied to their characters. The “full” rosters could also refer to an expansion beyond the Triple-A and Double-A levels rather than meaning every real player is now found in the roster.

Regardless a bigger focus on the minor leagues will be a valuable addition to Franchise and Road to the Show, and surely the big-name minor leaguers that are licensed will also find themselves featured in Diamond Dynasty.