MLB The Show 26 recently launched in early access, and players have already started to grind Road to the Show, Diamond Dynasty, and Franchise. The consensus among players across Twitter, Reddit, and our own forums is that the gameplay updates are great, and Diamond Dynasty is largely enjoyable.
Of course, like most annual sports game releases, there are also bound to be some complaints. People are taking issue with some things missing in Franchise Mode, the visuals, and a 20-card ownership limit in Diamond Dynasty. There’s a lot of nuance here, as there’s a lot to like in the game, but also some things that may bother players. Here’s what people have to say so far about MLB The Show 26.
The Good Stuff 
Road to the Show is the headliner among all modes, featuring an extensive amateur phase with a full “Road to Cooperstown” storyline with high-school and college chapters pre-draft. Players are buzzing about the new mastery effects, pitch visuals, smarter trade-request logic, and clutch “Heart Attack” perks that make your journey feel personalised.
Diamond Dynasty is also receiving praise thanks to the overhauled Team Affinity program and the return of the World Baseball Classic. In Team Affinity, every team now starts with various new programs, featuring fresh Captain cards, Jolt Series rewards, and a new #1 Fan loyalty track. You can swap in hot cards without altering your affinity, making progression more flexible. As for the WBC programs, they’re a great source of getting valuable diamond cards early on while keeping the progression fairly simple.
The game runs perfectly on new-gen consoles and especially excels on the Switch. Many fans used to complain that older Switch hardware couldn’t run previous games well. Now the frame rates is more consistent, and the game is still enjoyable in handheld mode.
Players over at our own forums appreciated the little stuff: cleaner UI, better presentation, a better intro, and PitchCom audio that feels authentic and is playable through the controller speaker.
The Bad Stuff 
Now, this isn’t entirely universal, as a lot of people will still enjoy it, but some do have complaints with Franchise Mode. While there are noticeable changes to trade and bullpen logic, these “updates” were also touted last year. Some fans also complained about the lack of customized draft classes and the missing main menu news. Progression doesn’t really see a major change either.
In our eyes, the game looks visually pleasing, as MLB The Show has never been a series that looked particularly “bad.” Still, the core player models and stadiums have not improved much. Remember, sports games were once representative of big graphical leaps, though we haven’t seen that for most franchises in well over a decade now. Also, the new broadcast crew is receiving some backlash; the commentary and flair still feel basic to a lot of players.
The primary dispute, at least according to players on Reddit, is the limit of 20 cards that can be owned for each specific player card. This affects collectors, flipps, and free-to-play grinders because it stops them from stockpiling low-rated cards to flip after roster updates. People complain that this will hinder MLB The Show 26’s “no money spent” viability and force players to spend more.