MLB The Show 25: Biggest Changes Coming To Franchise Mode

If you’re like me, you cannot completely evaluate a new sports video game until you’ve seen the updates coming to its franchise mode. This week, Sony San Diego Studios gave us our first glimpse into the new franchise mode features for MLB The Show 25.

A deeper dive is coming on February 27, but let’s take a look at what’s already been revealed. As I mentioned a couple of months ago, MLB The Show 25 was going to deliver some improvements under the hood in franchise mode.

MLB The Show 25 – New Franchise Mode Features

This year’s version of The Show is set up to deliver an evolution of franchise mode and March to October. The approach the development team took this year was seemingly to create more strategy in the offseason and in-season decisions users have to make while managing their organizations.

This is reflected in revamped free agency negotiations, trade logic, and minor league management.

Let’s look at free agency first, as it’s the part I’m most excited about.

MLB The Show 25 – Franchise Mode Free Agency Overhaul

The system now has a much-needed market-setting dynamic where the top players at each position will determine the logical asking prices for their peers. I can’t stress how cool that is—if it functions as designed.

While gameplay realism is something that users think they want but probably wouldn’t like if they were given exactly what they asked for, offseason team management and league rules observation are areas where users actually want and would appreciate the realness.

Teams will also have to balance their contract offers with the right timing—essentially striking while the iron is hot to avoid missing out on targets.

Here’s another big one: Free agents are now designed to prioritize team quality, positional competition, and salary demands when weighing their options on the market. Lowballing players will irritate them and end negotiations, and based on what I absorbed, this can allow mystery teams to sneak in and steal away prized free agents.

The Big Board feature is for the hardcore franchise mode players and possibly the users who focus on franchise rebuilds over actually playing every inning of their games. The feature allows you to identify and monitor upcoming free agents to create a plan of attack for the offseason.

According to the initial info release, player contract demands will be more realistic and will include the possibility of going to arbitration, where real-life results will come from the negotiations.

MLB The Show 25 – Franchise Mode Trades and Prospect Management

The trade logic has been updated, which will hopefully result in fairer, more realistic, and more competitive offers. There are times when you’re still able to game the system, but if this system works as designed, it will require users to apply deeper strategic concepts to find success.

MLB The Show 25 – Franchise Mode Commentary and Presentation

Franchise mode will feature new PA announcers, team-specific franchise intros, dynamic league stories (this is another big one for me), rookie updates, and team performance insights.

Some may not see these updates as major factors. I disagree. Franchise-mode-specific presentation and commentary are often the major differentiators between it and gameplay in other modes.

These kinds of changes—at least conceptually—are essential.

I’ll be watching the deep dive on February 27, but color me excited about the changes at this point. MLB The Show 25 releases March 18, with users who pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition gaining early access on March 14.