MLB The Show 25's New Features Mean Defense Should Matter More

As I take the field in Vanderbilt's iconic gold, I know the pressure is on. Scouts are watching, and this is my shot to fly up their draft boards. I take my place at third base, locked in and ready. There’s a runner on first, one away, as the pitcher deals from the mound. The batter jumps on the first-pitch fastball; the loud ping of his metal bat pierces the air. The ball rockets up the third-base line, far too fast for me to get a glove on. As the left-fielder chases the ball in the corner, the runner from first is passing second. I take my position, lined up between the left-fielder and catcher. The runner rounds third as the outfielder launches the ball. I cut it off, turn, and take aim at the catcher's glove just past the runner and fire...

It’s these high drama moments that stood out when GameSpot was invited to visit Sony’s San Diego studio to meet with the team behind MLB The Show 25. While there, we were treated to a deep dive and hands-on time with all the new additions coming to the latest iteration of the long-running baseball sim. With fresh gameplay wrinkles, new single- and multiplayer options for Diamond Dynasty, revamped free agency, and more, there’s a lot happening on and off the field. Let’s play ball.

On the diamond

This year’s updates begin on the field. Ambush hitting brings yet another real-world strategic element to batting. As Chris Gill--Gameplay Director at Sony Diego and a former pro ball player in the Cincinnati Reds' system--describes, good hitters take advantage of scouting and observing tendencies, adjusting to sit on certain pitches. In game, that translates to optionally focusing on pitches inside or outside of the center of the plate. The side you focus on gets a bump to the size of both your good contact area and timing window, while the side you don’t choose is shrunk. That means a pitcher with a go-to finisher (like my favorite, a fastball up and in) may want to try another strategy against a hitter who has experienced their MO. Conversely, if a pitcher has been pounding the inside of the plate, they might be able to surprise the batter with an unexpected pitch away. It’s the sort of cat-and-mouse game that makes an at-bat feel like a contest of strategy as much as stick skill.

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