MLB The Show 19


MLB The Show 19 is a baseball video game by SIE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball. It is the fourteenth entry of the franchise, and was released on March 26, 2019, for PlayStation 4. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper is featured as the cover star.
Matt Vasgersian, Mark DeRosa and Dan Plesac call the play-by-plays. Heidi Watney joined the game as a sideline reporter and Alex Miniak replaces Mike Carlucci as the public address announcer.

Development

On November 2, 2018, it was announced that Bryce Harper would be featured on the cover for the 2019 edition of the game. However, since he was a free agent at the time, he was depicted on the placeholder image in a white hoodie. On February 28, 2019, after Harper signed with the Phillies, the official cover design was released.
New features include "Moments" and "March to October". "Moments" lets the user relive and recreate famous moments in MLB history. This mode will be intertwined with the MLB The Show's "Diamond Dynasty", but also can be played strictly offline. As the user complete moments, they receive rewards like diamond dynasty cards and stubs, the game's virtual currency.
The game also features an improved emphasis on defense, with updated mechanics and animations. Pitchers are broken down into three categories: "Plain Filthy", "Flamethrower" and "Control Freak", while batters are broken down into five: "Pure Power", "Small Ball", "Mr. Utility", "Rock Steady" and "The Anomaly".
Returning favorites include "Franchise Mode" and "Road to the Show".

Reception

MLB The Show 19 received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to Metacritic.
In its 8.7/10 review, IGN wrote: "Refined gameplay, new modes, and a deep Road to the Show mode give MLB The Show 19 a promising opening day." Game Informer gave the game 8.5/10, praising its graphics and writing, "After a down year, Sony delivers exciting new content and a host of fixes. The series is back on track." GameSpot gave the game 9/10, praising the fielding mechanics, RPG elements of the Road to the Show mode and reward system of the game's card collecting mode.

Sales

In January 2020, The NPD Group confirmed that MLB The Show 19 is the best selling baseball genre game in U.S. history.

Accolades

The game was nominated for "Sports Game of the Year" at the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and for "Game, Franchise Sports" at the NAVGTR Awards.