MLB The Show Aims to Bolster Foundation of Franchise Mode

Tuesday’s Feature Deep Dive on Franchise Mode revealed that MLB The Show developers put a lot of work in under the hood.

For years, Franchise has been a neglected part of the MLB The Show offline experience. Last year’s Custom Game Entry represented a nice new addition, but the mode always needed a total rework.

That’s why fans of the mode should have some confidence after Tuesday’s five-minute teaser to Thursday’s longer Feature Premiere.

Is this the big Franchise rework everyone asked for? Not necessarily. Online Franchise is still highly sought after, and the ability to control everything your franchise does is still impossible (just let me set hot dog prices!).

But we have to be realistic for a second. The big updates to the mode won’t hit like they should if the bones of Franchise aren’t in place. Mills, as he so often does, put it best.

You can’t build a mansion or a high-rise building without a strong foundation. By improving trade logic (again) and creating what seems like a hyper-realistic free agent experience, the developers appear to have taken the steps necessary to bolster the base.

Having players have personalities and priorities during the offseason is a great touch. So is the off chance that a player comes back to you with a last-ditch effort to get a contract. I also love that top-end free agents will set the market and set the pace of the offseason — for better or worse, that’s how IRL baseball is now, too.

There are, of course, still questions, and ones that could very well be answered on Thursday.

Can we three-team trade? Can I include cash in deals? CAN I CONTROL HOT DOG PRICES?

Let’s wait to find out more. While these changes might not be headline-grabbing, they’re necessary. And Franchise needs some necessary love.