The most popular game mode in MLB The Show 23 is Road to the Show, a career simulation experience for gamers to make them feel like they're playing big league ball. There is a lot of promise in the mode as players can set home run, strikeout, or Gold Glove records depending on what they choose to specialize in.
However, the first few times that players get into MLB The Show 23, they'll likely get jammed up at some points. Sometimes it feels impossible to make a big league roster. Without guidance, it's possible to get traded around and never make it to a starting role for the first several seasons.
10 Choose A Team Or A Position
When first making a player it's important to choose a player or a team but not both. For example, if a gamer wants to be a right fielder, there are many teams, such as the Rays and Tigers, that need a right fielder. But don't play for the Yankees, they've got one of the best right fielders in the game in Aaron Judge.
Getting called up early in Road to the Show allows players to get on a team quickly. It jumpstarts a career and allows players to be the final cog for a team making a run to the playoffs. If players get stuck in the minors, the major league team is often in shambles before the end of the first year. Rebuilding is a rough experience.
A two-way player's rating will be judged by their pitching rating, not hitting, so focus on building up pitching attributes first.
9 Craft A Batting Stance
Making the best batting stance possible is critical to success. The stance makes a bigger difference than statistical benefits. And every player will want something different out of their stance. Take some time and really make sure to get this part squared away.
With a great stance, power hitters will start clubbing home runs with bad power attributes. Likewise, contact hitters can still hit for .400 in the minor leagues before they get their contact attribute going.
8 Use An Appropriate Skill Set & Perks
Players get a choice of skills when they first make their player. These skills correspond to perks that are unlocked by leveling up the chosen skill set. Hitters get to choose between power, contact, or fielding while pitchers have velocity, control, or break available to them.
There aren't technically wrong answers here but there are wrong answers for the given position. If players decide to make a shortstop, the player's rating benefits more from defense, speed, and contact than power. The best closers in baseball have higher velocity while starters favor more control and stamina.
7 Max Out Program Points
Early on, players will get various challenges, both active and passive, that reward program points. After getting one hundred, players will then graduate to the next tier skill set. In the end, players will have diamond-rarity skill sets and perks.
The amount these provide is greater than any other attribute source. Players who are aware of these goals can max out all of these within their first season and it will well worth it to do so.
6 Equip For Success
Equipment is a big deal and the monetization of the game is well aware of that. The best equipment for each kind of player can be expensive and take a while to earn. However, even a novice gamer should be able to afford gold-rarity or better items within their first gaming session. This alone can make a big difference.
There is a method for farming up stubs that can give players over 100,000 stubs per hour though it involves making multiple characters. Those who use it will find that they can gear up their player in Road to the Show perfectly before setting foot in their first ball game.
5 Balancing Difficulty & Experience
The difficulty is something that is going to vary from player to player. Even hardcore gamers on the toughest settings struggle to perform at elite levels. But they oftentimes choose to do so because the game rewards the player more experience on harder settings.
It's recommended to leave dynamic difficulty on as this will balance out the gamer's performance and experience nicely. After maxing out all attributes, feel free to reduce the difficulty to whatever is the most fun to play.
4 Use The Correct Settings
When it comes to fielding settings, every semi-serious player is going to use drifting ball. But not all of the others are so cut-and-dry. Players should review the settings for the game regularly and, if something isn't working out, try a different one.
Perhaps the strongest example of this is the pitching settings. Pinpoint pitching is technically the "best" but the amount of human error possible can also make it the worst. Revisit any settings that aren't working out and change them.
3 Take Low-Hanging Fruit
When selecting a drill, players will often get the chance to level up attributes that matter for their character. Yet there is a point where it makes sense to increase lesser attributes than feeding the major ones.
For example, a power hitter in the high forties will get a choice to level their power by a tiny fraction of the meter or to level fielding, arm strength, and arm accuracy by a few points apiece. In this situation, take the option that gives the overall points.
2 Witty Pitching
A low-level pitcher should see a danger against every hitter they face. With the right pitching tips, power hitters will be grounding out while contact hitters will be hitting lazy pop flies on the infield.
Hit the R2 button on any console's controller to get a breakdown on the batter. Find their weak spots and aggressively target these zones.
1 Big Time Hitting
Get acquainted with a few hitting tips and become a monster. Contact players who hit well will be moved to the top of the lineup, giving them extra at-bats in each game and more opportunities to increase their attribute score.
Power hitters that hit home runs with alarming frequency will find they get to bat third or fourth for maximum RBI opportunities.
MLB The Show 23 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.