# MLB The Show 24
**MLB The Show 24** is a baseball simulation video game developed by San Diego Studio and published by [Sony Interactive Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-interactive-entertainment), released on March 19, 2024 for [PlayStation 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-4) and [PlayStation 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-5), Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/b8de75349191aaffb124da66a9f32112). Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the cover athlete[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete). The game is the 19th annual entry in the MLB The Show series, which began as "MLB 06: The Show" with David Ortiz on the first cover[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cover athlete | Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays, revealed January 30, 2024[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete) |
| Release date | March 19, 2024[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg9688J80oY) |
| Platforms | PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, with cross-platform play and cross-progression[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete) • [4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/) |
| New storylines | Negro Leagues Season 2 (Hank Aaron, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Toni Stone) and Storylines: Derek Jeter[4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/) |
| First for the series | Playable female ballplayers in Road to the Show via the "Women Pave Their Way" storyline[2](https://apnews.com/article/b8de75349191aaffb124da66a9f32112) |
| Charity tie-in | $1 donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for every Negro Leagues Edition sold in the US until December 31, 2024[4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/) |
| Franchise addition | Custom Game Entry Conditions, a slider controlling when the player takes control during a game[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/) |
## Cover athlete
[Vladimir Guerrero Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/vladimir-guerrero-jr) was revealed as the cover athlete on January 30, 2024[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete). By then, Guerrero had made the All-Star Game in three consecutive seasons, shared the MLB home run lead in 2021, and claimed victory at the 2023 [Home Run Derby](https://www.edgepedia.org/home-run-derby)[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete).
The announcement was made with a documentary filmed in Guerrero's hometown in the [Dominican Republic](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominican-republic) in December, in which he showed the places important to his upbringing. "Choosing Vlad Jr. was really easy," said Ramone Russell, MLB The Show's product development, communications and brand strategist for Sony[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete). The reveal stream was hosted by [David Ortiz](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-ortiz), a family friend and himself a former cover athlete[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete) • [6](https://blog.latam.playstation.com/2024/01/31/la-portada-de-mlb-the-show-24-contara-con-vladimir-guerrero-jr-esperala-el-19-de-marzo/).
The choice created a family link: Guerrero's father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, appeared on the cover of MLB 2006, the final edition before the game became "The Show." The two are the first father-son duo to be cover athletes for MLB's flagship game[1](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete).
## Storylines
The Storylines mode, introduced in MLB The Show 23 with a Negro Leagues season, returns with two new chapters[4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/) • [5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/).
**Negro Leagues Season 2.** The second season of the playable Negro Leagues documentary covers players including [Hank Aaron](https://www.edgepedia.org/hank-aaron), Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, and Toni Stone, a woman who competed alongside men in the era[4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/) • [5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/). Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, again provides narration, and episodes combine photos, animations, and archival video with playable moments[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/). Completing the storylines rewards the player with cards usable in Diamond Dynasty[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/).
**Storylines: Derek Jeter.** A '90s-based mode pays homage to the [New York Yankees](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-yankees) captain, with Jeter narrating his career in an interview conducted on a subway train, a motif used as the backdrop for the episodes[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/) • [7](https://gameinformer.com/review/mlb-the-show-24/breaking-barriers).
## Road to the Show and female players
For the first time in the series, Road to the Show, the career mode, allows players to create a female baseball player and compete alongside the men. In the "Women Pave Their Way" storyline, a created female player pursues a major league career, with a narrative involving the combine and a female friend vying alongside her[2](https://apnews.com/article/b8de75349191aaffb124da66a9f32112) • [5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/). Mollie Braley, the game's narrative designer, said that women involved in the sport were consulted during the mode's development[8](https://apnews.com/article/ae522c89e83dc0eba33fc98c08e91594). Reviewers noted that beyond this addition, the mode's changes were largely cosmetic, and it retains the loadout system criticized in earlier years[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/).
## Franchise and other modes
**Franchise** adds Custom Game Entry Conditions, a setting with a situation importance slider ranging from low to very high that determines how close a game must be, and how late the inning, before the player takes control. It can also trigger entry for player highlight moments, such as finishing a no-hitter. Operation Sports observed that the feature makes the March to October mode, built to shorten a season, somewhat obsolete[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/).
**Diamond Dynasty**, the card-collecting mode, uses Stubs as its in-game currency for purchasing card packs and trading on the online Community Marketplace[9](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/xbox-xs/diamond-dynasty/2.html). In response to criticism that top-tier cards were available at release and usable across multiple seasons, cards now escalate in power with each season, and a daily cap limits XP accrual[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/). Sub-modes include Ranked Seasons, Events, Battle Royale, Conquest, and Mini Seasons Classic, a 28-game season of three-inning games against teams in the fictional Global Baseball League[10](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/xbox-xs/diamond-dynasty/6.html) • [11](https://blog.playstation.com/2024/03/15/start-your-early-access-journey-today-in-mlb-the-show-24/). Progression in Diamond Dynasty counts from every mode except Road to the Show[12](https://www.threedadsconsole.com/post/mlb-the-show-24-online-review).
Other returning features include Stadium Creator for designing real-world or fantastical ballparks, the Combine's three mini games for testing skills by position, and a pitch clock that can be disabled for offline modes[13](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/ps5/more-ways-to-play/1.html) • [14](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/xbox-xs/new-modes-and-features.html).
## Editions and reception
The game sold in Standard, MVP, Digital Deluxe, and Negro Leagues Editions, the latter including four days of early access, a steelbook, a New Era hat, and 20,000 Stubs[4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/). Sony donated $1 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for every Negro Leagues Edition sold in the US until December 31, 2024[4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/).
Reviewers received the game as a refinement year. Operation Sports called it "another solid hit," praising the storylines and the Franchise addition while criticizing Road to the Show, the absence of a true online franchise mode, and CPU difficulty that even Legend level did not make challenging for veterans[5](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/). GameSpot described it as fine-tuning the previous year's framework and called the addition of women in Road to the Show a positive step[15](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mlb-the-show-24-review-base-hit/1900-6418203/). Push Square wrote that San Diego Studio "continues to lead the field by pushing the boundaries of the genre overall" and that microtransactions are never really needed unless a player wants to collect every card[16](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/mlb-the-show-24). The Associated Press highlighted the playable female athletes as the year's most notable change, alongside gameplay work on "fielder urgency"[2](https://apnews.com/article/b8de75349191aaffb124da66a9f32112).
## References
1. [Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the MLB The Show 24 cover athlete, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-mlb-the-show-24-cover-athlete)
2. [What to stream this week: Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, 'Grey's Anatomy' and MLB The Show 24, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/b8de75349191aaffb124da66a9f32112)
3. [MLB The Show 24 New Official Gameplay Demo, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg9688J80oY)
4. [MLB The Show 24, PlayStation (US)](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mlb-the-show-24/)
5. [MLB The Show 24 Review: Another Solid Hit for the Series, Operation Sports](https://www.operationsports.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-another-solid-hit-for-the-series/)
6. [La portada de MLB The Show 24 contará con Vladimir Guerrero Jr., PlayStation.Blog LATAM](https://blog.latam.playstation.com/2024/01/31/la-portada-de-mlb-the-show-24-contara-con-vladimir-guerrero-jr-esperala-el-19-de-marzo/)
7. [MLB The Show 24 Review: Breaking Barriers, Game Informer](https://gameinformer.com/review/mlb-the-show-24/breaking-barriers)
8. [MLB The Show 24 unveils female player mode 'Women Pave Their Way', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ae522c89e83dc0eba33fc98c08e91594)
9. [MLB The Show 24 manual: Diamond Dynasty, theshow.com](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/xbox-xs/diamond-dynasty/2.html)
10. [MLB The Show 24 manual: Diamond Dynasty ways to play, theshow.com](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/xbox-xs/diamond-dynasty/6.html)
11. [Start your Early Access journey today in MLB The Show 24, PlayStation.Blog](https://blog.playstation.com/2024/03/15/start-your-early-access-journey-today-in-mlb-the-show-24/)
12. [MLB The Show 24 "Online" Review, Three Dads Console](https://www.threedadsconsole.com/post/mlb-the-show-24-online-review)
13. [MLB The Show 24 manual: More ways to play, theshow.com](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/ps5/more-ways-to-play/1.html)
14. [MLB The Show 24 manual: New modes and features, theshow.com](https://manuals.theshow.com/en-us/24/xbox-xs/new-modes-and-features.html)
15. [MLB The Show 24 Review – Base Hit, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mlb-the-show-24-review-base-hit/1900-6418203/)
16. [MLB The Show 24 Review (PS5), Push Square](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/mlb-the-show-24)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual PlayStation-platform game titles › Racing and sports games*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license