With some of the greats getting the spotlight right away, the MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues players are just one piece of the puzzle for the new Storylines game mode. These MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues additions are only the start, as this deep-dive into history is here to stay.
In addition to the eight Negro Leagues players being highlighted in Season One, there are six MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues stadiums that players will be able to utilize. MLB The Show 23 Storylines will pay homage to several legends, but it’s only the beginning of a longterm partnership.
In this article you will learn:
- The full MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues players roster
- All six Negro Leagues stadiums in MLB The Show 23
- Details about the Storylines game mode and future plans
MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues players and stadiums in Season One
The MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues will highlight just eight of the many different legends of the game from that era in baseball history in this year’s Season One. There won’t be through the year updates with new seasons, instead, new seasons and groups of players to focus on each year.
Stadiums were a particularly unique challenge for developers, as Ramone Russell discussed in the Feature Premiere for MLB The Show 23 Storylines. The video extensively pointed out some details like the absence of dugouts or foul poles had to be stretched to fit the parameters of the game. However, to create the most accurate snapshots possible of this historic era, crucial details were taken into account.
The following six stadiums will be available in MLB The Show 23:
- Muehlebach Field (1923-1948) – Kansas City, Missouri
- Hilldale Park (1929-1932) – Darby, Pennsylvania
- South Side Park (1929-1932) – Chicago, Illinois
- Comiskey Park (1911-1951) – Chicago, Illinois
- Forbes Field (1922-1939) – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Bush Stadium (1922-1939) – Indianapolis, Indiana
In detail, these will be snapshots at one specific era of those stadiums, just as the MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues players will represent and highlight key moments in their own careers. While some, such as Jackie Robinson, have been in the game before and are known for the MLB eras of their careers, MLB The Show 23 Storylines will be looking specifically at their history in the Negro Leagues.
Furthermore, here are the eight players who make up the Season One MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues roster:
Satchel Paige (????-1982) – The Negro League’s Brightest Star
As expected, the first name to join the ranks was arguably one of the most obvious picks – Satchel Paige. Paige brought a charismatic presence alongside his star-power which would set him up as a global name in today’s league. Paige was indeed a prolific pitcher that led the Kansas City Monarchs to victory in the 1942 Negro World Series. Paige’s glowing achievements with the team saw him inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
Hilton Smith (1907-1983) – The Forgotten Star
Hilton Smith, as described by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, was in many ways “Satchel’s shadow.” Clearly, Smith was a much quieter star, however, his devastating curveball spoke volumes en route to his winning the 1942 Negro World Series alongside Satchel Paige with the Kansas City Monarchs. He joined the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Rube Foster (1879-1930) – The Father of Black Baseball
Without a doubt, Rube Foster lit things up on the mound in the first decade of the 1900s. Also, he made lasting impacts as a manager and one of the founding team owners that helped establish the very existence of the Negro National League. As a result, in 1981, Foster got posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hank Thompson (1925-1969) – Barrier Breaker
Following his role at Kansas City Monarchs for several years, Hank Thompson went on to become the first Black player with the St. Louis Browns and with the New York Giants. Also, Thompson formed the first all-Black outfield in the majors along with Monte Irvin and Willie Mays. His stint with the Giants also happened to include a 1954 World Series Championship.
Buck O’Neil (1911-2006) – A Leader of Men
As Bob Kendrick explained in the MLB The Show 23 Storylines Feature Premiere, Buck O’Neil is someone that most people fell in love with because of his stories and how he taught others about the Negro Leagues. However, O’Neil was also a dynamic defensive first baseman and effective line drive hitter who was finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) – Baseball’s Greatest Pioneer
Easily the most well-known name among the MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues roster is that of Jackie Robinson. While best remembered for breaking the color barrier as part of the Brooklyn Dodgers and being one of the sparks for the Civil Rights Movement, Robinson began his prolific professional baseball career in the Negro Leagues as a member of the 1945 Kansas City Monarchs.
John Donaldson (1891-1970) – The Great Barnstorming Showman
While he narrowly missed a National Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 2022, there’s no denying John Donaldson is one of the greatest pitchers the sport has ever seen. With about 400 verifiable wins and 5000 verifiable strikeouts even before Satchel Paige was lighting things up, Donaldson was putting up video game numbers all over the Negro Leagues for literally dozens of different teams.
Martín Dihigo (1905-1971) – El Maestro
Finally, there is the legendarily versatile Martín Dihigo who had the ability to excel at all nine different positions. Dihigo’s impact was truly international as he is the only player to be elected into five different Hall of Fames. In addition to his National Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 1977, he also got honored in Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.
MLB The Show 23 Storylines kickoff a multi-year focus on the Negro Leagues
The addition of MLB The Show 23 Storylines looking at the Negro Leagues included the initially confusing mention of “Season One,” a detail that was quickly clarified during the Feature Premiere. Ramone Russell, Product Development Communications and Brand Strategist for MLB The Show, confirmed that this is a multi-year partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Season One, rather than being something fluid for the life cycle of a game like is used in MyTEAM or Ultimate Team modes by Madden or NBA 2K, actually represents that this is only the first group to take the spotlight. The eight MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues players will be succeeded by a new group of Negro Leagues stars in MLB The Show 24, and that will continue into the future.
The first look at gameplay, as seen in the images above, included a glimpse at one Jackie Robinson moment and the interface for MLB The Show 23 Storylines. The framework appears fairly similar to the way that Moments have worked for some time in Diamond Dynasty with players given a very specific circumstance and goal. All that will be interspersed with interviews about the players and highlight footage of their careers and lives.
In addition to the eight players outlined above being a focus for MLB The Show 23 Storylines, all of these Negro Leagues players (and the Negro Leagues version of Jackie Robinson, separate from his main model) will be playable in all game modes in MLB The Show 23. All of this and more is in store for players in the inaugural MLB The Show 23 Negro Leagues gameplay.
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