Disclaimer: Been buying MLB The Show day one since Puig was on the cover This year was the first where we did not buy the PS4 version on day one but rather made the purchase for Nintendo Switch- since the primary player in the house was now using the handheld over the Playstation. Unfortunately, after years of playing these games, I have to say this year’s version made zero impact in the house. My kid played the Road to The Show mode for a few weeks, and then put it to the side. As expected, the graphics are of lesser quality than that of the Playstation- but being used to playing on PS4 the difference is jarring. The game modes are the typical ones, and any differences in game mechanics seem minimal (other than accounting different console controllers). We don’t normally listen to the music genre that dominates the soundtrack, but in years past we would usually find 2-3 songs outside of our wheelhouse that would stick and end up in my Spotify rotation. This year- nothing. The lack of innovation is a shame too because with such a flamboyant and exciting player as Jazz Chisolm as the cover athlete, you would think Sony SDS would have matched his energy in the features, gameplay, and presentation. Unfortunately that didn’t seem to be the case. As a player that has played the franchise for several years, I am rating this year’s title 3 stars. If you are a player that has never had a chance to play any of the games in the franchise, tack on one extra star because it is still the best Baseball game on the market. Note: I plan to purchase MLB The Show for PS5 when the inevitable price cut happens. I’m hoping my impression of the game changes when playing on latest gen flagship hardware. Rally caps on.