Minor Leagues are Coming to MLB The Show
Fans of MLB The Show have been requesting this for years, and it’s finally happening – the full Minor League Baseball roster is being added to the game. This is big news for fans and for the minor leagues that are getting the increased exposure that they desperately need.
Originally, fans had to create their own downloadable rosters to have this feature in the game. This means that, previously, baseball fans went through the painstaking process of creating over 1,500 minor league players and releasing the file. Instead, MLB The Show 2020 will include the entire minor league roster from the initial release. Reportedly at least several players will have full face scans for the game, making them look as accurate as possible. In the release trailer, several well-known minor leaguers were shown, including Tim Tebow, the former NFL quarterback. It’s yet to be explained how these players will be rated in the game in comparison to the major league players. Other details are up in the air as well, but with the game releasing on Friday for those who pre-ordered it, we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Future Looking Brighter for Minor League Players
It’s no secret that minor league players are used to getting the short end of the stick. Essentially these teams are used as farms for talent, with players brought up to the major leagues once they have proven their talent and worth in the minors. It’s common knowledge that these athletes are not paid exceptionally well, especially when compared to their MLB counterparts.
It seems things may have been getting slightly better for these players as of late. Recently it was announced they are getting a salary increase. Though the salary may still be low, and athletes are still only paid for five months out of the year, any step towards better conditions is a step in the right direction.
What This Means for Baseball Fans
Fans who are serious about their love for sports keep an eye on minor leaguers or college players and follow their careers. Someone outside the realm of sports fans might not understand this dedication, but following the careers of athletes early on is incredibly rewarding.
This mindset is something that baseball desperately needs more of. College football, for instance, has some of the most ravenous fans there are, and several cities and states across the USA arguably care more about these teams than they do about NFL teams. If Minor League Baseball is able to capture some of this magic, then the results will be incredible for the sport overall.
With the entire minor league roster added to MLB The Show, it gives fans both new and old the chance to connect with some of these up-and-coming athletes. They follow the news closely and want to see the in-demand athletes that everyone is expecting to be tremendous when they make it to the majors. It’s a win-win for the game publisher and the fans because there isn’t enough demand for a minor-league-centered game similar to the NCAA football series, but it’s still a feature that brings in more customers at a small cost to the game developer.
MLB The Show Joining eSports
Video gaming is a massive industry that has immense crossover from traditional sports fans who not only watch sports in real life but also compete in eSports. Though eSports might be a relatively new concept, the scene is growing massively among fans of all ages. Expanding on MLB The Show is a great way to bring in new fans of baseball and keep America’s sport going strong.
Just recently, there have been several MLB The Show tournaments with big prizes attached. Sony themselves answered the long awaited requests for a sponsored tournament that started just after New Year and featured a $10,000 prize pool. All this attention is great for the sport of baseball as it will have a cyclical effect. The more cash prize tournaments there are for MLB The Show the more people will play it, and eventually get into watching baseball overall. We have seen this effect with other major sports organizations like FIFA, NFL, UFC, and others. Keeping MLB The Show going strong keeps America’s pastime healthy and growing, which is exactly what this sport needs right now.
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