MLB The Show 23‘s existence isn’t exactly surprising, but San Diego Studio has talked more about the upcoming entry in its annual baseball series. The developer revealed the game’s cover athlete and its release date, noting that Jazz Chisholm Jr. would grace the box when it comes out on March 28 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
After building up to the announcement, San Diego Studio released a trailer starring the 24-year-old Miami Marlins player. He spoke about playing baseball in the sandlot as a kid in the Bahamas, which was interspersed with clips of him playing professionally as well as with children. He spoke about his heritage to Yahoo Sports by acknowledging the significance of being a Bahamian on the cover of a video game, noting that “everybody from the Bahamas knows now they can do anything after they see this.” He also told the outlet that he was “ecstatic” and that it “felt like Christmas before Christmas.”
The game itself will support cross-platform play, cross-platform saves, and cross-platform progression. Progression in current-gen-only features like Stadium Creator won’t move between systems, though. However, players will be able to import their Road to the Show progress and card inventory (among other types of progress) freely from console to console. Sounds of the Show, a feature that lets players import their own music, is once again exclusive to the PS4 version.
Pre-orders open on February 6 and the collector’s edition will be revealed on February 2. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will also be $69.99, while the other ports will be $59.99. And while PS5 copies will include the PS4 version, those on PS4 who want to upgrade to PS5 will have to pay an extra $10.
San Diego Studio didn’t release gameplay, but did say that players should “look forward to new ways to play, a new class of legends,” and much more.