MLB The Show 21 is just a few weeks away from launch, but anticipation is building to see how Franchise Mode looks this year.
We got a fascinating look at the changes being made in this week's Feature Premiere, and MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode looks smarter and more intelligent than the mode ever has before.
Ultimate customization in Franchise Mode
One of the most important factors in Franchise Mode is letting players take as much or as little control as they'd like, and MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode is prepared to do that.
If users want to take full control and handle every minute detail in their Franchise, they will have the option to do that.
However, if someone prefers to just let the computer handle the managerial actions and wants to play the games and see how their Franchise plays out, that option will also be available.
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New and improved depth chart
Perhaps the most exciting improvement in MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode looks to be the new and improved depth chart.
The interface in this new depth chart is infinitely easier to navigate than previous years, but it's also packed with far more information.
New icons indicate players in contract years or top prospects, but you can also jump ahead to future years to see what your future Franchise depth chart will look like.
WAR - Wins Above Replacement
One of the new features that further solidifies the intelligent logic built into MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode this year is WAR, or Wins Above Replacement.
Franchise will now actively measure how a player is doing when compared to a similar replacement level player at the same position.
This will help you understand whether players are underperforming or overproducing based throughout an ongoing Franchise.
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Trade Metric & Player Metric join Franchise Mode
The new Player Metric will calculate a given player's performance and attributes, whereas Trade Metric will take that information and factor in their current contract.
These new logic systems will work naturally through MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode, and they'll make a major different when negotiating new contracts and making trades.
Broken trade logic is one of the most ridiculed parts of Franchise Modes all across sports gaming, and MLB The Show 21 has some major under the hood improvements to make theirs the best around.
Budget is easier to understand than ever
After previous years saw the budget system in MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode almost unintelligible to some fans with a weekly budget system, that's all changing.
Instead, the budget system is now replaced by a yearly version, rather than weekly, which will make viewing and understanding your Franchise budget easier than ever before.
And again, the amount of care that's taken here will be completely up to the player, and these kinds of things can be left up to the computer if you'd rather just play the games and not bother with the budget.
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Stadium Creator across entire Franchise Mode
Stadium Creator is coming to MLB The Show for the first time ever, and it will be fully integrated into Franchise Mode as well.
Players will not only be able to customize their own team's ballpark, but you can save up to 30 custom Stadium Creator creations in Franchise Mode.
This will allow you to edit all the ballparks used by every team in your Franchise, even opponents and minor league clubs.
Foundation for the future
While all of these improvements are exciting for this year, they mean eve more when looking at the future of MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode.
Sony San Diego did major testing when implementing these new systems and developing all of the new smart logic.
All of this sets the foundation for the series moving forward, which means MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode should only get better in the coming years.