MLB The Show 21 Franchise Mode is smarter than ever


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.

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TAKE CONTROL: Or give full control to the computer and play away

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.

READ MORE: Pinpoint Pitching and PAR ready to impress in The Show

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.

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GO DEEP: You can even view future seasons in Franchise Mode

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.

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TO WAR: See if players are living up to their promised potential

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.

READ MORE: MLB The Show's new story-driven Career Mode is gold

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.

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SHOWMETRICS: New systems will help understand what players are worth

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.

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METS LOGIC: Something tells me the game can help them

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.

READ MORE: MLB The Show 21 Full Legends Roster

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.

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PLAY ANYWHERE: Bring your creations into Franchise Mode

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.

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IN WITH THE NEW: Developers loved the way the new systems performed

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.

READ MORE: MLB The Show 21 to hit Xbox Game Pass at launch

For more articles like this, take a look at our MLB The Show page.