The MLB The Show 22 Franchise Mode and March to October game modes are getting some new features this year, and the development team broke down these changes in the latest Feature Reveal livestream!
Here are all the new things coming to MLB The Show 22 Franchise Mode and March to October alike - including new formula improvements for trade logic, trade metrics, wins above replacement (WAR), average annual value (AAV), and more.
MLB The Show 22 Franchise Mode New Features
MLB The Show 22 wasn't originally on the feature reveal schedule, but as a late addition, what did Sony San Diego present as new inclusions to the classic game mode?
Trade Logic Improvements
Any good Franchise Mode depends on an equally effective Trade Logic system, and the MLB The Show 22 development team targetted this for improvement this year.
The new Trade Logic improvements will try to more accurately assess the value of top stars, and in a trade demonstration, showed off that for the Yankees to get a young star like Juan Soto, they had to sacrifice 2 of the top 5 prospects in the MLB.
This goes along with a "premium" that will be added to top stars "under the hood" of MLB The Show 22 Franchise Mode.
Contract Improvements
MLB The Show 22 Franchise Mode contracts have received a number of tweaks and improvements. This includes a new maximum AAV in contracts at $35m and a new maximum length of contracts which will now be 15 years.
Along with these changes, player contract demands have been adjusted, and relief/closing pitchers will also command better contracts, an issue in previous years.
READ MORE: MLB The Show 22 Legends Roster: All Revealed Legends So Far
New 2-Way Player Expansions
In MLB The Show 22, 2-way players have received some tweaks to more accurately simulate the kind of talent that Shohei Ohtani demonstrates on both sides of the ball.
This includes pitchers gaining pitching stamina while operating as a DH, and to keep things balanced elsewhere, this feature won't exist in Diamond Dynasty.
Offseason Free Agency Improvements
MLB The Show 22 will adjust how the free agency period runs during the offseason, pushing back the timing for stars signing to teams to be more accurate to life, and adjusting exclusive negotiation periods.
This will mean top-level players will wait to sign deals during the offseason rather than the exclusive negotiations period far more often so that players can hit the market and test out other offers, in line with real-life offseason decisions.
Roster Logic Improvements
Franchise Mode this year will adjust how AI teams evaluate players, going beyond just OVR and potential to evaluate fit and value to the organization via their Player Metric value.
This will make for more intelligent AI roster construction to better improve the landscape of Franchise, and will also mean less solid talents in the Rule 5 drafts.
READ MORE: Pre Order MLB The Show 22 HERE
MLB The Show 22 March to October (MTO) New Features
The development team also broke down some new additions and changes to March to October (MTO) this year.
March to October can now span multiple years
Perhaps the MVP of all of the new MLB The Show 22 features is the expansion of March to October to span multiple years.
This will take the game from a win-now mode to an authentic and realistic team-building game mode. This will mean it's just as important to build your prospects as it is to bring in the veterans that can help your team top the tables during your run.
This pairs perfectly with a massively expanded March to October offseason system, and let's dive right into that now.
March to October Offseason Expansion: New Team Needs, Better Player Targetting, & Big Board Changes
MLB The Show 22 March to October has a new system for players to identify talents to pick up either through trades or Free Agency to fill voids in their rosters.
This new system goes way more in-depth for Team Needs, getting down to requesting traits like righties vs lefties, age, and playstyles at any given position.
To further expand the talent acquisition process in March to October, there are also new additions like Free Agency rumors to give life to the process.
Additionally, as players are added to your Big Board, they'll gain interest in signing for your team as you wine and dine them and inquire with their management. If they're about to be stolen away, you'll get a last chance to sign players on your Big Board.
These players will have a dynamic interest level to sign with your team based on a ton of factors, including other free agent targets, how long you've spoken to them, their individual interest value, the success of your team, overall fit, and at the end of the day, AAV and contract years.
There's also a new cinematic for the top 25 free agents each offseason who will enter through a door blacked out, then will be revealed as wearing their new team's jersey, which won't always be your own despite your bids, so prepare for the heartbreak ahead of time!