MLB The Show 26 Launches March 17 for PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 27 January 2026 / 4,490 Views
Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer San Diego Studio announced MLB The Show 26 will launch for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on March 17.
New York Yankees star player Aaron Judge will be the cover athlete for the game. This is the second time he has been the cover athlete.
View the cover athlete trailer below:
Read details on the game via PlayStation Blog below:
This year, MLB The Show is all about leaving your mark like never before. More than any single game, it’s about The Journey. It starts by putting in the hard work in high school, with a continuous drive to be better than the day before and a hunger for a Hall of Fame career. That drive was top of mind throughout the development of this year’s game, which is why San Diego Studio and MLB The Show are proud to welcome back 3x American League MVP, Aaron Judge.
His journey has taken him from high school to college, then the minors to the majors, and on to the world stage. We’ve mirrored the same journey in our game, striving to create the most authentic MLB experience outside of actually being on the field.
Aaron continues to rewrite history. He was our cover athlete in 2018, after a record-breaking rookie year in 2017. He’s now a 3-time AL MVP, 7-time All-Star, 5-time Silver Slugger award winner, AL single-season home run record holder with 62 homers, and the 2026 Team USA World Baseball Classic Captain.
These are just a few highlights from his long list of achievements, and Aaron’s performances have not only inspired players on the diamond, but athletes and fans around the world. We’re excited to have him back as the cover athlete of MLB The Show 26. It’s now up to you; how will you leave your mark?
Official gameplay trailer drops next week
Check back next week, on February 3, to see our gameplay trailer featuring everything new we have in store for ‘26. We’ve got updates on the features you know and love, plus a few special surprises.
MLB The Show 26 launches on March 17, 2026 (*Early access begins March 13)
Get ready for launch with a few key updates:
- Pre-orders for the Standard Edition and *Digital Deluxe Editions open on February 3, 2026 at 12 am EST/ 9 am PST on TheShow.com, platform stores, and participating retailers.
- Purchasing the Digital Deluxe Edition gives you 4 days of Early Access starting on March 13, 2026.
- Starting March 17, the Standard Edition of MLB The Show 26 is fully available.
The World Baseball Classic Tournament returns to Diamond Dynasty
This year’s cover features Aaron Judge in his Team USA World Baseball Classic uniform, so stay tuned to learn more about what this means for Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 26.
Homage x MLB The Show Returns
We’re also excited to announce the return of our Homage x MLB The Show apparel partnership! Since 2007, through crafted design, deep-cut storytelling, and Legendary Comfort, Homage has been helping fans pay homage to the people, places, and moments that matter most to them.
Similar to last year, we have an exciting variety of new drops that you can look forward to this year. Today’s drop is our Cover Athlete t-shirt, featuring Aaron Judge. In addition to adult sizes, we’re also excited to have youth sizes available! Cop the latest drop and own the show in style. Wear Homage and share your love for MLB The Show.
Purchase here: homa.ge/MLBTS
Stay in the know: Sign up for The Scouting Report & Your Show Account
Want the inside track on everything coming to MLB The Show 26? Sign up for the MLB The Show Scouting Report and get rewarded all season long with exclusive monthly Scouting Report Packs. From April through December, subscribers receive an exclusive Scouting Report Pack each month delivered straight to their inventory and filled with rewards you won’t want to miss.
Make sure you don’t miss your at-bat, sign up today on TheShow.com.
And while you’re at it, get ready for opening day by setting up your MLB The Show account. In ‘26, whatever platform you’re on, you can keep access to your entire inventory of cards. Step up to https://account.theshow.com and create your MLB The Show Account. Once you’re done, log in with your platform account and link it to your MLB The Show account. And that’s a win.
The journey is just beginning
Starting March 17, MLB The Show will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch with some special perks.
For more info on new features and sneak peeks on MLB The Show 26, check out our most recent blog post. And if you’re still game for more, keep reading here.
We’ll keep the action coming with regular updates, so keep an eye out for the Gameplay Trailer reveal next week, weekly feature reveals, Feature Trailer deep dives, updates on the Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions, a new pre-order loyalty discount and more.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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No Switch 2 version?
Really?
Apparently, it has taken until the last few months for a lot of major devs to get Switch 2 Dev Kits. And I'm sure it's a problem for indies as well.
For all the strong third-party support on Switch 2 and what's coming, Nintendo really should have planned that out better.
Don't know if The Show 26 will get a Switch 2 port later, but 99% chance The Show 27 is a Switch 2 title. And by then, they might be done with putting it on Switch.
They dropped PS4 and Xbox One last year, but for Switch 2 they only offer the heavily downgraded Switch 1 version in back compat...
