Let’s face it: Baseball gets somewhat overlooked in the video games space. Compared to, say, basketball, soccer, and football, which see a flurry of AAA games released annually, baseball games mostly tend to go under the radar. There are logistical reasons for this, with baseball being somewhat more difficult to execute in terms of gameplay, meaning two things: Either the games have to be incredibly complex in terms of development, or they have to focus on the management side of baseball, which, again, can be quite complex to develop. Cricket games have a similar issue.
And yet, while baseball games don’t get as much mainstream exposure, that’s not to say that great baseball games don’t exist. There are numerous options across multiple platforms, ranging from unique baseball management simulators on PC to baseball-themed DraftKings online blackjack games you can play on your mobile. Of course, there’s also the flagship series, MLB: The Show, which we will revisit a bit later.
Below, we wanted to look at a few all-timers, however. Everyone will have a personal favorite, but these five titles have claims on being the best baseball video games ever released:
MLB 10: The Show (PS3, 2010)
By the time we got to March 2009, MLB: The Show was on a bit of a streak with great games. MLB 09 – fronted by Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia – had won near-universal acclaim, but the follow-up is widely considered the series’ masterpiece, getting 100% critical reviews. The Twins’ Joe Mauer was the cover star, which was fitting, given that the brilliant “Catcher Calling the Game” feature let you run the calls like the legendary catcher.
Out of the Park Baseball 15 (PC, 2014)
This is probably the best game around for fans of baseball management. OOTP 15 is arguably the most celebrated sandbox of front-office decision-making and scouting. You get access to historical leagues, finances, and a database that lets you simulate decades of the game with incredible attention to detail. The series has continued, and you can’t go wrong with OOTP 26 (released last March), but this one really holds up over a decade later.
MLB 11: The Show (PS3, 2011)
If MLB 10 was The Godfather of baseball games, MLB 11 was The Godfather Part II. It was certainly not as ground-breaking as its predecessor, but it didn’t intend to be: Its goal was to simply refine and polish the greatness that came before and continue the story, much in the same way as Coppola’s two movie masterpieces. Indeed, the continuity was cemented with Mauer again as the cover star.
World Series Baseball 2K3 (Xbox/PS2, 2003)
Before the 2K series faded, 2K3 delivered a brilliant title that balanced authenticity with responsive controls. The key aspect was that the game was wrapped in an ESPN-style broadcast package that felt years ahead of its time. The 2K baseball games aren’t as revered as other series, but this is probably the pick of the bunch. Moreover, it introduced many elements that acted as a blueprint for baseball games today.
MVP Baseball 2005 (PS2/Xbox/GC, 2005)
Twenty years on, and this one is still a cult favorite for a variety of reasons, including its “Own the Plate” batting and precision pitching meter. EA would eventually lose its MLB license for the game, but sliders and mods kept it alive for many years after. Critics loved it at the time, believing it to be one of the best examples of a console-based baseball sim. It has an absolutely brilliant soundtrack, too.
