Since first arriving on the gaming scene all the way back in 1961 with BBC Vik: The Baseball Demonstrator, baseball has frequently proven to be as popular in the gaming medium as it is in reality. The long history of baseball gaming has ensured the beloved sport has received a wide variety of takes and adaptations, ranging from compelling realism to immersive management and everything in between.

The world of fantasy baseball and management gaming has frequently proven to be a hit with audiences. Allowing players to build a team from the ground up and take them through a season, the best of these games leave no stone unturned in providing a complex, realistic management experience. Others, meanwhile, take players right into the heart of the action on the pitch, playing all nine innings in pursuit of victory. While plenty of more colorful, even fantastical takes have been offered over the years as well, it is these two key subgenres that have frequently proven to provide players the absolute best of the best in bringing the thrills of the diamond to the video game medium.

Updated on January 8, 2024, by John Cunningham: The expansive world of baseball gaming has a rich history of creative, often competitive video games to sift through. From the wild popularity of The Show series at the moment to the good old days of the Neo Geo and the NES, baseball games have been entertaining players for generations. This list has been updated to include several seminal releases from the '90s that paved the way for modern baseball gaming.

9 Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball Was A Huge Hit With Fans

Its Slick Controls And Popular Star Set It Apart

• Release: March 1994
• Consoles: SNES, Game Boy
• Developer: Software Creations

This seminal 1994 release is a fine example of less being more. First hitting the stands back in 1994, the game quickly impressed players with its straightforward but engaging gameplay.

Sporting easy-to-learn controls and well-thought-out, realistic player stats, the game managed to capture the interest of both casual and hardcore gamers, along, of course, baseball fans. By the standards of the time, the graphics were impressively detailed. A well-fit soundtrack added further to the action on offer, ensuring an engaging sports gaming experience overall. With a fun, competitive multiplayer mode, and the star power of the man himself to sell it, this classic hit was a seminal moment for baseball gaming.

8 World Series Baseball Changed The Game For Years To Come

Clever Controls And Remarkable Attention To Detail

• Release: January 1994
• Consoles: Genesis, Game Gear
• Developer: BlueSky Software

Another classic gem from 1994, World Series Baseball spearheaded the advancement of baseball gaming in the '90s. Not only baseball, but the game also set a new standard for sports gaming as a whole thanks to several key features, including its detailed character models.

With groundbreakingly fluid motions, the game's action proved to be more immersive than ever before for players at the time. One of World Series Baseball's most defining traits was its attention to detail. Key aspects such as individual player strategies and stances added a great deal of depth and detail to the overall gaming experience, impressive gamers and critics alike in the process. With intuitive controls and an addictive multiplayer mode, this classic provided near-endless hours of competitive fun for '90s players.

7 Baseball Stars 2 Emphasized Strategic Thinking In Its Gameplay

Innovative, Influential Gameplay And Customization Options

• Release: July 1992
• Consoles: Neo-Geo, NES, (after re-release) Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Designer: Romstar, SNK Corporation, M2, DotEmu, Hamster Corporation

First released back in 1992, Baseball Stars 2 quickly set itself apart from the pack. Sporting innovative features in all areas of the baseball gaming experience, it quickly garnered a reputation as an instant classic.

Much to the joy of gamers at the time, Baseball Stars 2 introduced player progression and customizable teams into the mix. In turn, players were able to create their own dream rosters, as well as watch the stars on their teams consistently improve over time. With fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay, as well as fun, retro animations and graphics, the game provided players with a colorful, competitive experience. Thanks to its refreshing blend of strategy, customization, and action, Baseball Stars 2 is a pioneering entry in the world of baseball gaming.

6 Astonishing Baseball 2020 Is An Immersive Management Simulation

Its Multilayered Management Gameplay Is Addictive

• Release: May 2020
• Consoles: Android, iOS
• Developer: Aerilys

When it comes to baseball on iOS, it doesn't get much better than the Astonishing Baseball series. The 2020 edition functions not only as a top-tier management game but also as a slow-building narrative that puts the decisions of the player at the forefront.

When it comes to dealing with the actual players, negotiating and dealing with big personalities is as big of a deal as line-ups, strategies, and monitoring on-pitch statistics. For MLB lovers, the purely fictional setting and players on offer can be a little off-putting at first. However, it also makes considerably more room for innovation and unpredictability in a world setting the player has far more control over than more standard management games. Considering the long range of potential issues and plotlines players can encounter here, including even the charitable interests of the team members, this game is long-term fun for baseball lovers who want an immersive, addictive experience.

5 MLB The Show 17 Gives Players An Excellent Story Mode

This Entry In The Show Wowed With Its Storytelling

• Release: March 2017
• Consoles: Playstation 4
• Developer: San Diego Studio

The 2017 installment of baseball gaming's number one series these days was a shining example of the power of improvement. Tweaking and perfecting many of the series' signature gameplay modes, The Show 17 continued to solidify the franchise as the unrivaled top dog in diamond gameplay.

Sporting MLB Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr. on the cover, the game won plentiful acclaim for its story mode, including an immersive "Pave Your Path" arc in which the player gets to make tough, plot-altering decisions as they develop their player from the ground up. "Pave Your Path" solved many of the issues both players and critics had had with the "Road To The Show" story mode, providing them with a more complete plot line and character journey to enjoy.

Beyond the story modes, the game also succeeds admirably in sharpening up the series' popular "Diamond Dynasty" mode, adding additional features and even legendary players for gamers to enjoy. A slick, near-flawless experience, MLB The Show 17 was a perfect showcase of where the series was heading on the quality front, even with a few curious glitches on display.

4 MLB The Show 23 Gives Players A Compelling, Historical Story Mode

Another The Show Edition With Excellent Storytelling

• Release: March 2023
• Consoles: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nintendo Switch
• Developer: San Diego Studio

The 18th installment of The Show sees the series provide players with a new, more story-focused mode to enjoy. For fans of iconic New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, the game's Captain Edition will no doubt prove to be a must-buy.

Historically, The Show 23 provides a fascinating look at the African American leagues that dotted the United States in the decades prior to Jackie Robinson joining MLB in 1947. On top of this compelling story mode focus, the game provides fresh takes on the Diamond Dynasty mode and a new Captain Cards mode that can allow players to drastically increase the skills of their team in quick order.

While the new entry in the series doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, it maintains The Show's reputation as the premier series to play for fans of the MLB. Dusted off with a rich, historical story mode, some neat game mode tweaks, and plenty of exciting teams, it's a compelling piece of gaming for baseball lovers and casual fans alike.

3 Out Of The Park Baseball 24 Is The Most In-Depth Baseball Management Game Yet

Its Detailed Approach To Management Is Second To None

• Release: March 2023
• Consoles: Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS
• Developer: Out of the Park Developments

There has never been a more impressively in-depth business simulation game focused on baseball than the long-running OOTP series' latest installment. Dropping back in March 2023, the game is fully licensed by the MLB and proved that Out Of The Park Developments is far from done in further perfecting their long-running baseball series.

Boasting better graphics than ever before, the '24 edition also focuses heavily on both expanding and improving the much-loved franchise mode, improving on the efforts made in '23. For more studious players, the game's analytics provide a more statistical, closer-to-reality gaming experience that puts them right in the heart of team management.

Essentially, this is the ultimate fantasy baseball game, giving viewers the most intensive, most in-depth rendition of the genre ever seen with more top-tier players than even the 23 edition had. Scouting talent, negotiating contracts, trade talks, and even MLB seasons going all the way back to 1871 are all on offer for players to enjoy to a hyper-realistic degree here. Praised by critics, fans, and even major MLB figures such as Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry, this game is simply without equal.

2 MLB The Show 21 Is A Neat Modern Showcase Of The Franchise's Best Qualities

Another Near Flawless Chapter For The Show.

• Release: April 2021
• Consoles: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S
• Developer: Sani Diego Studio

San Diego Studio's 2021 effort proved to be a new peak for both developers and baseball gaming as a whole. Sporting San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr. on the cover, the game provided the best rendition of pitching yet at the time of its release.

As the first installment in the series to be released on the ninth generation of consoles, many critics were expecting a total overhaul of The Show's gameplay. Instead, the developers opted to simply provide the most fine-tuned rendition of their signature style of baseball gameplay yet.

While the lack of daredevil changes or brand-new game modes might have disappointed some, the perfection of years of gaming can't be denied. Overall, MLB The Show 21 is a commendable display of confidence from a studio that has time and time again proven to be the apex in bringing the thrills of the diamond to the video gaming medium.

1 MVP Baseball 2005 Was The Ultimate Baseball Gaming Experience In Its Day

MVP Baseball 2005 Changed Everything When It Came To Game Mode Choices

• Release: February 2005
• Consoles: PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
• Developer: Electronic Arts, EA Vancouver

The third installment in EA's seminal but ultimately brief baseball series has become a beloved icon of sports gaming in the years since its release. Sporting then-Red Sox fan favorite Manny Ramirez on the cover, the game had everything sixth-generation console players could hope for from a baseball game bar Barry Bonds, who is very noticeably absent.

While players may take a litany of different game modes for granted these days, the spoilt-for-choice nature of MVP Baseball 2005's gameplay options was nothing short of incredible at the time. Everything from addictive franchising via the Dynasty and Owner Modes to the more conventional exhibition and manager options ensures players can squeeze near-endless hours out of this classic without getting bored. With scenario editor mode, players can conceive essentially every even vaguely possible outcome from a potential game, even re-creating historic match-ups if they so wish.

Both the pitching and batting mechanics were among the slickest ever seen at the time of release, providing straightforward use of the analogue/thumbstick while ramping up the intensity by testing players' timing. Overall, this watershed moment in baseball gaming remains an essential piece of sports gaming history almost 20 years later.

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