REVIEW: MLB THE SHOW 25 STORYLINES THE NEGRO LEAGUES

Published Aug 25, 2025 at 9:32 PM EDT

MLB The Show 25 includes all the players from “seasons” 1 and 2 of Storylines.

REDWOOD CITY, CA — The decline of African-American players in Major League Baseball has been well documented. A total of 59 Black players appeared on Opening Day active and inactive lists this year, with an additional 18 Black players in the Minor Leagues on MLB 40-man rosters. That works out to about 6.2% of the league, which was a rise from 6.0% one year ago, but a far cry from the 18% seen in 1981.

Several reasons have been given, like the high costs of equipment, a lack of access to quality baseball programs, insufficient marketing of Black talent and the limited the presence of Black individuals in coaching and leadership positions within MLB.

All of those things contribute to lower engagement rates within the Black community, but the real truth is that many in the Black community perceive baseball as a slow, outdated sport compared to the more fast-paced sports of basketball and football.

This lack of interest naturally extends itself to the world of gaming, where the Madden NFL and NBA 2K series rule the hearts and minds of Black youth and adults. Most black gamers in America, including this writer, don't play MLB The Show, so I had absolutely no idea about Storylines: The Negro Leagues, which has been included on the last three installments of the video game.

Produced by San Diego Studio, Storylines: The Negro Leagues is part of a multiyear partnership between the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) and MLB The Show “to educate, enlighten, and inspire by allowing players the opportunity to experience the amazing history and impact of the Negro Leagues on the game of baseball and the fabric of America.”

MLB The Show 25 includes all the players from “seasons” 1 and 2 of Storylines. They call them seasons because the content is presented in a documentary style, narrated by NLBM president Bob Kendrick, with actual game play interspersed.

This, in my opinion, is the least appealing aspect of Storylines: The Negro Leagues. When someone fires up their console to play a video game, they want to unwind and take heir mind off the day they had at work and the troubles in world. They want an immersive experience that transports them to a different time and place – not a civil rights documentary. I was also put off by the Hip-Hop soundtrack, which also takes away from the immersive experience.

That being said, the player models look absolutely fantastic and the uniforms are awesome. It would be great if EA Sports created a standalone version of Storylines: The Negro Leagues with full rosters and gameplay instead of scenarios. I would also like to see modern day African-American baseball players talking about the game, which would probably connect better with the youth. As stated earlier, I'd also ditch the contemporary RB/Hip-Hop music for cinematic instrumentals or period music.

I must give EA Sports credit though. I was super excited to see they included The Negro Leagues even if I was late to The Show.