MLB The Show 23: Top 5 Players from the Negro Leagues who will be available in the game

MLB The Show 23 is the most-talked-about game of the year for baseball fans. The 16th edition of the popular game is set to be released on March 28 and will feature Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the cover.

The game is produced by San Diego Studios, who operate under PlayStation Studios. This year, they have unveiled a new "storyline mode" wherein players will be able to play as a Negro League player from yore. The new mode will include gameplay as well as educational background on eight former Negro League players. The Negro Leagues were all-Black baseball leagues that existed before Jackie Robinson led the effort in getting the leagues integrated in the late 1940s, leading to the abolition of the National Negro League in 1948.

Let's see what big names the new gameplay mode in MLB The Show will feature.

"It’s our honor to bring the Negro Leagues to MLB The Show 23! In partnership with the @NLBMuseumKC and president @nlbmpres we invite you on a journey to celebrate the Negro Leagues and their stories of triumph over adversity in a new game experience!" - MLB The Show

Top 5 Negro League players being featured in MLB The Show 23

5. Josh Donaldson

Long before modern-day New York Yankees star Josh Donaldson took the field, there was another by the same name. Josh Donaldson played for the Kansas City Royals of the NNL from 1920 to 1924. Apart from being a great batter and hitting .337 during the 1922 season, he was also a decent starter. Donaldson went 6-6, registering an ERA of 3.78 with the Monarchs in 1920 before stopping pitching to focus on hitting.

4. Hilton Smith

Another famous Kansas City Monarchs player was Hilton Smith. Smith was a starting pitcher for the Monarchs from 1936 to 1948, and was known for his elusive curveball.

"1942 Kansas City Monarchs Pitching Staff - Hilton Smith, Jack Matchett, Booker McDaniels, Lefty LaMarque, Connie Johnson & Satchel Paige!" - Baseball By BSmile

A five-time NNL All-Star, Smith led the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched in both 1938 and 1941. Inducted into the NNL Hall of Fame in 2001, MLB The Show players can look forward to learning more about this great pitcher.

3. Martin Dihigo

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels pitcher-hitter phenomenon, seems like a novelty. However, back in the early days of the NNL, there were more two-way players than ever before. Another such player was Martin Dihigo.

Originally from Cuba, Dihigo played for the New York Cubans in the 1930s and 1940s. In 12 seasons between the NNL and the Cuban leagues, he hit .307 over his career, with 431 hits, 64 home runs, 61 doubles, 17 triples, 227 RBIs, and 292 runs scored in 1404 at bats. He also went 26-19 as a pitcher over the course of his career with an ERA of 2.92.

2. Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige is another name MLB The Show 23 players can look forward to learning more about this spring. Paige was not just one of the best pitchers in the NNL, but ever.

"SATCHEL PAIGE IS COMING TO MLB THE SHOW 23 LETS GOOOOOO" - Shelfy

Paige also played for the powerhouse Kansas City Monarchs from 1939 to 1947. He made his MLB debut for the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at the age of 42, making him the oldest player to ever play his first MLB game. He continued his success in the MLB, compiling a record of 118-80 and an ERA of 2.70 in six seasons.

1. Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson is the only player to have his number, 42, retired across the entire MLB, and for good reason. Apart from a stellar career in both the NNL and the MLB, Robinson broke down barriers by becoming the first Black player to suit up for an MLB team in 1948 when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers — who later became the Los Angeles Dodgers. This spring, MLB The Show 23 players can truly expect to play as one of the greats.