It's the moment every MLB The Show player anticipates: firing up the game for the first time and assembling a dream team. Excitement is in the air, but so is a bit of pressure, especially when jumping straight into a ranked game. As you dive into building your ultimate team, remember that having enough resources is key. Some players choose to buy MLB The Show 25 stubs to bolster their squad quickly. With your team ready, it's time to find the player who's going to be the Yordan Alvarez of this season – that unexpected live series card that just mashes.

Last year, Alvarez was an absolute beast, hitting everything in sight. This year, there are a few contenders for that title, but tough choices had to be made. Yordan couldn’t crack the starting lineup over Soto or Ohtani. For now, he'll have to ride the pine, waiting for his chance to prove he still has that magic touch. The starting lineup is stacked with talent: Juan Soto, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Vlad, Ketel Marte, Mookie Betts, Jose Ramirez, Shohei Ohtani, Adley Rutschman. The bench is equally impressive with names like Ellie, Fernando Tatis Jr., Bobby Witt Jr., and, of course, Yordan.

The pitching staff is anchored by the likes of Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler, Chris Sale, and Skenes, with a bullpen featuring Mason Miller, Emmanuel Clase, Matt Strom, Felix Bautista, and more. There's even a crafty lefty in Brian Hudson to mix things up. This is the team heading into the first ranked game, and anything less than a win just won’t cut it. It’s MLB The Show 25 or back to 24!

The opponent is rolling with Max Fried, and on paper, the team looks a bit better. They've got Jeryd Kelenic and Yordan and Ketel Marte. The goal is simple: have some fun and hopefully get a win. The first pitch is thrown from "Norwegia," with pinpoint accuracy. It feels really smooth, and after a long off-season, it feels good to be back in the game. Losing this game isn't an option.

The game audio is currently muted, so it's hard to get a complete feel for the game. But the new scoreboard looks pretty cool, and the game is underway. It’s going to be tough to take pitches without the sound cues, but it is what it is. It is also on "Goat" difficulty. The first perfect-perfect fly ball off the bat of Shohei Ohtani is a bit weird, but it's not something to overthink. For now, the focus is on monitoring everything to get a feel for how the game plays.

After a few innings, broadcast view is being tested when hitting. YouTube comments seem to hate it. After a double play, a nuke is launched for a first home run. The milestone graphic in the top left corner looks pretty dope. The first tank of the season is courtesy of Juan Soto. After giving up the lead, Soto blasts another one. The exit velocity on many balls is coming in a bit lower than expected for some hitters. The game might need to be tuned, but it is still early.

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