If there’s one thing MLB The Show 25 proves beyond any doubt, it’s that no two franchise seasons ever feel the same. Every roster decision matters, every slump snowballs into a storyline, and every surprise breakout becomes the foundation of a fan-favorite legend. Nowhere is that more clear than in the first-year saga of the Portland Pioneers—a fictional expansion club whose wild, emotional rollercoaster through the American League captures exactly why Franchise Mode feels more dynamic and alive than ever in MLB The Show 25 Stubs.

From dramatic late-inning heroics to gut-wrenching bullpen collapses, from breakout stars to catastrophic injuries, from heated division races to the chaotic shuffle of September roster expansions, this season showcases everything the revamped mode offers. And make no mistake: The Show 25 is not just a baseball simulator—it’s a storytelling machine.

A Season on the Brink: Portland Enters the Final Month Alive and Desperate

At the start of the stretch run, the Portland Pioneers sit just a half-game behind the Houston Astros. It’s been a streaky year—one month of absolute misery, followed by a clutch resurgence that has the team back in the hunt. As September approaches, Portland sits at five wins and five losses in their last ten, riding a three-game winning streak and staring down the possibility of sweeping the Mariners in Seattle.

But the Astros are hot. And in MLB The Show 25, momentum matters. Divisional leads shift nightly, and scoreboard watching becomes part of the experience. The game sells chaos—and the Pioneers are right in the middle of it.

Introducing a Legend in the Making: Beefcake Blake

No The Show season is complete without the arrival of an instant cult hero. Enter:

Beefcake Blake — 6’3”, 260 lbs of “pure chiseled muscle.”

A 67-overall lefty with a four-seamer, slider, curveball, and changeup, Blake joins the farm system with big league dreams and meme-tier charisma. His first appearance in the Rockhounds’ rotation might not shake the organization just yet, but his presence alone—his name, his frame, his mythos—captures the essence of how franchise narratives form.

These are the stories The Show 25 excels at producing organically: fictional players who feel real because the game treats their careers with real consequence.

Timmy Takes the Wheel: A Breakout Power Surge

Early September sees the Pioneers clinging to life in the standings, and no player carries the offense more than Timmy, who’s closing in on 30 home runs. In one blistering outing vs. Detroit, Timmy belts two homers and five RBIs, nearly adding a third shot with a 101 mph deep flyout to the track.

In MLB The Show 25, power hitters feel dangerous again—not overpowered, but rewarding when you square up a pitch. Perfect swings explode off the bat. The way hot streaks influence confidence, ratings, and clutch situations adds layers to player performance. Timmy’s run is the sort of organic momentum that fuels a team chasing October.

Not everyone joins the party, though—Mike goes 0-for-3 in a game where every other hitter records a hit. It’s another reminder: cold streaks hit harder in The Show 25. Confidence drops, PCI shrinks, and a player stuck in their own head creates a tangible on-field challenge.

Pitching Woes: When Starters Collapse, the Season Trembles

If the Pioneers have an Achilles’ heel, it’s the starting rotation. Game after game, the storyline repeats: crooked innings, short outings, and an exhausted bullpen scrambling to bail the team out.

Kyle Cats—struggling through a brutal season—picks up another loss to fall to 4–12. Cruc gets shelled. Even the reliable mid-rotation arms find themselves undone by walks, fatigue, or one inning that spirals out of control.

The Show 25 makes pitching feel heavier, more psychological. A starter’s pitch confidence can crater after just one hard-hit ball. Walks matter. Fatigue matters. Mistakes matter.

The tension that comes from surviving every start is part of the franchise magic.

But Then There’s Granny Gum Job — The Ace Nobody Saw Coming

And yet, amidst the chaos, one pitcher rises above the rest:

Granny Gum Job — a legitimate Cy Young-caliber ace.

Her stat lines read like something out of a video game (which, yes…).

13 strikeouts in eight innings

2.14 ERA entering September

Repeatedly dragging the team to low-scoring wins

Six innings, three hits, 13 Ks in another late-season gem

She doesn’t overpower hitters with velocity—she dismantles them with precision. High K rates. Ground balls. Cold-blooded presence.

She becomes the face of the rotation and the anchor for the playoff push.

A Rollercoaster vs. Detroit: Late-Inning Heartbreak and Managerial Chaos

The three-game set against Detroit encapsulates everything great about Franchise Mode.

Game One: Portland smashes eight runs, Timmy hits two bombs, the bullpen slams the door, and Stanky closes it with filthy precision.

Game Two: A ninth-inning rally stalls; the tying run dies at the warning track in a bases-loaded heartbreak.

Game Three: Another gut punch—Portland drops the series.

Even off the field, drama unfolds. Burn Notice returns from the IL early, forcing tough roster decisions. Chicken Little gets optioned down. Confusion over the 60-day IL rules creates genuine managerial frustration—exactly the stress The Show 25 intends to produce.

Injuries feel real again. Roster constraints matter. Player health decisions have consequences.

A Crucial Series Win Over Texas Keeps Hope Alive

Two out of three against the Rangers. Not flashy, but vital.

Portland scrapes together:

a 2–1 nailbiter behind Granny’s brilliance

a solid, low-drama win anchored by dominant pitching

a tough loss in the finale but a valuable series win

Every victory matters now. The Astros are on a six-game tear, extending their division lead. Portland fights tooth and nail to stay afloat.

But they remain firmly in the Wild Card picture—tied with the Guardians, with the Twins, Royals, Rays, and Jays all lurking within striking distance.

This is when Franchise Mode becomes electric. Every simulation outcome changes the standings. Every slump threatens collapse. Every clutch hit feels like destiny.

September Arrives: Call-Ups, Chaos, and the Biggest Win of the Season

September 1 brings expanded rosters—and more storyline fuel.

Addie, dominant in Triple-A with a 2.39 ERA and 133 Ks in 109 innings, gets another shot at the majors. Her return brings hope… until she surrenders five earned runs in 2.1 innings. Her struggles continue, proving again that making the jump is never guaranteed.

Kai returns—a sparkplug with elite speed and surprising pop after posting a .318/.375/.591 line in his first stint. His baserunning becomes a crucial late-game weapon.

And then comes the 17–7 explosion in St. Louis, a cathartic eruption after back-to-back losses.

But the real masterpiece arrives the next day.

Down late, facing the Cardinals’ dominant bullpen, Portland mounts a methodical, heart-racing comeback:

Kai swipes a crucial bag

Frosty rips a game-tying double

GGB delivers the go-ahead single

The bullpen holds

And Dunkina—your wonderfully grotesque, intimidating closer—slams the door with a furious display of strikeout stuff

It’s not just a regular-season win.

It feels like a turning point.

A moment of destiny.

The Show 25 excels at these games—where every pitch feels like history being written.

The Injury Parade: Smitty Out for the Year, Beefcake Banged Up, Burn Returns Again

No realistic franchise mode is complete without brutal injury luck, and this season delivers:

Smitty fractures his foot — out for the year

Beefcake Blake suffers shoulder inflammation — shutdown for 1–2 weeks

Burn Notice returns from the IL yet again, finally healthy

The team scrambles, reshuffling lineups and defensive assignments. Vern returns to catcher, Frosty shifts in the order, and Mike, Timmy, and Shroud settle into key roles.

And despite everything—despite injuries, slumps, faulty starters, and a relentless Astros team—the Pioneers refuse to collapse.

MLB The Show 25 Nails What Franchise Mode Has Always Needed

This single season with the Pioneers showcases what MLB The Show 25 does best:

1. Dynamic Storytelling

You don’t script moments like Kai’s stolen base, GGB’s clutch hit, or Dunkina’s three-strikeout masterpiece.

The game produces them.

2. Meaningful Roster Management

The IL decisions, September call-ups, bullpen juggling, and lineup optimization feel heavier than ever.

3. Player Identity

Beefcake. Granny. Stanky. Frosty. Vern.

These names take on lives of their own because the game lets them.

4. Real Momentum

Teams get hot. Teams collapse.

Divisions shift. Wild Card battles tighten.

Every week feels different.

5. Emotional Investment

You’ll yell at cutters that clip the corner.

You’ll fear your closer blowing a one-run lead.

You’ll pray for one last rally with Timmy at the plate.

You’ll feel every swing of the season.

The Final Push Awaits

Four games back of the Astros.

A pile of teams breathing down their neck for the Wild Card buy MLB 25 Stubs.

Injuries mounting.

Pitching unstable.

Offense is streaky and explosive.

But hope is alive.

The Pioneers head to Los Angeles.

Then home to face Boston.

Then deeper into the gauntlet of September baseball.

This isn’t just a video game season.

It’s a saga.

A drama.

A miracle waiting to happen—or a heartbreak ready to strike.

And that is why MLB The Show 25 shines:

It makes baseball personal.