Baseball fans and gamers alike may already know the hit video game franchise MLB: The Show. The games, which have been produced since 2006, offer players an opportunity to run a professional baseball franchise while playing as a manager, a single player or an entire team. While navigating the politics and intensive training required to knock it out of the park all year, the games often utilize a wide array of contemporary songs to give players an organic feel and a memorable gameplay loop. In the case of MLB: The Show 25, which is set to release on Mar. 18, the soundtrack consists of over 100 fresh new songs, mostly catering to hip hop and R&B fans.

When the soundtrack was first announced, the game developers released a statement via The Show.com: “Our goal each year is to showcase a dynamic mix of chart-topping artists while also introducing fans to fresh, emerging talent. This year’s lineup spans multiple genres, blending hip-hop, rock, R&B, soul and more to reflect the rich diversity of the baseball community. Each track was carefully chosen to complement the action on the field… Whether you’re stepping up to the plate, rounding the bases or closing out a big game, this soundtrack is designed to keep you immersed and motivated.” So if you’re chomping at the bit to catch MLB: The Show 25 on release day, or just excited to update your spring listening rotation with some popping tracks, we’ve got you covered, with a breakdown of all the new songs on the official Spotify playlist.

The Hit Game Features 108 Chart-Topping Tracks

Even though hip hop has been dominating the popular music charts for over a decade now, hardcore rap fans were particularly surprised to see some of their favorite deep cuts present on the MLB: The Show 25 official soundtrack. Lesser known artists like Kenny Beats, CARRTOONS, Snakeships and Kal Banx can be found in the midst of some of the usual chart toppers, such as Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Lil Wayne and Black Thought of The Roots fame. There are also plenty of non-rap acts in the mix, such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Ari Lennox and The Isley Brothers. The full soundtrack runs a staggering 108 tracks long and accounts for 5 hours and 30 minutes of uninterrupted listening time. PlayStation’s official Spotify account was responsible for compiling the tracks for a streaming audience, which includes more than 16,000 saves from fans at the time of this writing.

If you choose to check out the MLB: The Show 25 soundtrack, you’ll probably hear a few of your existing favorites, and almost certainly find some new songs to add to your daily rotation. Based on your particular listening profile, you’ll be most likely to enjoy the playlist if you’re into artists like The Weeknd, OutKast, J. Cole or any of the core proteges of Dr. Dre. Even if rap isn’t your thing, the project is certainly worth a listen, and may even broaden your horizons to rising stars like Smino and Yung Gravy. We’ll outline the full tracklist for the video game below, to give you an idea of what you’ll be hearing as you knock home runs out of the park in MLB: The Show 25.

‘MLB: The Show 25’ Official Playlist

“Bad Bad News” by Leon Bridges
“State Prisoner” by Black Thought
“Pero Ya No” by Bad Bunny
“Hold My Head” by Kenny Beats
“Kick, Push” by Lupe Fiasco
“mister misfit but aint missed a fit in months” by Smino
“When We Move (featuring Black Thought & Seun Kuti)” by Common
“Give In” by Liza
“ARE YOU WITH THAT?” by Vince Staples
“Tarragonbutter” by Blvck Svm
“POETRY IN MOTION” by SiR & Anderson .Paak
“Come Get To This” by Marvin Gaye
“We Are One” by Maze & Frankie Beverly
“Oceans Of Emotions” by The Teskey Brothers
“Uptown Anthem” by Naughty By Nature
“Alright” by Kendrick Lamar
“Slow Sipper” by The Dip
“DO BETTER” by Ab-Soul & Zacari
“Dancing In The Rain” by Blu & Exile
“Dolla Bill” by Malik B. & Mr. Green
“Work To Do” by The Isley Brothers
“Shortyville” by Trombone Shorty
“Groceries” by CARRTOONS & Nigel Hall
“Talkin’ On The Internet” by Spiritual Cramp
“El Dueño de la Aldea” by Gamalier
“GLIMMER” by SNAKEGANG (AKA EARTHGANG & Snakeships)
“Be Like You” by Dune Rats
“Sunshine Getaway” by JD McPherson
“THE END” by Bilmuri
“HOP OUT CHO FEELINGS” by Kal Banx, Smino, & Buddy
“Mission Statement” by Wale & T-Minus
“Take It Or Leave It” by COIN
“Allergy” by Pa Salieu
“Cherry Tree” by PawPaw Road
“Back on the Road (featuring Lil Wayne)” by Cordae
“reincarnated” by Kendrick Lamar
“Levitating” by RÜFÜS DU SOL
“ACT” by indie tribe, nobigdyl., Jon Keith, & Mogli the Iceburg
“Airborne Aquarium” by Curren$y
“All Eyes on Me (featuring BENEE, Pusha T, & Chad Hugo)” by Phoenix
“Baby Powder” by Jenevieve
“BICHOTAG” by KAROL G
“California Soul” by Marlena Shaw
“La Canción Feliz Del Disco” by Eladio Carrion & Milo j
“CHORRITO PA LAS ANIMAS” by Feid
“Coco Chanel” by Eladio Carrion & Bad Bunny
“Cream” by Aaron May
“Dancer” by IDLES & LCD Soundsystem
“Do I Do” by Stevie Wonder
“Excursions” by A Tribe Called Quest
“Exhibit C” by Jay Electronica
“Feel Me Flow” by Naughty by Nature
“Feels Right” by Roosevelt
“Fifteen To Infinity” by Fiddlehead
“Find A Way” by A Tribe Called Quest
“Flick It Up” by REASON & Ab-Soul
“Fly The Coop” by Big K.R.I.T. & Girl Talk
“Gemini Sun” by Black Pumas
“Get Up 2 Come Down (featuring CeeLo Green & Sleepy Brown)” by Big K.R.I.T.
“Gidget (featuring Anderson .Paak & T.Nava)” by Free Nationals
“Groceries” by CARRTOONS & Nigel Hall
“HOOLIGANG” by Joey Valence & Brae
“How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” by Al Green
“Hyper Trophy” by Citizen
“It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World – Single Version / Mono” by James Brown
“Just Got Paid” by ZZ Top
“Keeps On Fallin’ (With Ella Mai)” by Babyface
“LOKERA” by Rauw Alejandro, Lyanno, & Brray
“Luchini AKA This Is It” by Camp Lo
“Maktub” by Gary Clark Jr.
“Natural Magick” by Kula Shaker
“Nightmare on Peachtree Street (featuring Freddie Dread)” by BABY GRAVY (AKA Yung Gravy & bbno$)
“Normal People Things” by Lovejoy
“The One And Only” by Makua Rothman
“One Way Ticket” by Priya Ragu
“Parachute” by ZEV
“Pepper” by Flowdan, Lil Baby, & Skrillex
“Pressure” by Ari Lennox
“Rhode Clean” by Big K.R.I.T.
“Say It Again” by Little Brother
“Somos Latinos” by Play-N-Skillz, Gente De Zona, & Dale Pututi
“Sunday” by Momma
“Sweet You” by Phonte
“Threat 2 Society” by 2 Chainz
“What Now” by Brittany Howard
“The World (Is Going Up in Flames)” by Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
“Past Life” by Arkells & Cold War Kids
“Ain’t Nice” by Viagra Boys
“Big Subwoofer” by MOUNT WESTMORE (AKA Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40, & Too $hort)
“Complicated (featuring Young Franco)” by Winston Surfshirt
“Feels Alright” by Spoon
“Higher Power” by Cozz
“How High” by The Record Company
“Human (featuring Barns Courtney)” by Tom Morello
“Invincible” by Eddie Vedder
“Lights” by Band of Horses
“Lower Case (No Cap)” by Big Boi, Sleepy Brown, & Killer Mike
“Make Me Feel Alright” by Robert Finley
“New Breed” by James BKS, Q-Tip, IDRIS, & Little Simz
“New Tooth” by Rich Brian
“Pull Up” by Keys N Krates & Haviah Mighty
“R Sport” by KEVVO
“Real Real (featuring Kent Jamz)” by Nana
“Renegade” by Kavinsky & Cautious Clay
“Sinister (featuring Lil Wayne)” by Cordae
“Slow” by Airways
“UP” by Dune Rats

Key Insights Into the Soundtrack

Though popular and emerging rap seems to dominate the list, you may have noticed an abundance of Spanish-language tracks in the mix as well. This makes perfect sense, as the MLB is extremely popular with the Hispanic demographic. As of 2023, over a third of all MLB players are Hispanic or Latino, and there are more rising stars from that demographic entering the league with each passing year. Whether you find yourself humming tunes from the multi-platinum-selling artist Bad Bunny or the criminally underrated Gamalier, you’ll find that this playlist connects you to cultures all across the world. As a point of example, Benito currently touts a monthly Spotify listenership of over 87 million users, while Gamalier has a small but dedicated fanbase of under 500 total listeners. With any luck, MLB: The Show‘s official soundtrack will help to uplift and propel all the artists listed above.

The track “Groceries” by CARRTOONS & Nigel Hall is the only song to appear on the playlist more than once. This may simply be a clerical error on PlayStation’s part, or it may be a nod to the song’s catchy, soulful tune and criminally brief runtime. It was also used during last year’s MLB: The Show 24 release. As you may have noticed, the first 38 tracks in the playlist are listed in no particular order, while tracks 39 through 87 are listed alphabetically. Then track 89 restarts the alphabetical ordering with “Ain’t Nice,” which continues all the way through to the final song. For now, it’s impossible to know if this listing order was created with strict intention or just a consequence of compiling the songs in an easy-to-search fashion. Either way, we’d recommend listening to the whole soundtrack on shuffle, in order to get the most sonic diversity and engaging listening experience.

MLB The Show

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