Sports fans have already seen what 2K Sports brought to the plate with Major League Baseball 2K10. Now it's time to enjoy Sony's MLB 10: The Show, the latest entry in the critically-acclaimed baseball franchise. For the past couple of years, The Show has dominated with a superb presentation, in-depth options and unmatched gameplay. There's still plenty of that to go around this year, although Sony's grip on baseball superiority has loosened, as this game is about on the same level as 2K's. That's good news for baseball aficionados (with two quality products to choose from), but not-so-good news for Sony's San Diego team.

The catcher plays a vital part in MLB 10: The Show. Click to see more images from the game...

Such as it did with previous versions of The Show, Sony provides a wealth of options in MLB 10. Leading the pack is a new Catcher mode in Road To the Show, where you control the entirety of on-field actions from behind the plate. This is a bold new addition to the game, not only providing you a fresh perspective on what's happening, but also heightening the drama. There are times when your pitchers don't follow your game plan, and as a result, you'll have to get tough. It doesn't get to the point where you'll slap a player in the face, but you will remind them of what's on the line, and what'll happen if they don't pull through.

In addition, the new Pick-Off scenario has been upgraded. Now, instead of just blindly lobbing balls to the plate, you'll have the option to throw at specific speeds. Sometimes you can catch a player off guard as he meanders towards a third-base steal, while at others, you'll heave it at lightning speed, in the hopes of catching said player off-guard. The L2 button factors into this system, letting you decide how (or if) you can catch this potential base thief in the act. It's a little thing, but one hardcore baseball players will appreciate.

Aside from that, the batting and pitching systems are the same as always, fine-tuned and with plenty of options. The wheel system used for pitching is still one of the best around, and a welcome change of pace from the Street Fighter-style motions required in MLB 2K10. You simply choose your pitch, set up the location and time power and execution to avoid flinging it wildly over your pitcher's head. As for batting, you have your contact and power swings (along with bunts), and you can choose between grounders or taking a chance on an air ball with a simple motion on the analog stick. Both are really good.

That said, the gameplay isn't without flaws. We still noticed slight hitches with the base running and fielding. While most of the time your outfielders can wrangle a pop fly or a grounder with ease, there's mild trouble when it comes to base communication. You'll see a man trying to make a run at second base, and instead tagging him out, they'll automatically go with the safe throw to the cut-off man (unless you prefer manual throwing, which is available). Furthermore, unless you're a pro at the pick-off system (which takes time to master), you're going to see occasional stolen bases because your catcher wasn't fast enough to get him. These are mild issues, and something along the same lines of what we've seen in MLB 2K10, but they're worth pointing out, especially if you're looking for true authenticity.

If you're working with the artificial intelligence in the game's Franchise mode, it doesn't make the wisest trades. Rather than looking for team balancing, it'll choose players based more on talent. While some of these choices aren't necessarily bad, it does make you question what members of your management might be thinking. Aside from that, this mode is still a vital ingredient to the baseball experience, one with training drills, price adjustment around your ballpark and other things that make you feel like you're a bigwig controlling the next great Yankee squad.

Mauer does it again. Click to see more images from the game...

Next to Franchise and Road To the Show, MLB 10 also features other options. You can hop online against others through the PlayStation Network and keep track of a large number of stats while playing quick contests and Season match-ups. If you prefer something with a party atmosphere, you can also join friends in the Home Run Derby, ironing out your batting skills as you nail a few balls out of the park. Like before, Sony provides no shortage of options to choose from. There's enough here to keep you busy from April to October and beyond.

MLB 10's visuals are still the best we've ever seen in a baseball game. The players are very life-like, from the way they flub a swing at a slider to the way they kick up dust running for second. Even the smallest of things, like the fabric on their uniforms, received proper attention. We also enjoy the realistic ballparks, as they make you feel like you're sitting in the Green Monster or chilling out in the stands at Coors Field. The camera angles are also on the money, giving you clear, concise views of what's happening on field, even in the far reaches of the outfield. There are small instances of slowdown (mostly with pop-ups into deep center), but nothing noticeable enough to make this game less stunning.

It comes at a price, however. In order for the game to run properly, MLB 10: The Show requires a whopping five GB install on your hard drive, just like last year's edition. That may not seem like a lot of space to gamers with 120 GB/250 GB systems, but if you're running on a previous model PS3 with only 40 to 80 GB of room, this is a slight downer. Furthermore, despite the hefty install, the game has constant load times, particularly when you're going through menus.

Then we get to the audio portion of MLB 10. For the most part, it really goes a long way. The in-park sound effects are true to the sport, from the cheering fans to the crack of the bat. The background music isn't bad either, with a few carefully picked rock songs that blare in-between bats, occasional ballpark announcements and, of course, organ music. (It's not a ball game without it.) You can also customize the experience to your liking, adding walk-up tunes for your players (The Hives' "Tick Tick Boom" does pretty well for Matt Holliday, we think) and recordable taunts for your home crowd (you haven't lived until you hear fans shouting "Play the ladies like Tiger Woods!" to Derek Jeter).

Unfortunately, the audio doesn't quite reach peak level, mainly because of the in-game commentary. Matt Vasgersian, Dave "Soup" Campbell and Rex Hudler once again return to provide play-by-play. Vasgersian and Soup hit the mark, calling your plays and analyzing performance. However, Hudler annoys the hell out of us. He sounds more like a guy venting his own criticisms rather than paying attention to what's happening on the field. For next year's Show, Sony should consider shaking things up in this department and bring in an analyst who would fit right in with Vasgersian and Soup. Just look at what 2K Sports did bringing in John Kruk.

With a few blemishes, MLB 10: The Show can't obtain the baseball perfection that it did in previous years. However, you definitely shouldn't miss it. The gameplay is still superb (especially with the new catcher and pick-off controls), the visuals are eye-popping and the options, online or off, are enticing. If you're a baseball fan, this is definitely a Show to tune in for.

Review courtesy of GamePlayBook.

Cool videos you may have missed...