This week, SDS revealed the first batch of players that will be featured in Storylines: The Negro Leagues Season 2. Storylines: The Negro Leagues is a mode that was introduced last year with a focus on telling the stories of some of the best players in Negro Leagues history. Now, four players will be featured in this mode when MLB The Show 24 releases. More players will be added in later updates.
Storylines: The Negro Leagues Season 2
Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Hank Aaron, and Toni Stone are the four players that will be added to Storylines. Gibson is often referred to as “The Black Babe Ruth” and is considered one of the best power hitters in baseball history. Once again, Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will be featured in the narrative parts of the mode. Kendrick will tell the different stories for each player. Then, the player will get the chance to play out some of the biggest moments of these players’ careers. More players will be added to the mode throughout the year, with 10 total players being featured in Season 2. Also, all 10 players from Season 1 will be available in MLB The Show 24.
Josh Gibson
By some accords, Gibson hit close to 800 HRs during his career. According to official Negro Leagues records, Gibson hit 166 HRs in just over 600 career games. He was a 12-time All-Star, 2-time Negro World Series Champion, and won 3 batting titles and 2 Triple Crowns during his time in the Negro Leagues. In 1972, Gibson became the second player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame based on his career in the Negro Leagues.
Buck Leonard
Buck Leonard was a teammate of Josh Gibson and batted right behind him for many years. Leonard accumulated 30.0 WAR, 748 hits, and 97 HRs in 604 career games in the Negro Leagues. Leonard won 3 Negro World Series championships, 2 Negro National League batting titles, and was an 11-time All-Star. Like his teammate Gibson, Leonard was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Hank Aaron
While you may think you know about Hank Aaron, many don’t know that he got his start in the Negro Leagues. Before joining MLB, Aaron played for three months for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. The Howe Sports Bureau reports that Aaron played 26 games in the Negro Leagues, where he had a .366 batting average and five home runs.
Toni Stone
For the first time, MLB The Show will feature a female player in the game. Toni Stone joined the Indianapolis Clowns in 1953, making her the first woman to play in a major professional American baseball league. During her season with the Clowns, Stone hit .243 over 50 games.
