@UncleRico420266_XBL said:

So I found out that the reason so many coaches and managers are missing from MLB The Show 26 is because the MLBPA (the players' union) officially cut off their licensing program in late 2024.
Before this change, coaches and managers were part of a "group license" handled by the union. They used to get annual checks—roughly $50,000 each—just to have their names and faces in the game. However, due to tax and legal issues, the union stopped those payments and ended the group deal.
MLB The Show 25 (last year) was likely safe because the contracts for that game were signed and locked in before the cutoff. But for MLB The Show 26, the developers (Sony/SDS) no longer had a "one-stop shop" to buy everyone's rights. Since they’d now have to negotiate with hundreds of coaches individually, they simply replaced about half the league with generic, fake models instead.
Also the reason you still see guys like Stephen Vogt, Kevin Cash, and Terry Francona is that they are former players. Sony likely already owns their rights through separate "Legend" or retired player contracts, so they can keep them in the game easily. But for others like Aaron Boone, if a separate individual deal isn't reached, they get swapped out for a generic placeholder. I hope this makes sense and clears the confusion.

Perhaps not having to pay $50,000 each to the coaches has allowed them to hire more developers. I started with a Cardinals relocated franchise and the first thing I did was fire all the coaches.

@UncleRico420266_XBL said:

So I found out that the reason so many coaches and managers are missing from MLB The Show 26 is because the MLBPA (the players' union) officially cut off their licensing program in late 2024.
Before this change, coaches and managers were part of a "group license" handled by the union. They used to get annual checks—roughly $50,000 each—just to have their names and faces in the game. However, due to tax and legal issues, the union stopped those payments and ended the group deal.
MLB The Show 25 (last year) was likely safe because the contracts for that game were signed and locked in before the cutoff. But for MLB The Show 26, the developers (Sony/SDS) no longer had a "one-stop shop" to buy everyone's rights. Since they’d now have to negotiate with hundreds of coaches individually, they simply replaced about half the league with generic, fake models instead.
Also the reason you still see guys like Stephen Vogt, Kevin Cash, and Terry Francona is that they are former players. Sony likely already owns their rights through separate "Legend" or retired player contracts, so they can keep them in the game easily. But for others like Aaron Boone, if a separate individual deal isn't reached, they get swapped out for a generic placeholder. I hope this makes sense and clears the confusion.

Isn't Boone a former player?
They've always had trouble getting coaches in , too much turnover every year and too many coaches to reach out to and too little time to do it. I still believe any manager who wanted to be in would. But really, what's their motivation, being in a video game is the lowest of low priorities for any manager. With no simple way for Sony to do it any longer, Boone wasn't about to do any unnecessary extra work.
And while every past year they always had a lot of managers in, there was always 1 or 2 missing. The best thing Sony could do is go with all fake coaches and managers and completely editable.

@Nolczyk16_PSN said:

@That70s_Gamer_PSN right there with you … he was in last year’s game wasn’t he? Also still waiting on cubs home game start times to be patched!!!

I believe he was. I am also waiting for the start times to be patched. If they don't address it in the next patch I may just start one anyway. The times are correct in the 2027 season.

You read the exact same article as I did.

We had this very same discussion in a previous topic and I mentioned the very same thing.

That would be the best