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Continue ShoppingAs of April 2026, one of the most frequently asked questions about MLB The Show 26 is why Barry Bonds, one of the most iconic figures in baseball history, is absent from the game. While fans have been vocal about their desire to see Bonds in the game, he remains missing from the official roster of legends for the 2026 season. Despite this, Bonds continues to be one of the most requested players, but there are significant reasons why he hasn't been included.
The primary reason Barry Bonds is not featured in MLB The Show 26 comes down to licensing and individual rights negotiations. Since Bonds' time as a player, he has had a complicated relationship with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), which handles the collective licensing agreements for many of the players featured in the game. Bonds made headlines in 2003 when he decided to withdraw from the MLBPA, choosing instead to manage his own Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights.
This decision to opt-out of the collective MLBPA deal means that any appearance of Barry Bonds in a video game requires individual negotiations between San Diego Studio (SDS) and the player himself. Unlike other legends who are part of the MLBPA's standard licensing agreement, Bonds' rights are not included under this umbrella, making his inclusion more difficult to negotiate.
Reports suggest that one of the main reasons for Bonds' absence in recent years is the terms he has set for appearing in video games like MLB The Show. Sources indicate that Bonds has specific demands for his inclusion, including the possibility of a dedicated "Storyline" mode similar to what was created for Derek Jeter in MLB The Show 23. This mode, which allowed fans to experience the career of Jeter in a cinematic style, was a major feature, and it seems Bonds may want something similar to justify his return to the game.
However, these demands appear to have been a sticking point in negotiations. According to various reports, the asking price for including Bonds, along with his other stipulations, has not been met by SDS, making his inclusion in MLB The Show 26 unlikely.
This issue of individual licensing rights is not new for Bonds. Due to the complexity of negotiating his personal rights, he has not appeared in a major baseball video game under his real name since the early 2000s. Although Bonds has been a prominent figure in the sport, his refusal to be part of the MLBPA's collective agreement means his absence from video games like MLB The Show has persisted for years.
Interestingly, Bonds did make an appearance in some video games in the past, but only after his individual licensing rights were negotiated. Still, his absence from MLB The Show 26 is not an isolated incident—it's part of a long-standing issue related to the way his rights are handled by video game developers.
While Bonds is missing from MLB The Show 26, the game still boasts a robust lineup of both new and returning legends. Some of the fresh faces in the game include:
In addition to these newcomers, several high-profile legends from past editions of the game are making their return. These include:
Though Bonds is not part of the 2026 roster, SDS has done a good job of bringing in a mix of legends from various eras to fill the void left by his absence.
Although he is missing from the game, Barry Bonds remains active in the world of baseball in 2026. This season, Bonds has taken on the role of a baseball analyst for Netflix. He is part of the pre- and postgame coverage for major streaming events, including the season's Opening Night and the Home Run Derby. This new role allows Bonds to stay connected with the game he once dominated, even if he isn't featured in MLB The Show 26.
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