If you’ve been enjoying MLB The Show 26 on PlayStation 5 but keep running into freezes, crashes, or sudden shutdowns, you’re not alone — a lot of players have hit these frustrating roadblocks, especially in certain menus, online matches, and specific modes. The good news is that many of these issues have known workarounds and fixes that actually help stabilize the game. Here’s a straightforward, player‑to‑player guide to stop the freezing and get you back in the batter’s box.



Most problems stem from a mix of game bugs that were present at launch and fairly commonPS5 system conflicts. Thankfully, the developers at San Diego Studio have pushed out a series of patches that improve stability — and you can take steps on your own console to bring those fixes into full effect.



1. Make Sure Your Game and PS5 Are Fully Updated



This may sound obvious, but the first thing you want to check is whether both MLB The Show 26 and your PS5 system software are up to date. Playing on an older version, even by a patch or two, is a common reason the game freezes.



Here’s how to check:



Highlight the game on your PS5 home screen.

Press the Options button on your DualSense.

Select Check for Update and install anything available.

Then go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings and make sure your console itself isn’t missing anything important.



Recent patches — especially Update 2 and Update 3 — addressed a lot of early freezing and crash issues in menus and game modes like Diamond Dynasty and Franchise.



2. Clear the PS5 Cache and Rebuild the Database



Corrupted system files on the PS5 can make The Show 26 choke on transitions or heavy menus, especially things like Squad Builder, XP paths, or Collections screens. Clearing the cache and rebuilding the database often removes those hang‑ups.



Steps:



Power OFF your PS5 completely (do not use Rest Mode).

Hold the Power Button until you hear the second beep.

Connect your controller with USB and press the PS button.

From the Safe Mode menu, choose Clear System Software Cache.

After reboot, go back into Safe Mode and choose Rebuild Database.



This doesn’t erase your saves, but it does clean up temp files and often fixes freezing and soft‑lock issues that feel like the game just “hangs.”



3. Restore Your PlayStation Licenses



Sometimes the game crashes back to the dashboard right at launch or mid‑menu because the console doesn’t properly recognize your licensed copy. Restoring licenses can fix that.



Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses and confirm. This forces the PS5 to re‑verify everything you own, which can clear weird instant‑crash bugs.



4. Adjust Settings to Avoid Known Freeze Triggers



There’s a few practical PS5 and gameplay settings that the community has found help reduce the odds of lockups:



Turn Off Rest Mode: Letting the PS5 sleep with the game running often keeps bad memory states alive. Exit the game fully before putting the console to sleep, or power down entirely.

Avoid Quick Resume/Auto‑Resume: Resuming a session from a paused state can bring unstable data back with it.

Lock Frame Rate to 60 FPS and Disable VRR: Some players report fewer crashes when the PS5 is set to a stable 60 FPS output and variable refresh rate features are turned off in the system video settings.

Be Careful with Out‑of‑Position Online Lineups: In online games, using players outside their natural positions has been linked to freeze‑offs and server desyncs.

5. Reinstall the Game



If everything above hasn’t stopped the freezing, your install may have corrupted files — especially after automatic updates. A clean reinstall often helps:



Highlight MLB The Show 26, press Options, and delete it.

Go to your Game Library > Collection and redownload it.



This wipes the game files clean and brings in fresh copies of everything, which fixes a surprising number of crashes.



Still Having Issues?



Even with all these steps, some players still hit odd bugs in specific places — soft locks in trade screens, freezing right after a game ends, and persistent online freeze‑offs (when matches stalemate and neither player’s game advances).



If that’s happening to you, here’s what you can do:



Report the issue to San Diego Studio with details and any error codes.

Avoid heavy menus when possible until another patch lands.

Make sure your internet and home network are stable if freezing happens in online matches.