It’s a great time to be an MLB fan right now, with two of the biggest MLB games dropping their yearly iterations. MLB The Show 26 and OOTP 27 were both released within 24-hours of each other, and choosing one over the other isn’t an easy decision. While MLB The Show 26 offers a more diverse array of game modes, OOTP 27 caters more to detail and in-depth gameplay.
But today isn’t about comparing the two giants, but rather how to get into OOTP 27. Unlike its counterpart, OOTP 27 can be difficult to understand if you’re just getting into it. With numerous settings to adjust and having autonomy over the finest of details, this guide should help smooth that transition. So if you’re someone new to OOTP, or just need a refresher, stay with me to see what you should do first.
Tips For Getting Started
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Starting Out
Since this game doesn’t beat around the bush, neither will I. As soon as you load up the game, you’ll be prompted to either start a new standard or historical game. I’d suggest sticking to the standard version, at least for now.
The game will then show you a list of different leagues you can play in, such as Major League Baseball, Korean Baseball Organization, British National Baseball League, etc. Stick with Major League Baseball. The other leagues are completely viable, the only difference being the players and personnel. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll just go with Major League Baseball.
Once you’re through with selecting a league, it’s time to build your manager.
Manager Setup
In OOTP 27, you’re only allowed to play as a GM, manager, or both. There’s no mode where you play a singular player, unlike MLB The Show 26. After selecting your league, you need to set up your manager. This includes picking a team from the MLB, your biodata, and the role you want to play as (GM, manager, or both).
There are some conditions you can set within the league, like whether or not you can be fired, challenge mode, trading hard mode, etc. I’d recommend only checking the ‘Cannot be fired’ box. This will ensure you’re not fired from the team halfway through the season.
At the top, you’ll see an option to play as the commissioner in Commissioner Mode. This allows you complete and total control over the league, something you can explore later on. After you’ve set up your manager, time to start the game.
Team Settings Adjustments
Now, before the season starts, there are three main areas you need to go over. These include budget allocation and personnel setup. I’ll go through these one by one.
Budget Allocation
How you spend your money definitely dictates the future of your team. But first, you need to figure out how much budget your team actually has. You can view this by going to your Front Office > Finances > Financial Summary.
Once you have an idea of what your team is packing in terms of budget, head over to Player Development. You don’t want to spend the entire budget, obviously, so allocate wisely. The only allocation I’d suggest changing here is the Player Development Budget. This is the budget used to actually improve your players and hone their skills. The Player Development Budget should always be within a range of $20-25 million.
You could also tinker with the Draft Budget slightly if you’re trying to rebuild a team with new names, but that will be pretty hard in your first run through. Another important budget is your Scouting Budget.
Similar to the Draft Budget, this is player-dependent. How much of your talent do you want to replace? What is important to change here is where you’re scouting. It is preferable to allocate more towards Amateur and International Scouting compared to Minor Leagues. You can go for 10/10/40/40 split, or somewhere along those lines.
Personnel Setup
After looking at the budget, it’s time to fix your team’s staff. It might look scary when you open the Personnel tab; an enormous list of names pops up. Fortunately, there are only 2 major ones you need to worry about: Team Trainer and Scouting Director.
Your team trainer dictates your player’s fatigue and injuries, while your scouting director brings in new prospective talent.
To keep things simple, the main attributes your team trainer should have at a good level are to prevent/rehab arm and back injuries. Injuries to these parts can really take players out of the game for a bit.
Having good fatigue recovery is also a plus since your players will be less prone to getting tired and will have higher stamina.
As for your Scouting Director, focus on the international and amateur scouting aspects of their profile. While getting talent from Major and Minor leagues is also important in OOTP 27, the brunt of it will be brought on from international leagues as well as amateur leagues.
Do remember that, unlike MLB The Show 26, you won’t actually see a player’s actual stats in scout reports. Scout reports will only show you what the scout thinks their stats are like. This is why having a good scouting director that you trust is absolutely essential in this game.
By following these tips and settings, you can ensure a good start in OOTP 27. Just boot up the game, and get on the pitch.
Published: Mar 24, 2026 05:30 pm