R.B.I. Baseball 15 steps up to the plate on March 31st

Competition in the videogame world is good, but going up against another game in pretty much the exact same genre, on exactly the same day, is a bit risky. Case in point: MLB 15 The Show launches on March 31st and now so does R.B.I. Baseball 15.

R.B.I. 15 is a cheaper, digital-only, throwback style baseball game, and also multiplatform, but that’s still pretty ballsy (pun intended). For those interested in the game, you can actually pre-order the digital version directly via GameStop.

Either way, check out the announcement and a new trailer featuring R.B.I. Baseball 15 cover athlete Anthony Rizzo, below.

R.B.I. Baseball 15 is Back!:

MLBAM officially announced R.B.I. Baseball 15, with Chicago Cubs All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo as its first-ever cover athlete, will be available on next generation consoles beginning Tuesday, March 31. The NY-based media and technology company also has made these editions of the iconic easy-to-play game available for pre-order via GameStop.

R.B.I. Baseball 15 will deliver a host of all-new features, including multiplayer mode, regular roster updates based on Major League transactions and those listed below:

• ONLINE PLAY: Play in online multiplayer mode in friendly and ranked games.
• BALLPARKS: Newly crafted authentic MLB ballpark designs for all 30 franchises.
• FULL ROSTERS: Set the active 25-man roster from each franchise’s 40-man roster. Beginning in April, roster updates will be available throughout the season.
• STAT TRACKING: Track batting and pitching statistics in season mode.
• GAMEPLAY SETTINGS: Pick the competition level ? Easy, Medium or Hard.

PREDICTING FANTASY BASEBALL’S BEST
R.B.I. Baseball 15 will utilize the hundreds of millions of statistical data points collected and analyzed by MLBAM to formulate the on-field attributes for each of its more than 1,000 active players into how the players perform.

Using those statistical data to power dozens of 2015 full season simulations in R.B.I. Baseball 15resulted in the fantasy baseball listing below, a position-by-position prediction of which players might comprise this year’s best fantasy selections. The simulated average predictions are below.

C ? Devin Mesoraco, Reds, .261, 68 R, 21 HR, 102 RBI
1B ? Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays, .285, 107 R, 46 HR, 142 RBI
2B ? Dee Gordon, Marlins, .261, 110 R, 12 HR, 67 RBI, 60 SB
3B ? Todd Frazier, Reds, .263, 88 R, 24 HR, 91 RBI, 15 SB
SS ? Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, .282, 107 R, 46 HR, 136 RBI
OF ? Nelson Cruz, Mariners, .269, 80 R, 28 HR, 109 RBI
OF ? George Springer, Astros, .265, 108 R, 41 HR, 122 RBI
OF ? Mike Trout, Angels, .307, 110 R, 33 HR, 92 RBI
DH ? David Ortiz, Red Sox, .308, 118 R, 38 HR, 112 RBI
SP ? Zack Greinke, Dodgers, 16 W, 2.63 ERA, 226 SO, 0.98 WHIP
SP ? Garrett Richards, Angels, 19 W, 3.31 ERA, 212 SO, 1.13 WHIP
SP ? David Price, Tigers, 15 W, 3.07 ERA, 220 K, 1.26 WHIP
SP ? Gio Gonzalez, Nationals, 17 W, 3.20 ERA, 190 K, 1.26 WHIP
SP ? Henderson Alvarez, Marlins, 17 W, 2.43 ERA, 208 SO, 1.02 WHIP
RP ? Trevor Rosenthal, Cardinals, 2.40 ERA, 64 SO, 1.13 WHIP, 57 SV
RP ? Zach Britton, Orioles, 2.47 ERA, 53 SO, 1.08 WHIP, 55 SV

R.B.I. Baseball 15 is developed by MLBAM and officially licensed by MLB and MLBPA. It will be available as a digital download for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program, and the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system on March 31.

New this year, R.B.I. Baseball 15 will be available for personal computers (PC, MAC) via the Steam platform. Both the mobile, accessible on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and supported Android smartphones and tablets, and the personal computer versions of the game are expected to debut shortly after Opening Day. The Steam platform also currently has R.B.I. Baseball 15 available for pre-order.