If America’s pastime has become more appealing to an aging generation than the country’s youth, someone forgot to tell the creators of “MLB The Show.“
The wildly popular video game franchise announced Tuesday that the cover art for its 2025 edition will feature three of baseball’s rising stars in Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz, and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson. It’s the first time the game’s cover will depict more than one ballplayer.
“MLB The Show 25” will be made available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. The game is slated to hit shelves and be made available to download on March 18. Enthusiasts can pre-order the game beginning Feb. 4 at 9 a.m.
This year’s choice of cover athletes is hardly controversial considering the accolades all three have accumulated before their 24th birthdays.
Skenes, who finished 11-4 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts last season, is the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, while Henderson, who belted 37 homers and drove in 92 runs his rookie season, was awarded the American League honor. De La Cruz, meanwhile, is coming off perhaps the most thrilling season of the three, after having become the fifth player since 1901 to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 60 bases in a season (he belted 27 dingers and stole an MLB-leading 67 bases).
In a nutshell, the game’s cover athletes represent the next generation of fan favorites, and a passing of the torch from the household names that have graced the lineup cards of All-Star Game mangers for the last decade-plus. Or maybe it’s just the game’s creators, San Diego Studios, refusing to repeat cover athletes of the recent past.
Whatever the reason, there’s no doubt that baseball’s feature is in good hands. Now let’s just hope the game lives up to its marketing.
Nearing its 20th anniversary, “MLB The Show” debuted in 2006 with Boston Red Sox slugger and future Hall of Famer David Ortiz on the cover.
This year’s selections represent the first time that the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles will be featured on the cover and the second time for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Boston Red Sox have the most cover appearances at three.
2024 – Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
2023 – Jazz Chisholm, Jr., Miami Marlins
2022 – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
2021 – Fernando Tatis, Jr., San Diego Padres
2020 – Javier Báez Chicago Cubs (2020)
2019 – Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
2018 – Arron Judge, New York Yankees
2017 – Ken Griffey, Jr., Seattle Mariners
2016 – Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
2015 – Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 – Migel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
2013 – Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
2012 – Adrián González, Boston Red Sox
2011 – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
2010 – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
2009 – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
2008 – Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
2007 – David Wright, New York Mets
2006 – David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
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