While many competitors have tried to break through over the years, San Diego Studio's MLB The Show has always been the name brand for baseball video games. This naturally made appearing on the cover a huge honor for MLB players.
MLB The Show has featured a wide array of players on its cover, ranging from surefire Hall of Famers to one-year wonders. With the book yet to be written on 2023's cover star, Jazz Chisholm, it's helpful to look back on previous players to be featured and what became of them.
Cover Stars of the Late 2000s
The first official version of MLB The Show came in 2006 with Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz featured. Known for his post-season heroics, Ortiz was a fitting player for the first official edition of MLB The Show. Ortiz was followed by New York Mets third baseman David Wright in 2007.
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was featured on the cover of MLB The Show 08. While Howard’s 2007 season was nothing special, his 2006 season earned him the National League MVP award and an All-Star berth. Dustin Pedroia graced the cover of MLB The Show09, making him the second Red Sox player to be featured in just four years.
Cover Stars of the Early 2010s
MLB The Show began the 2010s with a new first: back-to-back cover appearances by Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer in 2010 and 2011. Mauer is the only player to ever appear multiple times on the cover of the franchise’s non-regional editions.
2012 also featured a first for the baseball franchise. While Adrian Gonzalez was the cover star throughout most of the world, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista was the cover star in Canada. Bautista was known for his power and flare for the dramatic, making him a good athlete to feature regardless, but Canadian fans were thrilled to see a player from their home team make his way to the cover.
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen was the cover star for MLB The Show 13, with Bautista again on the Canadian cover and Baltimore Orioles pitcher Wei-Yin Chen featured in Taiwan. Chen was only the sixth MLB player from Taiwan at the time of his debut.
One of the best MLB players in recent memory, Miguel Cabrera, finally earned his spot on the cover of MLB The Show 14 after winning back-to-back AL MVP awards with the Detroit Tigers. Chen was again the cover athlete in Taiwan, with new players on the Canadian and Korean editions. Canadian-born Brett Lawrie took his place on that country’s edition, while Korean outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was featured in that region. Lawrie was beloved in Canada despite a lackluster career. Choo, on the other hand, had a long and productive career and was the 12th Korean-born player in MLB history at the time of his debut.
Cover Stars of the Late 2010s
Known for his flashy style of play, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig made the perfect cover athlete to kick off the second half of the decade. Choo and Chen were again featured in their respective countries, while Canada had a different star for the third straight year. Catcher Russell Martin agreed to the biggest free agent contract in Toronto Blue Jays history at the time, and the MLB The Show rewarded him with the Canadian cover.
Following his MVP campaign in 2015 for the Oakland Athletics, third baseman Josh Donaldson received the cover honor for MLB The Show 16. Choo and Chen once again reprised their place as the cover stars for Korea and Taiwan, while Canada did not receive a regional version.
MLB The Show 17 took a different approach, with MLB legend Ken Griffey Jr. featured on the cover. Griffey was a fan-favorite throughout his entire career, and 2017 was the year he was officially inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame, making him the perfect player for The Show’s cover. Chen was yet again the cover athlete for Taiwan, while Korea received a new star in Hyun Soo Kim, a decorated Korean Baseball Organization hitter who made his MLB debut the following year. Canada also received a regional cover in 2017, with Blue Jays starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez being featured following an All-Star 2016 season.
After having one of the best rookie campaigns in MLB history, Aaron Judge was a lock for MLB The Show 18’s cover. Winning AL Rookie of the Year and finishing second in MVP voting for the most popular team in the sport, the New York Yankees, made Judge one of the best cover stars in the history of the franchise. 2018 was also the final year for any regional covers. Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman was the cover athlete in Canada, while Korea and Taiwan did not receive their own versions.
To end the decade, MLB The Show featured one of the most hyped players of the 2010s. Bryce Harper was drafted by the Washington Nationals straight out of high school at 17 years old. He debuted two years later in 2012 and instantly became one of the best players in baseball. A perennial All-Star, Rookie of the Year winner, and two-time MVP, Harper was a fitting conclusion to an explosive decade.
Cover Stars of the 2020s
After back-to-back All-Star seasons, Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez had established himself as one of the best players in the game. With a flare for the dramatic and flashy fielding abilities, he was one of fans’ favorite players to watch, making him a solid choice for the cover of MLB The Show 20. Unfortunately, Baez followed up that honor with the worst season of his career, hitting well below league average in the pandemic-shortened 2020 MLB season.
The franchise followed Baez with another star shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr. from the San Diego Padres. The young phenom lived up to the billing with an All-Star season that saw him finish third in NL MVP voting. MLB The Show 21 also saw a special Jackie Robinson Edition with the titular athlete on the cover, celebrating the first black player to play Major League Baseball in the modern era.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani was featured on the cover of MLB The Show 22. Ohtani put up league-best numbers as both a starting pitcher and hitter, making him the best two-way player since Babe Ruth. Ohtani's expertise as on both sides of the ball made his performance not just incredible, but historically great.
MLB The Show 23 is scheduled to release on March 28, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
