Which player should grace the cover of MLB: The Show 2018?
By Kyle Cardoza
- HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 03: George Springer
From Big Papi to Ken Griffey Jr., baseball’s more fearsome hitters have been placed on the cover of the most famous baseball video game. Fans of MLB: The Show can argue for more than a handful of players, but only a select few should be considered for next year’s honor.
A player’s popularity is typically never up for debate, as they’re either popular or not. But, for those who find themselves on the cover of a video game – that’s different. Especially one like MLB: The Show.
To be featured on the cover of MLB: The Show, the most popular baseball video game throughout the past decade, is nothing short of honor.
Players on the MLB: The Show Cover in the United States:
- 2006: David Ortiz
- 2007: David Wright
- 2008: Ryan Howard
- 2009: Dustin Pedroia (won MVP in 2008)
- 2010: Joe Mauer (won MVP in 2009)
- 2011: Joe Mauer
- 2012: Adrian Gonzalez
- 2013: Andrew McCutchen (won MVP that season)
- 2014: Miguel Cabrera (won MVP in 2013)
- 2015: Yasiel Puig
- 2016: Josh Donaldson (won MVP in 2015)
- 2017: Ken Griffey Jr.
Different countries exhibit a variety of players. Canadian fans see their favorite Blue Jays player on the cover, while Korean and Taiwanese gamers see native players on display.
For the United States, the athletes are typically MVPs from the previous season, with Puig as an exception, who has never finished higher than 15th in the MVP vote. Obviously, they’re also some of the more exalted players as well, gaining popularity throughout the nation.
Surprisingly, only a few of the players featured are deemed entertaining to watch. Young stars like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Manny Machado have yet to be put on the cover of these games, despite their eminence in the sport.
But what is clear is that when most of the players star on the front of MLB: The Show, they are typically in the prime of their career.
Four of the players listed above won the MVP the season before they were placed on the cover. Just two won the MVP in the same season that they were featured on the front of the game.
Several players deserve the opportunity to be showcased on the front of a popular video game, with these five players are just the ideal examples for the 2018 version MLB: The Show.