Which player should grace the cover of MLB: The Show 2018?
By Kyle Cardoza
Clayton Kershaw
Give the pitchers some love, especially this one.
Since the MLB: The Show debuted in 2006, only hitters are stamped on the outside of each case. Why not give credit where credit is due?
Most fans may argue it’s more entertaining to witness a game with a multitude of home runs. Surely people feel satisfied when they watch their virtual selves take one out of the park in Career mode or with their favorite players.
But pitching can be fun as well. Also, Kershaw has already made a case for himself to be deemed the best pitcher of all time. Since 2011, he has finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting in every year, and he took home the award three of those seasons.
Consider 2017 a down year for the spirited southpaw. His campaign this season is still better than what most of the today’s pitchers could concoct in 162 games. The lefty owned his highest WHIP since 2012 at 0.949, while allowing a career-high 23 home runs. His 2.31 ERA, which finished atop all NL pitchers, was his highest since 2012.
He already sits in the top 100 in some all-time categories, such as strikeouts at 68th. If he qualified for the ERA category, he would be tied for 12th all-time. That alone should represent how dominance he is on the bump.
He’s strung together seven straight dominant years, and he should be rewarded for them in some way.
Yes, winning a World Series ring is a much more preferable accolade. But who doesn’t want to be featured on the cover of a video game?