MLB the Show 23: Who should be on the cover this year?

MLB: The Show is the ultimate baseball video game. The game was developed by PlayStation Studios and has been a favorite for baseball fans since its very inception.

The first edition was MLB 06: The Show, which featured then-Boston Red Sox star, David Ortiz. Ortiz was instrumental in leading the Red Sox to victory in the 2004 World Series, their first win in 86 years.

Each season since, the game has featured an MLB star-cover athlete. The athlete is usually a player who has gone above and beyond in the preceding season to attract as much fanfare as possible. The next version of the game is set to drop on March 10th. Who should be on the cover?

"MLB The Show 23 outdid themselves with this cover" - @ Talkin Baseball

Some think that Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels star known for his skills both in the batter's box and on the mound, should grace the cover. Ohtani was on the cover of the game last season. The only player ever to appear in consecutive games was Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins, who was on the 2010 and 2011 editions.

Perhaps it was Bryce Harper who singlehandedly brought his team, the Philadelphia Phillies, to the 2022 World Series. Harper was magical for his team in the postseason, hitting 6 home runs and 13 RBIs in 17 games as the Phillies made it to their first World Series in 13 years.

However, there is one very obvious choice. The choice is New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. He broke the single-season home run record in 2022, blasting 62 long ones. In an incredible feat, Judge was made the captain of the Yankees, named the AL MVP, and awarded the most lucrative contract for a position player in history. Becoming the cover athlete for "The Show 23" is only a logical progression for the big man.

"MLB The Show supercharged Aaron Judge and umm.. wow" - @ Yankees Muse

MLB: The Show provides a snapshot of the league's hottest player

The odds are that Judge will indeed get the honor of his face on the game. And it is only fitting. Since the beginning of the series, the game's cover athlete has acted to show fans who the most important player in the world at the moment is. How on earth could it not be Aaron Judge?