MLB The Show Cover History: A Retrospective of the most iconic baseball players who have appeared on the game's cover

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.

Every year since, each version of the game released has featured an athlete on the cover. This year, the developers chose Miami Marlins infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. Here are some other big names who have appeared on different editions of MLB The Show:

Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins is the only player to date to appear on the cover of two editions of MLB The Show, doing so in both 2010 and 2011. The St. Paul, Minnesota native spent the entire 15 years of his career with the Minnesota Twins, making him nothing short of a legend in the Twin Cities.

"10 years ago: Joe Mauer plays MLB 11: The Show on Playstation with Jimmy Fallon." - @ Jeff

In 2009, the year before his face graced the cover of the game, Mauer was by far the best hitter in the league. That season, he led the MLB in batting averages, on-base percentage, and slugging average, winning the AL MVP Award that year.

The MLB The Show franchise has a habit of predicting the future. New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was selected as the cover athlete in 2018 after hitting a league-best 52 home runs the previous season.

However, the game's developers could never have predicted his record-smashing 62 home-run season that fans were treated to in 2022. Perhaps Aaron Judge can expect to be asked to be on the next edition of MLB The Show, set to be released in 2024.

Appearing on the 2021 edition of MLB The Show, San Diego Padres sensation Fernando Tatis Jr. was the youngest player ever to achieve the feat. He was about to enter his third season in the MLB when he was selected for the game's cover in 2021.

"Fernando Tatis Jr. has been announced as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 21. At 22 years old, he is the youngest player ever chosen for the cover." - @ SportsCenter

He narrowly lost out on the Rookie of the Year Award in 2019 after hitting 22 home runs and 52 RBIs. However, Tatis Jr. certainly lived up to his "MLB: The Show" cover athlete image the year he found himself on the cover. The then-22-year-old hit an NL-best 42 home runs and 97 RBIs.

Unfortunately, for the game franchise, Tatis Jr. was discovered to be using performance enhancing drugs the following season, scarring his reputation.

MLB The Show 2023 might inspire Jazz Chisholm Jr's season

Many of the athletes depicted on the covers of these games have continued on to have great seasons. For Jazz Chisholm, the 2023 cover athlete, a rebound is exactly what the doctor ordered. Limited to just 60 games last year, Chisholm is looking forward to proving himself to his team before his contract comes up for arbitration in 2024.