Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. Named MLB The Show 21 Cover Athlete

At just 22 years old, Tatis is the youngest player to be chosen for the game's cover.

Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is the cover athlete of MLB The Show 21, PlayStation announced Monday. 

At just 22 years old, Tatis is the youngest player to be chosen for the game's cover and is also the first Padres player to be selected for the game's cover.

Tatis captured his first NL Silver Slugger award last season and placed fourth in the NL MVP voting. Tatis has played just 143 career games in MLB but has already hit 39 home runs and recorded 98 RBIs over two seasons of action.

The game has changed. Announcing Fernando Tatis Jr. as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 21, arriving April 20: https://t.co/bcmeB2oJYT pic.twitter.com/Ve5A6nNJqB

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 1, 2021

“He just has the spirit of a 10- or 12-year-old, playing the best sport in the world,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler told Sports Illustrated's Emma Baccellieri last September. “And he does it with a swag, a confidence, and he has a blast.”

The Unbridled Joy of Being—and Watching—Fernando Tatis Jr.

His fondness for baseball started with his father, Fernando Tatis Sr., who played 11 seasons in MLB.

“He showed me the passion for the game,” the younger Tatis said of his father. “He showed me the love for the game. He showed me how to respect the game.”

Last season, the Padres made their first postseason appearance since 2006 but were swept by the eventual World Series champion Dodgers in the NLDS.

Tatis follows Cubs star Javier Báez as the team's cover athlete and joins a list of players such as Aaron Judge, Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz and David Wright as MLB The Show cover athletes. 

The video game launches on April 20.