Every MLB game cover star ever

Every cover star athlete to grace an MLB game since 1996.

MLB The Show is one of the strongest popular sports simulation games you can play today, and it has been a best sports game contender for decades. If you want to play a modern game of baseball, MLB The Show is the place to do it.

MLB The Show 23 launches on March 28, 2023, and we’re looking back on the entire series. If you isolate an MLB cover from any given year, you’re given insight into what the game was like at the time, and in particular, who the biggest star of the season was at the time.

Every MLB cover star defined the game at the time, so looking through the cover stars of the last two decades is a lovely trip down memory lane. Join us as we look back through all of the MLB video game cover stars throughout history.

MLB Pennant Race - David Justice

• Release Date: September 30, 1996
• Platforms: PS1

Before Sony started producing annual MLB titles, there was the original: MLB Pennant Race. This baseball simulator had David Justice grace the cover, who played for the Atlanta Braves at the time.

MLB '98 - Bernie Williams

• Release date: June 30, 1997
• Platforms: PS1

The fast-paced gameplay and variety of features made MLB ‘98 one of the best games of its era, and the New York Yankees’ own Bernie Williams was the one to truly start it all.

MLB '99 - Cal Ripken Jr.

• Release date: April 14, 1998
• Platforms: PS1

Now that the precedent is set, Sony began the annual MLB grind, and it has been successful ever since. Cal Ripken Jr. would be on the cover of this one, who was playing for the Baltimore Orioles at the time.

MLB 2000 - Mo Vaughn

• Release date: March 29, 1999
• Platforms: PS1

Mo Vaughn is the star for MLB 2000, and it makes sense, as he was a three-time all-star. He showcases the Anaheim Angels’ kit. Interestingly, MLB 2000 was the first game in the series developed by 989 Sports. With Mo Vaughn, MLB covers truly begin to represent the pinnacle of the game at the time.

MLB 2001 - Chipper Jones

• Release date: March 28, 2000
• Platforms: PS1

The Atlanta Braves’ Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones Jr. is the star for MLB 2001, years after his World Series champion title in 1995, but Chipper also won the MVP Award in 1999 and 2000. 

MLB 2002 - Andruw Jones

• Release date: May 8, 2001
• Platforms: PS1

Another team member for the Atlanta Braves, and one of the most celebrated. Andruw Jones was beloved, and a few years later he’d win both the Hank Aaron Award and Silver Slugger Award.

MLB 2003 - Barry Bonds

• Release date: June 19, 2002
• Platforms: PS1

Pictured during his days with the San Francisco Giants, Barry Bonds is a legend. Awards? Accolades? All-Star selections? He has it all, and is considered to be one of the greatest players the game ever saw.

MLB 2004 - Shawn Green

• Release date: March 10, 2003
• Platforms: PS1, PS2

With the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shawn Green was the first MLB cover star to appear on a PS2 game – quite the achievement, really!

MLB 2005 - Eric Chavez

• Release date: March 26, 2004
• Platforms: PS1, PS2

Another MLB milestone, but this time Eric Chavez of Oakland Athletics is the last cover star to feature on an original PlayStation game.

MLB 2006 - Vladimir “Vlad the Impaler” Guerrero

• Release date: March 8, 2005
• Platforms: PS2, PSP

The first PSP entry in the MLB series, and also the final game developed by 989 Sports. Vladimir Guerrero saw the series off in style.

MLB 06: The Show - David Ortiz

• Release date: February 28, 2006
• Platforms: PS2, PSP
• Alternate cover athlete: Shin-Soo Choo (Korea)

The first entry in the new MLB The Show series, and the first to get an alternate cover in other regions. Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz took center stage for this entry.

MLB 07: The Show - David Wright

• Release date: February 27, 2007
• Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3

A new generation has begun, and MLB 07 was the first game to debut on the new PlayStation 3. David Wright got the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards during his time with the New York Mets, so he deserved this cover spot.

MLB 08: The Show - Ryan Howard

• Release date: March 4, 2008
• Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3

Ryan “the Big Piece” Howard won NL Rookie of the Year in 2005, and then NL MVP in 2006. A natural choice for MLB 08’s cover.

MLB 09: The Show - Dustin Pedroia

• Release date: March 3, 2009
• Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3

When MLB 09 debuted, it was generally agreed that the PS3 version was the premier version, for the first time in the series history. It really was the best MLB game of its day, and Dustin Pedroia took the cover spot in his Boston Red Sox uniform.

MLB 10: The Show - Joe Mauer

• Release date: March 2, 2010
• Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3

The American League MVP in 2009, Joe Mauer was the natural choice for an MLB cover. The Minnesota Twins player showed up in style, and even the PS2 version of this baseball game managed to sell 200k copies. Not bad, considering that console was nearly 10 years old.

MLB 11: The Show - Joe Mauer

• Release date: March 8, 2011
• Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3

Joe Mauer, again? Well listen, he deserves it, he worked hard. Not many athletes can claim to have been the star of two consecutive MLB covers, and Joe Mauer has really earned his place in history for this. This was also the last game Sony every published for the PS2.

MLB 12: The Show - Adrián González

• Release date: March 6, 2012
• Platforms: PS3, PS Vita
• Alternate cover athlete: José Bautista

Pop quiz: which Boston Red Sox player had 27 home runs and 117 runs in the 2011 season? Why, it’s the one and only Adrián González, which is why he’s the cover star for this game. The PSP entries of the game had also been discontinued at this point, replaced by the shiny new PS Vita.

MLB 13: The Show - Andrew McCutchen

• Release date: March 5, 2013
• Platforms: PS3, PS Vita
• Alternate cover athletes: José Bautista (Canada), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan)

Andrew McCutchen’s NL MVP award in 2013 was well deserved, and is a great reason for him to be 13’s cover star. Also, the PS3 version of the game got an expansion titled MLB 13: The Show - Home Run Derby. Fancy!

MLB 14: The Show - Miguel Cabrera

• Release date: April 1, 2014
• Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS Vita
• Alternate cover athletes: Brett Lawrie (Canada), Shin-Soo Choo (Korea), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan)

With two MVP awards two years in a row, Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera deserved a place in MLB game history. This was also the first entry to release on PS4, though it launched a little later than other versions.

MLB 15: The Show - Yasiel Puig

• Release date: March 31, 2015
• Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS Vita
• Alternate cover athlete: Russell Martin (Canada), Shin-Soo Choo (Korea), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan)

The first Los Angeles Dodger to ever hit a multi-homer game, Yasiel Puig was already an MLB legend, but then he hit a grand slam in his fourth ever game. This was also the first MLB game to allow you to transfer data from the previous title.

MLB The Show 16 - Josh Donaldson

• Release date: March 29, 2016
• Platforms: PS3, PS4
• Alternate cover athlete: Shin-Soo Choo (Korea), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan)

The Show is no longer a subtitle – the name of the game is now MLB The Show. There’s no more PS Vita version either, disappointing handheld baseball fans. This makes the game feel like a bold new vision, headlined by Toronto Blue Jays star Josh Donaldson.

MLB The Show 17 - Ken Griffey Jr.

• Release date: March 28, 2017
• Platforms: PS4
• Alternate cover athletes: Aaron Sanchez (Canada), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan), Hyun-soo Kim (Korea)

Ken Griffey Jr. might be one of the most celebrated, beloved, and iconic baseball players of all time. That is all.

MLB The Show 18 - Aaron Judge

• Release date: March 27, 2018
• Platforms: PS4
• Alternate cover athlete: Marcus Stroman (Canada)

Aaron Judge got the Rookie of the Year award while playing for the New York Yankees, and became a home run leader. Natural choice for the cover.

MLB The Show 19 - Bryce Harper

• Release date: March 26, 2019
• Platforms: PS4

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper was actually new to the team when he made this cover spot.

MLB The Show 20 - Javier Báez

• Release date: March 17, 2020
• Platforms: PS4

In a rare occurrence, an outfielder made the cover of an MLB game. Javier Báez played for the Chicago Cubs at the time, and just received his second All-Star award. Not bad. This is also the first time that Minor League Baseball players has their likenesses included in the game.

MLB The Show 21 - Fernando Tatís Jr.

• Release date: April 20, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S

After more than two decades of being PlayStation exclusive, MLB The Show 21 was the first game in the series to go multiplatform across PlayStation and even Xbox consoles – it was even a part of Xbox Game Pass! What a time to be alive. And a momentous entry for Fernando Tatís Jr. to be on the cover of.

MLB The Show 22 - Shohei Ohtani

• Release date: April 5, 2022
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch

21 made it to the Xbox, and now 22 makes its debut on Nintendo Switch. Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels two-way, was the perfect choice for the cover.

MLB The Show 23 - Jazz Chisholm Jr.

• Release date: March 28, 2023
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch

And now here we are, with the most recent entry in the series. It’s not even out yet, but we know that Mirami Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. will take to the cover when it launches.