‘MLB The Show’ is an annually released baseball video game by San Diego Studios. It is the leading gaming franchise for baseball fans, like Madden for the NFL or 2K for the NBA.
While there isn’t a Madden-esque curse involved with the cover athlete selection, fans are always curious about who will grace the cover. It also feels like Madden or 2K tends to select a top player in the league, while recently, The Show has used its platform to elevate a lesser-known player to give fans an inside look into their personality.
There is a lot of pressure for this iteration of the video game. The past two games haven’t been well-received, and this year’s version has been promised to be a service to the fans. Sony’s San Diego Studios got creative with its cover athlete reveal. Fans thought Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz would be the cover athlete after he posted to his Instagram, but the reveals didn’t stop there.
MLB The Show 25 cover athletes
The response to De La Cruz’s video was exactly what the video game company wanted. Everyone’s first thought was, “Oh no, Elly leaked that he is on the cover.” The reveal was expected to happen later in the week, not randomly on a Monday afternoon.
Within an hour of everyone settling in with the De La Cruz news, Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson posted, saying it was supposed to be him on the cover. This made interest spike once again as the thought of the first shared cover in the game’s history was intriguing.
With two shortstops already seemingly announced for the cover, everyone was repeatedly refreshing Royals shortstop Bobby Witt’s Instagram to see if he had a similar post. He didn’t, but then Pirates pitcher and reigning NL Rookie of the Year winner Paul Skenes responded to both De La Cruz and Henderson, saying he was supposed to be the cover athlete.
Why is Paul Skenes on the cover of MLB The Show 25
The MLB is infamous for doing a horrible job of marketing its players. They tend not to be featured in many commercials unless it is the top one or two players, usually only during the season. Baseball is currently experiencing a youth movement that has fans captivated. Skenes was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and had a meteoric rise to the major leagues. It was assumed that he would struggle, but then he went on to win the 2024 N.L. Rookie of the Year Award and even got some votes for Cy Young.
Skenes is heading into his second season, yet he has set expectations sky-high and is trying to help turn around a Pittsburgh franchise that has woefully underperformed for years. His trademark mustache leads to easy marketing for the Pirates, and now this appearance on the cover should continue helping his marketing.
Why is Elly De La Cruz on the cover of MLB The Show 25?
De La Cruz has been an instant hit with fans since being called up by Cincinnati in 2023. He is hard to miss, standing at 6-foot-5 while ironically playing a position with the word “short” in it. De La Cruz is a scary blend of power and speed. Through 258 games in his career, he has stolen 102 bases and hit 38 home runs. If he can get more consistent at the plate, there is a real chance he can average a 40-40 season.
The Cincinnati faithful had been tracking De La Cruz’s rise up through the minors, but most fans first learned about him when he got the call-up to the majors. It’s always a big deal when players get called up the first time, and De La Cruz had about as good of a reaction as anyone. He even reached base safely three times in his debut.
Cincinnati has smartly started building around De La Cruz. With his blend of size, speed and power, he should develop into the face of the franchise if he can lower his strikeout rate. He is a highlight reel waiting to happen, especially given how much he likes stealing home.
Why is Gunnar Henderson on the cover of MLB The Show 25?
The Orioles struggled for years but were loading up on young talent. The mantra kept being, “In a few years, they’re going to be good.” Well, the time has come. The youth movement has paid off for Baltimore, and they are now competitive in the AL East, keeping up with the Yankees. Henderson is one of the main factors that has helped with the franchise turnaround.
The 23-year-old shortstop is heading into his third full big league season. Last year, Henderson hit .281 with 37 home runs and 92 RBI. He stole 21 bases, suggesting he could be a consistent 30-30 player as he continues to develop.
They say 3 All-Stars are better than 1.
Introducing @Paul_Skenes, @ellylacocoa18, and @G_Henderson2 on the cover of #MLBTheShow!
Learn more at https://t.co/IO1Gj9gQAo pic.twitter.com/GDdxpYdJnh
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 28, 2025
List of ‘MLB The Show’ cover athletes
De La Cruz becomes the 19th cover athlete of the annual video game release. He follows in Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s footsteps, who was on the cover of MLB The Show 24.
| Year | Player | Team |
| 2006 | David Ortiz | Red Sox |
| 2007 | David Wright | Mets |
| 2008 | Ryan Howard | Phillies |
| 2009 | Dustin Pedroia | Red Sox |
| 2010 | Joe Mauer | Twins |
| 2011 | Joe Mauer | Twins |
| 2012 | Adrian Gonzalez | Red Sox |
| 2013 | Andrew McCutchen | Pirates |
| 2014 | Miguel Cabrera | Tigers |
| 2015 | Yasiel Puig | Dodgers |
| 2016 | Josh Donaldson | Blue Jays |
| 2017 | Ken Griffey Jr. | Mariners |
| 2018 | Aaron Judge | Yankees |
| 2019 | Bryce Harper | Phillies |
| 2020 | Javier Baez | Cubs |
| 2021 | Fernando Tatis Jr. | Padres |
| 2022 | Shohei Ohtani | Angels |
| 2023 | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | Marlins |
| 2024 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Blue Jays |
| 2025 | Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson | Pirates, Reds, Orioles |
