Baseball’s hottest young stars are taking center stage in the gaming world. MLB The Show 25 just announced its cover athletes, and they’re going with not one, but three of the sport’s most exciting rising talents.
Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Gunnar Henderson will share the spotlight on this year’s game cover. The announcement came Tuesday after all three players dropped hints on social media the day before.
Let’s talk about these guys, because they’re pretty incredible.
Skenes has been absolutely dominating since the Pirates picked him first in the 2023 draft. In his rookie year, he didn’t just make the All-Star team – he won Rookie of the Year and put up numbers that would make any veteran jealous. We’re talking about an 11-3 record with a tiny 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in just 133 innings.
Then there’s De La Cruz, who’s been lighting up the basepaths in Cincinnati. The Reds’ speedster swiped an MLB-best 67 bases in 2024, while hitting .259 with 25 homers and driving in 76 runs. He also crossed home plate 105 times, making him one of baseball’s most exciting players to watch.
Henderson’s been crushing it in Baltimore too. The Orioles’ star followed up his 2023 AL Rookie of the Year campaign with his first All-Star appearance in 2024. His stats? They’re impressive: .281 batting average, 37 home runs, 92 RBI, and 118 runs scored.
It’s a big change from last year when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the sole cover athlete.
Want to get your hands on the game? MLB The Show 25 hits stores March 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. If you can’t wait, there’s a Digital Deluxe Edition that lets you start playing March 14.
These three young stars are changing the face of baseball, and now they’re changing the face of gaming’s biggest baseball franchise too.
