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Since Sony and San Diego Studio launched their baseball franchise back in the late 90s, one of the most exciting parts of each new release has been seeing who gets the honor of appearing on the cover. From legends of the past to the brightest young stars in the game today, cover athletes have become a way to mark baseball’s evolving story — and as a long‑time fan and player of MLB The Show, watching that evolution has been part of the fun.
Below is a complete look at every standard edition cover athlete from MLB 98 up through MLB The Show 26. Along the way you’ll see trends shift — from pure veterans, to generational names, to a bold trio of young stars — reflecting both the state of baseball and the tastes of the fans.
Early Years: 989 Sports Era and the Birth of the Franchise
Before The Show name existed, 989 Sports was putting out MLB games for Sony, and the covers featured some big names of the era:
MLB 98: Bernie Williams — A steady presence for the Yankees and one of the big stars of the late 90s.
MLB 99: Cal Ripken Jr. — The Iron Man of baseball, embodying durability and excellence.
As the series moved into the 2000s, it continued annually with recognizable stars headlining the box art:
MLB 2000: Mo Vaughn
MLB 2001: Chipper Jones
MLB 2002: Andruw Jones
MLB 2003: Barry Bonds
MLB 2004: Shawn Green
MLB 2005: Eric Chavez
MLB 06: Vladimir Guerrero — These players defined the sport at the turn of the century, and for many fans, these early covers bring back a lot of nostalgic memories.
Establishing The Show (2006–2017)
When MLB: The Show formally debuted in 2006 under that name, it quickly built its own identity with a yearly cover tradition. Here’s how that lineage unfolds:
2006: David Ortiz — One of the great clutch hitters of the era.
2007: David Wright
2008: Ryan Howard
2009: Dustin Pedroia
2010 & 2011: Joe Mauer — Mauer remains the only player before Judge to appear on The Show cover more than once, including back‑to‑back editions.
2012: Adrián González
2013: Andrew McCutchen
2014: Miguel Cabrera
2015: Yasiel Puig
2016: Josh Donaldson
2017: Ken Griffey Jr. — Through this stretch, The Show covers naturally reflected who was trending in baseball — MVP winners, fan favorites, and players capturing headlines.
The Modern Era: Young Stars and Global Icons (2018–2024)
As baseball and The Show have both evolved, the cover athlete choices began highlighting players who not only dominated the field but also resonated strongly with the gaming community.
2018: Aaron Judge — This was Judge’s first appearance, shortly after his rookie season set the baseball world buzzing with 52 home runs.
2019: Bryce Harper
2020: Javier Báez
2021: Fernando Tatis Jr.
2022: Shohei Ohtani
2023: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2024: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — Each year, the choice tended to lean toward players with a combination of star power and market draw, whether a superstar slugger or a trendsetting phenom.
Modern Innovations (25 – 26)
MLB The Show 25: The Young Star Trio
When MLB The Show 25 arrived in 2025, San Diego Studio did something unexpected for the franchise’s 20th anniversary — they broke with tradition and put three rising stars together on the same standard edition cover:
Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati Reds)
Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles)
This was the first time The Show showcased multiple athletes on its primary cover, highlighting a new generation of talent just breaking into — or already shaking up — the league.
MLB The Show 26: Return to a Single Star
With MLB The Show 26, the series pivoted back to a single athlete for its standard cover — and chose a familiar one at that. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees headlines the 2026 edition, making him only the second player in franchise history to appear more than once on the standard cover. Judge previously graced MLB The Show 18 and returns after solidifying himself as one of the true faces of the sport in recent years.
This edition’s artwork is also notable because it gives Judge a sort of dual identity — featuring him in both his Yankees uniform and his Team USA jersey, celebrating his role in international competition and the World Baseball Classic alongside his MLB accolades.
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
From Bernie Williams in 1997 to Aaron Judge in 2026, the cover athletes of MLB The Show offer a unique retrospective on baseball’s biggest personalities over nearly three decades. Whether it’s a hometown legend, a newly crowned MVP, or an electrifying rookie trio, each cover reflects a moment in the sport’s ongoing story — and for longtime players of The Show, it’s always fun to flip through those rosters and remember where you were when your favorite cover dropped.
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