ALABAMA - In recent years, sports video games have become one of the best-selling genres in the industry so, being a cover athlete in one of these games is a pretty big deal. In a tweet, MLB's video game franchise 'The Show' announced that, for their 2024 release, Blue Jays' first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will have the honor to be the cover athlete.
👑 All hail the HR Derby King @27vladdyjr.
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 30, 2024
Pre-order @mlbtheshow 24 now: https://t.co/QDFq6W5E1M #MLBTheShow #RideToReveal pic.twitter.com/RTBngfkSkz
Being in the cover of a video game is something that runs deep in the Guerrero family. Vladimir Guerrero Sr. earned that distinction in 2006 when MLB selected the Dominican as the cover for that year. 'Vlad the Impaler' was a nine-time All-Star and the 2004 American League MVP during his 16 years in the majors. It seems like his son is destined to follow his father's footsteps on and off the diamond, as he will bestow the honor for the 2024 edition.
Since the inception of baseball video games in 1997 by developing company 989 Sports, only nine other players of Latino descent have had the privilege to be the cover athlete of an MLB game. The first one to do so was Andruw Jones, who was the face of MLB 2002, the predecessor of MLB The Show.
'Vladdy' Jr. entered the league in 2019 as a 20-year-old. Thanks to his natural hitting talents, Guerrero Jr. has been named an All-Star in three of his first five seasons, even finishing 2nd in AL MVP voting during the 2021 season.
As mentioned, the 2023 Home Run Derby champion will be the 10th different Latino to be the worldwide cover of a baseball videogame. But the Latino impact in video games does not end there. Since the industry became a billion-dollar market in the 21st Century, Latinos have been honored in pretty much all sorts of sports video games, here's a look at some of the most influential ones.
FIFA 13 - Lionel Messi
After a record 2012 where he scored more than 90 goals, Lionel Messi earned a spot in FIFA's international cover. The Argentine made his debut in the series in 2013 and would go on to have four total covers. In the history of the franchise, only Brazil's Ronaldinho (five) has appeared in more covers than the now Inter Miami star.
WWE 2k22 - Rey Mysterio
After being one of the featured wrestlers in five previous installments, WWE's video game franchise finally gave Rey Mysterio a solo cover for WWE 2k22. The '619' wrestler remains as the only individual of Latino descent to be honored in a WWE video game cover.
He joined WWE in 2002 and has become one of the most legendary athletes in the history of the company. He has won a multitude of belts during his time in American wrestling, including the WWE Championship belt, the World Heavyweight Championship and a 2006 Royal Rumble victory, between others. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2023.
MLB The Show 2014 - Miguel Cabrera
The Venezuelan earned a cover for MLB's The Show in 2014 after yet another spectacular season with the Detroit Tigers. He had won back-to-back AL MVP honors in 2012 and 2013, so it was fitting that 'Miggy' was the face of MLB's newest installment.
In 2012, Cabrera captured baseball's first Triple Crown (a player that leads either the AL or NL in batting average, home runs and RBI's) in over 45 years. 'Miggy' made history in 2012 by batting .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBI's.
NHL 2020 - Auston Matthews
In 2020, Toronto Maple Leaves Auston Matthews made history by becoming the first player of Latino descent to be the cover athlete of an NHL video game.
Since he entered the league in 2016, only legendary hockey player Alex Ovechkin (356) has scored more goals than Matthews across all of NHL (338).
Matthews became the cover athlete again in 2022, after a fantastic season in which he earned the NHL's Heart Memorial Trophy, an award that recognizes the most valuable player of the NHL season. He finished the 2021-22 campaign as the league leader in goals (60).
UFC 4 - Jorge Masvidal
The former mixed-martial arts fighter was one of two athletes selected for the UFC 4 cover. Masvidal had a 20-year career in mixed-martial arts, including 10 years in UFC. He finished his career with a 35-17-0 record (W-L-D) and was one of the faces of the sport along with fighters like Conor McGregor.
The fighter of Cuban and Peruvian descent had a successful career in UFC. In 2019, he made history in his fight against Ben Askren, by knocking out his opponent in just five seconds. To this date, it remains as the fastest KO in UFC history.
SCENES!
— TAB (@tabcomau) July 7, 2019
Jorge Masvidal just recorded the fastest knockout in UFC history. 5 seconds!#UFC239
📹 @ufc pic.twitter.com/4yzLZ4AUS6
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