For more than two decades, MLB The Show has been a strong contender for the “best sports game” crown. No doubt because Sony has heavily invested in its success for all these years.
We’ve decided to look back on the entire series and see which athletes graced the cover. By that, we mean every installment – from the original nine MLB series developed by 989 Sports, to when Sony’s San Diego Studio took over in 2006 with the “The Show” subtitle.
As a heads-up, we’re listing editions released in the United States – so no image variants from other regions. However, we’ll mention those athletes in the notes! There’s a lot of history to cover here, so let’s jump into it!
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
MLB '98 - Bernie Williams
Release date: June 30, 1997
Platforms: PS1
The first-ever series entry was, in truth, a spiritual sequel to Sony’s MLB Pennant Race which came out in 1996. MLB ’98 received a lot of praise for its fast-paced gameplay and a plethora of features not typically seen in previous baseball video games. Bernie Williams of New York Yankees fame would start it all!
MLB '99 - Cal Ripken Jr.
Release date: April 14, 1998
Platforms: PS1
After hitting a home run with the prior installment, Sony began releasing baseball games annually – starting with MLB ’99. Shortstop and third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. would take the spotlight here while he was with the Baltimore Orioles.
MLB 2000 - Mo Vaughn
Release date: March 29, 1999
Platforms: PS1
Three-time All-Star selection Mo Vaughn would bring Sony’s MLB franchise into a new millennium, specifically while he was with the Anaheim Angels. However, he would also have a storied carrier with the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. MLB 2000 was the first game developed by 989 Sports too.
MLB 2001 - Chipper Jones
Release date: March 28, 2000
Platforms: PS1
Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones Jr. would represent the Atlanta Braves this go-around – roughly five years after becoming a World Series champion in 1995. After winning the Most Valuable Player Award in 1999 and 2000, he was a perfect pick to be on the cover.
MLB 2002 - Andruw Jones
Release date: May 8, 2001
Platforms: PS1
From 1996 through 2007, few members of the Atlanta Braves brought the hype quite like Andruw Jones – making him an ideal candidate to represent the team in MLB 2002. Only a couple of years later, in 2005, he would win both the Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award for outfielders.
MLB 2003 - Barry Bonds
Release date: June 19, 2002
Platforms: PS1
The man, the myth, the legend – Barry Bonds was front and center this time. This was during his left fielder days with the San Francisco Giants, where here would win dozens of awards and accolades, including multiple All-Star selections. Seriously, though – he’s one of the GOATs.
MLB 2004 - Shawn Green
Release date: March 10, 2003
Platforms: PS1, PS2
During Shawn Green’s time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had the unique opportunity to bring 989 Sports’ MLB series to a whole new generation. That’s right – this was the first time one of these games appeared on PS2, which is pretty remarkable considering that the console was almost three years old by this point!
MLB 2005 - Eric Chavez
Release date: March 26, 2004
Platforms: PS1, PS2
None other than Eric Chavez of the Oakland Athletics would see the original PlayStation off. Yup, MLB 2005 was the last entry to launch on Sony’s then 10-year-old console.
MLB 2006 - Vladimir Guerrero
Release date: March 8, 2005
Platforms: PS2, PSP
MLB 2006 is a rather curious entry on this list. On the one hand, it was available on PSP – being the first-ever installment to grace portable platforms. However, it was the last time developer 989 Sports would work on these games before the rebranding. Vladimir Guerrero (or “Vlad the Impaler” as he’s also known) had the bittersweet opportunity to see the legacy series off.
MLB 06: The Show - David Ortiz
Release date: February 28, 2006
Platforms: PS2, PSP
Alternate cover athlete: Shin-Soo Choo (Korea)
It was the dawn of a new era. With MLB 06: The Show, Sony’s first-party San Diego Studio took over the series, and where it still works on these games to this very day. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox has the distinct honor of being this refresh’s face.
MLB 07: The Show - David Wright
Release date: February 27, 2007
Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3
This would’ve come out right around when David Wright was scooping up Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards with the New Your Mets like nobody’s business – right in his prime. MLB 07: The Show also marked the series’ first foyer into the HD era, as it came out on PS3 as well.
MLB 08: The Show - Ryan Howard
Release date: March 4, 2008
Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS4
Ryan “the Big Piece” Howard was on fire between 2005 and 2009, winning both the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2005 and NL MVP in 2006. so naturally, he was a great fit to be on MLB 08: The Show‘s cover.
MLB 09: The Show - Dustin Pedroia
Release date: March 3, 2009
Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3
Unlike many of its predecessors, MLB 09: The Show was generally considered much better on PS3 than its late-gen predecessors on PS2 and PSP. By this point, it was clear to many fans and critics that the more powerful console was getting much more attention during development. Either way, Dustin Pedroia was rockin’ his Boston Red Sox threads on every version.
MLB 10: The Show - Joe Mauer
Release date: March 2, 2010
Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3
In 2009, Joe Mauer was the American League MVP – no real mystery as to why the Minnesota Twins’ first basement ended up on the front cover. An interesting note about this one – despite the console being 10 years old by this point, the PS2 version still managed to sell nearly 200,000 copies.
MLB 11: The Show - Joe Mauer
Release date: March 8, 2011
Platforms: PS2, PSP, PS3
Yes, Mauer was our cover star two years in a row! He was evidently – the guy – during this era. Interestingly enough, this was also when PlayStation was pushing the Wii-like Move motion controller hard, so naturally, MLB 11: The Show supports it! You can swing the wand like an actual bat and everything.
Sadly, this was also the last game Sony ever published for the PS2. Rest easy, old friend.
MLB 12: The Show - Adrián González
Release date: March 6, 2012
Platforms: PS3, PS Vita
Alternate cover athlete: José Bautista (Canada)
During the 2011 season, Adrián González had 27 home runs and 117 runs while with the Boston Red Sox – making the first baseman a shoo-in for MLB 12: The Show‘s cover.
While the series didn’t appear on PSP from this point forward, it did grace Sony’s ill-fated (yet awesome) PlayStation Vita. The mobile baseball sim dream wasn’t dead yet, apparently.
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)
Given Andrew McCutchen’s run with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013 was quite impressive (winning the NL MVP that year), it’s no wonder why he was MLB 13: The Show‘s shining star.
For whatever reason, the PS3 version got an exclusive expansion pack called MLB 13: The Show – Home Run Derby, which added more content. The PS Vita didn’t get it, alas.
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 AL MVP awards in 2012 and 2013, respectively – it makes sense that Miguel “Miggy” Cabrera got top honors in MLB 14: The Show. The Detroit Tigers’ first baseman had championships out the wazoo by then.
MLB 14: The Show was released for PS4 a little bit later than other versions on May 6, 2014, for whatever reason. It didn’t contain much in the way of extra bells and whistles, so who knows!
MLB 15: The Show - Yasiel Puig
Release date: March 31, 2015
Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS Vita
Alternate cover athletes: Russell Martin (Canada), Shin-Soo Choo (Korea), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan)
In 2013, Yasiel Puig was the first Los Angeles Dodger ever to have a multi-homer game during one of his first appearances. Fast forward to his fourth game, where he hit a grand slam – clearly, Puig was a fantastic cover athlete for MLB 15: The Show.
Anyone that played MLB 14: The Show‘s Franchise, Road to the Show and Postseason Mode got to transfer data to MLB 15: The Show, too – a practice that would continue for other entries.
MLB The Show 16 - Josh Donaldson
Release date: March 29, 2016
Platforms: PS3, PS4
Alternate cover athletes: Shin-Soo Choo (Korea), Wei-Yin Chen (Taiwan)
Seemingly by coincidence, MLB The Show 16 is notable for several reasons. First was the name change – shifting around the annual number and ditching the colon. Secondly, there wasn’t a portable version – by then, the PlayStation Vita was pretty well dead (rest in peace, king). Last but certainly not least, Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays was our cover star, one of the rare instances of a Canadian team in that position. Though, to be clear – Donaldson was born in Pensacola, Florida, and currently plays for the New York Yankees.
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)
Professional baseball players don’t get much more iconic than Ken Griffey Jr.
By most accounts, Ken Griffey Jr. is about as iconic as professional baseball players get. The 13-time All-Star and Hall of Famer had been inducted in 2016, so it was pretty much now-or-never to get him on the cover. Arguably the most stylish artwork one of these games has ever seen, too!
MLB The Show 17 was also the first time the series had appeared on only one platform since 2003 – that’s right, this was only on PS4. Sayōnara, PS3!
MLB The Show 18 - Aaron Judge
Release date: March 27, 2018
Platforms: PS4
Alternate cover athlete: Marcus Stroman (Canada)
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge gave us a rather stoic pose back in 2018. Fair play to him for flexing like that, though – he’d just taken home the much-coveted AL Rookie of the Year and was also a home run leader.
MLB The Show 19 - Bryce Harper
Release date: March 26, 2019
Platforms: PS4
Yet another outfielder got to strut their stuff – this time, it was Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper had only been with the Phillies for a very short time by the time MLB The Show 19 launched, so there was a new car smell to it all.
It’s worth noting that this was the first time in years that there wasn’t an alternate cover for any other region – a practice that has seemingly gone away for good. At least until Sony brings it back, that is.
MLB The Show 20 - Javier Báez
Switching things up a bit – an outfielder made MLB The Show 20‘s cover! Javier Báez, a Chicago Cubs player at the time, was coming off his second All-Star award, among several other big wins.
Something rather notable about this entry is it was the first time Minor League Baseball players were licensed to have their likenesses in the game.
MLB The Show 21 - Fernando Tatís Jr.
MLB The Show 21 – Fernando Tatís Jr.
Release date: April 20, 2021
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Oh boy, here’s a memorable installment. For more than 20 years, Sony’s MLB games were exclusive to PlayStation consoles – but no longer. Yup, MLB The Show 21 was the first time Xbox owner got a chance to give this series a shot. Fernando Tatís Jr. of the San Diego Padres got to bridge the console war gap.
MLB The Show 22 - Shohei Ohtani
Release date: April 5, 2022
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Keeping with the prior year’s practice, MLB The Show 22 took the multiplatform goodness one step further – it game to Nintendo Switch! Shohei Ohtani, a two-way for the Los Angeles Angels, rocked that red helmet to honor the occasion. Well, not actually, but let’s just pretend he did because it looks cool.
MLB The Show 23 - Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Release date: March 28, 2023
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
We come to this year’s entry at last: MLB The Show 23. It’s not for several more weeks, so there are no little factoids to provide just yet, other than Miami Marlins center fielder and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the cover looking mighty sharp, we might add.
MLB The Show 24 - Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
👑 All hail the HR Derby King @27vladdyjr.
Pre-order @mlbtheshow 24 now: https://t.co/QDFq6W5E1M #MLBTheShow #RideToReveal pic.twitter.com/RTBngfkSkz
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 30, 2024
