Elly De La Cruz is getting in the (video) game…
The 23-year-old Dominican professional baseball shortstop for Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds is among three athletes being featured for the first time on MLB The Show 25.
De La Cruz, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes grace the cover as the video game embraces a “dynamic era” of young MLB talent.
The decision to go with younger stars coincides with the video game franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary with its release on March 18.
“Historically, we’ve chosen a single cover athlete for MLB The Show, someone who is at the pinnacle of the sport,” Todd Liss, group manager of MLB The Show’s global marketing team, told ESPN. “However, with the unprecedented young talent coming into the league, we wanted to represent the changing current climate of baseball and showcase it on our cover. These three players are changing what’s possible in baseball, and we’re changing how many players can be on the cover of The Show.”
De La Cruz debuted in the majors in June 2023, appearing in 98 games. Last season, he became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases.
In his first full season in 2023, Henderson hit 28 home runs with 82 RBIs, aiding in Baltimore’s first playoff berth since 2016. Last season, Henderson earned All-Star honors for the first time with 37 home runs and 92 RBIs.
Skenes, the National League Rookie of the Year, is the first full-time pitcher on the global cover of the game.
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star, appeared on the cover of MLB The Show 22, and others to get the honor include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2024), Fernando Tatis Jr. (2021), Bryce Harper (2019) and Aaron Judge (2018).
The Pirates brought Skenes up to the majors last May, and the 22-year-old phenom posted an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA. In July, he became the fifth rookie pitcher to start an MLB All-Star Game.
“Testament to the guys that have been drafted and gone through the minor leagues to get to this point,” Henderson told ESPN about the up-and-coming group. “They don’t brag about it, and they just go out there and continue to work hard and try to be the best player that they can [be]. I feel like that’s what you want as a fan and that’s what we try to go do each night out.”
Skenes referred to his fellow cover stars as “so dynamic.” He jokingly said Henderson seems like “just a good old country boy from Alabama,” and he highlighted De La Cruz’s work ethic and ability to make “unbelievable plays all the time.”
“Just a guy that you don’t really want on the basepaths because he’s just gonna wreak a lot of havoc,” Skenes said.
All three players agree on the impact that placement on the video game’s cover can potentially have on baseball’s youth.
“There are a lot of other guys who weren’t finalists for Rookie of the Year or MVP or anything like that who are very, very good young players that aren’t as well-known as guys like me or Elly or Gunnar,” Skenes told ESPN. “But it’s just the talent pool is so deep from young guys, and it’s cool to kind of see.”
De La Cruz said it sends a message to other young talent in the minors to keep working hard to achieve their dreams.
Skenes, who grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels, said current young stars are benefiting “a little bit” from past athletes, using Mike Trout as an example of a player that has helped pave the way for younger stars.
“Those guys making a difference in the big leagues and growing the game from a very early point in their career, I think that’s kind of [what] put us in this position,” Skenes said. “So, I think it’s kind of our job to continue that so that the next generation can reap the benefits as well.”
Henderson and De La Cruz said they played the video game growing up, and Henderson said he frequently took in the “Diamond Dynasty” mode, where users can collect cards to build their team. De La Cruz said MLB The Show 15, which featured Cuban-born outfielder Yasiel Puig on the cover, and MLB The Show 17, which had Ken Griffey Jr., are his favorites.
Skenes, on the other hand, admitted he didn’t play the game consistently.
“I’m not very good at it, to be honest,” he quipped.
The deal, which includes a club option for 2028, is worth $15 million, sources confirmed to ESPN, and includes $11.5 million in newly guaranteed money.
