Pitchers and catchers are reporting soon which means spring training is right around the corner! This also means it’s time for the team at Sony Santa Monica Studios to announce the cover athlete for their next annual release of MLB the Show. The 2024 cover athlete is none other than Toronto Blue Jays’ own mega star, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
MLB has been trying to attract younger generations to the game for the last ten years. MLB the Show not only is one of the most successful sports gaming franchises ever, but is spearheading the appeal to the younger generations. That’s why the selection of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes so much sense. Not only is he a superstar in the present day game, he is only 24 years old and one of the main faces of the new generation of baseball talent. Vlady Jr. was destined for greatness as he’s the son of baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero (HoF Class of 2018).
Some game news outlets are criticizing the selection of Vlady Jr. for the 2024 cover saying he doesn’t have the “drippiness” of 2023 cover athlete Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins, or the face recognition power of generational talent Shohai Ohtani or Fernando Tatis Jr. (recently suspended for 80 games for failing a performance enhancement drug test) who also graced the cover of the MLB the Show franchise. Vlady Jr. is coming off a strong 2023 season where he batted .264 with 159 hits, 94 RBIs, and 26 home runs, leading the Blue Jays to an American League wild card berth in the 2023 postseason. In this baseball fan’s opinion, if the Blue Jays are in town, Vlady Jr. is a must see. He is right up there with the biggest names in baseball like Bryce Harper (PHI), Ronald Acuña Jr.(ATL), Shohai Ohtani (LAD), and Julio Rodreguez (SEA) and is totally justified to be 2024’s cover athlete.
MLB the Show 24 will be available on March 19th on PS5, Xbox S|X, and Nintendo Switch. For Xbox Game Pass subscribers, MLB the Show 24 will be available on day one.
Image from: MLB, PlayStation
