Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson and Paul Skenes named cover athletes for MLB The Show 25
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s San Diego Studio this week revealed Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson and Paul Skenes as the cover athletes for MLB The Show 25.
On its 20th Anniversary edition, this is the first time that The Show has ever featured multiple athletes on the same cover. De La Cruz is the first Cincinnati Reds player ever to grace the cover of a video game; Henderson is the first Baltimore Orioles player on the cover of MLB The Show and the first Orioles player featured on the cover of a video game since Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. on MLB 99; and Skenes is the Pittsburgh Pirates first cover athlete since Andrew McCutchen on MLB 13: The Show.
De La Cruz’s rise from the Minors to the Majors captures the journey of working up to a big league debut and becoming a star. Fans can attempt to duplicate De La Cruz’s rapid ascension to becoming a Major League star in the Road to the Show feature.
Seventeen days after making his Major League debut with the Reds, De La Cruz hit for the cycle on June 23, 2023, becoming the fifth-youngest player in Baseball history to accomplish the feat (21.163), doing so in the third-fewest games of any player. In 2024, De La Cruz was named an All-Star for the first time and led the Majors with 67 stolen bases as a 22 year-old.
Henderson’s grit and hustle quickly made him a fan favorite after debuting at age 21. Following his 2023 American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year campaign, the 23-year-old launched 37 homers in 2024, setting an Orioles franchise record for most home runs by a shortstop.
With 28 roundtrippers before the All-Star Break, Henderson was named the starting shortstop for the American League at the Midsummer Classic and participated in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.
In a little more than a year, Skenes won the 2023 NCAA Men’s College Baseball World Series with LSU, was selected as the number one overall pick by the Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft, and was named the starting pitcher of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. Last season, Skenes made his MLB debut and became the first player in MLB history to start the All-Star Game a mere year after being drafted.
The 22-year-old Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA (133.0 IP/23 ER), 170 strikeouts, .198 opponents' batting average, and 0.95 WHIP in 23 starts on his way to earning the National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award, finishing third in NL Cy Young Award voting, and being named to the All-MLB First Team.
MLB The Show 25 launches March 18, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. Early Access begins March 14, 2025, for anyone who purchases the Digital Deluxe Edition. Pre-orders for all editions (Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition) will open Feb. 4 at 6 a.m. PST on theshow.com, platform stores and participating retailers. For more information visit https://mlbthe.show/25, follow @MLBTheShow on X, @MLBTheShow on Instagram or on Facebook.
20 Years of MLB The Show Cover Athletes
2025: Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, Paul Skenes
2024: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2023: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2022: Shohei Ohtani
2021: Fernando Tatis Jr.
2020: Javier Báez
2019: Bryce Harper
2018: Aaron Judge
2017: Ken Griffey Jr.
2016: Josh Donaldson
2015: Yasiel Puig
2014: Miguel Cabrera
2013: Andrew McCutchen
2012: Adrián González
2011: Joe Mauer
2010: Joe Mauer
2009: Dustin Pedroia
2008: Ryan Howard
2007: David Wright
2006: David Ortiz.
Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.