MLB The Show Community Reacts to Cover Athlete Choice

Earlier this week, Miami Marlins phenom Jazz Chisholm Jr. was announced as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 23. While most fans of the series were excited for the announcement, there were some who felt that SDS made the wrong choice for the cover athlete. These people feel like Jazz Chisholm Jr. hasn’t accomplished enough compared to other more deserving choices.

You Like Jazz?

Those that like the choice of Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the cover of MLB The Show 23 think he is a perfect reflection of the direction baseball is heading. Jazz is a young player who just turned 25 today (Happy Birthday). He is a five-tool player who can hit homers and steal bases with the best in the league. At a time where MLB is trying to reach younger fans, having Jazz bring his sense of style and enjoyment for the game of baseball to the cover seems like an easy choice.

Jazz also becomes the first Bahamian born player to ever grace the cover of MLB The Show. He is also coming off his first All-Star game selection. Jazz was on pace for a breakout season last year before injuries ended his season. There’s no reason to believe he won’t come back just as strong in 2023.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also a huge fan of MLB The Show. He loves Diamond Dynasty and has even made content with community members such as Shelfy in the past. He also helped pick the attributes for the 99 OVR card of himself that was just added into MLB The Show 22 to celebrate him being named the cover athlete.

Having a player like Jazz on the cover seems to be a great pick. He is young, exciting, and loves the game as well as its community. Having a player that loves the game and is excited to be the face of it is awesome for MLB The Show. There is really not much more fans of the series can ask for.

The Case Against Jazz

One reason some players don’t like the choice of Jazz for the cover athlete is they feel there were more deserving players. Mike Trout, for example, has never been on the cover of MLB The Show, despite having multiple MVPs and being considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Many people felt like Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez should have been on the cover. Rodriguez won Rookie of the Year after hitting 28 HRs and stealing 25 bases at only 21 years old. He also racked up 6.2 WAR in his first year in the big leagues. Jazz only has 4.9 WAR through his first three seasons.

Defenders of the choice point to previous cover athletes like Yasiel Puig and Javier Baez as other players who may not have been the best in the league but were exciting players to have on the cover. Puig had a similar OPS and was about the same age when he was put on the cover of MLB 15: The Show. He was also a flashy player that brought a unique personality to the game like Jazz does. However, Puig had finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2013, and had received MVP votes in both 2013 and 2014. Baez had also finished second in NL MVP voting the year prior to him being on the cover. Jazz is actually the first player to have never gotten a single MVP vote before being on the cover of MLB The Show.

Look at the Stats

One user on Reddit went so far as to compile that stats of all previous MLB The Show cover athletes in their year prior to being on the cover. Jazz ranks last in stats like WAR, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, and OPS+. He is also in the bottom three in H, 2B, BB, RBI, and HR.

With all this being said, it is possible that Jazz was chosen for the cover of MLB The Show 23 before his injury that shortened his season. If that is the case, the decision makes a lot more sense. Jazz was electric to start 2022. You couldn’t turn on MLB Network without seeing some sort of highlight from him. He was well on his way to the best year of his young career, and would most likely have gotten at least some MVP votes.

What do you think about the Jazz Chisholm Jr. being on the cover of MLB The Show 23? Do you think he was the right choice, or would you have preferred someone else?