Cover Athlete for MLB 26
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@Christuffer_NSW said in Cover Athlete for MLB 26:
@Finn_Scotus_MLBTS I felt like you copied my opinion on the cover athlete(s).
Im sorry.
I kind of just skimmed the comments and threw my own 2 cents in. Didn't mean to plagiarize by any means. 
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@Finn_Scotus_MLBTS It's okay I pretty sure this idea was thought by lots of people lol.
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@Dylan_FN_14_PSN As a Dodgers fan who also is a Yankees fan, I think that he shouldn't be a cover athlete unless he did at least 35 homeruns or had really good defense which he hasn't done to be a cover athlete for SDS so far.
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@Christuffer_NSW
A Dodgers fan and a Yankees fan? Were you born in the 40s or something? -
Just read the email that says 2026 will not have a new Cover Athlete.... off to a good start for 2026, i'm sitting back the first half of this season anyway
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@samguenther1987_PSN So I'm assuming they have Paul, Cruz and Henderson again for 26?
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Ohtani has to be the overwhelming favorite given its WBC year
Or Joe Mauer because third times a charm.
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@Christuffer_NSW
Highly doubt that. Let's assess the options for a second here:
A. No Cover Athlete Period
This is unlikely since they emphasized the word "new" and didn't make a generalized statement. Plus, the Cover Athlete reveal is the biggest reveal for the new game, so I doubt they'll miss that opportunity. Unless they go with a full digital release this year, that won't happen.
B. There Can Be Multiple Cover Athletes
It's possible that they continue the MLB The Show 25 format but three repeats on one is a bit bland. Again, probably unlikely.
C. They Reuse A Previous Cover Athlete
This is probably the way they're going to go. They were too specific with the word "new," which means we're probably going to see some returning faces. The two most likely options would be Ohtani or Judge since they're the two faces of the league. They could slap both of them on their too in a cool WBC-themed cover. But why would they send such a cryptic, dramatic email on a random Monday if that were the case? Let's dive deeper. As most of you know, before MLB 06: The Show, SDS was previously known as 989 Sports, and under that brand, they made "MLB '(last two digits of the year)" games from 1997-2005 before they rebranded to San Diego Studio and renamed the title of the game to MLB: The Show. Those games are technically part of the franchise, so if we include those games, we get a larger pool of cover athletes like Bernie Williams, Cal Ripken Jr., Mo Vaughn (not in the game), Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones (not in the game but he'll most likely be added this year), Shawn Green, Eric Chavez, Vladimir Guerrero, and Barry Bonds. Bonds, obviously, is the single most-requested legend in the Show, practically has security to protect his likeness, yet the pattern fits. This cryptic email screams BIG REVEAL. MLBTS is probably expanding to PC next year, so it would make sense why they would want to draw a huge crowd from that community with a bang. He was the cover athlete on MLB '03, was a Giant for most of his career and the 26 logo is orange, and would send the internet into a frenzy. They would most likely have to break the bank to get him with insane royalties and signing bonuses, but if it drives sales up by 300%, it's worth it. I think it's possible. -
Looks like it's Judge
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Okay, MLB just tweeted, asking about fans' favorite cover athletes, and included Bonds. SDS definitely has something up their sleeves now, I'm convinced.
