On Monday morning, Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was named the cover athlete for MLB The Show 22. Sony San Diego Studio, the makers of the game, also announced the decision via social media.
Ohtani was an obvious choice for the cover athlete of baseball’s most popular video game after one of the all-time great individual seasons in baseball history. His name dominated headlines throughout the 2021 campaign as he played at an elite level at the plate and on the mound.
MLB The Show revealed their plans to honor a “once-in-a-generation” talent in Ohtani with a preliminary trailer for the game and a first look at the cover via Twitter:
Congratulations to once-in-a-generation talent Shohei Ohtani on being the cover athlete for MLB The Show 22. Pre-order now at https://t.co/LCivWAsdi4#MLBTheShow #OwnTheShow pic.twitter.com/mmpIFBDrdn
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 31, 2022
It's Ohtani time. Pre-order #MLBTheShow 22. Available 4/5 on PS5, PS4, Xbox X|S, Xbox One, and for the first time ever, Nintendo Switch.
Pre-order: https://t.co/LCivWAsdi4 pic.twitter.com/xekdg9fuhE— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 31, 2022
MLB The Show 22 will be available for purchase on April 5, 2022, right around when the 2022 MLB season should begin if the lockout does not delay things. The game will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, S, and One; and for the first time ever, the game will be available on Nintendo Switch.
As they do every year, Sony San Diego Studio will also likely reveal an alternate cover featuring a historic athlete, the way they did with Jackie Robinson in 2021. While there has been no speculation to this point, a historic cover featuring the late legend, Hank Aaron, would be a sensible choice.
Ohtani has received just about every honor a baseball player can receive in a one-year span. He finishes it off by gracing the cover of the most popular video game in the sport.
Angels ‘honorable mention’ in Top 10 list
ESPN ranked the top 10 teams in Major League Baseball ahead of the 2022 season. And while the Angels did not make the finalized list, they were ranked as an honorable mention due to the talent at the top of their roster.
ESPN’s Buster Olney stated that a season of complete health from Mike Trout, Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon could absolutely put the Angels in top 10 contention.
