Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is looking for a comeback – and the cover of the MLB: The Show video game is the first step. The 24-year-old Dominican player, son of Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero, appears as the face of the new version of the Major League Baseball video game, the only MLB simulation video game on the market for consoles.
Guerrero Jr. joins a long list of superstars, the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper, who have graced the cover of the game in recent years. He replaces last year’s cover athlete, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins.
On the cover, Guerrero Jr. decked in his Toronto Blue Jays gear, can be seen running with his finger up to his lip as if to shush a crowd. There are flashes of yellow, red, and blue on the cover, and both a Dominican flag and a maple leaf can be seen. Across his body, the words Vladdy Jr. can be read. The cover also features a sign that reads Don Gregorio, the town where his father was born.
Finally, there are nods to Guerrero Jr.’s love of music and a foam finger with the name Vladito, as well as some baseball bats.
Guerrero Jr. has always been good, and he was just that in 2023, good. But hampered by injuries, he fell short of being great, which he has shown at times in his young career he can be. The lone bright spot in 2023 was the Home Run Derby, which Guerrero Jr. won sixteen years after his father did the same. The two became the first father-son duo to ever win the Home Run Derby in MLB history.
MLB: The Show is set to be released on March 19th and will be available for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.