CINCINNATI — Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is joining some major league legends as he appears to be the next star to grace the cover of 'MLB The Show'.
Since 2006, 'MLB The Show' has selected a baseball superstar as its cover athlete. Previous covers include David Ortiz, Ken Griffey Jr., Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Now, for the first time, a Reds player will be on the cover.
De La Cruz made the announcement on social media Monday afternoon.
"I'm excited to be on the cover of MLB: The Show 25," De La Cruz said. "You already know I'mma beat everyone."
Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed the cover one day later, on Tuesday. The cover boasts not just De La Cruz, but also Baltimore Orioles player Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirate Paul Skenes.
Entering his third year in the majors, De La Cruz's stardom makes plenty of sense as he's already made a name for himself on the biggest stage. Within weeks of debuting, De La Cruz became the first Reds player to hit for the cycle since 1989. The next month, he stole second, third and home in the span of two pitches.
This season, the 6-foot-5 infielder kept building on his success, becoming the fifth player since 1901 to have at least 20 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season. The 2024 All-Star finished with 25 homers, 76 RBI, 67 stolen bases and 5.2 wins above replacement.
Let's hope there's no weird Madden-like curse for The Show.
