If you read that in your best Shelfy impersonation, then you’re more than ready for MLB The Show 23, which San Diego Studio announced Monday will feature Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm on the standard edition cover.
That’s right. It’s not Julio Rodriguez, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout or any of the other popular guesses from the MLB The Show community. It’s Jasrado Prince Hermis Arrington “Jazz” Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm, who visited San Diego Studio late last year and is a public supporter of the MLB The Show franchise, is the type of cover star who could actively help market the game to a younger audience. The former second baseman (now centerfielder) is 24 years old and plays the game with an energy that the sport often lacks.
It goes beyond bat flipping and on-field swag. Chisholm has a smile that rivals Francisco Lindor’s and seems to always have fun on the diamond. He’s also active on social media and a proven community-builder in that space.
Yes, Chisholm might not exactly be a household name — yet. He has just 205 games under his belt and struggled in his 21-game debut in 2020. He was much better in 2021, hitting .248/.303/.425 with 18 home runs, 53 RBI and 23 stolen bases.
It looked like 2022 was going to be the big breakout. Chisholm was an All-Star, but his season ended after just 60 games due to a stress fracture in his back. Christina De Nicola of MLB.com wrote in September that there was even a point in late June when he couldn’t walk or lie down without excruciating back pain.
Prior to the injury, the results were there. He hit .254/.325/.535 with 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 12 steals. He was also worth 2 Defensive Runs Saved, according to Baseball Reference.
During the weeklong teasers from the MLB The Show Twitter account, fans argued back and forth about Chisholm’s merits of being a cover star. Can a player with just barely 200 games played really sell the franchise? Is he enough of a household name to get casual gamers to purchase a copy? Why not go with JRod, another electric factory who is coming off a Rookie of the Year season?
These are all valid questions, and unfortunately ones we can’t answer ourselves. But we do have to keep this in mind — the cover star doesn’t impact the gameplay. You’ll see Chisholm’s highlight reel when you queue up the game, and probably a set of cards from King Saladeen, the artist who SDS has partnered with for this game’s cycle. Just like the Takashi set, those could be some of the most unique designs SDS has ever incorporated into an MLB The Show title.
So, let’s all relax and enjoy the next six weeks or so of MLB The Show 23 reveals. Don’t have the blues over the cover reveal. We’re talking about Jazz, after all.
Kenny — or kdjTV — is an MLB The Show content creator and host of The Show: The Podcast, available every Tuesday on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. He’s a diehard Yankee fan who has been dropping his PCI since MLB The Show 09.
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