Marlins star Jazz Chisholm named cover athlete for MLB the Show 23

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is euro stepping his way to be the next face of MLB the Show. San Diego Studios, the developers of the video game, announced that the Marlin’s young and exciting center fielder will be the cover athlete for MLB the Show 23. He joins great company, as previous cover athletes include superstars such as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Bryce Harper.

Chisholm made his big-league debut back in 2020, and since then he has been one of baseball’s most sensational players to watch. His flashy on field fashion, his incredible highlight plays, and iconic euro step celebration, makes him one of the favorite personalities in the sport. Aside from looks and personality, his style of playing is what attracts baseball fanatics. Chisholm is a combines of speed and power, tallying 34 home runs and 37 stolen bases in his short time in the majors.

Chisholm reached another milestone becoming the first Bahamian-born athlete to be awarded the cover of a sports video game. San Diego Studios paid tribute to the star in their intro video with kids from Bahamas and highlights from his career. “I’m from literally a small country that’s right outside the U.S., and you barely hear from athletes that come from there,” Chisholm told ESPN. “For me, it feels like I can finally give back to other kids and it feels like I can make a difference.”

Jazz shared his excitement with being announced as cover athlete in an interview with Yahoo Sports. He received a call at 6:30 in the morning from his agent to tell him about the opportunity. “When I say I was jumping up like a little kid… Ecstatic. I couldn’t get the smile off my face. It felt like Christmas before Christmas. It was amazing.” They revealed the news to the public the afternoon on January 30^th.

Although MLB the Show revealing their cover athlete every year is an exciting event, there was some controversy on who was picked. Many fans went to social media to say that San Diego Studios and the MLB got it wrong, and that Chisholm isn’t deserving of this award. Jazz unfortunately got injured during the 2022 season, so he only recorded 14 homeruns and 12 stolen bases in just 60 games. There are no argument denying his talent, but that he did not have a season worthy enough to join cover athletes before him.

Before the release of Jazz as the cover athlete, many believed the new cover athlete to be Seattle Mariners standout Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez got called up to the big leagues in 2022 and showed off his talents for an impressive rookie year. The youngster slashed .284/.345/.509/.853 with 28 homeruns, 75 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases, all at 21 years old. He earned a 12-year contract that is worth $209.3 million with the Mariners. The Mariners included an incentive in the contract if he won 2 MVPs within 17 seasons in the league, the deal would be worth $469.6 million.

If San Diego Studios wanted to recruit a young player for the cover, it was believed to look no further than the impressive rookie who signed a huge extension. The Jazz Chisholm reveal led to social media blowing up with mixed opinions. One user from twitter said “Are you telling me MLB The Show 23 really chose not to put Julio Rodríguez on the cover? This has to be some kind of sick joke.” However, some were in support tweeting “Jazz Chisholm, the dude playing the game with most flair right now, is the cover athlete for MLB The Show 23.”

I personally love the Jazz Chisholm Jr. cover and I think that San Diego Studios did an excellent job with the vibrant colors to go along with him. Aside from the stats, Jazz is one of the most electric players in the sport and it’s impossible not to root for him. I understand everyone’s disappointment because I thought it was going to be Julio Rodriguez too. Although, I think people need to realize that it is just a video game cover. This is not the same situation as someone getting snubbed for an award or all-star appearance. It’s showcasing a fun exciting athlete in the sport, and Jazz Chisholm is a great choice.

The featured image is from MLB the Shows social media page. It is posted on all their social media handles.