A new era begins — the Mariners’ outfield phenom is the first cover athlete to appear on an EA Sports-branded baseball video game since 2007.
The honors keep coming for reigning AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez.
Just one day after Topps officially announced him as the cover athlete for its 2023 Series 1 set, EA Sports has named him the cover athlete of MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2023, the latest installment in EA’s hit mobile baseball franchise.
Though Tap Sports Baseball has existed for a decade, EA Sports acquired its developer, Glu Mobile, in 2021. Today, that makes Rodriguez the first player since 2007 — pitcher Jered Weaver for MVP 07: NCAA Baseball, to be exact — to appear cover of an EA-branded video game featuring America’s Pastime.
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“Being named cover athlete and joining the list of amazing players who have been EA Sports cover athletes is truly an honor” Rodriguez said in a release.
While there’s no set formula for selecting the perfect cover athlete, Rodriguez has surely fit the bill so far. As a rookie, he hit .284 with 28 home runs, leading the Mariners to their first playoff appearance since 2001. However, fans may know him best for the 81 round-trippers he hit in the 2022 Home Run Derby, electrifying the Los Angeles crowd as only the sixth Seattle rookie All-Star ever.
“Julio Rodríguez is one of the most dynamic young players in all of baseball and we’re thrilled for him to be the face of Tap Sports Baseball this year,” said Andrew Pedersen, Vice President of Mobile Sports at Electronic Arts. “This is an exciting new era for the Tap Sports Baseball franchise as we officially welcome the game to the EA Sports family and believe players will have the best mobile baseball experience to date as a result.”
MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2023 will include a host of new features. Additions include a new single-player mode, new animations, ballpark improvements, and crowd updates. EA will include more details closer to the game’s March 2023 launch.
On launch day, fans can download the game via the App Store or Google Play. They can also pre-register here.
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