Ken Griffey Jr. Named 'MLB The Show 17' Cover Athlete

When Sony releases MLB The Show 17 on March 28, Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will grace the cover in his legendary backward hat.

MLB The Show's official Twitter account unveiled the cover for next year's MLB video game featuring Griffey:

The announcement of Griffey as the cover athlete for MLB The Show is a fitting cherry on top of the sundae that has been an excellent 2016 for the former American League MVP.

Griffey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer after receiving a record 99.3 percent of the vote (437 of 440 possible votes). He becomes the first retired player to grace the game's cover.

Previous MLB The Show cover athletes include David Ortiz, David Wright, Dustin Pedroia, Joe Mauer, Miguel Cabrera, Yasiel Puig and Josh Donaldson.

Full features for next year's game have yet to be announced, as the game was just confirmed to be released Wednesday, when developer Sony San Diego issued a short statement.

"MLB The Show 17 delivers the most realistic and personal baseball gaming experience on consoles," Sony said, per DualShockers.com. "This year The Show offers exciting gameplay improvements and a greater ability to personalize your baseball experience."

PlayStation's official website lists multiple versions of the game that people can pre-order. The Hall of Fame edition includes a New Era Hall of Fame hat, limited edition MVP steel book and 31 MLB PS4 themes.

Griffey's inclusion as a playable character in the game is a monumental step. Ramone Russell noted for PlayStation's website that his likeness has not been available in nearly 20 years, since the days his name was attached to Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color in 1999.