Mariners' Julio Rodríguez Revealed for Cover of 'MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2023' Game

Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez is going from rookie sensation to video game cover athlete.

EA Sports announced the 22-year-old will be on the cover of MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2023, making him the first cover athlete for an EA Sports baseball game since 2007. He will also be a featured part of the game's new single-player experience, which will allow gamers to play through moments from his rookie season.

The single-player experience will also feature other notable games from MLB history.

Rodríguez broke out during the 2022 season as the American League Rookie of the Year, an All-Star and a Silver Slugger winner. He slashed .284/.345/.509 with 28 home runs, 75 RBI and 25 stolen bases as a multi-tool star who could impact the game in a number of ways.

The center fielder was also responsible for three defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs, and consistently flashed his glove as a solid fielder up the middle of the diamond.

Yet it was his presence in the lineup as both a power and speed threat that helped drive the Mariners to the postseason for the first time since the 2001 campaign. He was appointment viewing for much of the summer and gives Seattle reason for baseball optimism heading into a new campaign.

Continued standout production will surely bring new opportunities like the one with EA Sports, which will serve to increase his star power as one of the faces of baseball for the foreseeable future.

MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2023 will be available as a free download in March on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Google Play for Android devices and Amazon.