Jackie Robinson Revealed for Cover of MLB The Show 21 Collector's Edition

Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson has been unveiled as the cover athlete for the collector's edition of MLB The Show 21. 

PlayStation revealed the cover showing the Brooklyn Dodgers icon Thursday:

Playstation and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment issued a statement about the cover:

"We can think of no one who better represents what we should aspire to be on and off the field than Jackie Robinson. His principles remain as relevant and important as ever before.  This is why we honor him by showcasing him on all the Collector's Editions of MLB® The Show™ 21. This includes the Jackie Robinson Edition, the Digital Deluxe Edition, and the Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition.

"To celebrate Jackie, PlayStation and San Diego Studio are happy to announce that PlayStation will donate $1 to the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) for every MLB The Show 21 Collector's Edition sold in the US, including the Jackie Robinson Edition, the Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition and the Digital Deluxe Edition from when pre-orders open through 12/31/2021."

Sony made Robinson a part of last year's game on April 15—the anniversary of the date he broke MLB's color barrier in 1947—with a tribute video released online and two MLB The Show 20 Jackie Robinson cards that could be used in Diamond Dynasty mode. 

This will be the first time Robinson has been featured on the cover of a video game. He played 10 seasons with the Dodgers from 1947 to 1956 after spending one year in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945. 

Robinson was named to the National League All-Star team six times and won the NL MVP award in 1949. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1962 and had his No. 42 jersey retired across MLB in 1997. 

Not only is the title available on the PlayStation 4 and 5, this year also marks the first time gamers will have access to MLB The Show on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. It will also feature cross-platform play for online gamers. 

MLB The Show 21 will be released April 20, but players who preorder physical or digital editions will have early access beginning April 16.