Yankees captain Judge once again takes the cover spot for MLB The Show 26.

Everyone rises in respect and tribute: Yankees captain Aaron Judge is back on the cover of the MLB The Show game series.

This New York Yankees superstar and reigning AL MVP was officially revealed today as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 26. This marks Judge’s second time gracing the cover, having previously appeared on MLB The Show 18.

In the history of the MLB The Show series, Judge becomes the second player to appear on the cover multiple times. The other is Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer, who was featured on the covers of the 2010 and 2011 editions consecutively.

MLB The Show 26 will launch on March 17 in the US on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Players who purchase the digital deluxe edition can access the game early on March 13.

Pre-orders for the standard and digital deluxe editions will open starting at 11 AM EST on February 3 via TheShow official website, various platform stores, and participating retailers.

The game cover features Judge wearing both the Yankees pinstripe uniform and the Team USA jersey. Judge will captain the United States team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC), marking the first time the MLB The Show series has showcased a player on the cover in a national team uniform.

In MLB The Show 26, the World Baseball Classic tournament mode will return within the "Diamond Dynasty" mode, with more details to be announced soon.

Judge’s first MLB The Show cover appearance was in 2018, following his sensational rookie 2017 season where he set a new rookie record with 52 home runs and won the AL Rookie of the Year award.

Over the next eight years, Judge has followed a Hall of Fame trajectory: three MVP awards, seven All-Star selections, five Silver Slugger awards, and three home run titles, including his historic 2022 season with a record 62 AL home runs in a single year.

Now, after winning his third MVP trophy in 2025, Judge returns to the game cover. That season, he hit 53 home runs and earned the batting title for the first time with a .331 average.

In the 21-year history of MLB The Show in its current form, Judge is the only Yankee to appear on the flagship game cover (dating back to David Ortiz on MLB 06: The Show in 2006). Derek Jeter appeared on the special edition cover of MLB The Show 23, while Bernie Williams was featured on the predecessor series MLB '98 cover.

This year, MLB The Show has returned to the traditional single-player cover format, whereas the 2025 cover featured three rising stars simultaneously: Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Gunnar Henderson.

Judge is the first player since Shohei Ohtani in 2022 to appear on the cover as the reigning MVP. Previous MVP cover athletes include Josh Donaldson in 2016, Miguel Cabrera in 2014, Joe Mauer in 2010, and Dustin Pedroia in 2009.