January 29, 2019
UPDATE: The world wanted Bryce Harper news, and instead we got Bartolo Colón. Thanks, "MLB The Show 19."
One whiff and you'll be hooked...
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 29, 2019
Small dab, #BigSexy: https://t.co/hHvG5r9UKF pic.twitter.com/V3tW4fGP0z
Maybe there's more to come, and we'll update the story if so. It's doubtful anyone wants to smell like Bartolo Colón.
Big ticket free agent Bryce Harper has been the confirmed cover athlete for Playstation's "MLB The Show 19" for several months since the end of last season.
In order of importance for the development of an actual video game, printing out the final cover art is fairly low priority. On the other hand, Sony San Diego does have to be able to market their game — and it would help if they knew where Bryce Harper will play, sooner than later.
Some resolution would also be swell for the sanity of baseball fans.
It seems far-fetched, but the social media accounts for "MLB The Show 19" are teasing a big announcement on Tuesday. As it has in all of the game's promotional content, Bryce Harper's face appears with the tweet.
You'll want to keep an eye on this account tomorrow... just saying.
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 28, 2019
Get hyped: https://t.co/MeSPqa1pm2 pic.twitter.com/TIBlOBgif0
While it wouldn't be inconceivable for a video game to break free agency news in 2019, it's pretty clear this tweet is just meant to play on the general hysteria of baseball's long-developing free agency period. They even called out the Phillies in a subsequent tweet.
Just don't say that in front of the @Phillies fans... https://t.co/3vzIm8MvPj
— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 28, 2019
Commenters on the game's forum have speculated that the reveal is going to be a trailer, which would make showing Harper a bit of a dilemma, unless he appears in a few different jerseys.
At this point, plenty of well-reasoned analysis has predicted Harper will eventually land in Philadelphia. That's largely based on the way the free agent market has taken shape and diverged from the way its top players, Harper and Manny Machado, expected it would in October.
Even if it's nothing more than a promotion, a trailer showing Harper in a Phillies uniform would at least be a welcome sight while we all wait.
