Former LSU Tiger Paul Skenes Shines as MLB 25 Cover Star

I think everyone that followed the Louisiana State University Tigers in 2023 knew Paul Skenes would be a superstar. It was inevitable. He broke Ben McDonald's SEC & LSU records for strikeouts in a season. He was named the National Pitcher of the Year. He won the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. He is about as close as you can get to a "can't miss prospect" as there is in professional sports. He was just better than everyone else and everybody knew it.

But, the transition from college to the professional ranks can be a difficult one. If you ever talk to a current or former big league player, they'll all tell you the same thing - nothing can prepare you for the grind of a 162 game MLB season.

However, with all that said, Paul Skenes has made the transition seem effortless. He went 11-3 his rookie year with the Pirates, which was good enough to win him the National League Rookie of the Year award and be a finalist for the Cy Young Award. Now, he has another accolade to add to an ever-growing list - Cover star for MLB the Show.

Former LSU Ace Named Cover Star for MLB the Show

It doesn't matter what sport you play, one of the biggest honors you can get is being named the cover athlete for a video game. Only the biggest stars in the game get that honor. Look at the list of Madden cover athletes - Ray Lewis, Eddie George, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, etc..

The baseball equivalent of Madden Football is MLB the Show. And, again, the cover athletes are typically the biggest stars in the game - Ken Griffey Jr, Bryce Harper, Fernando Tatis Jr., etc. So, getting on the cover is kind of a big damn deal. On top of that, as far as video game covers go, LSU or former LSU stars being featured is super rare. Odell Beckham Jr. has been featured on a Madden cover. None have popped up on NCAA football or MLB the Show. So, this is unchartered territory for the LSU Tigers - as far as I can tell, Skenes is only the second former Tiger to be featured on a game cover. Although, I bet Joe Burrow or Justin Jefferson eventually join this list.

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Paul Skenes is a NL Cy Young Favorite in 2025

As mentioned above, Paul Skenes had a PHENOMENAL rookie year. He made the All-Star team and won rookie of the year. Which is a big deal and pretty impressive - especially when you consider wasn't even on the big league team the whole year.

So, the expectation is that with a full season, Paul Skenes could be the best pitcher in the major leagues. If he does what he did last season over 30+ starts, there's no telling what records he might break or awards he might win.

In fact, according to BetMGM.com, Paul Skenes is the betting favorite to win the Cy Young by a large margin in National League. Below are the pre-season odds: