Ken Griffey Jr. announced as cover athlete of ‘MLB The Show 17’

Is it possible that Ken Griffey Jr. is more popular now than when he played?

The former Seattle Mariners all-star and newly enshrined member of the Baseball Hall of Fame will grace the cover of PlayStation 4 video game, “MLB The Show 17,” which will be released on March 28.

It is the first time a retired player has been selected for the cover of The Show. He will also be a playable legend.

“Destined for greatness, no player entered the Big League with more hype than the first pick of the 1987 MLB draft, and no player entered baseball’s Hall of Fame with a higher percentage of the vote than than ‘The Natural,’” the PlayStation release reads. “A legend both on and off the field, ‘The Kid’ inspired a generation of baseball fans with electric play, a contagious smile, enviable flair, and a swing that’s been imitated but never duplicated for almost three decades.”

Griffey played 22 years in the major leagues and was a 13-time all-star. The Mariners made him the first overall pick in the 1987 MLB draft and starred with the M’s from 1989 through 1999. He was traded to Cincinnati and later to the Chicago White Sox before returning to the Mariners in 2009.

He left the game as the No. 6 all-time home run hitter with 630. He also won 10 Gold Glove Awards for his play in centerfield. He was elected to the Hall of Fame with a record 99.32 percent of the vote.

Between 1994 and 1999, Griffey was the face of four different Nintendo games: “Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball” (1994), “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run” (1996), “Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.” (1998), and “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest” (1999).