The Show Video Game Tournament Signs On 30 MLB Players

Blake Snell, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette are among the baseball stars switching over to PlayStation with America's pastime on hold.

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 08: Blake Snell #4 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his teams 4-1 win over the Houston Astros in game four of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 08, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Thirty big leaguers — one from each team — have signed on to play a round-robin regular season on the MLB The Show video game with the real season on hold due to the novel coronavirus.

Snell, a Cy Young Award winner with Tampa Bay, will face Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett in the opener Friday night. That matchup will air on Snell's Twitch feed, and other games will be streamed via Twitch and YouTube with MLB Network host Robert Flores providing commentary.

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 6: Amir Garrett #50 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Great American Ball Park on September 6, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The venture was launched Friday by Major League Baseball, the players' association and Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Participants range in age from 36-year-old San Francisco outfielder Hunter Pence to 21-year-old San Diego infielder Fernando Tatis Jr. There are 11 All-Stars, including Milwaukee reliever Josh Hader, Texas slugger Joey Gallo and the New York Mets' Jeff McNeil.

DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 18: Jeff McNeil #6 of the New York Mets circles the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 18, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Players will complete a 29-game regular season — one three-inning contest against each team — through April. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason, expected to mirror MLB's current format.

The NBA is running a similar esports tournament on NBA 2K featuring 16 pro players, including stars Kevin Durant and Trae Young. Those games have been airing on ESPN.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 27: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets speaks to media during Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center on September 27, 2019 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

MLB, the union and Sony are contributing $175,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of the initiative.

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