Last month, Take-Two Interactive tapped Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria as the cover athlete for MLB 2K10, citing the young star's bona fides, including a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award. Today Sony named the cover athlete for its own upcoming baseball sim, MLB 10: The Show, and did Take-Two's pick one better.

　　The likeness is uncanny…we assume. MLB 10: The Show will feature Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, winner of two Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger Awards. Mauer's resume doesn't end there; he was also named 2009 American League Most Valuable Player and is a three-time AL batting champion. According to Sony, Mauer's development duties will include motion-capture participation, AI consultation, and various marketing and spokesperson tasks.

　　When it launches next March on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PSP, MLB 10: The Show will include a number of features new to the series. Among the new additions to The Show, Sony is touting the Home Run Derby, the MLB Futures minor league all-star game, and a movie maker used to edit replays.

　　For more on the most recent (and most critically acclaimed) version of The Show, check out GameSpot's review of MLB 09.