White Sox star Tim Anderson to grace cover of ‘R.B.I. Baseball 21’

Anderson similarly expressed excitement over his cover athlete nod.

“Like a lot of kids, I grew up playing video games,” Anderson said in the announcement, per NBC Sports Chicago. “When I couldn’t get outside to play ball or we had bad weather, that was a time to have fun with my friends and live out some fantasies. And it was always cool to see who was on the cover every year — those were guys I aspired to be.

“So now to see myself on the cover of ‘R.B.I. 21’ is really part of a dream come true. And I hope that kids will see my picture on the cover and realize they can do this, too. They just have to believe in themselves, follow their dreams and work at it.”

The White Sox star also shared his reaction to the honor in tweet shared Thursday.

Anderson is exactly the kind of charismatic star “R.B.I. Baseball 21” needs to deliver some hype ahead of its March 16 release date. One of the most flamboyant players in Major League Baseball — highlighted by his now-patented bat-flip routine — Anderson also delivers on the field and at the plate.

The 27-year-old shortstop won the 2019 American League batting title and finished seventh in AL MVP voting in 2020. His .332 batting average last season ranked second in the AL last season and earned him his first Silver Slugger Award.