Who are the very best gamers in the Major Leagues?
As Cito Gaston and his fantastically 90s jacket can attest, the Majors have long loved video games. But they seem more important around the league today than ever before -- in fact, they're an essential part of big league life.
They inspire on-field celebrations. They demand offseason tournaments. They may even have altered the course of baseball history. If you have a favorite player, chances are he's got a favorite game. Which begs the question: Just who are the best gamers in MLB right now?
We've assembled a list of our favorites below. Have your own? Let us know @Cut4.
Jose Ramirez
Ramirez is an All-Star and perennial AL MVP candidate, but his baseball side-hustle merely serves as a cover for his true calling: Mario Kart on Nintendo 64. Many Indians players (and beat writers) have tried to take his crown, and all of them have failed.
Teniendo la oportunidad de jugar Mario Kart con el ?, Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez, ?creen que realmente le pudieran ganar una carrera? ?? #LosIndios pic.twitter.com/QyNh1vyxhl
— Indians Beisbol (@IndiansBeisbol) December 28, 2018
Ramirez always plays as Bowser (they've both got spiky hair) and he always insists on racing the Mushroom Cup -- because he's mastered the secret cave jump on Koopa Troopa Beach.
Blake Snell
Plenty of big leaguers play Fortnite, but not many of them do it like Snell:
For those keeping score at home, that's four flatscreens with LED backlighting, four computer monitors, his own Fortnite chair and a keyboard with LED lighting. He organized an offseason Fortnite tournament back in December, and his Twitch stream, classiclyfamous, has over 5,000 followers. And yes, he can dance, too.
Trevor May
Of course, if anyone can give Snell a run for his money, it's probably May, the Twins reliever who 1) streams with Fortnite stars like Ninja and 2) managed to commandeer the Target Field scoreboard in 2018 and let hundreds of fans watch him play.
Hunter Pence
Befitting a man who's never met something he couldn't be wildly enthusiastic about, Pence doesn't just like video games -- he lives and breathes them. He and his wife Lexi's living room is an ode to every 90s console imaginable:
He's got Mario-inspired ugly Christmas sweaters:
Big thanks @tacolicious! These things mean a lot. ? pic.twitter.com/kq99nlwbAb
— Hunter Pence (@hunterpence) January 28, 2016
And during the offseason, you can find him at Coral Sword, the coffee shop/gaming oasis he opened in Houston. (But be warned: He's very good at Super Smash Bros.)
Trevor Williams
Speaking of Super Smash Bros., Williams -- and, really, the entire Pirates rotation -- is something of a connoisseur. Don't believe us? Just listen to this episode of IMHO, his podcast with teammate Steven Brault, in which the two rank each original playable character. (Come for Williams' entirely correct take on Kirby, stay for Brault's ... ambitious Ness impression.)
O.G. SUPER SMASH BROS, ranked https://t.co/i7WGkBc5og
— IMHO Podcast (@PodcastIMHO) February 16, 2019
Lance McCullers Jr.
Really, you could make an argument for just about every member of the Astros here. George Springer brought the dances into Houston's postgame celebrations, and Jake Marisnick started bringing a portable TV with him so they could play on the road.
But while seemingly none of them can agree on who the best player is -- Marisnick, Springer, Alex Bregman, Derek Fisher and Brian McCann all got votes in the past -- we have to go with McCullers, who's been known to play Call of Duty the night before each of his starts. Also because he can do stuff like this:
Like I said.... When @Teamcjcorrea asks for a snipe #icegaming #PS4sharehttps://t.co/9k4B5vpHpT pic.twitter.com/gItLKnwqEb
— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) February 4, 2019
David Price
Likewise, the Red Sox as a team have embraced MLB's Fortnite revolution -- but none moreso than Price. When he heard that he was getting the ball for a critical ALCS Game 5 in Houston, what did he do? He hopped on Fortnite to clear his head:
Also in my piece: After David Price found out he was starting Game 5, what did he do? Go back to the hotel and play Fortnite with Nathan Eovaldi, of course, which is exactly what he asked of Eovaldi after his epic Game 3. Eovaldi¡¯s reaction to that was ... https://t.co/mZo6Nri8YD pic.twitter.com/EJg0fELaUI
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 29, 2018
And lest you think that challenging him is a good idea, be warned: He'll even roast you during a championship parade.
