Marlins Players Immortalized in MLB The Show Video Game

Players get scanned for realistic in-game avatars, with some enjoying playing as themselves

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Miami Marlins players recently participated in a facial capture session for the upcoming MLB The Show 2026 video game. Players like Graham Pauley, Starlyn Caba, and Joe Mack had their faces scanned and will be accurately represented in the game. Some players, like Connor Norby, have even received the coveted '99' rating, making their in-game avatars the best at their position. The players expressed excitement at being able to play as themselves in the popular baseball simulation game.

Why it matters

The MLB The Show video game series has become a staple for baseball fans, allowing them to play as their favorite teams and players. Having the Marlins players accurately represented in the game helps bring the virtual experience closer to reality, and gives the players themselves a unique opportunity to experience being a video game character.

The details

A three-person crew from the MLB The Show development team visited the Marlins' Jupiter, Florida training facility to capture 3D scans of around 20 players. The process involved the players wearing hairdresser bibs, having their hair sprayed with water, and posing for photos with a 360-degree camera setup. The scans will be used to update the players' in-game avatars, which are typically refreshed every 4-5 years. Some players, like top prospect Joe Mack, have even received the coveted '99' rating, giving them the best attributes at their position.

  • The MLB The Show 2026 video game is set to launch on March 17, 2026.
  • The Marlins players had their facial scans captured on Friday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Graham Pauley

A Marlins infielder who enjoys playing MLB The Show, though he admits he struggles with the hitting mechanics.

Starlyn Caba

A Marlins shortstop prospect who had his face scanned for inclusion in the upcoming MLB The Show 2026 video game.

Connor Norby

A Marlins player who previously had a generic in-game avatar in MLB The Show, but has since received the coveted '99' rating, making his avatar the best at his position.

Joe Mack

A Marlins catching prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 62 overall prospect, who had his face scanned for the MLB The Show 2026 video game and also received the '99' rating.

Clayton McCullough

The Marlins manager, who enjoys playing MLB The Show with his son and often gets 'throttled' by him.

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What they’re saying

“I probably lost [the games]. I'm not very good. The hitting, 100%. It's hard.”

— Graham Pauley, Marlins Infielder (mlb.com)

“He loves playing against me, because he won't tell me what the buttons do, and the controller is a lot different now than it used to be when I played video games. So he's throttled me a few times. He usually picks the all-time greats, and I get like the [Double-A] Tulsa Drillers [of the Dodgers' system]. I let him have it, but he plays a lot. He plays with the Marlins. He makes his own teams.”

— Clayton McCullough, Marlins Manager (mlb.com)

“When it's all you do for your job, you want to kind of get away from it when you can. I'll play it every now and then. It's pretty cool, for sure. It's the same thing as having your own baseball card. It's not what you try to attain. It's a perk, and it's definitely one of the cool things that happens because of it.”

— Connor Norby (mlb.com)

“We did a headscan, and I got the real 99 card and everything, so it's pretty cool. I wasn't that good. No, I'm just kidding. It was a lot of fun. I had some good stats in there. It was just cool to just play as yourself. It was like, 'Wow, I'm in a video game.'”

— Joe Mack, Marlins Catching Prospect (mlb.com)

What’s next

The MLB The Show 2026 video game is set to launch on March 17, 2026, allowing Marlins fans and players to experience the team's roster in virtual form.

The takeaway

The Marlins players' participation in the MLB The Show video game facial capture process highlights the growing realism and immersion of sports video games, giving players a unique opportunity to see themselves as virtual avatars and connect with fans in a new way.