In some sports games, there are certain players who stand out. Not necessarily because of their ability on paper, but because they meet a game’s meta. Unfortunately, not all of these amazing in-game players see that kind of performance translate into real life. To commemorate these virtual heroes, we at Operation Sports do a series called “Remembering a Random Sports Legend,” which spotlights players that had dominant virtual avatars, even if they didn’t live up to that dominance when it came to actually playing their sport. And first up is MLB The Show legend Adalberto Mondesi.
Who Is Adalberto Mondesi?
The son of former Major Leaguer Raul Mondesi (who is also a corrupt politician, believe it or not), Adalberto Mondesi was a highly-touted international prospect in baseball who signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2011 when he was only 17 years old. A speedy switch-hitting middle infielder, the sky seemed to be the limit for Mondesi, and the baseball world took notice. By 2014, he was one of the top 50 prospects in Major League Baseball.
Eventually, Mondesi made his MLB debut in 2015, but under the oddest circumstances. En route to the Royals winning the World Series that year, Mondesi made his debut as a pinch hitter. He struck out, but made history regardless as the first MLB player to debut in a championship series since 1885.
As painful as it is to say, this is where Mondesi’s MLB career peaked. The very next season, the young middle infielder caught a PED suspension. And though he’d have spurts of decent play here and there in the years that followed (especially on the basepaths), Mondesi’s career would be mostly marred by injuries.
As of right now, Mondesi is a free agent and hasn’t played a major league game since 2022.
Adalberto Mondesi Is A Legend In MLB The Show
While Mondesi’s professional career never quite panned out in real life, he’s consistently been one of the better players in MLB The Show. It all started in MLB The Show 18, where Mondesi became a Battle Royale favorite, despite being a silver-rated card. After that, he got a Player of the Month card that was a fixture in most Diamond Dynasty players’ lineups. And that didn’t change for years.
Just last year in MLB The Show 24, Adalberto Mondesi had a team captain card that was so good, it achieved close to a true 99 overall rating by ShowZone.gg. Even though it was released relatively early in the year, the card was a perpetual part of top players’ lineups due to its sweet pull swing, tempo, speed, fielding ability, and because it was a switch-hitter.
Mondesi hasn’t gotten a big card yet in MLB The Show 25, but there’s always a chance there’s a throwback card for him. And if there is, you better get it.
