Ian Kinsler Is a New Legend in MLB The Show 23

It was

announced on Monday morning that second baseman Ian Kinsler is one of the new Legends being added to MLB The Show 23. Kinsler was also just named the Rangers’ new Special Assistant to the General Manager last week. So it’s been a great month for this often overlooked and uniquely talented ballplayer.

Kinsler has a career WAR of 54.1 and a lifetime slash line of .269/.337/.440. In the span of his 14-year career (mostly with Texas and Detroit), he was named an All-Star four times and received two Gold Glove awards. In 2014, he played in every single game except one, leading the majors in number of plate appearances and at-bats. He is one of only 13 players in MLB history with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in two seasons (2009 and 2011).  

He was a member of the World Series champion Red Sox in 2018, but he’s mostly known for his time with the Texas Rangers, with whom he holds the all-time career total records in stolen bases and power-speed number. He was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2022.

Since retiring from MLB, he’s become a vital member of the Israeli national baseball team after receiving his Israeli citizenship in 2020. He played for them in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and will manage Team Israel at the upcoming 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Kinsler is perhaps best described as a player who can do it all. He has speed and power, but he’s also a solid contact hitter. He can defend just as well as he can hit. He’s a five-tool player with a high baseball IQ, a valuable asset for just about any team, real or virtual.

There were 14 new legends added to MLB The Show 22 so expect more to be announced for ‘23 in the coming weeks ahead of the game’s release on March 28.