While baseball continues to be on hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic and MLB comes up with wild, "Looney Tunes" hypotheticals to start the season, players all across the majors are testing out their thumbs.
This might be the most professional baseball players ever have played the video game, MLB The Show. Giants outfielder Alex Dickerson is among the many players getting on the sticks in the latest iteration, MLB The Show 20.
"That's always kind of been my go-to ever since I was a kid," Dickerson said Wednesday on KNBR's "Murph & Mac Show."
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE This is an odd time for Dickerson for many reasons. Somehow his video game habits have even gone haywire.
Yes, he always has been a big fan of gaming. But, he usually has to stay away from MLB The Show.
"The one of thing I've always avoided is MLB The Show, because the game has gotten too realistic, that if I play it in-season and I'm struggling to pick up curveball down or something, I go home and just re-live the experience of not being able to pick it up," Dickerson said. "So that just frustrates me."
Listen and subscribe to the Giants Insider Podcast:
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
That's a totally understandable reason to stay away from the game. Luckily for Dickerson, he put up video game-like numbers in late June and July last season after joining the Giants in a trade from the San Diego Padres.
From June 21 through July 30, Dickerson hit .386 with six homers and a 1.222 OPS over 19 games. With baseball on break, he's back to playing the game and certainly could be once again in the future if he has another hot streak like last season.
"I've actually been playing it because I miss baseball so much," Dickerson said. "But yeah, I tend to cut that game out as soon as I'm actually playing."
[RELATED: Giants, fans got Oracle Park's design right, and here's why]
Players aren't the only ones firing the game up, too. Even Giants manager Gabe Kapler is finding ways to learn through MLB The Show. Dickerson isn't surprised, either.
"I can definitely see how he can use it to his advantage," Dickerson said.