UPDATE: You can now watch an all-new video starring Evan Longoria below.

Even though Evan Longoria has been tapped as this year's Major League Baseball 2K10 cover athlete, that hasn't stopped 2K from getting even more major leaguers to contribute to the game as gameplay advisors. My only questions are, why did they wait until now to create an advisory council of real pros? This game is practically about to release (it's due in March). How much more time do they have to tweak the world's worst baseball gameplay? Oh, and do they think this will help them compete with MLB: The Show? The answer is no.

For a game as tragically screwed up as MLB 2K, an advisory board made up of actual players should have been implemented years ago. In fact, I'm shocked to hear that this is a new thing. If you want to put in true-to-life gameplay, you have to reach out to the professionals for opinions on what's working and what needs to be improved. The good news is they have a pretty varied list of players, and they're all pretty good players. It's a little American League heavy, and to be honest, I could give a crap about what Jose Reyes has to say about the way the game plays, but I'm sure with the pitchers they've reached out to, 2K's mound mechanics are going to be really good. That is, as long as they get rid of that horrible analog pitch control. Lord above how I hate that.

There's not much else new about the game right now, but in the meantime you can check out the full press release below.

In addition to cover athlete Evan Longoria, third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays^®, 2K Sports announced today that they have partnered with seven additional elite baseball superstars to help promote Major League Baseball^® 2K10.  The players will form an impressive council, who will serve as active spokesmen and invaluable gameplay advisors for the title this season.  These seven players were selected not only for their excellence on the baseball diamond, but also for their commitment and desire to help create the most authentic MLB video game to date.

The council of players for Major League Baseball^® 2K10 include:

• Andrew Bailey, relief pitcher of the Oakland Athletics^®
  • 2009 American League Rookie of the Year and American League All-Star
• Felix Hernandez, starting pitcher of the Seattle Mariners^®
  • 2009 American League All-Star
• Jose Reyes, shortstop of the New York Mets^®
  • 2-time National League All-Star selection
• Justin Morneau, first baseman of the Minnesota Twins^®
  • 2006 American League Most Valuable Player
• Justin Verlander, starting pitcher of the Detroit Tigers^®
  •  2-time American League All-Star selection
• Kendry Morales, first baseman of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim^®
  • August 2009 American League Player of the Month
• Nelson Cruz, outfielder of the Texas Rangers^®
  • 2009 American League All-Star

"We look to partner with the top emerging talent every year to assist us in shaping our MLB 2K franchise," said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. "Working with these seven elite players to ensure our product is up to their standards presents a fantastic opportunity for 2K Sports. These players embody the 2K Sports brand, and we are excited to work with them on Major League Baseball 2K10."

As part of their partnership with 2K Sports, the athletes will consult with the development team at 2K Sports' Visual Concepts studio to provide their expertise and recommendations for how to maximize the realism of Major League Baseball 2K10 and create the most authentic pitcher-batter battle experiences. These players will also appear in an upcoming "Pitchers vs. Hitters" video series that will highlight the intense battle from the mound to the batter's box in Major League Baseball 2K10.