Today we learned not only is Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta in ESPN Magazine’s “Body Issue,” he’s on the cover.

The pitcher and National League Cy Young winner will be front and center – and naked – when the issue hits newsstands July 8th.

I think the average MLB career now is just a few years. The quote that has always resonated with me is “We’re going to be former players a lot longer than we were current players.” It’s a constant reminder that I need to get the most out of my body and my ability that I possibly can in the window that I have, because if I’m lucky I’ll get to play 10 years.

The magazine’s eighth annual “Body Issue” features photos of athletes in the nude.

ESPN the Magazine and espnW editor-in-chief Alison Overholt told the Chicago Tribune via email, “Jake Arietta’s cover selection was immediate and unanimous. … Our team was stunned by his photographs. The extension you can see in his pitching form, the starkness of the image against a desert pitching mound environment. Combine that with the ridiculous streak he’s been on this season, and having him on a cover was just no question.”

I think the beard plays a slight factor to my presence on the mound. It’s kind of part of the persona now. Everyone in Chicago embraced it, so I got to keep it. I can’t ditch it now. I got rid of it in the offseason and I got some pretty intense reactions. I told them, “Don’t worry, give me two weeks and it’ll be back.”

The offseason is where I really put my body to the test. I try and push the boundary as far as I can while still getting a decent amount of recovery time. The days where I really want to tax myself and replicate late-inning situations where your legs are heavy, I’ll do about an hour of cardio beforehand, usually on a StairMaster. So I can replicate situations late in games, late in the season, where that nervous energy is at a heightened point and you have to control your emotions knowing your body is not completely where you need it. That’s where the mental mindset comes in most. — Jake Arrieta

Two other Chicago stars are included in the issue: Elena Delle Donne and Christen Press.

Donne is a Chicago Sky basketball player who was awarded the WMBA MVP in 2015. Press plays for the Chicago Red Stars and is a World Cup champion.

There’s a variety of athletes that will be featured in the issue, from soccer stars to Olympic athletes and even a motocross racer. This will feature 10 men and nine women.

There’s a variety of athletes that will be featured in the issue, from soccer stars to Olympic athletes and even a motocross racer. This will feature 10 men and nine women.

Irish UFC MMA Fighter Conor McGregor also appear in the “Body Issue.”

Video here.