Less Talked About Legacy Issues in Franchise Mode (Mostly a Rant About Training)

[KGIY94]

Hi Folks,

There are certain things with Franchise mode that we all know are broken and have been broken for years. Regression is still way too extreme for a majority of players once they reach their 30s, to the point where Free Agency is flooded with former superstars like Gunnar Henderson in the low 60s (I think the game is programmed to give early stars faster declines, like they're all Andruw Jones). Most minor league players will only progress by +5 a year, and their performance doesn't seem to make a difference at all until they reach the majors. While the scouting UI is much less painful to navigate, you'll still get years where closers are the only viable prospects when you consider current overall and potential. SOMETIMES you will see a token draft pick with an 80 overall and 99 potential. That is clearly new. Otherwise, observe how the Top Prospect list slowly becomes filled with mostly closers or guys with A potential but with low 50s overalls that begin declining before they can come close to their potential.. Then as usual there is bullpen logic, trades, etc.

I just want to bring attention to the one of the few TRUE innovations that was brought to franchise mode since I started playing TS in 2012: Training. It has not worked for half of your player's attributes for a long time, and I do not think this was an intentional change. Why give the the option to train pitcher stamina, velocity, and break when these attributes cannot move? Ever notice how your franchise slowly gets overtaken by soft-tossers with low stamina? These guys were clearly intended to have their stamina and/or stuff increased over time...but they don't. Yes, not every pitcher should be able to reach 99 stamina and throw 100+. There should absolutely be caps. Same thing with baserunner speed. Most guys do not get faster after they get "drafted" (except Julio Rodriguez lol). But think about the other way around. Do you find it strange to face 38 year old pitchers who throw exactly as hard with as much break as they did when you started your franchise?

Why have coaches with attribute bonuses/penalties for static attributes? This drives me absolutely crazy! These features used to work as intended, and now they just...don't?

In conclusion, I have long given up on Franchise mode ever getting fancy new features. I just want the devs to fix their existing features and get the mode to play like it did a decade ago.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Its always going to be like this until they expand the draft AND the rosters to at least 125 players per organization. And I'm not positive 125 will be right. It may take 150 to do the trick.

[countryboy]

How far are you getting into franchise that you're seeing the young stars like Gunner Henderson end up in the FA Pool as a low 60s rated player?

[MizzouRah]

I like that the guys in the FA pool are aging guys who want 4-5 year contracts that the CPU passes up on. Just my opinion, but it seems the CPU leans towards the 'youth' movement for the most part, unless it's the Dodgers/Yankees. I'm in 2029 and the CPU has put together some really good teams. I've never had a console sports game that challenges me each and every season.

[tessl]

Hi Folks,

There are certain things with Franchise mode that we all know are broken and have been broken for years. Regression is still way too extreme for a majority of players once they reach their 30s, to the point where Free Agency is flooded with former superstars like Gunnar Henderson in the low 60s (I think the game is programmed to give early stars faster declines, like they're all Andruw Jones). Most minor league players will only progress by +5 a year, and their performance doesn't seem to make a difference at all until they reach the majors. While the scouting UI is much less painful to navigate, you'll still get years where closers are the only viable prospects when you consider current overall and potential. SOMETIMES you will see a token draft pick with an 80 overall and 99 potential. That is clearly new. Otherwise, observe how the Top Prospect list slowly becomes filled with mostly closers or guys with A potential but with low 50s overalls that begin declining before they can come close to their potential.. Then as usual there is bullpen logic, trades, etc.

I just want to bring attention to the one of the few TRUE innovations that was brought to franchise mode since I started playing TS in 2012: Training. It has not worked for half of your player's attributes for a long time, and I do not think this was an intentional change. Why give the the option to train pitcher stamina, velocity, and break when these attributes cannot move? Ever notice how your franchise slowly gets overtaken by soft-tossers with low stamina? These guys were clearly intended to have their stamina and/or stuff increased over time...but they don't. Yes, not every pitcher should be able to reach 99 stamina and throw 100+. There should absolutely be caps. Same thing with baserunner speed. Most guys do not get faster after they get "drafted" (except Julio Rodriguez lol). But think about the other way around. Do you find it strange to face 38 year old pitchers who throw exactly as hard with as much break as they did when you started your franchise?

Why have coaches with attribute bonuses/penalties for static attributes? This drives me absolutely crazy! These features used to work as intended, and now they just...don't?

In conclusion, I have long given up on Franchise mode ever getting fancy new features. I just want the devs to fix their existing features and get the mode to play like it did a decade ago.

It was revealed earlier this year there is dice roll for each player's progression/regression curve. It's inaccurate to say pitcher stamina doesn't move. It doesn't increase but it does decrease. What I do is take advantage of the fact the CPU teams don't appear to know that when drafting the making trades. It no longer frustrates me like it used to. I simply use it to my advantage.

I've never figured out what training does. Coach attributes directly impact in game attributes but I've never figured out what training does.

My advice would be to simply take advantage of things like stamina and not get frustrated. No evidence it will change which is fine with me. There are a list of things in franchise that don't work properly but I've long since stopped filing bug reports and simply work around those issues and take advantage when I can. It makes for a much more pleasant and less frustrating experience.

[countryboy]

Pitcher stamina can/does increase. Its not as often as decreasing, but it will at times increase.

[tessl]

Pitcher stamina can/does increase. Its not as often as decreasing, but it will at times increase.

In your experience what is the most you have seen a drafted pitcher's stamina increase over time?

[countryboy]

In your experience what is the most you have seen a drafted pitcher's stamina increase over time?

IDK, I've never monitored where that attribute starts and ends for any particular pitcher. When I've noticed it increased in the offseason, its always been +1, but I cannot say how many times over the course of a drafted pitcher's career it has increased.

[tessl]

IDK, I've never monitored where that attribute starts and ends for any particular pitcher. When I've noticed it increased in the offseason, its always been +1, but I cannot say how many times over the course of a drafted pitcher's career it has increased.

Here is a video of pitcher stamina for every starting pitcher on all 30 teams during the 2025 offseason.

Stamina decrease

I see 4 starting pitchers who were +1 stamina in the offseason. Birdsong TX, Garcia HOU, Matthews, TX and Cabrera MIA.

Second video is my current franchise as of August 18, 2026. No simming for my team other than spring training but of course the CPU teams are simming. Default sliders. No editing.

Stamina

5 starting pitchers are +1 with 1 at +2. King SD, Birdsong (again), Francis TOR, Bradford TX and Holmes ATL +2. Most pitchers are - stamina and my ace Skeenes is -3 by August 2026.

Are you seeing different results? If so are you using sliders or training stamina?

I understand the OP's frustration but it's been this way for years and unlikely to change. As I said just take advantage of the situation . CPU teams don't know this when drafting or trading. Beat and enjoy the game as it is programmed.

[countryboy]

My experience has been that the majority of time there is a change to stamina it’s a decrease. There are occasions where it will increase.

I’ve only seen it change by one point either way.

I don’t pay attention to how often it changes for any one particular person but with my team I can say that the stamina of my starting pitchers hasn’t changed significantly either way 3 full seasons in with the 4th nearing completion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tessl]

My experience has been that the majority of thine there is a change to stamina it’s a decrease. There are occasions where it will increase.

I’ve only seen it change by one point either way.

I don’t pay attention to how often it changes for any one particular person but with my team I can say that the stamina of my starting pitchers hasn’t changed significantly either way 3 full seasons in with the 4th nearing completion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think we both have been playing this game for a long time. The current situation is a major improvement over what it was many years ago when the starting pitcher would throw a seemingly infinite number of pitches and just keep rolling along. This current reality with pitcher stamina being limited and an attribute penalty beginning when the pitcher declines to 20% or 25% of stamina is a major improvement and may be the reason the developers made this change.

Accept it for what it is. Draft, trade and pull the starting pitcher from the game accordingly. It's an advantage to know how the game works.

Thanks for the conversation.

[KGIY94]

Yes, I noticed that stamina can drop by 1 attribute point or 2. Usually at the beginning of the season when everyone weirdly declines a little but. Very, very rare to go the other way. Man it would be cool to be able to stretch guys out and automatically make their stuff a little less sharp and vice versa, but that's a pipe dream.

Let's focus more on the fact that velocity and break cannot move at all. Stamina is whatever, I guess. But 40 year old dudes who regress to the 60s and sit in free agency or the minors for years even though their stuff is still the same in actual games is an immersion-killer.

BTW, is it true that even high stamina guys will tire out after 70-ish pitches because the real attribute cap is way higher than 100 (Diamond Dynasty)? It messes with sim stats too.

[KGIY94]

The draft is such a buzzkill too when there are years with no legitimate talent (potential + current OVR depending on age). I get that IRL you're not getting a TON of stars in every draft, but there should be more than 0-3 a year in 6 round drafts and 90 man rosters. There are just too many years where an entire position group is bereft of anyone over an 87 OVR in my entire franchise. Does the game have a set number of A potentials? Are the numerous hall of famers hiding in the minors or FA until they're 43 artificially keep the game from generating new A dudes?

Give us some more variable progression curved than the standard +4 and +5 to every hitting attribute! Bring back those monthly reports where potential changed based on hitting or pitching performance! I want a reason to keep track of my minor leaguers' stats and make sure they're at an appropriate level. Again, this is how franchise used to work a decade ago back when everyone was rebuilding the Astros with the short Altuve kid, Jon Singleton, and Matt Dominguez.

[countryboy]

What monthly reports are you referring to?

After each month you'll get a notification within the roster screen of updates on a few minor league players and how they performed, whether it be exceptionally good or exceptionally poor. Also potential can change in season for players as well as overall and attributes fluctuate depending on several factors, performance being one of those.

[tessl]

Yes, I noticed that stamina can drop by 1 attribute point or 2. Usually at the beginning of the season when everyone weirdly declines a little but. Very, very rare to go the other way. Man it would be cool to be able to stretch guys out and automatically make their stuff a little less sharp and vice versa, but that's a pipe dream.

Let's focus more on the fact that velocity and break cannot move at all. Stamina is whatever, I guess. But 40 year old dudes who regress to the 60s and sit in free agency or the minors for years even though their stuff is still the same in actual games is an immersion-killer.

BTW, is it true that even high stamina guys will tire out after 70-ish pitches because the real attribute cap is way higher than 100 (Diamond Dynasty)? It messes with sim stats too.

You are correct about stamina declining but as I explained the game used to have starting pitchers who would never come out of the game. The developers implemented a penalty for pitchers when they get below 20% or 25% stamina and pitchers no longer have as much stamina as they used to. Not perfect but I prefer it this way. Be aware of that when drafting and trading.