MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

[MoneyMan17]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Usually a Yankees only guy but got into a few franchises with different teams lately just for fun. Had a blast with my latest franchise, Mariners. Simmed almost all games but was always in total control of organization from top to bottom including AAA and AA lineups and rotations.

Ended the year 86-76 and got the 2nd wild card spot, although lost the WC game to the Angels 4-1.

Was able to build a very competitive MLB roster while also adding prospects through trades. I would consider it a very successful year since we are setup to be a playoff team, and have a solid farm system.

Lineup at the end of the year:
Charlie Blackmon CF (.312/16/76)
Franklin Gutierrez RF (.279/23/87)
Robinson Cano 2B (.256/26/73)
Nelson Cruz DH (.269/32/105)
Adam Lind 1B (.292/26/78)
Kyle Seager 3B (.236/26/99)
Nick Hundley C (.304/10/42 - 90 GP) Chris Iannetta C (.285/9/33 - 77 GP)
Drew Stubbs LF (.265/18/54)
Ketel Marte SS (.244/4/41)

Rotation:
Felix Hernandez (12-12, 3.54)
Hisashi Iwakuma (18-9, 3.38)
Nate Karns (8-10, 4.00)
James Paxton (10-6, 3.05)
Brad Mills (9-8, 3.97)

Bullpen:
LRP Jon Gray (4.89)
MRP Blaine Boyer (4.43)
MRP Vidal Nuño (L) (6.23)
MRP Yasiel Sierra (2.80)
MRP Adam Ottovino (6.00)
SU Nick Vincent (1.62)
CP Santiago Casilla (1.46, 40 SV)

As you can see, the bullpen was our achilles heel. I tried so many different relievers throughout the season and nothing seemed to work. Even traded for a few. Casilla was out third closer of the year after Cishek (ERA over 10!) and Benoit (5.00+ ERA) weren't working. I'll try to improve it over the offseason but a lot of these guys have decent ratings so might not make many changes and will just hope for bounceback years.

Definitely looking to go deeper into the playoffs next year and hopefully win the division!!

Quick summary update:

Well this franchise did not go as planned at all. Since I posted this the other day, I've gone through 2 more seasons (17, 18) and in both got absolutely hammered mostly by more injuries than I've ever seen in a year (Injury slider on 5) and a little bit by underperforming players.

2017 missed the playoffs by one game after going into final week of season in first place.. and 2018 finished 27 games out of first and lost 93 games.

After going into the All-Star Break in last place due to so many injuries and underperformances (Cano, Cruz decline SO, unrealistically fast.), I decided to have a fire sale and traded King Felix, Cruz, Gutierrez, and more and ended up finishing the year with a superb farm system, looking set up for many years.

But of course, I had GM Contracts on, and Seattle did not offer me a contract extension!! :

So I went with the Baltimore Orioles, so I'll at least see where this takes me and what I can do with them, hopefully build a winner. I actually enjoy feeling like a real general manager whose job is not guaranteed! Never gone this deep into Franchise Mode before...... more updates to come

[Qb]

Pirates Franchise 2016 season

Pittsburgh takes 2 or 3 in St. Louis to even up both clubs records at 17-15. Gerrit Cole turned in a gem in game two, allowing one run over seven with 11 Ks. The bats also came alive, plating six runs on 11 hits (moved to veteran, ha), followed by a 13 run outburst in the series finale (simmed).

Next up is Jameson Taillon's major league debut in Cincinnati; Dan Strailly takes the hill for the Reds.

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

After reviewing my era and pitching stats I decided to bump pitching to HoF. Our era was ~1.50 after 8 games which led the league by a full run. Also, I read a lot of folks who played 15 on All-Star had to bump to HoF. Our batting stats our slightly below middle of the league, so we will keep batting on All-Star for now.

Game 9

HoF or not, the Cubs were able to sweep the Brewers 6-3 to improve to 7-2 on the young season. Anthony Rizzo is waking up now with another 2 HR performance. He is 2 HR's in each game of the series vs the hated Brew Crew. Kris Davis had 2 blast for the Brewers. Cubs move to 7-2.

Game 10

The Cubbies travel to 'Nati to play the Reds. The rain was pouring down all game for match up of two struggling pitchers on the young season. Cubs Matt Moore vs Johnny Cueto. Both pitcher came in with an ERA over 7. Despite our solid team era, Moore was blasted in his debut coming off an injury late in Spring Training.

Votto hits a two run blast in the first to put the Reds up 2-0. A few innings later the Cubs would get at Cueto big. Anthony Rendon hit a 3 run blast off Cueto and the Cubs went on to win the game 4-2. Reds had a chance to rally in the 9th with a one out runner on third who lined out to Soler and that big arm gunned down the runner at home plate.

Cubs move to 8-2.
W - Moore
L - Cueto
SV - Coranado

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Game 11 Cubs @ Reds Lester v. Bailey

Cubbies jump out to a 4-0 lead early behind HR's from Rizzo (7) and Rookie sensation Jeff Scruggs (2). The Reds fight back in the 4th behind 2 HR's to tie the game at 4. Rendon later hits a HR to seal the game for the Cubs 5-4.

W - Lester
SV - Coranado

Cubbies are 9-2 on the season.

Side Notes:
- Hitting seems harder than 15 but HR's seem much easier. The team is only batting in the .230's right now so I don't want to jump up in difficulty. Almost all my and CPU runs are coming from HR's which is a bit concerning.
- Walks seem way easier to get on 16. This could be because I'm playing on a monitor now as opposed to a big screen. Happy so far because I'm drawing several walks per game.

[zippy2212]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Just hit the trade deadline in 2019, year 6 of my Cubs franchise started in The Show 14. I'm currently 60-41, 7 games up on the Brewers in the NLC. I won 114 games and the WS last year and I really want to repeat so I pulled off 2 trades just before the deadline.


I acquired Jon Jay from the Mets for 3 players - 23 Year Old - 73 OVR, 82 potential RP, a 23 Yr Old - 72 OVR, 76 potential SS and a 24 Yr Old - 65 OVR, 75 potential RF.


Then I acquired Free Agent to be Chris Archer from the Rays for an 21 YR Old, 83 potential, 80 OVR CF, a 23 Yr Old, 89 Potential, 76 OVR SP and a 19 yr Old, 80 potential, 70 OVR 2B.


My offense has really been struggling lately so I figured Jay could give me a little spark in the lead off role and play good to great defense in Left Field. With Archer in the fold I've decided to go with a 6 man rotation the rest of the way. It will take some work moving guys around a little bit but it's worth it. I now have Arrieta, Archer, Lester, Gallardo, Gonzalez (last season's RoY) and Chavez a 96 potential rookie who currently leads the league in ERA. The last 2 are guys I drafted so it adds a little pride to their results.


In Archer's first start he went 8 innings, struck out 15 gave up 1 run on 3 hits. With the offense struggling I figured I can stack up on pitching and try to shutdown my opponents.


I'm really excited to finish out the year and see what happens.

[sink4ever]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Just finished the 2016 season with my 3 team franchise (Indians/Mariners/Braves). I mostly play with 2 teams and manage the others, for 2016 I played every third game with the Mariners and Braves and mostly simmed the Indians.

I plan to do a full season review for each team, but here's a quick summary of how the season ended. The Braves, predictably, were quite bad and finished at 61-101, the 2nd worst record in the majors. The Mariners were one of the best teams in baseball for most of the year before stumbling a bit at the end being overtaken in the AL West by the Astros. The Mariners still managed a wildcard spot, but promptly lost the one game playoff to the Rays.

The Indians, on the other hand, were beset by injuries and constantly underperformed for much of the year. Fortunately for them, everyone else in the AL Central was equally lousy. For the majority of the year, the leader of the AL Central had a sub-.500 record. It came down to the wire between the Indians and the Royals with Cleveland holding a one game lead as the two teams faced off on the final day of the season. A Royals win would mean a one game tiebreaker with the winner advancing to the playoffs.

Both pitchers brought their best as the game remained scoreless inning after inning. Finally, Matt Kemp (acquired in a trade earlier in the season) stepped to the plate and delivered this solo shot to break the tie.



That proved to be the difference as the Indians held on a 1-0 victory and advanced to the playoffs on the "strength" of a 81-81 record.

[Cowboy008]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Just got into the 2018 regular season and am holding a 3 game lead in the division. We finally made it to the World Series last year after missing out on it 2 years in a row by losing in the ALCS. The Rays swept the series and James Looney was the playoff MVP.

Even though we won the World Series Longo hasn't been playing up to his potential the past 2 years so he might be on the move before the trade deadline. He has hit 55 home runs in those 2 years but his average was down where it shouldn't be.

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Game 12 @ Cincy

The Cubs have swept the Reds with a 4-1 win. Dexter Fowler hit a solo shot in the 3rd to take a 1-0 leads. In the 4th Starlin Castro hit a 3 run dinger (1st of season) to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead. The Reds lone score came on a HR from Miguel Montero who the Cubs traded to the Reds in 2015 for Contreras who went 2/3s inning in relief.

Player of the game Jake Arrieta 8k 2bb 1er

W - Arrieta 2-0
L - Simon 1-1




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[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Game 13 @ Detroit

Travis Wood was still tried from his complete game 5 days ago. We put him on the bump anyway and he got rocked for 6 runs in .1 inning.

The Cubs would be down 7 before getting 4 in the 4th including a 3 run HR from rookie Lonny Santiago (contact) which was also his first career hit.

The Cubs would get the game to 7-5 before the Tigers could pull away in the 7th and 8th to win 11-6.

Rizzo hit HR (8) solo in the 8th. Just a few games ago Rizzo was batting .050 now he is at .300

The 9 game winning streak is over, the Cubs fall to 10-3. The Tigers are 7-6.

W - Green 2-0
L - Wood 1-2

Tigers HRs Venable, Martinez, Turner


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[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Game 14 @ Detroit

What a sequence in the top of the 9th tied at 3.

- Rizzo up with 1 out. Draws a walk after being down in the count.

- Castro tries a sac bunt to avoid double play but end us safe.

- Tigers bring in Jaba Chamberlain. Cubs pinch hit 83 speed rule 5 catcher Herb Fuentes for Wellington Castillo. Herb tries a sac bunt, looks out but beat the throw by a hair. Bases loaded 1 out

- Jaba walks the next 2 batters. Cubs up 5-3.

- Dexter Fowler appears to ground out to first but the ball skips off the glove and the ball goes in the outfield. Two more score. Cubs up 7-3.

- Jaba is able to get out of the inning finally.

- Rex Brothers holds in the bottom 9th and the Cubbies win 7-3. 11-3 now on the year.


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[ShowSavage]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

starting mine now

[Qb]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

The Pirates dropped 2 of 3 in Cincinnati, including Jameson Taillon's debut despite a solid first MLB start (6IP, 2R, 6K). However, the Bucs bounced back in a big way, sweeping the division leading Cubs at Wrigley. Cole and Liriano each fanned 10, while Taillon seemed much more composed in his second start, walking none and scattering five hits over seven innings to pick up his first career win.

With the sweep, Pittsburgh (21-17) jumps to two games back of the Cubs (23-15). The Pirates kick off a homestand with a four game set by hosting Atlanta; the Braves are a lowly 13-24 on the season. Jeff Locke (2-2, 3.12) faces Julio Teheran (0-4, 4.33) to open the series.

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

18th in BA @ .242 but 1st in HR (27) after 15 games. Move up to HoF hitting or stay on All-Star? My last season on MLB 15 was the opposite. Lead in average but was near the bottom in HR's. Seems like like over compensated each the other direction. I crush everything I make solid contact with on 16.

Game 15

Detroit (7-8) 4
Cubs (12-3) 8

HR's:
Fowler 2
Castro
Stovall
Venable

L - Ver Hagen 0-3
W - Matt Moore 2-0
SV - Doubront (1)

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Game 16 Detroit @ Chicago

Fowler and Baez take a much needed rest day.

Bottom 9th, 1 out the Cubs decide to pinch hit Randy Stovall bypassing Dexter Fowler. Stovall comes up big with a 2 run home run to tie the game at 5. Next at bat Castro hits a Triple off the wall. Scruggs hits a slow roller to 1st and Castro is gunned down at the plate by a hair.

Top 10th - JD Martinez chases a ball and crushed a solo HR. Tigers up 6-5. The Cubs would leave 2 on base in the bottom of the 10th. Tigers win 6-5

Cubs 12-4
Tigers 8-8

W - Hardy
L - Hunter
S = Alburquerque

HR's
Soler, Stovall, Martinez 2

Next Series Nats (10-6) @ Cubs - Cubbies swept the Nats in the 2016 Divisional Series.

Arrieta v Scherzer
Wood v Gio Gonzalez
Hammel v Ian Kennedy

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB 16 Franchise Progress Thread

Game 17

Shutout by Max Scherzer 5-0.


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