MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

[FSanchez12]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Reeled off about 1/2 a month's worth of games this past weekend (of course there was some simming involved).

I'll get to the Midsummer Classic and update. I will divulge this, it pisses me off to no end that Cervelli is hitting 10 points higher than anyone in the league, and he'll be left off the All-Star roster because he hasn't driven in enough HR's or RBI's (insert eyeroll here).

[FluffyTonka]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Houston 2 def Baltimore 1 in 13 innings.

Due to a surprising 5-0 start which got us thinking we can compete, the Orioles made a deal sending rookie RHP Jefry Ramirez & an A rated AA SS prospect to Arizona for a much needed lefty, LHP Robbie Ray.

An epic pitching duel between Robbie Ray and Gerrit Cole where after six innings only an Adam Jones solo home run shot in the third was the difference. Jose Altuve got hold of a fastball left up in the zone and bounced one off the high left field wall.

A regulation double I thought when it left the bat, but no! Trey Mancini played it off the wall like an 86-year old woman with a prosthetic hip and allowed Altuve an inside the park home run.

It remained 1-1 for the next six innings after Baltimore reliever Jimmy Yacabonis & the Astros bullpen pitched 6 stellar innings of shutout ball.

Top of the 13th Orioles catcher Austin Romine crushed a ball that off the bat looked like a certain HR to right field, but the ball was hung up in the wind with Astros right fielder Josh Reddick climbing the wall and denying a possible HR, but definitely an extra bases hit. That would prove costly.

Marinez took the mound for the gassed Yacabonis and struck out his first batter, before allowing a single to Alex Bregman. Jose Altuve then lined a hard ball into the gap at deep left and Bregman rounded from first for the walk off run.

The Orioles bullpen has been flying close to the sun in their 5 game win streak, and today it got burned.

Baltimore, 5-1 travel to visit the 4-2 Yankees for a surprising top of the division series. The O's give the ball to Dylan Bundy who has no choice but to pitch deep into the game with a totally gassed & depleted bullpen.

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

I don't know that I've ever seen a fall from grace for a closer like the one Familia is having for me right now. He was on pace for over 70 saves at one point, went in to the All Star break with 40 saves. Now in early August he has 42 and seems to blow a save every time I bring him in

[moTIGS]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Heading into the 2023 season with a big decision to make.

I'm running the Royals, and we're coming off a World Series win (76, 63, 74, 87, then 103 wins, so it's been a steady build).

I've got a fairly solid lineup, including Nick Prato at 1B. He's 24 years old, 86 overall with 89 potential, and just hit .377 with 1 HR (1.072 OPS) in 53 postseason AB (.274 with 24 homers in 130 games in the regular season to win rookie of the year). His ratings are pretty much 70s across the board, both hitting and fielding. No real strengths, but no real weaknesses.

In the minors, I have another 24-year-old 1B, Kirby Odell, who I drafted with my first pick in 2020. He's an 82 overall with 91 potential. In the AAA playoffs, he hit .348 with 6 homers in 23 AB (1.505 OPS) en route to a AAA title (.267 with 29 HR in 117 AAA games). At the start of the 2023 season, he's the No. 5 prospect in baseball.

Like Pratto, Odell is pretty solid across the board … except he has 80 power vs. rhp (and he has arm strength/accuracy in the 50s to Pratto's 77/68). Both bat lefty, as well.

Now, the obvious solution is to stick one at DH. But I already have Sammy Ybarra there (drafted in the 2018 draft; similar hitting stats to the others but a significantly better base runner; his overall is only an 82 because he's miserable in the field; Ybarra was thire in MVP voting last year with a .306/33/126 season where he led the AL in hits and doubles). He's a cost-controlled 25-year-old tailor-made DH who consistently produces. So Odell isn't a DH.

My next thought is to play Pratto or Odell out of position to get their bat in the lineup.

As mentioned, Odell has a horrible arm, but he's also an 87 in the field. Secondary positions are C and 3B. Putting a player with a 50/51 arm at either spot is asking for trouble. Pratto's only secondary position is RF, where I have Jorge Soler (88 overall, led MLB in hitting with a .336 average in 2021, coming off a postseason MVP with a .396 run through the playoffs). So if I put Pratto in right, Soler moves to left.

Where I have Jose Aguilar, 24 years old and 88 overall (drafted in the second round in 2019 at a 75 with 89 potential). He's a mediocre fielder (65/67/61/78), a solid all-around hitter (.280 with 23 homers last year), and a base-running fiend (93/91/81; 70 steals in 210 career games). If Soler moves to left, Aguilar would shift to center (for three guys playing out of position to accommodate one player).

And in center I have Jo Adell. 23 years old, 83 overall with 90 potential, very good in the field (81/87/63/90), and also a constant steal threat (87 speed but only 66/66 in stealing/aggressiveness). He was also the WS MVP (hit .467).

So I have six players for five spots. All but Soler are 25 or younger and will be cheap for another few seasons at least. No reason I need to move any. And I would rather not if I can help it. I don't really have the budget to go after stars via trade very often.

If I were to trade, though:

C: Platooning two young guys, MJ Melendez (24 years old, 79 overall, mediocre bat but good in the field) and Ronald Berroa (a 2018 draft pick I traded for; 25 years old, 81 overall, a mediocre glove but mashes lefties). I could upgrade but don't really need to. These guys are a cheap combo that generally have the position covered.

2B: Jorge Polanco (29, 80 overall and starting to decline; consistently a 3.5 WAR guy in 4+ years with me). Could upgrade here, as well, except there are only a couple players in all of MLB who are significant enough upgrades to warrant giving up a top prospect (really only one when I combine ratings, production, and age: Ozzie Albies, and he's a year from free agency and most likely would be a rental). I also have a 76 overall 20-year-old with 85 potential in the system, although he projects more as an utility bench guy (four secondary positions).

3B: Forrest Chadwick (26 years old, 86 overall, pretty consistent .280/30 homer guy over four seasons as a starter). His potential is tapped, so he is what he is. Which is pretty solid. Top 10 at his position and by far the cheapest at that level (two more seasons of $3.3 million left on his deal). No need to upgrade here, and any upgrade would be cost-prohibitive and/or relatively minor in terms of production.

SS: Chris Seise, who I just traded for in the offseason (24 years old, 78 overall, 80 potential). Pretty bad hitter (only four MLB AB to date but hit .265 in AAA for Texas last season). He's an elite fielder, though. Young Brandon Crawford, basically. Could upgrade here, but he's a solid guy, one of the few elite defenders in my lineup, and under team control for another five seasons.

SP: Rolling with 94/88/85/85/80 or 82 as my starters (last spot undetermined; other guy will go in the pen). My ace is 26 years old and just signed a long-term deal for about $13 million/year. No. 2 is 22 but probably has about peaked; he'll get his big deal in a year or two. No. 3 is 26 and a few years away from his first big deal. All are from the 2018 draft (two my picks, one I got via trade a year later). Jose Quintana is at No. 4 (might move in a salary dump; he's declining on paper and on the field and no longer worth his $13 million). No. 5 is up for grabs between Joe Ross and a random 30-year-old rookie I'm finally giving a shot. If I make a move here, it's upgrading the back end of the rotation, and Quintana's on the way out. Probably don't need a top prospect to upgrade here.

Bullpen: Six guys between 80 and 88 overall making a combined $17 million and change. Betances is my closer. Should be pretty good here, but it's a question mark (replaced four guys from last season's bullpen). And like some other spots, I wouldn't want to trade a top prospect for bullpen arms.

Total payroll is $95 million. I've got room to work with still, but I'd like to keep that number lower if I can (self-imposed limits).

So I've got an elite prospect who needs to play, but I've got nowhere to put him and no obvious needs that warrant a trade. I'm considering a little cheese and converting him to second (change his secondary position, play him at 2B for another year in the minors, see how it goes). His physical tools more or less match the position. He's a bit on the tall side (6-4) and not all that fleet of foot, but it wouldn't be the worst fit (similar physical profile to LeMahieu).

The rest of my minors is fairly unimpressive. A couple position players have promise but are a ways away. Eight pitchers (being generous here) are looking like they could someday find a home on a major-league roster, but only one looks like anything more than a backend starter or bullpen filler.

[FluffyTonka]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

The O's lost the first game to the Yankees 4-1. It was a tale of the bullpens. Mine got shelled, and theirs was bulletproof. In a game when I needed Dylan Bundy to pitch deep into the game and rest my pen, after 1.2 innings he left with a tight neck muscle.

Which meant my already tired pen had to pitch 7.1 innings which were solid for the first 5... then I had to use my scrubs (all rated under 70).

J Happ got the win and Miguel Castro the loss.

I signed Free Agent righty reliever Myers and sent lefty Donnie Hart to AAA. Hart has pitched 4.1 innings and has an ERA 11.25 and has had things done to him on the mound that no human should ever have to endure.

In the second game, after losing two on the bounce, I really concentrated on every pitch and Alex Cobb (no relation to Randall) pitched 7.1 innings of shutout ball, limiting the Yanks to 5 hits as Jordan Montgomery was the unlucky loser giving up a solo shot to Viller in the 3rd inning and giving up only 3 hits overall.

That Yankees bullpen is something else. Every single guy walks out of there could be a closer on any other team.

[Itsma806]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Anyone ever notice the CPU line up player stamina issues?

User Controlled team and CPU team both loose energy throughout a series. But the CPU never makes a adjustment to its line up! [emoji53]

That's not true, atleast for me. I frequently see cpu resting players

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Itsma806]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Sounds like a good problem to have. I'm in 2022 with my Chi Sox. I havent won a ws yet but have a phenomenal team this year so 2022 might be the year for us as well.

I also have talent on my team that I dont know what to do with (several solid outfielders) who are either mostly coming off the bench or are still in the minors.



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[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals extend their winning streak to 5 with a 10-6 win over the Cubs on Saturday afternoon. Michael Wacha vs King Felix Hernandez was thought provide a pitcher's duel with 2 or 3 runs likely to be all it would take to secure the victory. That was wrong. The Cubs opened the game with 4 runs in the first and the Cardinals followed that up with 3 runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. By the time both pitcher's exited after the 5th, the Cardinals were up 7-5. Cardinals would make it 10-5 in the 7th after Dioner Navarro's 3 run shot. The Cubs added a run in the 8th with Kris Bryant belting a solo shot. All total the game saw a combined 16 runs, 19 hits, and 6 homeruns.

Juan Fabregas had a day belting two homeruns with 4 RBI's.

Next up is the series finale on Sunday afternoon with Duane Underwood squaring off against Carlos Martinez.

[FluffyTonka]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Yankees 13 def Orioles 1.

Welp. That wasn't fun. 21 year old rookie Caleb Ferguson left after 80 pitches in just 4 innings, with the Orioles holding a slim 1-0 lead. Ferguson managed to load the bases up before departure, for new reliever Myers. Myers quickly cleared the bases handing out hits to everyone! You get a hit, you get a hit and YOU GET A HIT!

Until now I didn't think it was possible to have an ERA of 41 and not even pitch an entire inning. But here I am. haha. The Bullpen surrendered 9 runs in the 5th & 6th innings and another 4 runs over the remainder as they played the Yankee bats into form.

The Orioles have decisions to make. The rotation is good, with Bundy, Ray and Cobb all throwing ERA's under 2.25 ... The closer and set up guys are sound. But the bullpen, and the lack of a power bat in the lineup need to be addressed if they want to chase a wildcard birth.

The Orioles still lead the division by .5 of a game from the Red Sox and are still a game clear of the yankees heading into the fourth and final game of the series at Yankee Stadium.

Notables

G. Sanchez 5-5 2 HR 7 RBI's 5R and is now batting a whopping .800 with 12RBI's for the series.

C. Berroa 3-3 1 3B 1 HR 1 R 1BB with a batting average of .343 on the season.

[Hunkerdown]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Broadcasting The Braves Reborn, late August against Miami. NoW. See sig.

PSN: GRINGOyGUAVA
YouTube: Hunkerdown/GRINGOyGUAVA

Madden 19 - Da Bears Franchise - year 1
The Show 18 - The Braves Reborn Franchise - year 1
FIFA or PES 19 - coming soon

[boxboy99]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Rushed to finish my game vs the White Sox yesterday and had. 4-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th. I was mentally check out and blew the lead and lost.

Cubs beat the White Sox today 4-3. Rizzo hits HR 69 on the year.

Cards won both games, were still down 1.5 games with 8 to go but at least a wildcard spot is clinched.




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[boxboy99]

MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Since the Madden patch dropped tonight, I decided to get a second show game in while slider folks test.

Cubs 4-9-0
CWS 2-8-0

Nice win, but nothing super eventful happened. The ball has really been staying in the yard lately. My personal final sliders feel very locked on right now.

Cardinals lost to the Giants. We’re only down .5 game now. We’re about to kick off a four game set vs the Pirates. Then we finish the season with a three game set vs the Cards.

This feels like 2 seasons ago where we won the division on the last day of the season in a head to head match up with the Brewers. Then we had a rematch with them in the playoffs and we came back down a run in the bottom of the 10th in game 7 to win the series.

The crazy part about Rizzo’s 69 HRs, he is the team leader by 44 HRs. Herb Fuentes is second with 25. Anthony Rendon has 24. Everyone else on the club is under 20.


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[FluffyTonka]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Orioles level season series 2-2 with Yankees.

We flew out of the gates and piled on 10 runs and chased Lance Lynn after 2.2 innings. Joey Gallo earned his first hit of the series, a 3-run shot to deep left, then backed it up next innings with a line drive blast which cleared the left field wall for another 2-run shot. Up by 10 I was never really at ease with Cashner on the mound, and how devastating the yankee's lineup can be.

True to form in the sixth the Yankees put up six runs on a base walk, a single, another walk and then Giancarlo blasted a grand slam.

Thankfully the bullpen held up and I left New York with a 10-6 win and a 2-2 series split and .5 of a game behind the Sox.

After nearly two weeks on the road, we're back at home for a 3-game series Vs the Jays, before a much needed day off.


-----------------------------

Just on Gallo and a moral dilemma, I cannot get a hit out of him with his default stance (which tbf, is really accurate!). Is it cheating if I change it? lol

if it is cheating, i may have to trade him. that little step he does, totally throws away my timing.

[Bm7414206]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

So I'm looking at 2 different deals I want to do and wanted opinions on if it's fair or not in a fantasy Franchise

Trade 1:
SP Noah Syndergaard (92/A) 4 years of control,
For
SP Luis Severino (86/A) 5 years of control
And B potential prospect



Trade 2:
RP Arodys Chapman (91/A) 5yrs, 30yrs old
For
RP Felipe Rivero (88/B) 4yrs control, 26 year old
And B potential prospect


Overall I think both deals are pretty fair and the CPU recommend pick accepts it

[Hunkerdown]

Re: MLB The Show 18 Franchise Discussion Thread

Since the Madden patch dropped tonight, I decided to get a second show game in while slider folks test.

Cubs 4-9-0
CWS 2-8-0

Nice win, but nothing super eventful happened. The ball has really been staying in the yard lately. My personal final sliders feel very locked on right now.

Cardinals lost to the Giants. We’re only down .5 game now. We’re about to kick off a four game set vs the Pirates. Then we finish the season with a three game set vs the Cards.

This feels like 2 seasons ago where we won the division on the last day of the season in a head to head match up with the Brewers. Then we had a rematch with them in the playoffs and we came back down a run in the bottom of the 10th in game 7 to win the series.

The crazy part about Rizzo’s 69 HRs, he is the team leader by 44 HRs. Herb Fuentes is second with 25. Anthony Rendon has 24. Everyone else on the club is under 20.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Same here, couple games against Marlins in my "Braves Reborn"

https://youtu.be/TY58V8rdHE8

https://youtu.be/RcLW5ohZDzk

PSN: GRINGOyGUAVA
YouTube: Hunkerdown/GRINGOyGUAVA

Madden 19 - Da Bears Franchise - year 1
The Show 18 - The Braves Reborn Franchise - year 1
FIFA or PES 19 - coming soon