MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[itsmb8]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

South Siders Steal KC's Crown on Opening Day

March 26, 2020 | Chicago, IL -- The Chicago White Sox took a decisive win over Kansas City, to the tune of an 8-2 scoreline.

Lucas Giolito tossed a solid game in his first start of 2020, allowing just 5 hits and 1 earned run in 6 1/3. He struck out 4 and walked just 1 batter. Bad Keller got the Opening Day nod for the Royals and did not fare well at all, giving up 6 runs and 8 hits in just 4.1 innings. He also struck out 4 and walked 1.

Chicago's hitting was the main story of the game, blasting 4 home runs on the day. Jose Abreu was the first one to kick off the White Sox' dinger parade, as Yoan Moncada, Leury García, and newly acquired Edwin Encarnación also had a homer in the game. Luis Robert made his MLB debut as well and hit the ground running, going 3-3 with a walk as well.

[cnelly4]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Huge update to my website. Please check it out!

https://sites.google.com/view/cnelly4smlbtheshowpage/home

Twinkie Town
Monthly Report

April 30, 2020
Minneapolis--- The first month plus of the season has passed for the Minnesota Twins, and they sit with a 17-14 record. This is good enough for second place in the tightly-contested American League Central division. They trail the Chicago White Sox, who own a 20-11 record, by three games.

Offensive Powerhouse Again?
Last year, the Minnesota offense set the record for most homeruns in a single season with 307. This year’s team again appears to be a huge offensive threat. They are currently hitting .283 (2nd in the MLB) as a team, averaging 5.64 runs per game through 31 games. They have also hit 65 homeruns, which leads all of baseball again. Their .533 slugging percentage is on pace to break the all-time record.

Pitching a Surprise?
The Twins pitching staff currently holds the 4th best ERA in all of baseball, with a nice 3.71 number. Criticized all offseason for not pushing hard enough to get an elite arm, it looks like the front office are the ones laughing at this point in the season. They are in the top-ten in all major pitching categories, and it has been a group effort as the starters and the bullpen have been great. The starters have contributed 17 quality starts of the first 31 games and the bullpen has only one blown save.

Top Offensive Performers
When you have one of the top offenses in baseball, you are bound to have some players that are having outstanding seasons. Shortstop Jorge Polanco has been leading the charge thus far, slashing .317/.378/.617 with seven homers and thirteen doubles. Leadoff man Max Kepler is also continuing his path to one of the elite outfielders in the game. He is currently slashing .301/.344/.626. With seven round trippers and fifteen doubles. Kepler and Polanco are currently one and two in the AL in doubles. The ageless Nelson Cruz continues to be a problem for opposing pitchers, as at 39 years old he is slashing .302/.415/.585 with eight homeruns and has also added more patience into his approach as he is among the league leaders with 21 walks thus far. Newest Twin Josh Donaldson has not disappointed either as he leads all of baseball in homeruns, while slashing an impressive .278/.342/.648 line. Catcher Mitch Garver is proving that last year was no fluke, as he has eight homeruns to go with his .294 batting average. Lastly, Byron Buxton started out the season on the 10-day IL, but since he came back on April 5th, he is finally showing the type of player everyone thought he was (and then some). He is currently a very tough out in the nine-spot, slashing a line of .387/.433/.710


Cheaper Arms Leading the Charge
When the Twins failed to add Zack Wheeler and Hyun-Jin Ryu in the offseason, many Twins faithful saw a repeat of the 2019 season coming their way, a big offense but little pitching. So far, the Twins' approach to cheaper arms appears to be paying off. 33-year old Homer Bailey has been outstanding over his first six starts, compiling a 5-0 record and a 2.93 ERA over 40 innings. Kenta Maeda, who was a Twin and then wasn’t a Twin and then was a Twin again, has proved that the transition to the American League is not always tough. Over six starts, he holds a 4-2 record with a team-best 2.88 ERA. Jake Odorizzi (1-2, 3.57) and Jose Berrios (0-4, 3.27) have both pitched well despite only one win between the two of them.

Dependable Bullpen
As predicted, the bullpen has been good for Minnesota this year. Additions Tyler Clippard and Matt Wisler have been dominant. Clippard is still sporting a 0.00 ERA through his first 12 innings, while finishing 17 strikeouts. Wisler has been almost as good with 14 strikeouts over 14 ⅓ innings and an ERA of 0.63. The power arm of Trevor May has also been great in the setup role. He has worked 10 ⅓ innings with 10 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.87. Closer Taylor Rogers only has three saves, mainly because the offense has been so potent, but is carrying an impressive 1.08 ERA through 8 ⅓ innings of work.

[cnelly4]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

League Update
Monthly Report

April 30, 2020
League Headquarters--- Welcome to the first edition of the 2020 League Update, where we take a look around major league baseball. We will cover everything from standings, outstanding performers, to injuries and trades. We hope you enjoy it!

Let’s start out in the American League East.
The Yankees (17-15) and Red Sox (17-16) are again battling it out for the top spot in the East, but it is the surprising Orioles (14-17) who have stuck around for most of the month, even leading the division at one point, although reality may be setting in as they have now lost six games in a row. The Rays (14-19) have struggled to find consistent pitching, but everyone knows they will be in contention near the end. The Blue Jays (13-18) really struggled out of the gate but their young squad has now won six in a row, and will look to continue to chase down the big dogs in the East.

Now to the American League Central.
The time is now in Chicago (20-11), as the up and coming White Sox lead the division by three games. They have been one of the hottest offenses in all of baseball. The Twins (17-14) are the defending champs in the Central and will not go away easily. Both their offense and pitching have been among the best among baseball, but the lack of clutch hitting has kept them slightly behind in the division. The Indians (17-16) have struggled to find consistency so far through the first month plus. They go on a winning streak and then follow it up with a multi-game losing streak. The surprising Royals (15-16) continue to stick around, now winning five in a row to end the month. The Tigers (14-17) have not been as bad as everyone figured, but can they keep this up over a course of 162?

Tightly contested American League West.
Four teams are within two games of the division lead. The Angels (17-13) currently lead but they have come down to earth after a fast start. They did lose both Albert Pujols and Justin Upton for considerable time during the same game. The favorite, er not, Astros (17-14) struggled in the pitching department early but have turned the corner and will welcome back veteran Justin Verlander in early May. The Athletics (17-16) continue to find ways to win ball games despite a team ERA of 4.96 early on. Texas (15-15) surprised a lot of people last year, and after adding some pieces in the off-season are once again sticking in the mix. The Mariners (13-20) have played better than expected but it is only a matter of time before their inexperience sends them in a downspin.

Now off to the National League East.
The division looks upside down. You have the division leading Marlins (20-11), yes Marlins, tied for the second-best record in baseball. They are definitely playing above expectations, but are taking advantage of a slumping division as they are 18-8 against the East. The Mets (18-13) are keeping Miami on their toes, and it is their offense that is carrying them right now. Their pitching is atrocious with a 4.88 ERA currently. The Braves (15-18) have won 4 in a row, and are still expected to be sitting near the top of the division at season's end. The Phillies (12-19) just can’t win baseball games right now. They are just average. And finally, the defending World Series Champs, the Washington Nationals (11-19). They are missing Anthony Rendon, but their pitching is not in top form yet, and they are just out of sorts right now. Stephen Strasbugh also fractured his forearm on April 8th.

Let’s take you to the National League Central Division.
The experts predicted a tightly-contested division race and it has not disappointed yet. The Cubs (17-15) have been up and down but currently have the lead. The Brewers (16-15) have been much of the same but have now just placed Lorenzo Cain on the IL, so we shall see. The Reds (15-15) have held the division lead for most of the month, but now have lost four in a row. The Pirates (12-19) have been about as bad as predicted as both hitting and pitching have been problematic for first year manager Vince Shaw. The Cardinals (11-21) lost catcher Yadier Molina on April 17th and their pitching has been terrible ever since, sporting an ERA of 4.92 on the season.

And finally we are out to the National League West
The Padres (22-9) have been an offensive force, leading them to the best record in baseball. The Dodgers (19-11) are hot on their heels, as their offense has also been scoring runs at will. They did lose Clayton Kershaw on April 7th after he broke his shin. The Diamondbacks (16-15) have been up and down. The Rockies (14-15) are also just playing mediocre baseball as the Nolan Arrenado trades continue to pop up. The Giants (14-17) were hanging with SD and LA for awhile, but a five game losing streak now has them in last place in the division.

[cnelly4]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Down on the Farm
Monthly Report

April 30, 2020
Fort Myers--- Welcome to the first edition of Down on the Farm, where we will bring you monthly updates around the farm system of the Minnesota Twins.

Rochester Red Wings
Record: 10-10
IL North Division: 4th place, 3.5 games back
Hitter of the Month: C Caleb Hamilton (.333 Avg, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
Pitcher of the Month: CP Juan Minaya (0-0, 6 SV, 3.12 ERA, 15 K)

The Red Wings had a mini four-game win streak in the middle of the month, otherwise they have been playing pretty average baseball. Their longest losing streak has only been two games, so they have done a nice job of bouncing back after losses.

Offensively, they are hitting just .226 as a team and are only scoring 3.35 runs/game. Catcher Caleb Hamilton has been leading the charge, in a platoon role, with his .333/.400/.639 batting line. In limited action (28 at-bats), shortstop Jack Reinheimer is slashing .321/.367/.393. Middle Infield prospect Nick Gordon has been leading the way for Rochester. He currently leads the team with three homeruns with a line of .318/.362/.614 over 44 at-bats.

On the pitching side of things, the Red Wings have been good, really good. Their team ERA of 2.59 ranks fourth in all of triple-A baseball. 28 year-old Parker Bridwell is leading the rotation with a WHIP of 0.96. He is 2-1 with 14 strikeouts over 25 innings. Flamethrowing righty Jorge Alcala currently has a 1.50 ERA over his first 24 innings, with 25 strikeouts and a 2-1 record. Veteran closer Juan Minaya has been great at the backend of the bullpen. The 29 year-old has 6 saves and 15 strikeouts over 8 ⅔ innings pitched.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Record: 8-13
SL South Division: 5th Place, 6 games back
Hitter of the Month: CF Malique Ziegler (.350 Avg, 2 RBI, 5 SB, currently on the injured list)
Pitcher of the Month: RP Sean Poppen: (2-0, 23 IP, 0.39 ERA, 13 K)

The first month of the season has been a struggle for the Blue Wahoos, and the month has ended with a four-game losing streak. They also had a three-game losing streak last week, and have only managed a winning streak of two games (3 times). On a bright note, they are currently 3-0 in games played on Saturdays.

Their offensive leader thus far has been CF Malique Ziegler, but he is currently on the IL with a fractured hand. Before the injury, Ziegler posted a line .350/.435/.375 with five stolen bases over 40 at-bats. Ben Rorvedt is off to a nice start in a platooning role at the catching position, posting a slash line of .370/.367.407 with five RBI. Top prospect Royce Lewis has shown some bright spots, but is only currently hitting .235 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. As a team, the Blue Wahoos are hitting .257 and averaging 3.76 runs/game.

On the mound, Pensacola has posted a respectable 2.81 team ERA, which is good enough for 6th in double-A ball. Right-hander Sean Poppen, who saw some time with the Twins last season, has been a workhorse, mostly out of the bullpen. He has made one start, and is 2-0 with a miniscule 0.39 ERA over 23 innings pitched. Jhoan Duran (2-2, 2.63) and Griffin Jax (1-1, 1.17) are leading the starting staff. Edwar Colina currently has 26 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched, sporting a 2.86 ERA. Out in the bullpen, Hector Lujan has worked 11 ⅔ innings, and has a 1.54 ERA with eight strikeouts.

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

When adding injuries to players manually for realism, I had to add injuries to guys like Sale and Syndergaard, injuries that last 6+ months. I’m worried they will retire, should I be? What should I do?

Manually uninjure them prior to the offseason. Although it is entirely realistic that someone doesn’t come back from TJ surgery .... I agree with you that guys of that stature wouldn’t just up and call it quits after a year without a comeback attempt.

[rkocjay]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

JUNE 16, 2020 | CHICAGO, IL

A solo homer to lead off the top of the 10th by Wilson Ramos and a two-run single by Robinson Cano in the top of the 10th was enough to end the Cubs modest four-game winning streak Tuesday night as the Chicago Cubs fell to the New York Mets at Wrigley Field 6-3 in extra innings.

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks tossed seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits in the no-decision. Mets hard-throwing righty Noah Syndergaard completed seven innings of his own, striking out eight. Syndergaard also earned a no-decision.

The Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the eights with Kris Bryant's 16th home run of the year. But Dan Winkler struggled in extra innings, allowing three runs on just 2/3 innings as the Cubs suffered the loss.

i really like stuff like what you are doing. I just wonder how you have the time to do this every game. i like the passion you have for your franchise

[Gagnon39]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

i really like stuff like what you are doing. I just wonder how you have the time to do this every game. i like the passion you have for your franchise

I don’t quite do it every game, but probably close. It only takes me about 10-15 minutes do make these.


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[cubbies1744]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

i really like stuff like what you are doing. I just wonder how you have the time to do this every game. i like the passion you have for your franchise

He does do great work and he inspired me to create a website about my team's franchise this year. You should look back a few post and check out his draft post. He did amazing work with it.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Operation Sports mobile app

[rkocjay]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

He does do great work and he inspired me to create a website about my team's franchise this year. You should look back a few post and check out his draft post. He did amazing work with it.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Operation Sports mobile app

that i did see what an amazing job

[Gagnon39]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Thanks for the kind words. I have been working on putting together a YouTube channel and doing SportsCenter style highlight videos. I could do them relatively quickly as well, but the software I’ve been using is super buggy for some reason.


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[cubbies1744]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Thanks for the kind words. I have been working on putting together a YouTube channel and doing SportsCenter style highlight videos. I could do them relatively quickly as well, but the software I’ve been using is super buggy for some reason.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Can't wait till you get it going. I will have some highlight videos soon as well most of my PC stuff will be here thursday but Mic and capture Card is on back order another week. Very excited to check out your videos.

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[VinceJulien14]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Well the Jays took the field for 3 games against the Reds hoping for better results but they’d drop 2 of 3.

Game 1 was a 2-0 loss. DeSclafani was masterful but had to leave the game after 2.1 due to injury, but the bullpen picked up right where he left off and 6 pitchers combined for the shutout.

Game 2 found the Jays picking up their first win of the season in dramatic fashion as Gurriel Jr. hit a walk off homerun in the 10th to win the game 6-5.

The Jays were eager to go into game 3 riding the high of winning a game but was handled masterfully by Trevor Bauer who went 6 innings of 1 run ball. Dropping game 3 7-1.

The Blue Jays are off to a frustrating start for a young team looking to grow. They’re 1-6 on the year and have struck out a league worse 68 times through 7 games. No ones as frustrated as young Bo Bichette who can’t buy a hit and is 0-25 on the year.

The Jays are hoping a quick 5 game road trip will help them out of this funk as the take on the Yankees for 3 and Phillies for 2. Right after I input their Sounds of the Show. [emoji28]


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[cubbies1744]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Were the Cubs able to keep winning out west or were the Dodgers offensive juggernaut too much for them? Go to www.sportsgamingfranchise.com and read all about it. Also made the website alot more mobile friendly and made alot of updates including injury report up to date.

[eric7064]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

May was a fantastic month for the Cubs in the standings, but no so much on the injury front. A few days into the month new Cubs Miguel Sano fractured his shin and will be out of play for 2-3 months. Anthony Rizzo followed up just a week later with a fractured arm that will put him out 2-3 months.

Both of these bats are huge, they are the 3-4 in the lineup and the Cubs will need a lot of help from not only the rest of the order, but the pitching in order to stay competitive while they are out. The Cubs did exactly that in May and ended up going 18-9 on the month, and sitting at 33-22 overall, with a 5 game lead in the division.

A couple young bats in the lineup have been the standouts, Rookie 3B Doug Paolucci is hitting .294/8HR/19RBI in Sano’s absence and 2nd year 22 year old CF Henry Browning is hitting .278/10HR/26RBI and along with Kyle Schwarber has been the main components of the offense so far.
What really has propelled the Cubs this year is the rotation and bullpen, as the entire rotation outside of Lamet has under a 3.40 ERA.

The bullpen has been amazing, as Chapman has given up 1 run in 24 innings with 21 saves, RP Brett Martin has also gone 15.1IP without a single run given up. Tyler Duffey has gone 18IP giving up 2 ER and these 3 have kept the Cubs in the win column.

Can the Cubs hold on while 2 of there biggest sluggers are out? They sit at 33-22 through 2 months.

The end of June brought the exact midpoint to the MLB season. The Cubs sit firmly atop the NL central division with a 45-36 record. Not a great record, hardly on pass for 90 wins, but it is enough in an NL central that has struggled as a whole this season.

The Cubs June was not ideal as they went 12-14, including a 6 game losing streak in the middle of the month, but it was enough to keep the Cubs atop the division. Henry Browning continues to be a solid contributor in the lineup and David Bote has been fantastic as an everyday regular in Sano/Rizzo’s absence.

Kyle Schwarber continues to be the offensive powerhouse in the middle of the lineup, with Rookie 3B Doug Paolucci hitting .275/10HR/26 RBI while Sano is out. The rotation did struggle a bit this month, but still remains the strength of the team. Chapman did blow a couple saves this month but leads the MLB with 29 saves at the midway point. The Cubs did suffer another long-term injury as 1B/OF Gary Scruggs broke his hand. Scruggs has been a regular this season, but the return of Rizzo in early July should soften the blow a bit for the injury riddled team.

Despite the Cubs staying afloat in the standings, they desperately miss Rizzo and Sano. Cubs rank 20th in HR, 28th in hits, 26th in runs, and 24th in team average. It still very much is the rotation and bullpen keeping the Cubs atop the division, and it will be interesting to see if the Cubs make a move to bolster the lineup at the deadline.

Cubs are 45-36.

June Draft
SP Bobby Mcmillan (64OVR/B POT/21YR)
RP Stanley Goto (62OVR/CPOT/19YR)
SS Sherman Stark (74OVR/DPOT/23YR)
CF Rafael Lozano (68OVR/DPOT/20YR)
CF Omar Barrios (66OVR/DPOT/19YR)

[nolczyk16]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Hello everyone, long time viewer, first time commenter.

I had a question for anyone playing as the Chicago White Sox, and I wanted to ask if I’m just crazy or does the CWS mascot fly around the infield when you hit home runs? I’ve had it happen twice now, and it’s hilarious but I can’t seem to figure out if it’s a glitch or like an Easter egg in the game. I took a video of it, but I don’t really know how to post it on here.

Thanks and I hope everyone is doing well, and staying safe during these trying times - at least we’ve got an amazing game to keep us busy!


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