MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

CB, curious to know if the Jays have made any major additions or subtractions in your franchise?

They have.

They at one point had Christian Yelich (signed with Yanks now on my Cards) and Aroldis Chapman (he retired past offseason) when they made their World Series run a couple of seasons ago. They've added, Rhys Hoskins,Jorge Soler, Nick Senzel, and Tyler Glasnow who is one of the better pitchers (Top 10) in the game right now.

Probably the biggest loss they've had of a still active player in Bo Bichette, but he isn't really playing all that well. He's on the bench in Cleveland.

They are struggling this year primarily because their bullpen has been shaky and they just aren't hitting the ball despite having solid bats in the lineup.

They've been a fun team to watch develop over the years as they really were aggressive in getting competitive quickly. They need outfield help nowadays, but they are a bullpen piece or two away from being really competitive in the AL East next year.

The other issue they have right now is their farm system is weak at this point. They have talented prospects but they are a few years away from being contributors.

[kinsmen7]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

They have.

They at one point had Christian Yelich (signed with Yanks now on my Cards) and Aroldis Chapman (he retired past offseason) when they made their World Series run a couple of seasons ago. They've added, Rhys Hoskins,Jorge Soler, Nick Senzel, and Tyler Glasnow who is one of the better pitchers (Top 10) in the game right now.

Probably the biggest loss they've had of a still active player in Bo Bichette, but he isn't really playing all that well. He's on the bench in Cleveland.

They are struggling this year primarily because their bullpen has been shaky and they just aren't hitting the ball despite having solid bats in the lineup.

They've been a fun team to watch develop over the years as they really were aggressive in getting competitive quickly. They need outfield help nowadays, but they are a bullpen piece or two away from being really competitive in the AL East next year.

The other issue they have right now is their farm system is weak at this point. They have talented prospects but they are a few years away from being contributors.

Much appreciated! Nice to see that ownership opened the pocket book to acquire some high end talent!

[SoCalAlexdelete]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Is there a way to sign Free Agents to minor league contracts or do you always have to sign them to your major league and 40-man roster? In past games I liked signing low Overall rating young free agents with high Potential grades to my Class A roster to use as injury subs for my Double A squad, but it seems like they either removed that ability or changed how it works.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals take key series against Cubs

The Cardinals (76-54) took 2 of 3 games over in Chicago against the Cubs over the weekend to extend their division lead to 3 1/2 games over their rivals.

The Cardinals took the first two games of the series, but were unable to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon as the bullpen was unable to keep the lead, again.

The Cardinals will travel to Cincinnati to face the Reds for a 3 game series to kick off the final week of August. The Reds currently trail the 2nd wildcard spot by 1 1/2 games and 8 games behind the Cardinals in the division.

[decga]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Is there a way to sign Free Agents to minor league contracts or do you always have to sign them to your major league and 40-man roster? In past games I liked signing low Overall rating young free agents with high Potential grades to my Class A roster to use as injury subs for my Double A squad, but it seems like they either removed that ability or changed how it works.

Well in my 2019 off-season, I was able to fill my roster with depth by signing some minor league contracts.

As long as you can offer it them & i guess it might depend on their service time & not overall rating. They might accept it.

Sent from my LM-X210(G) using Operation Sports mobile app

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2023

Cubs Maintain Grasp on NL Central As Season enters Last Month.


The Cubs chose to stand pat as the trade deadline came and went. The big move at the deadline was the Angels bolstering their rotation as they traded 3 prospects to Cleveland for Shane Bieber. Chicago has one of the top offenses and a well rounded rotation/bullpen and felt they did not have any moves to make as they knew they would be getting Rowan Wick back from the IL at the end of July.

Anthony Rizzo had started the season strong but landed on the IL early in July with back issues and the issues have lingered through the second half of the season. The veteran first basemen had been hitting in the high .290s but since the injury he has seen his average fall into the .260s. The Cubs have been front runners in the central and have been able to rest the lefty in the hopes he turns things around for the playoffs. The Cubs were also aided as Nico Hoerner took his benching in July in stride and has seen gains in the 2nd half of the season. At the time of his benching Hoerner's battling line fell to .191. He was replaced at 2nd by Richard Kell but the second year man has struggled with the pressure of playing every day and left the door open for Nico to regain the starting nod. Nico has been on a tear in August and has his average back up in the .250s after hitting well over 300 in August. With Javy Baez went down with a calf injury Nico was able to get back in the lineup and used this time to regain the trust of the Cubs coaches; after Javy came back Hoerner was able to move back to 2nd full time. Willson Contreras has not been able to keep up his home run pace and was over taken for the NL lead in long balls by nolan arenado and Miguel Sano of the Nats as the season enters the last month of the season. The catcher has fallen out of the MVP pace but still is batting .317 and leads the NL in slugging.

The Cubs were able to stay hot and add to their lead in August as they are ahead of the Brewers in the Central by 11 games entering September. The Cubs took advantage of their schedule as they only played 3 teams with winning records in August. The Cubs will have a tough task in September as they will face the Nats, Braves, Twins & 7 games against the Brewers - all of which are fighting for playoff spots. The Brewers have the second best record in the NL; unless we see an epic collapse they will likely host the NL wildcard game as they have a 8 game advantage in the standings. With September call ups the Cubs elected to have Rafael Guerra rejoin the team along with outfielder Mariano Velasquez. The 20 year spent the year in AA where he hit .330 and led all of AA in stolen bases; while he is suspect in the field, he has some pop in his bat and is an absolute burner on the basepaths.

Ian Happ Likely out for the Rest of the Season


The Cubs will have to finish the stretch run without Ian Happ, who has had a breakout season. Happ has made a full turnaround from spending much of the ‘19 season in triple A to being on the edge of stardom this season. Happ has improved every year since ‘19 and has been a key contributor this year as he is hitting .323 and has 30 home runs this year. Happ has had a career best in nearly every offensive category but went down with a shoulder tear in late August. Happ will likely be out for 4-5 weeks but there is a small chance he could turn for the last few games of the season; the Cubs are optimistic that he will be back for the divisional round of the playoffs. The Cubs will have a tough decision to make as Happ is in the final year of his deal. The club was not able to lock the 28 year old up to a long term deal in July as the balked at his asking price for 24+ million a year - having already been a two time world champion Ian has made it known the media there will be no hometown discount. The Cubs may not have the room to keep Happ on the roster unless they sell other pieces to free up salary.

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2023

Cubs Maintain Grasp on NL Central As Season enters Last Month.


The Cubs chose to stand pat as the trade deadline came and went. The big move at the deadline was the Angels bolstering their rotation as they traded 3 prospects to Cleveland for Shane Bieber. Chicago has one of the top offenses and a well rounded rotation/bullpen and felt they did not have any moves to make as they knew they would be getting Rowan Wick back from the IL at the end of July.

Anthony Rizzo had started the season strong but landed on the IL early in July with back issues and the issues have lingered through the second half of the season. The veteran first basemen had been hitting in the high .290s but since the injury he has seen his average fall into the .260s. The Cubs have been front runners in the central and have been able to rest the lefty in the hopes he turns things around for the playoffs. The Cubs were also aided as Nico Hoerner took his benching in July in stride and has seen gains in the 2nd half of the season. At the time of his benching Hoerner's battling line fell to .191. He was replaced at 2nd by Richard Kell but the second year man has struggled with the pressure of playing every day and left the door open for Nico to regain the starting nod. Nico has been on a tear in August and has his average back up in the .250s after hitting well over 300 in August. With Javy Baez went down with a calf injury Nico was able to get back in the lineup and used this time to regain the trust of the Cubs coaches; after Javy came back Hoerner was able to move back to 2nd full time. Willson Contreras has not been able to keep up his home run pace and was over taken for the NL lead in long balls by nolan arenado and Miguel Sano of the Nats as the season enters the last month of the season. The catcher has fallen out of the MVP pace but still is batting .317 and leads the NL in slugging.

The Cubs were able to stay hot and add to their lead in August as they are ahead of the Brewers in the Central by 11 games entering September. The Cubs took advantage of their schedule as they only played 3 teams with winning records in August. The Cubs will have a tough task in September as they will face the Nats, Braves, Twins & 7 games against the Brewers - all of which are fighting for playoff spots. The Brewers have the second best record in the NL; unless we see an epic collapse they will likely host the NL wildcard game as they have a 8 game advantage in the standings. With September call ups the Cubs elected to have Rafael Guerra rejoin the team along with outfielder Mariano Velasquez. The 20 year spent the year in AA where he hit .330 and led all of AA in stolen bases; while he is suspect in the field, he has some pop in his bat and is an absolute burner on the basepaths.

Ian Happ Likely out for the Rest of the Season


The Cubs will have to finish the stretch run without Ian Happ, who has had a breakout season. Happ has made a full turnaround from spending much of the ‘19 season in triple A to being on the edge of stardom this season. Happ has improved every year since ‘19 and has been a key contributor this year as he is hitting .323 and has 30 home runs this year. Happ has had a career best in nearly every offensive category but went down with a shoulder tear in late August. Happ will likely be out for 4-5 weeks but there is a small chance he could turn for the last few games of the season; the Cubs are optimistic that he will be back for the divisional round of the playoffs. The Cubs will have a tough decision to make as Happ is in the final year of his deal. The club was not able to lock the 28 year old up to a long term deal in July as the balked at his asking price for 24+ million a year - having already been a two time world champion Ian has made it known the media there will be no hometown discount. The Cubs may not have the room to keep Happ on the roster unless they sell other pieces to free up salary.

Forgot to add in early August for the race for the AL Cy young is all red soxs berrios clevinger and sale all have over 15 wins. they are going to be scary in the playoffs.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals enter September with 3 1/2 game lead over Cubs

The Cardinals (77-57) will enter the month of September with a 3 1/2 game lead over the Cubs in the central division and trail the Giants by a single game for the best record in the National League.

The Cardinals struggled in August going 11-14 for the month and saw their comfortable lead get as narrow as 2 games. A series win over the Cubs at the end of the month helped push that margin back to the 3-4 game mark.

The Cardinals will face the Cubs 7 times in the month of September (4 home/3 road) and will have 4 games left with the 3rd place Reds (6 1/2 games back) in Cincinnati September 20th thru 23rd.

Cardinals September schedule:

2 vs PIT
4 vs PHI
3 @ ARI
3@ SF
4 vs CHC
2 vs KC
4 @ CIN
3 vs MIL
3 @ CHC

Out of the 28 games the Cardinals will play in September, only 12 of them are against teams not involved in the playoff race.

Going to be a fun, wild, and anxious September of baseball as the Cardinals seek to win their 21st division title, as they chase their 12th World Series title.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Pennant Races around the league

Here are the pennant races taking place across Major League Baseball as the calendar has flipped to September:

AL EAST:

Orioles 78-56 (-)
Rays 73-61 (5 GB)
Red Sox 70-65 (8.5 GB)

AL CENTRAL:

White Sox 79-55 (-)
Royals 73-61 (6 GB)

AL WEST:

Rangers 75-59 (-)
A's 74-60 (1 GB)

AL WILDCARD:

A's 74-60 (-)
Rays 73-61 (-)
Royals 73-61 (-)
Twins 70-65 (3.5 GB)
Red Sox 70-65 (3.5 GB)
Mariners 68-68 (6 GB)


NL EAST:

Nationals 76-60 (-)
Marlins 72-63 (3.5 GB)

NL CENTRAL:

Cardinals 77-57 (-)
Cubs 74-61 (3.5 GB)
Reds 71-64 (6.5 GB)

NL WEST:

Giants 78-56 (-)
Rockies 74-62 (5 GB)

NL WILDCARD:

Cubs 74-61 (-)
Rockies 74-62 (-)
Marlins 72-63 (1.5 GB)
Reds 71-64 (2.5 GB)
Padres 69-66 (4.5 GB)

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals drop 2 of 3 to Pirates

The Cardinals dropped yet another series to the Pirates, this time at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have dropped their last 3 series against the Pirates, only winning twice in their 9 games.

The Cardinals now find their lead at just 2 1/2 games over the Cubs.

The Cardinals will remain home as they host the Phillies for a 4 game series in St.Louis before hitting the road for a mini west coast trip.

Cardinals place Yoan Moncada on 10 Day IL

Yoan Moncada is back on the IL this time for a strained tricep. The injury occurred Sunday afternoon when Moncada was up-ended on a double play turn by Pirates center fielder Nick Plummer. The injury doesn't appear to be too severe, so the Cardinals do expect Moncada back in 2 weeks.

Chris Taylor who was just optioned to Memphis was recalled to fill the roster vacancy.

Cardinals call up Jhon Torres and activate Michael Wacha off IL

The Cardinals activated RHP Michael Wacha from the 10 Day IL and recalled John Torres from Memphis to expand their roster to 28 players for September.

Wacha will return to the rotation and Dakota Hudson will move back to the bullpen for the time being. Jhon Torres will provide another right handed bat off the bench with pop. Torres was briefly in St.Louis in August when Yelich went on the 10 day IL due to a neck sprain.

[decga]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

My version of the 20/20 Braves season kicked off!

A 4gm series on the road vs. the D-backs. We spitted the series 2-2. It was a tough first two games of series. I saw my Ace SP Fried and Soroka get knocked around. They were both missing their targets causing multiple walks and costly hits. I finally got my pitching mo-jo back using SP Newcomb & Folty. They both earned the win during their starts. Going 7.0IP or more, not really striking out ppl, but keeping walks to 0 and mistakes to a minimum.

Albies, Acuna and Inciarte are carrying the load offenesively for us at the moment. Going 18 for 46 at the plate. They are batting 1-3 in the order. But my new guys, Arenado & Olson are struggling...

But we are going to push on to San Diego for a 3 game series. They are 4-0 out the gate in 2020. Pitching seems to be their calling card. With the team ERA being 2.75. We will face Lamet, Paddack and Strahm. We will match them by going Teheran, Fried and Soroka.

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2023

Cubs Host Nats At Wrigley with Playoff implications on the line.


The Nationals came to Wrigley as they are trailing the Mets in the NL east by 2 games. Washington has seen their two top pitchers sidelined this season as Scherzer and Strasburg have had multiple stints on the IL; Strasburg currently is dealing with a calf injury and Washington is not as hopeful that he will be back before the regular season ends. In game one Brailyn Marquez faced off against Scherzer. Marquez was able to go 5 and ⅓ innings and struck out 7 while giving up 2 runs the game was tied 2-2 in the 5th before Willson Contreras smacked his 40th home run of the year to make it 4-2. The cubs added 2 more in the 9 to win game one 6-2.

In the second game the Cubs found themselves tied going into the 6th but Kyle Schwarber was able to drive in a run on a sacrifice to go up 1-0 Miguel Sano changed things in the 7th as he hit a 2 run bomb. The cubs were able to tied it up and the game into extras. In the 10th Sano struck again as he hit a solo shot. Needing a response and got one in the form of a 3 run walk off home run to steal the game.

In the final game Oscar Colas scattered 8 hits but only allowed 2 runs. The Cubs were able to get on the board as Kris Bryant was able to score on an inside park home run. Bryant has excelled at hitting against the shift and hit a looper into right field. Adam Frazier was not able to field the ball in the corner as Bryant blew past the 3rd base coach and was able to score standing as the throw from the cut off man was off line. Javy Baez added 2 more in the 5th on a 2 run shot to left field.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-pROMBE-YXM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

On Sept. 9th here are the division races:
NL East
Mets 79-66
Nationals 3.5 GB
Braves 4.5

NL Central
Cubs 101-43
Brewers 84-60

NL West
Padres 78-68
Dodgers 4.0 GB
Diamondbacks 5.0
Rockies 7 Gm back

NL Wildcard
Brewers
Nats
Braves 1 GB
Dodgers 2 GM
Reds / Diamondbacks 3 GB
Rockies 5 GB

AL East
Red Sox 99-46 - clinched
Yankees 77-69

AL Central
Twins 88-56
White Sox 85-58 2.5 GB

AL West
Angels 89-55
Rangers 83-60 5.5 GB

Al Wildcard
White Sox
Rangers
Astros 3.5 GB
Yankees 9.5 GB


Twins/Cubs Face off for Quick Interleague Series.

The Twins hosted the Cubs looking to keep their lead in the AL Central. The Cubs struck early but the Twins were able to claw back in as they got 3 runs on Yu Darvish before his day was done after 6 innings. The Twins struck again in the 8th as they got a solo shot by rookie left fielder Brent Rooker to tie the game. The game went into the 10 before Max Muncy hit a line drive home run for the 2 run walk off.

In the second game was all about pitching as they held two of the top offensive teams at bay. Alex Kirillof got the first run of the game on the board with a solo home run in the 2nd the Cubs scattered 9 hits but only had runners in scoring position twice in the game. The Cubs were able to tie the game with a RBI single by Willson Contreras and took the lead in the 8th on a sacrifice by Justin Turner in the 8th. AJ Puk pitched into the 8th only allowing 1 run but the decision to leave him in did not prove to be fruitful as he gave up the tying home run to Brent Rooker. The Twins were able to top the Cubs again in walk off fashion as Alex Kirillof hit a liner to left to score the winning run to make the final 3-2.

The Cubs will be off a day before taking on the Braves for a 3 game series. Down on the farm both the Iowa Cubs and Tennessee Smokies made the minor league postseason. In triple AAA Iowa was able to get past the Memphis redbirds in the final game of the series to earn the final playoff spots; the Smokies lead their division wire to wire.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals split series with Phillies, remain 3 up on Cubs

The Cardinals and Phillies split their 4 game series in St.Louis, but the Cardinals are still 3 games ahead of the 2nd place Cubs, as they struggled with the Giants.

The Cardinals offense was essentially non-existent in the series getting shutout in both losses and only scoring a total of 6 runs in their two wins. Both Brendan McKay and Eddie Ortiz went 0'fer in the series and the lone bright spot was really Tommy Edman who played and was a catalyst in both the of Cards wins in the series.

The Cardinals will now travel to Arizona for a 3 game weekend series with the D'Backs. Kyle Funkhouser, Jack Flaherty, and Josh Rogers will get the starts.

[decga]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Padres take 2 out 3 from the Braves

We visited sunny San Diego to take on the red hott Padres. The Padres were undefeated to start the season at 4-0. Well they continued to be undefeated thru 6 games. Their starting pitching is impressive. Lamet, Paddack & Strahm were fantastic. Teheran in game 1 vs. Lamet. Got rock and gave up 6ER in 4.1 IP. We lost 9-2..

Game 2, Fried vs. Paddack. Fried rebounded after his horrible first start vs. the Dback's. They both went 6.0 IP, 3ER, but Fried struck out 10... We lost a close 4-3.

Game 3, Soroka vs. Strahm. Soroka rebounded from his horrible first start. Where he walked 5 batters. This start he walked 0 batters. He went into the 6th inn., but I pulled him by mistake. He gave up 2 ER on 5H in 5.1 IP. RP Alex Reyes(Cards) went 2.0 IP, 0 ER & 4K. CP Kimbrel slammed the door K-ing 2 batters to get save. We won 3-2 and Soroka earns the win!

Player to watch on my team coming out of the pen is Reyes: 5.2 IP, 9K & 1.59 ERA. We are 3-4 on this young season...
We are coming home to Truist Park for a 6-game home stand. 3 vs. the Marlins and 3 vs. the Padres. But this is the kicker guys & ladies, It starts a 17 game stretch without a day off until the 18th day. WOW!

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals enter September with 3 1/2 game lead over Cubs

The Cardinals (77-57) will enter the month of September with a 3 1/2 game lead over the Cubs in the central division and trail the Giants by a single game for the best record in the National League.

The Cardinals struggled in August going 11-14 for the month and saw their comfortable lead get as narrow as 2 games. A series win over the Cubs at the end of the month helped push that margin back to the 3-4 game mark.

The Cardinals will face the Cubs 7 times in the month of September (4 home/3 road) and will have 4 games left with the 3rd place Reds (6 1/2 games back) in Cincinnati September 20th thru 23rd.

Cardinals September schedule:

2 vs PIT
4 vs PHI
3 @ ARI
3@ SF
4 vs CHC
2 vs KC
4 @ CIN
3 vs MIL
3 @ CHC

Out of the 28 games the Cardinals will play in September, only 12 of them are against teams not involved in the playoff race.

Going to be a fun, wild, and anxious September of baseball as the Cardinals seek to win their 21st division title, as they chase their 12th World Series title.

Who do the Cubs still have on their roster ?