MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Notable 2026 Retirements

Here are some of the most notable retirements for the 2026 season.

* Mike Trout (Indians)

- Trout retires with one year left on his contract which surprised me. But then again it didn't. Trout hasn't played more than 100 games the past 3 seasons due to injuries. Trout hit no better than .258 in each of the past 3 seasons.

* Robbie Ray (Indians)

- Robbie Ray retires after winning the Cy Young in 2025 for the American League and then having a horrible 2026 season which saw his go 2-12 with a 7.67 ERA and finish the season in the minors.

* Craig Kimbrel (Red Sox)

- Kimbrel retires from the Red Sox after having a decent 2026 season where he was replaced as the teams closer but served as their set up man until he was injured at the end of August which shelved him for the remainder of the year. Kimbrel saved 32 games in 2025, but just 2 with 7 blown saves in 2026 before being replaced.

* Manny Machado (Padres)

- Machado like Trout retires with a year left on his contract, but Machado suffered a torn achilles tendon in July and is apparently calling it quits due to the injury. Machado had been replaced by Owen Miller as the team's everyday 3rd baseman, so this isn't really a surprise. Machado batted just .198 in 79 games in 2026.

Hall of Fame Inductees after 2026

Mike Trout
Craig Kimbrel
Manny Machado

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2024

Spring Training


In the lead up to spring training, the grumblings started to grow about David Bote’s unhappiness. Bote has had a limited role with the Cubs and was seeking more playing time but did not look to be in the cards to fill the hole left by Ian Happs departure. Bote is a versatile player but the Cubs have looked past him to try and develop players in the future. The Cubs hoped to keep the vet on the club as insurance if Nico Hoerner struggles at 2nd again but Bote balked that that idea and was looking to have substantial playing time as he reaches the prime of his career. The Cubs ultimately gave him to the demains as Bote was traded for two minor leaguers to the Royals. The Royals were sellers at the deadline last year as they moved Mondesi to the Brewers but have a solid pitching staff with Zach Grienke signing and Brady Singer has started to emerge. In the end Bote got his wish as he will be an every day starter for KC.

The Cubs decided to not add their top prospect to the 40 man roster prior to spring training. Irving Marten is a consensus top 5 prospect who already has good pop against lefties and possesses a good glove and speed. The Cubs have run into issues with being stuck with younger players at the majors due to being out of options. While fans were clamoring to see him this spring, Chicago decided they would let him get another year of seasoning and avoid using an option this year. Martens has struggled to hit for average in double A the last 2 years and the Cubs will start him there again. Cubs envision moving him up to Triple A Iowa at some point but would like to see his production improve; the Cubs will have room to add him if he shows he is ready for the big stage. The Cubs were able to lock up a key part of their future as they signed Miguel Amaya to a multi year deal. Amaya was called up in 2022 and ended his rookie campaign surging after getting hot down the stretch, 2023 was a rougher year for the catcher but he figured to get more consistent at bats as he will likely start against lefties at either first for Rizzo or at catcher so that Contreras can move to left. The Cubs are expecting results out of the trio of younger players in Nico, Amaya and Davis - With the core group of Rizzo, Bryant and Co getting up in age and nearing the end of their current deals the Cubs need their homegrown talent to produce.

Adonis Medina looked to be the swing starter out of the pen this year after getting a cup of coffee in september. Medina came by way of the phil’s when the Cubs traded Alex Wood a few years ago. Adonis would have to battle it out though as the Cubs were active on the waiver wire and pick up J.B. Bukauskas from the D backs. Bukauskas has struggled in the desert and hopes to revive his career in the windy city. In the end Medina was able to overcome early struggles and won the call up.

With the retirement of Justin Turner, Richard Kell will return to the majors to start the year along with utility Rafeal Guerra. Mariano Velaquez made his case for sticking with the club after his postseason run but the Cubs decided he may not get frequent at bats & needed more versatility in the infield. Infielder Christopher Morel will have his first stint in the majors. His bat is still lacking but can serve as solid glove manning 3rd 2nd or short. The lineup will stay largely the same from a year ago. Nico Hoerner has had an up and down 3 years in Chicago and will need to produce as the Cubs will not have the opportunity to move Happ/Bote to the infield if he struggles. Brennan Davis will get a chance to start every day in center. Davis struggled as well, batting below .220 in his first full year of major league ball but the Cubs will look to provide him consistent at bats to start and hope he can carry results from a solid spring training where he hit .278. In right field Danny Santana will split starts with Victor Reyes& Oscar Colas. The Cubs are hopeful that Santana and Colas will be able to replace some of the production gap left by Happ JD Martinez made the club but the Cubs would like to see his role only be pinch hitter/DH; Martinez was never a great fielder and at the age of 37 JD is complete liability. If the Cubs are buyers at the deadline, JD will likely be the first option to DFA.

Lineup:
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
C Contreras
LF Schwarber
SS Baez
RF Santana/Colas/Reyes
2B Hoerner
Pitcher
CF - Davis

Bench:
C Miguel Amaya
2b/3b/ss Chris Morel
DH JD Martinez
Ult Rafeal Guerra
2nd/3rd Richard Kell

Rotation
DeGrom
Colas
Hendricks
Marquez
Puk

Long reliever - Medina
Middle relief - Rowan Wick / Chacin / Cruz
Set up - Carl Edwards Jr/ Kyle /Ryan
Closer - Emmanuel Clase


The Cubs will start the year In Wisconsin to play the Brewers

[Rocket32]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

103-55 Yankees Clinch AL East

After dropping the first 2 games vs Houston by ugly scores of 1-7 and 6-17, a 3-1 Yankee win combined with 4-3 Red Sox victory over the Blue Jays would seal the deal in the East. Now, over these final 4 games it’s finally time to start looking towards the Playoffs

Aaron Judge would leave early in the division clincher after a failed diving play attempt. It was later determined he has a lat muscle strain and is day to day. Expect Judge to ride the bench for the final 4 games.

Yankees Top Performers Of 2020
Gleyber Torres 298 AVG, 53 HR’s, 125 RBI’s.
Miguel Andujar 319 AVG, 31 HR’s, 73 RBI’s.
Aaron Judge 298 AVG, 32 HR’s, 73 RBI’s.
Gerrit Cole 2.83 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 262 K’s, 200.1 IP.
Tommy Kahnle 1.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 67 K’s, 47.2 IP

News:
109-50 Indians Clinch AL Central And Best Record In AL
105-53 Dodgers Clinch Best Record In NL
98-60 Blue Jays Clinch Second AL WC Spot

85-74 Cardinals Eliminated From NL WC
A disappointing end in St Louis as the final playoff race is over. A 4 game losing streak, 1 at the hands of Cincy, and 3 to the Brewers, ends their season. Paul Goldschmidt did all he could to get his Cards to October with a 317\403\569 line with 37 HR’s and 122 RBI’s season. And he even stole 18 bases along the way.

October Stage Is Almost Set
The regular season will end mostly drama free, as all that remains up for grabs now is the top NL WC spot. A battle between the 89-69 Braves and the 89-70 Cubs. Atlanta finishes with 1 more vs the Nats, then 3 vs Houston. Chicago finishes with 3 at home Vs the Cardinals. St Louis is out, but they can still do their part to send their rivals to Atlanta with their season on the line

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals sign J.J. Bleday to 3 year deal

The Cardinals and reigning World Series and National League Playoff MVP have agreed on a 3 year $15MM deal for the 26 year old. The 3 year contract will buyout Bleday's renewable years but allow him to explore arbitration should the two sides reach that point.

The Cardinals were interested in buying out those years as well, but Bleday wasn't comfortable signing a "team" friendly deal for that much control.

Bleday hit .298 with 10 homeruns and 23 RBI's in the regular season after becoming the everyday right fielder when Christian Yelich got injured. Bleday went on to be a key piece in the Cardinals World Series championship run which included him winning the National League Playoffs MVP and World Series MVP honors.

Bleday will be the everyday right fielder for the Cardinals in the 2027 season and is expected to hit 5th in the lineup.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals resign Jordan Hicks and Devon Snow to avoid arbitration

The Cardinals have agreed to a pair of deals that will avoid arbitration hearings in February.

First the Cardinals and Jordan Hicks agreed to a one year $9MM deal in his last year of control/arbitration. The 30 year old Hicks struggled big time at the start of the 2026 season, but settled down after the break and was a stone cold out getter in the playoffs serving as the setup man for Osuna.

The second signing is that of prized catching prospect Devon Snow. The Cardinals and Devon Snow agreed to a surprising 4 year $10MM deal that will buyout his 4 years of arbitration, which I'm surprised the 25 year old agreed to. Snow will likely be the everyday catcher in the 2027 season and its highly likely that Andrew Knizner will be in a different uniform next season.

Snow hit .275 with 7 homeruns and 28 RBI's in limited play last year. He didn't play much in the postseason as Matheny relied more on the veteran Knizner, but the Cardinals are and have been extremely high on Snow's talents and this is likely the year they finally take the reigns off and just let him play without looking over his shoulder.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals allow Andrew Knizner to hit free agency

The Cardinals did not offer salary arbitration to Andrew Knizner, allowing the 32 year old to test the open the market.

Knizner was a key component in the Cardinals World Series run last year as he hit .312 in the regular season and was a solid backstop and signal caller throughout the playoffs.

The Cardinals are turning to top prospect Devon Snow to be their everyday catcher this upcoming season and invested 4 years into Snow buying out his arbitration years.

The market is big for catchers this offseason and its expected that Knizner will see no shortage of interested suitors for his services.

The Cardinals will now likely look internally to find a backup for Snow during Spring Training. Ivan Herrera and Zach Jackson are the two most likely candidates.

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2024

Brewers and Cubs set for Opening Day At Miller Park.


March 27th 2024
With spring training done, The Chicago Cubs are primed for another season and have history on their minds. In the 150+ year history of the MLB exactly one team has won four consecutive championships, the 1936-39 Yankees. The Cubs largely have returned the same team from a year ago and their biggest addition was on the mound for game No. 1 out of 162 against the Brewers. DeGrom has been the best pitcher of this era as he has won the CY young in 21 & ‘22 and was a runner up in 23. Now at 35 he still has good velocity on his fastball and struck out 250 batters a year ago. The Brewers were the second best team in the NL behind the Cubs; While they lost Mondesi to the Dodgers they were able to lock up Hader for a 6 year deal and also added Rhys Hoskins and Gio Urshela. The Brewers opening day starter was Jacob Woodruff. Both pitchers had their early struggles but showed glimpse that they aren’t far from their mid season form. Degrom gave up 2 runs and only the last 4.1 innings before he was pulled as the Cubs set the limit of 80-85 pitches as his max. DeGrom was able to fan 10 batters in his 4 innings. The Cubs tied the game after a solo by Kyle Schwarber in the 4th and Nico Hoerner batted in a run in the 5th. The game would remain scoreless until Rowan Wick couldn’t get the final 2 outs in the 8th as he gave up a walk and a hit before being relieved. Kyle Ryan came in after the intentional walk to Yellich but Keston Huira was able to plate a pair as the Cubs fell 4-2.

The Cubs and Brewers got a early season day off but were back in action on Friday as Oscar Colas would get the start in game 2 of the year. Colas had a solid start as he went 7 innings and gave up 2 runs, 1 earned. In the 4th Danny Santana missed played a ball in right to start off the inning and Yelich would make him pay with a double to add the first run of the game. Keston Huira was able to line a ball down the 1st base line that made it 2-0. Colas would end up going 7innings and only allowing 4 hits but the Cubs could not figure out Micheal Fulmer as he would go on to get the shutout victory allowing only 4 hits as the cubs fall to 0-2 on the year.

In the final game of the series Kyle Hendricks was able to turn things around for the Cubs as he went 7 innings and allowed 2 runs. in a 7-4 win. The Cubs jumped out the early lead after Rizzo homered in the 4th. Rowan Wick would give two more to make it 5-4 but the Cubs added 2 more in the 8th as Clase earned his first save on the year.


The Cubs finish off the opening week road trip with 3 against the Pirates.

The Cubs headed east to Pittsburgh where they would face the 4-0 Pirates. In the first game Brailyn Marquez would not have a good showing as he struggled with missing his mark and got hit hard. In 6 innings he would give up 10 hits and 2 walks as he allowed 6 runs. The Cubs offense remained stagnant as their only run would come from a Javier Baez solo home run as they fell 6-1.

In the 2nd game the Cubs again did not get a god outing from their starter as Puk gave up 7 runs in 5 inning and could not get out of innings. The Cubs were able to get more out of their line up as they kept in the high scoring game. While AJ struggled the bullpen was magnificent as Carl Edwards Jr was able to pitch 3 scoreless innings; he was aided in going so long by having a 3 pitch 6th inning. In the 10th the Pirates were able to load the bases against Clase but he was able to get out of a jam to keep the game going. In the 12th Rizzo hit his 2nd home run of the year and Andre Chacin came in to get the save.

In the final game Degrom was on the mound and the Cubs needed him to stretch out his arm as the bullpen has been taxed early in the season. Degrom would give up 2 solo home runs but went the rest of his 7 and ⅔ innings scoreless. The Cubs were able to get things going with a RBI triple in the 5 by Danny Santana. Santana had a surefire double but the ball was miss played by Gregory Polanco in right field and allowed him to get to 3rd but was left stranded. The Cubs were able to take the lead in the 8th as JD Martinez came in to pinch hit against the lefty pitcher and hit his first home run on the year to make it 3-2. Clase came in on short rest but got the save to mark his 50th in his young career.

The Cubs will head home to play 3 against Boston in the early season interleague series. The Cubs will have to face 1 of the Red Sox Aces in Clevinger but will be spared from having to face Jose Berrios due to the rotation schedule. Chris Sale rounds out the trio but has yet to start a game as he was injured late in spring training and is still on the IL. The Cubs were able to make a cross town trade as they sent two minor leaguers to the White Sox to receive Michaeal Kopech. Kopech did not make the south side club out of spring training and the Cubs looked to take a chance on the hard throwing right hander. The move is a gamble for the Cubs as he is out of options but the Cubs will attempt to send him down to Triple A iowa to start the year. Kopech has not had a lot of chances with the White Sox and has been stuck in the minors the last 2 years. The Cubs are hopeful enough that he will clear waivers and may be a call up candidate in case of injury or if Medina struggles as the spot starter.

[franch1se]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

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Game 7.....bottom of the 9th....down 1....WORLD SERIES!!



It's a shame the game doesn't pick up your custom sounds because I had the place rockin haha

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

That was freakin awesome!

Good luck in the World Series!

[Jhack99]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Im not good at this self promotion thing. But I started recording my franchise and streaming and uploading to youtube if anyones interested. Some short clips and so long streams. Heres a sample of what I've been working on (the Channel is a work in progress). I didnt start recording and streaming till just around the allstar break. I plan on going as long as I can.. Not trying to hijack what everyone else has going on here.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AAffrKTG7hk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Finally.

[Rocket32]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

The playoffs have finally arrived as we finished with a record of 105-57

Yankees Award Winners:
Aaron Judge RF Gold Glove
Gerrit Cole AL CY YOUNG 18-8 W-L, 2.91 ERA, 263 K’s, 1.18 WHIP.

Other Awards:
AL MVP: BOS JD Martinez 319 AVG, 51 HR’s, 144 RBI’s.
NL MVP: WAS SP Max Scherzer. Pretty strange MVP pick.
NL CY YOUNG: Max Scherzer 22-7 W-L, 3.36 ERA, 266 K’s, 1.17 WHIP, 219.2 IP
AL Reliever Of The Year: HOU Roberto Osuna 38 SV, 1.66 ERA, 53 K’s, 1.15 WHIP
NL Reliever Of The Year: LAD Blake Treinen 43 SV, 1.84 ERA, 62 K’s, 0.97 WHIP

In the ALDS we’ll be taking on......The 92-70 Oakland A’s

Yankees Vs A’s ALDS.
We may have dodged a bullet missing out on the best record, as we get to face Oakland in the ALDS instead of the Jays or Twins. The A’s find themselves as the underdog of the AL with every other AL playoff team winning at least 100 games.
The Oakland lineup is definitely capable of going blow for blow with ours, they’ve actually outscored us by 3 runs overall in 2020.
Our big advantage is on the pitching side of things as Oakland enters the series with a 19th ranked Team ERA.

Wild Card Previews:

Blue Jays 100-62 @ Twins 103-59
Hyun Jin Ryu 2.25 ERA Vs Jake Odorizzi 2.82 ERA.
CY Young Runner Up Ryu will take on Odorizzi in this win or go home game. Odorizzi has earned the Twins trust as he’ll get the ball over Jose Berrios after way outperforming him all year, with their season on the line. Ryu will be tasked with locking down MLB’s top offense of 2020.

Cubs 90-72 @ Braves 92-70
Kyle Hendricks Vs Mike Soroka.
The winner takes on the 108 Win Dodgers.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Good luck in the playoffs!

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals complete pair of minor league signings

The Cardinals completed a pair of minor league signings this week.

C - Cristobal Lozano (24 years old)

Lozano was signed to a one year $850K deal this week to add depth to the catcher position. Lozano will get a chance in the spring to compete for the backup role behind Devon Snow. Lozano was in the Twins organization last year, but did not reach the major leagues. He did play 9 games in the majors in 2025 where he hit .212 with an RBI.

3B/IF - Blake Tiberi (32 years old)

Tiberi signed a one year deal worth $500K this week to add depth to the infield. Tiberi is not expected to be on the 40 man roster and at Spring Training this year, but does add veteran depth that the Cardinals can call on if needed. Tiberi has not played in the majors in his career.

[jmcole33]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

The Amazins

Mets Lose Finale and Series to Nats in Heartbreaking Fashion
June 26, 2024

This one hurt. The Mets held a 4-0 lead late in the series finale against the division rival Nationals, but a bullpen implosion would cost them the game and the series. It also cost them a chance at a winning record during their homestand, instead falling to a mediocre 5-5.

The Mets and Nationals split the first two games of the series, with Nats winning 8-3 in Game 1 and the Mets shutting out their opponent in game 2 for a 3-0 win. Amir Garrett was masterful, going 7 innings and giving up just 3 hits while walking 2 and striking out 9. He's really come around of late after some early season struggles.

In Game 3, the Mets took control of the game in the 4th inning, plating three runs. OF Frank Pulido, who was getting a rare start in order to give Michael Conforto some rest, drove in 2 of the runs in the inning on a single to center field. He would finish the day 3-6 with 2 RBI and a 2B, but he was ultimately the last out, striking out looking at a high fastball.

The Mets would tack on another run in the 7th and take a 4-0 lead into the 8th inning. LHP Dan Shoemaker would go on and give up 3 runs and closer Kelvin Herrera would give up a game tying solo shot in the 9th. The game would go until the 12th inning, but the Nats had all the momentum. LF Courtney Hawkins would take RHP Julio Alvarez deep for a 2-run shot, giving the Nationals the lead. The Mets managed a walk in the bottom of the inning but nothing more. It's as bad a loss as the Mets have had this season.

Unfortunately, there's no time to rest. The Mets must hop on a plane and head to Texas to take on the Rangers in an interleague matchup. After these three games the Mets will finally get a day off. They'll have gone 16 straight days with a game, and fatigue has started to set in.

The Rangers are 47-37 and 3 games back of the A's in the AL West.


Mets Make Bullpen Move, Option Roy for Shipman

RHP Steve Roy was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after Game 1 of the Nationals series. He pitched one inning and gave up 2 ER, bringing his ERA for the year to 5.57. Roy started the year with the big league club, getting the spot over RHP Louis Elias, but those two have seen their season's go in opposite direction.

Elias has turned into a reliable back of the bullpen arm, while Roy has struggled to find innings, and when he does, he's far from effective. Roy has given up 13 ER in 21 IP this year to go along with a 1.52 WHIP. He does have 21 K, but he's far from consistent.

RHP Barney Shipman has got the call to join the big league club for the first time in his career. While he's no flame thrower, Shipman features a 5-pitch repertoire, his specialty being the off speed stuff. His slider and change up are in the low 80s and his curveball even dips into the 70s as he's good at keeping hitters off balance. The only knock on him thus far in the minors is that he's prone to hanging a pitch here and there, and it gets clobbered.

The entire Mets bullpen has been put on notice, especially after the way the series ended. RHP Julio Alvarez remains on the hot seat, and look for him to sent down again if he can't start to perform at the level he's capable.

[Qb]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

CB, curious why you wouldn't retain Knizer and look to deal him if catchers are in-demand? Is the budget that tight that you couldn't afford to tie up money even short term? I demand answers!

- A concerned fan