MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

My plan is to not buy any more sports games on the PS4. And since I'm hoping to wait until next fall for a PS5, that means MLB 22 will be my next game in this series. So starting over now is kind of like having an MLB 20.5.

I did the same thing with Madden 20. I was four to five seasons into my launch franchise and I started over a couple of months ago with the final roster. Nice having updated players.

Same thing here. It was kind of grating at me that Fried was a backend rotation guy in my now dead franchise instead of the ace he's developed into. And Anderson was still a couple of years away from making the MLB roster.

I also remapped all of the potentials for my prospects this time around. Didn't like that Jefrey Ramos is a 94 on the SCEA roster while Ian Anderson is an 83. I wrote down all of the potential ratings for my legit prospects, then I reassigned them based on Keith Law's prospect list. So Ramos' 94 went to Pache, Dean's 92 went to Anderson and so on down the line. Ramos wound up with a C potential. That keeps it fair.

M20 and MLB20 are pretty much the only sports games I'm playing now, so I still have plenty of time to get a full season (or two, or maybe even three in). The only thing I hated was taking time to balance the roster (again) to thwart the prospects trades. But I'm looking forward to sticking this one.

[Rocket32]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Rangers Win 2 Of 3 In Houston, Split 2 Game Set Vs Nats

In Houston we would drop game 1 5-2, before winning games 2 and 3 by scores of 2-1 and 3-1. Back in Arlington, Scherzer and the Nats would take us down 4-2 in game 1. Game 2 would feature a huge come from behind Rangers victory to win 6-5.

Next: We now sit a 7-5 in the young season, trailing the LA Angels for 1st in the West by 2 games. Now we head to Seattle to take on the 3-9 Mariners for 3 games. We have a rough stretch of games coming up, 3 games @ Yankees, 3 games Vs Astros, 4 games Vs Yankees, and 3 Games Vs Angels

News:
Rangers Option Brock Holt to AAA, Promote IF Isiah Kiner Falefa

Rangers OF Jay Bruce Fractures Shin, Out 1-2 Months
Bruce was recently claimed off waivers to fill in for the injured Mark Canha, but he will now miss 1-2 months. This could end Bruce’s run in Texas after just 6 games, with Canha expected back around the same time. To replace Bruce, Danny Santana has been called up.

Rangers 2B Elvis Andrus Benched
With Andrus starting the season 6 for 42, we will turn to a platoon of Rougned Odor Vs righty’s and Kiner Falefa vs Lefty’s at 2B. Andrus, 32, is the only player left from the 2010 and 2011 Pennant Winning teams. Andrus is also on a contract paying him 15M this year and next year, making him very hard to move. This also allows us to get more of a look at Odor to determine if he’s part of our future plans.

Phillies Are Back?
Philly has opened the season going 10-5, trailing Atlanta by 2 games in the East. Philly spent big over the offseason signing both Mookie Betts and Marcus Semien, on top of resigning JT Realmuto.

Dodgers Off To Slow Start In West
LA has stumbled out of the gates to a 5-9 record. Meanwhile, Arizona has jumped out to a 9-4 start. LA cut payroll over the offseason, allowing all of Betts, Turner, Joc Pederson, and Alex Wood to depart in FA. Their only notable signings were OF Hunter Pence and IF Jed Lowrie. With Kershaw, Price, Jansen, and Baez all 33 or older, the Dodgers championship window may be slamming shut.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals place Roberto Osuna on 60 Day IL

Injuries continue to mount for the Cardinals.

Closer Roberto Osuna was placed on the 60-Day IL due to a fractured wrist suffered on a line drive off the bat of Cincinnati Red Clint Frazier, as Osuna tried to close out Sunday's game.

Osuna is the 2nd pitcher this season for the Cardinals to be hit by a comebacker and break their wrist, as Austin Gomber suffered the same injury a few weeks ago.

Adam Cimber was recalled from Memphis to fulfill the void and Jordan Hicks will be moved to the closer role.

Surely the injury bug will get full and the Cardinals can stay healthy.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Injuries continue to be an issue for Cardinals as Jack Flaherty hits 15 Day IL

The Cardinals 2027 season isn't going as planned as nearly 2 months into the season the team is playing .500 baseball. And to make matters worse, injuries continue to plague this club.

A day after placing closer Roberto Osuna on the 60 Day IL due to a fractured wrist, the Cardinals placed Jack Flaherty on the 15 Day IL due to elbow issues.

Flaherty left in the 5th inning of his start yesterday where he was dominating the Braves having allowed just one hit thru 4 1/3 innings while striking out 8.

The Cardinals have yet to decide on a corresponding move to fulfill the vacant roster spot.

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

I don't know if its the roster or the patch or a combination, but the CPU seems tougher so far on my rebooted franchise. Maybe the D-Backs are just hot. I'm not complaining, but I had to double check my settings/sliders just to make sure nothing changed. I definitely have to focus more when I pitch.

We're 1-1 so far. Just 160 games to go.

[jasonmoon20]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Does anyone have any advice on pitching with Soroka? I get shelled 4 out of every 5 starts. It's bad. Just had to send him to the minors.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Operation Sports mobile app

[Jayyoungjr]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Jay’s Cubs Wrap Up: 2024

Injuries Continue to Pile Up on the North Side
The Cubs were able to take 2 of 3 against the Rockies and did the same against the Marlins. The Big news came from the 5th game of the homestand as Kyle Schwarber will miss significant time. In the 4th Schwarber stepped awkwardly trying to get a fly ball and seemed to reaggravate his knee on a swing in the bottom of the inning. Schwarber was removed from the game and will miss at least a month as he has his knee scoped. The Cubs had concerns about the slugger's weight coming into the season and it appears that the extra mass and father time has contributed to more pressure on the big man's joints. Schwarber had been hitting .268 in the season with 9 home runs. Chicago will bring up top 5 prospects Irving Martens for his first time in the Show. Martens can play all 3 outfield spots but the Cubs foresee him being a right fielder. Martens has a solid arm and above average speed but has struggled against right handed pitching in his time in the minors. The Chicago brass were hoping to have Martens spend one more year in the minors shoring up his bat but the injury will speed up those plans for the 23 year old. Martens did not start his first MLB game but came in when Brennan Davis came up limp in the outfield after striking out his first at bat Martens was able to push the Cubs to a win as he went 2 for 3 with a solo home run and a stolen base.

The Cubs Falter in June As they try to hold off The White Hot Brewers
The Cubs were hoping that the Bats would warm up as summer hit but some cold spells has made the line up less potent than it has been in previous years. The Cubs smashed MLB record home runs last year has fall back to the pack as they rank in the middle of the pack in that department after losing Ian Happ to free agency and Schwarber to injury. Anthony Rizzo was moved down in the lineup in favor of Nico Hoerner but the move did not last long as Nico has fallen back to earth and failed to produce in the 2 hole. Rizzo has gotten his batting average back to a respectable .280 in June. Kris Bryant has also cooled as he has seen his average fall into the .250 but still has a great OBP above .340. Baez Contreras and Danny Santana have been able to keep the Cubs afloat. Danny joined the club last year on a minor league contract and eventually was called up half way through the year. He was picked to try and replace Happ’s production and respectable job as he is 2nd in home runs on the Cubs and has become a fan favorite. Brennan Davis had looked like he was ready to take over center field full time but has struggled to find his bat as he has slumped majorly.
The Cubs have been able to get by on their pitching staff that has been aid by AJ Puk’s return. Puk has been great since coming off the DL and has added a great 1-2-3 punch with Hendricks and Degrom. Degrom currently leads the NL in strike outs; the resigning of Hendricks has proved to be a great move as he looks primed to win the Cy Young as he has a 11-1 record and a ERA under 1.60. The bottom half of the Cubs rotation has struggled; Oscar Colas has been rough up in 3 consecutive starts. The Cubs have also struggled in finding a replacement for Brailyn Marquez - The young lefty went down at the end of April and JB Bukauskas and Adonis Medina have failed to be adequate replacements as they have ERAs of 5.23 and 6.03 respectively. The Cubs are hopeful that Brailyn and Schwarber will be back before the All Star game in July and will help give the Cubs a boost.

With the Cubs struggles the Brewers have been able to take advantage and keep neck and neck with the North Siders. As the season entered the last week of June, The Cubs found themselves in unfamiliar positioning as they entered a 3 game series with Milwaukee .5 games behind the Brewers. Chicago usually has been able to put the Central away by July in the last 3 years but the Brewers look to challenge the throne. The Cubs were able to throw their Aces’s in the weekend match up and got the sweep behind Hendricks, Degrom and Colas to take back a slim lead.

Chicago Bolsters Bench Depth
The Cubs are up against the wall in terms of their payroll and had to roll the dice this season with youngsters playing key backup roles off the bench. The experiment to have Richard Kell and Rafeal Guerra be key at bats off the bench has failed. Kell was sent down earlier in the month and has produced in Triple A; Guerra was able to get more starts in left field with Schwarber out but even with consistent at bats he has not found success at the plate. With the Brew Crew nipping at their heels the Cubs finally made a move after Guerra had a 0-3 game against the Nats. The Cubs have optioned Guerra to triple A to find his swing and signed 37 year old Jose Abreu to a 1 year deal. The Cuban born player hit .312 in 56 games with the Angels before his season was cut short due to a ACL tear. No team would take a flyer on the first basemen as he continued to rehab as many critics urged him to retire; the slugger kept with it and will get a shot with Chicago. The Cubs will give up some flexibility as they now have aging, weak fielders with him and JD Martinez but the Cubs are hoping the move will translate into better run production with older players that can live with getting sporadic at bat - Abreu will immediately join the Cubs and is likely thrown in the fire as likely will be in the line up against lefty Dillon Tate. The Cubs are 4 games into a stretch where they will play 20 straight without a day off leading up to the all star break; they will close out June on the road with 3 more against the Nats and then a interleague match up against the AL East leading Yankees

[decga]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Does anyone have any advice on pitching with Soroka? I get shelled 4 out of every 5 starts. It's bad. Just had to send him to the minors.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Operation Sports mobile app

I can commiserate with you on using Soroka. He is rated an 85OVR. He gives up HR's for me if I missed my spot using the pitching meter. But if you can get his sinker working he will dominate. You have to choose when you go up in the zone with him..

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

I either dominate or get shelled with Soroka. There's no in-between. And for somebody with the anti-HR quirk, I give up an awful lot of homers with him.

Virtual Dansby Swanson is happy I restarted. Through 62 games of my now dead franchise, he had one homer and seven RBIs. Through eight games of my new one, he has four homers and six RBIs.

[SirManBoy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Just won my 5th World Series title in a row with the Athletics, which shot me past the Yankees for the most all-time. Not bad for a 79-year old GM who's been on the job for almost 40 years.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals head into June with 30-28 record and 3 games out of first

Been a few days since updates due to life.

Cardinals are heading into the month of June with a 30-28 record and trail the division leading Reds by 3 games as summer quickly approaches.

The Cardinals have been playing well of late winning 6 of their last 9 and finding games to win games instead of lose them.

Brendan McKay is still struggling as he heads into June hitting just .249 and the Cardinals ace Kyle Funkhouser has just one win on the season despite pitching fairly well.

Injuries continue to plague this team, but they continue with the next man up mentality.

With the draft approaching, the Cardinals are exploring the depth of the organization and expect pitching and first base to be areas of interest for the Cardinals.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals DFA Richard Rodriguez

The Cardinals have designated RHP Richard Rodriguez for assignment. The Cardinals signed the 36 year old reliever to a one year deal this past offseason to help in the bullpen, but things just haven't gone as expected.

While his ERA isn't outrageous (4.35), Rodriguez has appeared in 24 games, compiling just 20 2/3 innings of work and has allowed a whopping 15 homeruns in those 20+ innings of work. It's expected the Cardinals will just place Rodriguez on outright release waivers in the coming days.

The Cardinals haven't recalled anyone from Memphis as Junior Fernandez will be activated off the IL in the next 2 days and he's expected to rejoin the rotation and either Dakota Hudson or Michael Wacha will move into the bullpen.

[SirManBoy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

If any of you guys are interested, I just started a Discord server devoted entirely to franchise mode enthusiasts. It’s basically a chatroom.

Invite link:

https://discord.gg/Nrquy2SSG4

[Mike Lowe]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Doing an offseson recap on the PS5 in a few minutes. Will get caught up to today's date.

Might sneak in some gameplay for those interested.

https://www.youtube.com/C/MikeLowe47

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

My pitching was a little too good on my last franchise, so for this one I turned off the pitch cursor. Man, classic pitching going just off feel with no visual aid is so much more fun.

Sixth inning and I'm leading the Padres 3-0. Padres have runners on 2nd and 3rd with two out and Machado at the plate. Soroka is getting up close to 90 pitches, but I leave him in. Tense trying to hit the corners knowing if I leave one over the plate there's a good chance we're going to be tied. And I strike him out on three pitches.
So much fun.

BTW, for DJ, your Mets have Alonso on the bench. Dominic Smith is the starting 1B. Through 11 games, Smith is hitting .405 with 10 homers and 21 RBIs -- again, in 11 games. He's off to an unreal start. And I'm heading to New York to see him after a four-game series in Miami.