MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

[Baby_bears]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

I had a weird problem last night with my franchise budget. In the off-season, I was showing a budget surplus of about $18 million, but when I simulated to the start of the season after I was done handling my offseason stuff, I ended up being about $3 million over budget. How does this happen? Is there something that the budget doesn't account for in the offseason? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I don't want to repeat this mistake next season.

[Bgrd1080]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

"Fly The W" Chicago Cubs
May 2022: The Cubs went 14-13 in May to bring their record to 32-22. They lost every series except a split with the White Sox and a sweep of Cincinnati. There is now a tie atop the division between Chicago and St. Louis with The Brewers a half game back. Wade Miley and Kyle Hendricks remain hot, while Stroman and Keegan Thompson have cooled. After a 4-1 start with a 1.99 ERA Thompson is now 5-6 with a 5.93 ERA. Steven Brault got an early call up to join the pen while Chris Martin heads to Iowa to work on mechanics after a ballooned 16.03 ERA in 3.1 innings of relief. Nico Hoerner, Rafael Ortega and rookie Chritopher Morel's 12 homeruns are single handedly keeping The Cubs offense alive.
Around The Diamond: Orioles recall Grayson Rodriguez. Twins recall Royce Lewis. Astros recall Lewis Brinson.
May Awards:
AL Pitcher: Gerrit Cole 5-1/2.30/55
AL P.O.M: Jose Ramirez .322/12/31
AL R.O.M: Jeremy Pena .267/7/25
NL Pitcher: Aaron Nola 5-0//1.17/46
NL P.O.M: Freddie Freeman .368/7/25
NL R.O.Y: Wilmer Perez .355/1/7
AL: Mariners 34-21 NL: Dodgers 39-16

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

Wow man that really sucks, CB. Very sorry to hear that. Even a cloud save corrupted and doesn't work?

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The cloud save is from prior to offseason starting and I don’t want to do it again


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[Heisman]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

****! ****!! ****!!!



I swear if I didn't have bad luck with trying to play a franchise with '21, I wouldn't have any luck at all!

Last night, I was in the middle of saving my progress after playing a game when my lights/power went off, immediately came back on for like 5 seconds, and then went off again for like a half hour. No storms in area, so guessing someone hit a pole, although I saw electric trucks out and about in my area.

In any event, my ****ing save data got corrupted. Even the back up saves. The back up to the back up, cloud save, is from the end of the previous season just before the offseason is to begin. I don't want to do the offseason.....again. I had issues with '21 last year as well that caused me frustration and I guess '21 isn't meant for me to play...

Not sure what I'm going to do. Likely just pick back up with '22 and go with it. Was hoping I could find something when I woke up this morning, but nope....just that one good file.

****!

That sucks, really..

But my vote is for a brand new cards franchise with a post deadline roster.

[DJ]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

So sorry to hear that, CB. Come on back to 22 and get Albert HR No. 700.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

Thanks guys

I just resumed my 22 franchise that’s in 2024. I’ll update shortly for anyone who is still interested and who cares to follow the bouncing ball


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[mathewmyc98]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

Recently finished the 2022 season of my Astros franchise reboot with the trade deadline rosters. I didn't play many games in the regular season and likely won't for the first 2-3 years as I had played well over 100 games before getting my Series X. I am playing all post season games, however. We finished the season with a franchise record 108 wins, beating the 2019 record by 1 win.

The postseason so far has been unbelievable, mainly because of the amount of offense. We faced the Blue Jays and other than Game 1 where Lance McCullers pitched a gem, each game has had a combined run total of over 10. We did end up sweeping them beating them in a back and forth game in Toronto to clinch the series. Martin Perez (Trade deadline aquistion) gave up 5 runs in the first inning but we stuck with him and he ended up pitching 5 solid innings after that first inning. We clawed our way back and ended up winning the game and the series.

Probably the most insane part of th2.e postseason thus far has been Alex Bregman, he started the series 8-8 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI's, he finished the series batting a staggering .692 with 4 home runs and 9 RBI's in only three games. It was the most dominant I've ever seen a player in my time playing The Show. Based off of the offense in this series I'm strongly considering bumping up the batting difficulty at least for the ALCS against the Yankees.

Pitcher Recap

Spoiler

Justin Verlander was given the nod to be the opening day starter and he had a dominant season finishing with a 2.78 ERA. Unfortunately, he started to regress towards the end of the season and is now a 77 overall. Probably the biggest flaw of The Show, but I get it he is nearly 39 years old, still a shame that he will likely be useless by the All-Star break next year. His contract is also now guaranteed for next season. He can still be a solid starter for us in this post season though.

Our best pitcher this year was without a doubt Lance McCullers Jr. He turned into a bonafide ace winning the Cy Young this season. He had a 2.05 ERA and 227 K's through 215 innings of work. As Verlander falls off a new ace has established himself in Houston.

Our next best pitcher was surprisingly Luis Garcia who also had a dominant season with a 2.23 ERA and could also be a potential ace in the future if he can maintain the success he had this year. He had 175 K's through 217 innings of work.

Now onto the rest of the rotation, Framber Valdez had a terrible season and was removed from the rotation around the All-Star break after acquiring Martin Perez from the Rangers. Framber finished with a 5.04 ERA in 125 innings, we're hoping he can bounce back next year.

Cristian Javier also got off to a terrible start this season but managed to turn things around near the end of the year, he finished with a 4.19 ERA. He was delegated to the bullpen however for the postseason, I think he can shine in the role of a 2-3 inning guy for us. He will likely get another chance at starting next season, especially as Verlander nears the end of his career.

Jose Urquidy had an up and down season, for the first half of the year his ERA bounced between 3 and 4, he ended up finishing the season with a 4.52 ERA. Not great but he is still young and we are confident that he can be a solid back of the rotation guy for us going forward.

That brings us to our big deadline acquisition Martin Perez, he had been dominant for the Rangers, the Astros had been interesting in acquiring him for most of July but the asking price was higher than we were willing to pay (I generally use the trade finder to construct trade packages so long as they make some sense). With Perez entering free agency after this season however and there not being much of a market for Perez the Astros acquired him hours before the deadline for a prospect package centered around outfielder Alex McKenna who had a solid year in AAA.

Our bullpen was really the heart of our pitching dominance anchored by closer Ryan Pressly who had the best season of his career posting a 1.57 ERA with 70 K's in 63 innings of work. This earned him the Reliever of the Year award after a close race with Seatle's Paul Seawald.

Our next best reliever was Hector Neris who had a dominant season with an ERA below 1 for much of the year, he ended up finishing with a 2.18 ERA. Phil Maton was also a big part of the back end of our bullpen though he did struggle near the end of the year and finished with an ERA a touch over 4.

Rafael Montero had a solid year posting a 3.34 ERA and was a guy we could rely on for the middle innings. Ryne Stanek was excellent though was not given many innings (Sim engine sucks).

Finally Will Smith was terrible for us posting an era over 5 through the first half. He was sent in a package of veterans including Jason Castro and Niko Goodrum to acquired first basemen Gavin Sheets who had a terrible season in the big leagues with an average below .200 to that point. He was also struggling in AAA where he had an average of about .220 and virtually no power. With a very disappointing season and the Sox having multiple solid first basemen and a draft class that bolstered their corner outfielders he spent much of the year on the trade block.

Castro ended up being the biggest boon to the Sox being their go to catcher against righties. Smith improved slightly but was far from good, still he was better than much of their bullpen which struggled. The Sox hoped Goodrum could help out at 3rd base where they lacked offense across the board but unfortunately, he didn't provide much help for them there.

Batter Recap

Spoiler

This was an exciting year with a lot of offensive standouts that had an MVP and 4 Silver Sluggers. Christian Vazquez provided some much-needed offense from the Catcher position, he didn't provide much power but had a very solid average and was a pillar of the back end of the lineup. The Astros will likely attempt to resign him to a short-term deal to platoon with prospect Korey Lee next season.

First Base largely remained a hole in the Astros lineup. Trey Mancini was very good against lefties but downright awful against righties, Yuli Gurriel ended up getting most of the starts throughout the year and while he wasn't even close to being good, he was better than Mancini.

That brings us to our wildcard acquisition in Gavin Sheets. He was immediately delegated to AAA after the trade where he quickly turned around his season going on a tear throughout August earning him a callup in September. He still struggled however after being called up. Basically, a lateral move from Gurriel. Still he made the Postseason roster and has had a good postseason so far. The Astros will likely look to retain Mancini or Gurriel and have them platoon with Sheets next season.

Jose Altuve had a very solid year and for much of the year was batting up around .300, he did go on a big slump through late August and most of September however and finished with a .269 AVG and 25 HR's. But all around still a solid year from the star 2nd Basemen earning him an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger.

Alex Bregman was one of the bigger stories posting MVP numbers for a few months after a slower start, though he did come back down to earth. Still, he had his best season since 2019 slashing .281/.383/.477 with 30 home runs. The Astros hope to see him continue being a big part of the offense next year.

Arguably the biggest story of the Astros was rookie Jeremy Pena who had very big shoes to feel following Carlos Correa's departure. And he more than filled them in the regular season. The 24 year old emerged as a super star 5 tool player this season. He slashed .288/.346/.540 with 29 home runs and 96 RBI's. The rookie had the highest WAR on the team with 6.1. He won Rookie of the Year narrowly beating out Julio Rodriguez. He won Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove.

An all around amazing year, he more than matched Correa's regular season production, while he doesn't have the arm Correa has, he makes up for it with great range. He has also had a very good start to his postseason career with a couple of clutch home runs. There are rumors that the Astros and Pena are discussing a long term extension to buy out all of his team control. There was a deal agreed to in principle during the season estimated at somewhere around 8 years and over a100 million. Both sides agreed to wait until the offseason to agree to a deal. With the pedigree Pena has made for himself that price will likely have gone up greatly.

Yordan Alvarez won the MVP this year narrowly beating out Mike Trout who won the Hank Aaron and Rafael Devers. The 24 year old slashed .282/.355/.551. Likely the reason he won was his league leading (Tied with Judge) 45 home runs and his best 122 RBI's. I don't know if he exactly deserved the award but we'll definitely take it.

Michael Brantley put up another consistently good season, he had a slight drop off in average but an increase in power. The Astros will likely attempt to retain him after the postseason.

Centerfield was a problem this season, Chas McCormick was our guy all year and was a solid fielder but he had a very bad offensive season. He still posted a positive WAR however. Jake Meyers was given a brief chance at the starting job but ultimately spent most of the year in AAA and on the IL from a broken arm.

Kyle Tucker was probably tied with Jeremy Pena as our best all around player. He had another amazing season slashing .283/.372/.572 and a career high 39 home runs. He also had 29 stolen bases meaning he was only one away from a 30/30 season (I wish I quick managed a couple games at the end to get it). Tucker also signed an extension of 6yr/110M around the All-Star break locking in the All-Star and Silver Slugger outfielder for the foreseeable future.

Finally, onto our utility men, Aledmys Diaz was simply OK. He had his worst offensive season but not so bad that he was DFA'd. The real standout was Mauricio Dubon. While it wasn't his best offensive season, he was a reliable utility guy that could play all over the field. He will likely be the Astros go to utility man with still another 4 years of team control.

Prospect Recap

Spoiler

Our #1 prospect in the system Hunter Brown struggled a lot this year, he still made decent progress after being sent down to AA and will likely start next season at AAA. He is expected to make his debut in 2024.

Forrest Whitley had a solid year in AAA but is still likely another year away from being ready to contribute at the big league level. There are rumors the Astros may try trading away the prospect in the offseason.

Korey Lee had a solid year in AAA and was dominant against left handed pitching. He still struggles against righties but will likely start next season on the big league roster.

The last prospect of note is first round pick Drew Gilbert, Gilbert had a great year in AA improving 4 overall points. Despite having a great year his potential dropped to a B but we still expect him to contribute at the big league future in the not so distant future, especially with the hole we have in Center Field.

Well that was a lot, but I like documenting this more for myself than anything to look back on. I have spreadsheets as well to keep track of the stats and what not. It was a fun year though, and I'm hoping to have a fun postseason. There are definitely some improvements to be made during the offseason but I doubt we will be making any big moves this winter, though I suppose that depends on how the postseason goes.

[LowerWolf]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

It's almost like a higher power is trying to force you to make up your mind, CB.

In addition to uploading to the cloud after each series, I also have my PS4 plugged into a UPS, just in case we get any weird power glitches.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

It's almost like a higher power is trying to force you to make up your mind, CB.



In addition to uploading to the cloud after each series, I also have my PS4 plugged into a UPS, just in case we get any weird power glitches.

I think so too lol

I normally update to cloud constantly but haven’t been in this case and well this is what happens


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[dragster646]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

I've reached the end of June with my Guardians franchise, with the team going 12-15 BUT finishing the month taking 3 of 4 against the division leading Twins. Aaron Civale and Shane Beiber have returned from the IL and look to be in midseason form, but Zach Plesac is dealing with a pulled hamstring and missed his last start. The rest of the team is healthy, and while they started June outside the playoff picture...they are now expected to at least make a run at a wild card spot.

Jose Ramirez is definitely in the hunt for MVP honors, as he leads all of baseball with 27 home runs and 69 RBIs, and Franmil Reyes is second in the AL with 22 homers and tied with Jose Altuve with 63 RBIs. Those two have really been carrying the offense, along with Josh Naylor, who started the year at a torrid pace but has since cooled off, but still has 16HR and 48 RBIs. Jose Ramirez was expected to have a good season, but no one expected the absolute monster he has been at the plate. And Franmil Reyes is exceeding all expectations, but the club knows they need to perorm as a whole and not rely on one or two bats if they want to go far into October.

Pitching is still hit or miss, no one is standing out but Beiber and Civale both missed most of May and all of June with injuries, so the club is hopeful for a better record in July with their number 1 and 2 starters back and healthy. Tristan McKenzie (9-4 and a steller 2.15 ERA) has been the most consistent starter, and Emmanuel Clase is solid in the closers role with 19 saves.

The Guardians will start July in second place in the AL Central, at 43-39, 5.5 games behind Minnesota (49-34). Chicago is in third at 42-39, and the Royals (34-46) and Tigers (34-48) are seemingly already looking towards next year.

[bigjdotcom01]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

I have a fantasy franchise that I setup called the Intermountain Baseball League. I will cross post my updates here since it seems like there is more feedback here than in the dynasty thread.


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[decga]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

Braves end a 6-game losing streak!

A 7-game home stand vs teams with losing records, but against divisonal rivalries. Phillies swept us, 4-game butt whipping. Marlins mosie on into Atlanta our first two game of the series. We lost with the extra inning rule in place, 5-4 & 3-2!

Game 3 series finale: We jumped out to 3-0 lead, thanks to Acuna 2RHR & Riley solo shot. Marlins tied it up with 2 runs in the top 5th at 3 a piece! Bttm 7th Eddie Rosario untied it with a 419ft blast to the "Chophouse", 4-3. Top 8th RP Matzek(Era under 2, 20 IP). Throws a 12CV inside to (R) DH Aguilar put a nice a@! power swing on it deposited it deep LF for a homer! Game tied 4-4, Bttm 9th up come Olson singled, then Riley singled deep CF & up next d'Arnaud a pitch on the outside part of the plate and he smashes it
high & deep to the RF corner. It touches inside the chalked line for the game winning hit! Losing streak halted! We won 5-4!

We are 31-22 on the year, 0.5GB of the 1st place Mets. Leading the WC top seed over the D-backs(31-23)! We hit the road for a 7-game road streak. 3 vs. the D-backs & 4 vs the Rockies!

ea81e35e-2433-481c-a4b6-c96c3f011a6d.jpege7415ac6-ecdd-4493-8bec-09c1ced93e19.jpeg

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I forgot I made a trade! I wanted Marlins LHP/SP Jesus Luzardo! We have faced him starting(7.0IP,5H,1R,1ER,0BB & 2K) and in relief(4.2IP,0H,0R,0ER,0BB & 4K).
His 12-6CV is knee buckling, Quirk "Stingy" limiting base hits. Marlins dud not have a high potential SS & they wanted Dansby in return. Now this is virtual Dansby(0HR,13RBI .254/.294/.302) OVR 78/POT B. I added SPMorton(2-4,56.0IP,56K,11BB,1.21WHIP & 4.50ERA) Marlins sent SP Luzardo & SS Rojas to us in return. Rojas is 5yrs older than Dansby, but defensively just as good (73FLD,83ARM,79ACC & 78REAC).
We will see how it plays out!

[bigjdotcom01]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

July 7-10: FLAGSTAFF (41-49) @ PRESCOTT (39-52)
Stadium: Dignity Health Park (Capacity: 11,598)

July 7: Hops 3, Hot Shots 1
July 8: Hops 2, Hot Shots 1
July 9: Hot Shots 6, Hops 5
July 10: Hot Shots 6, Hops 1

Prescott, AZ (AP) - The slumping Hops split a four game weekend series with last place Prescott as their playoff hopes continue to sink. After winning the first two games, the Hops dropped both weekend games and now sit ten games back of first place Colorado Springs.

In the opener, Sean Pressley went 7 1/3 innings, allowing just one run in a 3-1 victory for the Hops over the Hot Shots. The lone run allowed was a solo shot from Darren Gomes in the eighth inning. Pressley struck out six and did not walk a batter as he picked up his fifth win on the year.

Arturo Mardones homered in the third. The solo shot was his ninth on the year. Oscar Aleman added an RBI double as the Hops moved out to a 2-0 lead. They would increase that lead to 3-0 in the eighth on a Josh Ortega RBI double.

After allowing the homer to Gomes in the eighth, the Hops went to the bullpen with Oliver Benedict getting the final two outs in the eighth and Vic Miller locking it down for his 20th save.

On Friday evening, the Hops pulled out a 2-1 victory behind another strong pitching performance from Sam Herzog. He tossed seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out five to pick up his team leading eighth victory.

An Angel Rodriguez RBI single in the second inning was the only run allowed as Flagstaff won their second straight.

Robbie Westbrook drove in both of the Flagstaff runs. He ripped an RBI double in the fifth and another RBI double in the seventh.

Vic Miller came on to lock down the Hot Shots in the ninth to pick up his 21st save.

On Saturday afternoon the Hops blew a late 4-1 lead a watched as the Hot Shots walked it off, 6-5. Josh Carroll’s RBI single with none out in the bottom of the ninth helped Prescott rally for the win.

Flagstaff built a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning thanks to the long ball as Oscar Aleman, Leandro Lugo and Rodney Millar all homered for the Hops.

But the Hot Shots would get two back in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a sacrifice fly and a run that was walked in. The Hot Shots would tie the game in the seventh on another sacrifice fly, this one by Wilson. The Hot Shots would take the lead in the eighth as Jamie Case homered off of Aldo Osuna.

But Forrest Owen would hit a solo home run with two-outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth off of closer Xavier Doyle to tie the game at 5-5.

Samuel Espinoza came on to pitch for the Hops in the bottom half, giving up a leadoff double to Matt Olson. He would walk Juan Corona and then gave up the game winning RBI single to Josh Carroll. Carroll went 2 for 4 with a solo home run and two RBIs in the win.

In the finale, the Hot Shots hit four home runs as they pounded the Hops 6-1. Josh Carroll and Jamie Case each hit two-run home runs late to blow open a close ball game and help Prescott earn a split of the four game weekend series.

Flagstaff grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second on Josh Ortega’s 16th home run on the year. But that would be it for the Flagstaff offense as they snoozed through another afternoon game with just four other hits.

John Benitez (0-1) took the loss, tossing six innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out four and did not issue any walks.

Austin Morales (1-3) picked up the win out of the Prescott bullpen after starter Ken Smith left with leg soreness in the second inning. The Hot Shots used six pitchers in the win.

Shoe Lace O’Tying got the start at designated hitter, but went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Hops (41-49) will now head home for a four game series with St. George (47-44) and three game series with Albuquerque (46-44) to wrap up the first half of the season.

Around the League: Fort Worth’s Terence Harris hit a grand slam to walk it off in the Kings 12-8 victory over Amarillo on Friday night. Randy Klaus also added his league leading 27th home run in the win. Rio Rancho rallied from a 9-1 deficit to stun Albuquerque 10-9 as Luis Diaz hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. The last place Owlz (42-50) scored seven runs in the fourth, capped off by a Merton Bannerman grand slam.

TRADES: Tucson has traded starting pitcher Nolan Sherry to the West Texas Bison in exchange for three prospects. Starting pitcher Eddy Castillo, second baseman Yolbert Sanchez and shortstop Reginald Preciado all went back to Tucson in the deal. Sherry will head to Triple-A Gwinnett, with the three prospects all heading to the minors.

The Las Vegas Nuggets have acquired Salt Lake Chukars catcher Freddie Hewitt in exchange for Starting pitcher David Arturo, top prospect left fielder Darell McCloud and centerfielder Jimmy Reyes. The 23-year-old Hewitt was hitting .247 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs in 66 games for the Chukars. The key for the deal for the Chukars was the IBL’s fourth ranked prospect in outfielder Darell McCloud. The 23-year-old A-rated prospect has speed and power, and can play all three outfield positions and first base.

The West Texas Bison have sent reliever Xavier Dennis to the Saguaros in exchange for reliever Preston Monahan and starting pitcher Jonathan Goss.

<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52356370779_a417b943c7_o.jpg" width="720" height="405" alt="Series29_22">
Sam Herzog tossed a gem on Friday night.

[bigjdotcom01]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52226140684_58519144c8_o.png" width="720" height="144" alt="IBL_header">

<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52356565332_e5007886da_o.png" width="720" height="638" alt="TeamLeaders_July22">

Mid-July Power Rankings are out with a week to go before the All-Star Break.

1. Fort Worth Kings (51-40) (+3): The Kings top the power rankings for the first time. They lead the league in run differential at +76 even though they are just (3-7) over their last ten games. They are led by Randy Klaus who is putting up MVP numbers, hitting .272 with 27 home runs and 74 RBIs, both league highs. This pitching staff should lead this team deep into October.

2. Las Vegas Nuggets (51-40) (+3): The Nuggets have moved to within 1 1/2 games of first place Long Beach. The Nuggets are in the top 5 in most offensive categories led by first baseman John Lopez who is hitting .296 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs. Starter Stanley Taguchi is (11-5) with an ERA of 2.59 in 121 innings of work with 110 strikeouts.

3. Long Beach Surf Dawgs (52-38) (-2): A rough month for the Surf Dawgs sees them slip to third in the power rankings. The Surf Dawgs have a well balanced lineup with five players with at least 14 homers. Steve Willis anchors the staff and is the frontrunner for Desert League Cy Young with an (11-1) record and ERA of 2.49 with 134 strikeouts in 126.1 innings.

4. Colorado Springs Snow Sox (51-39) (+3): The Snow Sox are cruising in the Mountain League West. Veteran Mike Rock is hitting .269 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs with Donnell Marcus right behind him with 18 homers and 59 RBIs to lead this offense. Sam Gonzalez (13-2) has a 2.60 ERA in the rarified air of Colorado Springs and is making his case for a Cy Young.

5. El Paso Blue Rocks (50-41) (-1): The Blue Rocks slip one spot by no fault of their own. They are a solid team in a very tough division. They rely on speed and lead the league by a wide margin in stolen bases with 155. They have six players with at least 10 stolen bases! First baseman Josh Hawk has 19 homers and 73 RBIs. Right fielder Tommie Bennett is a dark horse for MVP hitting .281 with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.

6. Gilbert Barnstormers (51-42) (+8): One of the darlings of the preseason, the Barnstormers got off to a slow start, but they are red hot and sit atop the Desert League East. Steve Heupel (.299, 25 HRs, 58 RBIs) and Armando Bermudez (9-3, 2.01 ERA, 108 K’s) have this team looking like a legit contender.

7. Surprise Saguaros (51-41) (+8): Another team making a big leap is Surprise. The Saguaros now sit atop the Desert League Central, moving past a slumping Glendale. Ken Hollinger leads the Saguaros hitting .337 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs.

8. Henderson Silver Knights (45-47) (-2): sitting in a division with Long Beach and Las Vegas is tough, but the Silver Knights are a +70 in run differential and could make a late season push for a wild card. They have the offense humming led by Albert Zambrano. He is hitting .269 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs.

9. Glendale Desert Dogs (48-43) (-6): the slumping Desert Dogs are sliding down the rankings. Dan Moore (9-4, 3.75) is trying to keep the team in the wild card hunt.

10. San Antonio Javelinas (49-43) (-2): The Javelinas sit atop the Mountain League Wild Card standings and it really is due to solid pitching both from their starting staff and bullpen. Young shortstop Brian Gonzalez is having a year, hitting .296 with 10 homers, 42 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.

11. Roswell Aliens (49-43) (+5): The Aliens are tied with San Antonio for the ML Wild Card and their offense is humming. Danny Watson (.273, 23 HRs, 67 RBIs) and Blake Pacinelli (.334, 23 HRs, 71 RBIs) are leading the way.

12. St. George Archers (47-44) (NC): The Archers keep hanging around in the Wild Card chase and are within arms length of Colorado Springs in the ML West. No superstars on the team, but a solid group. Jamaal McCormick, Sam Robinson and Scottie Hager form the core of a team that should stick around all year in the race.

13. Mesa Solar Sox (46-46) (-4): The Solar Sox slip a bit this month as they sit in fourth in the DL East, but are just 4 1/2 back of first place. Young phenom John Nichols is still red hot, hitting .324 with 19 homers and 60 RBIs to lead the team, along with his 17 stolen bases.

14. Salt River Rafters (47-42) (-4): The Rafters have lost seven straight and now sit in second in the DL East. First baseman Tuan Santana is keeping the team in the race, hitting .283 with 20 homers and 54 RBIs.

15. Santa Fe Silver Bullets (46-43) (+10): The Silver Bullets are making a strong push up the rankings and are just 1 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot. No real standouts, but a solid lineup and decent pitching is keeping them alive in the toughest division in the IBL.

16. Phoenix Firebirds (46-45) (+1): The addition of Juan Chavez from Salt Lake gives this team a boost as they try and stay alive in the Wild Card race. Chavez is hitting .309 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs. Angelo Velez is quietly having a nice season. He is (8-5) with an ERA of 2.45 with 110 strikeouts in 110 innings of work.

17. Austin Fire Frogs (48-43) (+2): The Fire Frogs sit in third in the DL East and are led by one of our favorites, Hulk Hoagie. He has 15 home runs and 49 RBIs and that beautiful goatee.

18. Albuquerque Mariachis (46-44) (+2): The Mariachis could be higher as they sit just 3 1/2 back of El Paso in the tough DL Central. Speed and a solid bullpen have the Mariachis in a good position as the season nears the halfway point.

19. Goodyear Jack Rabbits (43-49) (+2): The Jack Rabbits have a +3 run differential, yet sit in fourth place in the DL Central, eight games back of Surprise. They lead the league with 772 strikeouts and have three pitchers with over 100. They also lead the IBL with a .274 batting average.

20. Tucson Roadrunners (46-46) (-2): Monte Farnetti leads the team with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs for a team near the bottom in most offensive categories: 26th in BA, 24th in runs scored, 24th in home runs, 27th in slugging, 27th in OBP.

21. Amarillo Honey Hunters (44-47) (+1): The Honey Hunters near the bottom in strikeouts and most hitting categories. Need to turn that around if they want to stay close to the wild card race.

22. West Texas Bison (43-49) (+1): Last place in the ML East, but reason for hope as 18-year-old ace Lowell Alan Pressley has been living up to the hype, (9-5, 4.02) with 111 strikeouts in 118 innings….but 51 walks.

23. Flagstaff Hops (41-49) (-12): if you are paying attention, this team struggles with men in scoring position. Clutch is not a word that describes this team. It is long ball or bust for a team with hopes of a late season wild card push.

24. Salt Lake Chukars (41-48) (+4): The Chukars seem to be in sell off mode, building towards the future. Thor Odinson is back from injury and looking good, posting a 1.84 ERA in nine starts.

25. Chandler Chiefs (43-48 (+2): one reason to watch the Chiefs, Rick Singleton. The first baseman is hitting .303 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs. The rest of the team….not so much.

26. Prescott Hot Shots (39-52) (-2): The Hot Shots are a frisky last place team but pitching is holding them back.

27. Rio Rancho Owlz (42-50) (-14): The Owlz have slid down the ranking just like the Hops. Young Rollie Flingers is worth the price of admission though, with his 115 strikeouts in 120 innings of work….and that mustache.

28. San Diego Seals (37-55) (-2): this team has talent but is in a brutal division with three powerhouse clubs. They are (9-24) against the DL West, (28-31) against everyone else. Youngsters Matt Mulder (.301, 17 HRs, 49 RBIs) and ace Matt Campbell (6-7, 3.60 ERA, 132 K’s) continue to impress.

29. Yuma Dust Devils (34-56) (+1): This team is on the upswing and it is thanks to its offense. This team looked like a lock for worst team in the league, until Scottsdale said hold my beer. (7-3) over their last ten and they are a bit frisky.

30. Scottsdale Scorpions (38-52) (-1): This team is a train wreck with a -80 run differential. Starting pitching is awful and hitting isn’t much better. The second highest payroll in the league…..look for some salary dumps as we get closer to the trade deadline.

[Itsma806]

Re: MLB The Show 22 Franchise Discussion Thread

2023 Arizona Diamondbacks 04/13-04/16

Overall Record 9-6 (3rd NL West)

Diamondbacks avoid sweep vs. the Cardinals

The St Louis Cardinals embarrassed the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of their fans in the first three games of their four games series. St Louis won the first three games 5-0, 11-1 and 8-1.

Arizona was able to avoid the four game sweep in the last game of the season as Corbin Martin faced off against the man he replaced, Merrill Kelly. Martin pitched into the 7th inning while Kelly couldn't get past the 5th inning as Arizona won the game 6-3. Ketel Marte's 3rd inning three run homerun was not the final runs of the game but being as that was the final difference, they were key. They were significant even more for the 2022 NL batting champ who has struggled thus far early in 2023.

Arizona will finish their homestand with three against the Mets (9-6) while St. Louis will look to remain hot as they return home for a three game set against the Yankees (6-10).