OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Juan Salas Arrives
Long-Term Injury to Starter Gives Kid Time to Shine

It's a temporary arrangement, but one that is expected to last six weeks.

That's how long outfielder Franchy Cordero, the starting left fielder, is expected to be out. The Foxes decided to give Salas a look and let scouts get another look at the young hitter in 'real' major league games, not just spring training.

The 20-year-old Mexican standout has seen some challenge at AAA-Honolulu. His batting line is .270/.294/.436 in 204 AB at the AAA level this season. His aggression at the plate clearly showed up in the walk totals and his resulting on-base percentage. Fortunately, his strikeout rate is decreasing so perhaps it's less chasing and more attacking the first strike he thinks he can hit.

"Pitch selection is going to be key with him and he'll have to prove he can either pick out good strikes with an aggressive mindset at the plate or that he's a good 'bad ball' hitter, " one scout commented.

So far, the consensus is that he'll pick out those strikes and rake them across the field. His projection is still one of the true gap-to-gap threat with a high contact rate and a high implied BABIP. He projects as a fly ball hitter, but those may be the type that are borderline between line drive and fly ball and not have the carry to leave the yard, hence his high doubles projection but average-ish home run projection.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Cordero Suffers Severe Setback
Will Now Miss 8 Months

Juan Salas better get comfortable. He's the starter for the rest of the year.

The Foxes got word that Franchy Cordero suffered a severe setback, so much so that surgery will be required to correct the problem. This will keep him out of action for 8 months, according to team medical staff.

"It's disappointing but all I can do is do what the doctors tell me so I can get back on the field in time for next season, " Cordero commented.

Meanwhile, Salas has been impressive. He has a .513 slugging percentage in 80 plate appearances. He has just one walk but is batting .289 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 home runs.

"As advertised, the kid doesn't take a lot of pitches. He's up there to hack and he's making it work. The strikeouts are not higher than at AAA so far, which is also encouraging, " manager Alex Hidalgo commented.

So far, Salas has averaged just over 3 pitchers per plate appearance.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2024 Season

.

The Foxes nearly repeated their 100-win performance of last season, coming up one win short. It wouldn't have been nearly enough to win the division as the Nationals were just on cruise control all season long. They lead they division from start to finish and were over .700 in win percentage as late as August.

The Foxes were able to secure second place with relative ease, and they did it in their usual fashion, strong bullpen (2nd in NL) and strong defense (3rd in NL). The offense, at times inconsistent and prone to streaks and slumps, was decent enough (5th in the NL). The team also dominated at home once again, going 58-23 (.716 win pct).

Some would say the Foxes got lucky. Indeed, their Pythagorean record, the expected win-loss rate based on runs scored and runs allowed, puts the Foxes at 92 wins, a +7 differential.

The 92 wins would have been closer to the BNN projection of 90 wins.

Hidalgo, the team manager, doesn't care.

"People can say whatever. The analysts don't believe it, some of the players probably are confused by it, but we win. I think everyone can understand that, " Hidalgo commented.

Foxes Playoff Run

One thing that hasn't changed is the Foxes still have not won a playoff game. Once again, they fell in the NL Wild Card game and, again, it was to the Mets.

The offense went flat in the 4-2 loss. Devers was the only one who was productive, hitting a 2-run home run.

"We have to figure out what's happening in the postseason and why our bats always go dead. Maybe we need one more big stick in this lineup to help Devers out, " Hidalgo commented.

For what it's worth, the Mets also knocked off the 110-win Nationals in just four games in the NLDS.

The Mariners won the World Series, defeating the Cardinals 4 games to 2. The Mariners won 88 games, enough for the AL West crown. They also defeated the 102-win Twins, who captured the first Wild Card in the AL behind the 107-win Indians (whom the Twins defeated in the ALDS).

Looking Ahead to 2025

Some players are, perhaps not "confused", but not as happy as they could be with the current set up. Mitch McIntyre, again a cornerstone in the bullpen, is one of them, which might present an interesting choice for the Foxes going forward.

McIntyre was 12-0 with 10 saves this season, posting a 2.43 ERA, a 2.34 FIP, and 3.1 WAR in the process over 114 innings. Obviously, the Foxes would love to keep this arrangement. However, McIntyre has expressed, privately, a desire to start, according to sources close to the player. This desire increased as he continued to mow down hitters in the bullpen this season.

"It would be hard, and arguably unfair, to say no to a player who worked in the bullpen for three strong seasons, never causes issues, and has rapidly developed into one of the better finesse arms in the game. I think he feels he's earned it, and it's hard to argue against that, " a sports radio host spoke, "He's a surprise, went from journeyman-potential to possible stud and probably caught the Foxes off guard, but I think they need to move him up."

The Foxes might still be gun-shy after Will Smith, a converted stud reliever into a starter, did not pan out for the team. There are probably several reasons for this, but it's something the Foxes are probably thinking about as they ponder McIntyre's role going forward.

The Juan Salas situation is easier to handle. He will likely go back to AAA or stick on the bench (the former is most likely) and Cordero will return unless his injury did serious damage to his baseball skills. Then, it would be a position battle.

The fates of Ronald Guzman and Justin Williams are up in the air. The team would probably like both back, especially Williams, but nothing has come to fruition at this point. Guzman's poor batting average is hurting his stock, and scout evaluations, making it less likely for him. Williams has been largely steady and competent since being selected out of the expansion draft.

However, on a team enamored with defense, Kevin Alcantara might provide a "fall back" of sorts. The bat is not likely as good, but the glove is elite potential. An outfield of Cordero, Lewis, Alcantara might be a full Gold Glove outfield. Alcantara might be lowering the leverage that Williams is having, at least in the mind of the Foxes front office.

And for all the noise Luke Leto has made with his ascension through the minors, Wander Franco is locking the position down at the majors. He's working well offensively and defensively. As long as that's the case, it's on Leto to prove he's better.

"Second base is Leto's fastest path to the majors. Devers isn't going anywhere and Witt, Jr. isn't going anywhere. Leto doesn't have the bat you want at first base. So, if [Wander] Franco can keep holding down second base, Leto will need to start learning outfield if he doesn't want to wait in the minors, " a local analyst commented.


In fact, according to reports, that's what's going to happen. Leto will start learning corner outfield next season at AAA-Honolulu.


As far as Masashi Asai, well, the critics are being proven correct to this point. At AA-Leon Valley, Asai posted a 1.8 HR/9 rate and a 6.7 BB/9 rate. Neither of those metrics inspire confidence and detract from his still excellent 12.2 K/9 rate and .220 BABIP allowed.

"I tell you, I'm right about this so-called prospect. He's a trap and we keep staying in it, " a team official spoke on condition of anonymity.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

First Korean Player Posted

Normally, it's the NPB that's putting up players once in a while. This year, the KBO is getting involved, putting forward 26-year-old closer Kang-Chan Yun.

Yun compiled a 1-7 record with 33 saves in 58 innings of work, striking out 78 batters in that span.

Scouts seem to think he's a major league talent, so it will be interesting to see who, if anyone, as able to acquire his services.

The posting fee is $11.5 million for the team that lands the player.

"I think he'll get signed, " a source close to Yun commented, "I think his demands are reasonable and teams will have no issues meeting them."

Generals Have New Owner

Zion Kissl bought the team outright in cash, according to records, from Jerry Reinsdorf.

"I'm eager to see this team win and get things back on track, " Kissl commented, "I know it will take time and money. I'm willing to provide both."

The Generals have not had a good time of it since their move. Hopefully, the new blood in the front office will turn that around.

[MizzouRah]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

I'm in 2028 with the Cardinals from my OOTP 19 imported league. We have been to the playoffs 7 out of 10 seasons but only to the World Series twice and lost both times. This is OUR YEAR!

MLB re-branded its league in 2028 with a more futuristic look. (thanks to txranger over at the ootp forums for his work)

[boxboy99]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

I’ve been playing my first real OOTP game on 19. Doing a quasi journeyman GM save. Started with an independent team, with no success I got a job with the Cardinals after a couple years.

I got fired after around four years with no success. I made some very bad deals for old players but I think they team was about to turn around before I got fired.

The White Sox hired me next. They had some great talent but a crap budget. I was shrewd in dumping poor contracts early and had a completely stacked line up but pitching was always a bit make shift. We made the playoffs my first 4 years. 3 of the 4 years we blew a 2-0 lead in the divisional series. We never got past that round.

We looked like the best team all year 4. Finished with 97 wins. I was about to lose control of most all of my talent at the same time. Didn’t have cash to bring them back and they were all hitting early 30s. I didn’t move pieces for young prospects thinking we had a good World Series chance. Felt great beating the Yankees 14-0 in game two of the NLDS only to lose the next 3.

I blew up the team for year 5. Somehow BNN projected us to win 90 games which I knew wouldn’t happen. Suddenly the owner went nuts. Changed the team name and colors. We started around 14-22, when I was shockingly fired with my manager.

I was going to sim the year but mid way the dbacks gave me an offer email. I took it as they had young talent and was only a 1/2 game out at the hundred game make. We didn’t make the playoffs but I’m excited for the next season. I hired my old manager for next season that was fired with me in Chicago. The owners personality is unmerciful so this might be a short run.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[jameslahey]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Starting a '91 Pirates franchise, trying to see how differently the team's history may have played out if they had re-signed Bonilla and/or Bonds. I'm curious to see how this goes.

[boxboy99]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2031 and the Oakland A's decided to pack their bags to Columbus, OH. They will be the Islanders. I'm from Ohio, there are no Islands except Kings.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2025 Foxes

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We've known for a few years that BNN isn't really a believer in the Foxes' style of winning ballgames, but this year, BNN is expecting less than 90 wins and no trip to the playoffs.

The number one weakness in the minds of BNN is the Foxes offense. The team is predicted to score 695 runs, which would be in the bottom half of the NL. The pitching is still expected to be very strong, vying for #1 in the NL in ERA. BNN is thinking McInytre will go from stud reliever to potential ace-level performance.

On offense, only Bobby Witt, Jr. is considered to be among the top performers. Rafael Devers is expected, evidently, to drop off for some reason, or perhaps simply fall behind other hitters in the NL. The offense saw Justin Williams depart via free agency, but that alone is not enough to drop the Foxes to the bottom half in offense. BNN is expecting a significant drop from everyone not named Witt, Jr. it seems.

Of course, Luke Leto and Juan Salas continue to loom in AAA. Leto began learning corner outfield this spring and that is expected to continue. Meanwhile, Salas will probably be starting at left field as he primes himself for another shot that the majors...and this time, he might stick if he can do well enough.

Ronald Guzman, who signed his qualifying tender, will have to prove last season was a fluke, or he'll be in jeopardy once again.

On the mound, McKay and McIntyre are expected to be a very nasty 1-2 combo at the top of the rotation. Replacing McIntyre in the bullpen is hard-throwing lefty Jerry Ford while Sergio Correa also joined the bullpen this offseason.

The team will start the year without two of its starters as Jorge Rodriguez and Jesus Domiguez suffered injuries during spring training and are slated to miss the first month of the season.

One interesting thing is with Faltine III making the rotation is that the Foxes will have a couple two-way players that could help give days off as the season wears on. With the rosters reduced to 24-men, that could be a positive in Faltine's favor if he can pitch decently enough. McKay showed last season that he can hit well enough for that role and hit well this spring.

While there's no highly-talented prospects in AAA on the mound, barring any surprises, there's Masashi Asai and Jorge Lerma, who will start the season in AA-Leon Valley. Asai remains a divisive figure in the Foxes front office with some thinking the Japanese sidearmer is just a work in progress while others thinking he is fatally flawed and won't have much, if any, impact at the major league level.

Lerma has more consensus around him. A flamethrowing southpaw, Lerma has hit triple digits on his fastball and throws a sinker and a cutter both with nearly the same velocity. Right now, mixing his fastball movements and locations while adding and subtracting a few MPH are what's working for him, though he does have a curveball and a change-up. However, both are not as strong with the change-up being basically a show-me pitch at this point.

Scouts are waiting mostly on Lerma refining the command on his pitches. Should that happen, he could fast track to the majors with the earliest ETA being by midseason this year. Having turned 20 in September, Lerma has time on his side and being advanced for his age will only help give him more chances.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Portland Timberjacks: Beginning of 2019

The Portland Timberjacks are the newest team in the National League. The stadium has been built, the local community railroaded for tax dollars, the personnel signed, and the expansion draft completed.

Lineup: The name of the game is versatility. Between all the multi-position eligibles, the ability to stack depth charts in OOTP 20, and all the switch hitters, most positions can run 4 or 5 deep. The main problem is most of this "depth" is not that far removed from replacement-level. The starting lineup:

1 - CF - Roman Quinn
2 - 2B - Ildemaro Vargas
3 - RF - Socrates Brito / Anthony Garcia
4 - LF - Jurickson Profar
5 - 1B - Ronald Guzman / Patrick Wisdom
6 - 3B - Taylor Motter
7 - C - Stephen Vogt / Elias Diaz
8 - SS - Ehire Adrianza

INF David Fletcher and OF Greg Allen will also begin on the active roster.

Pitching: The team would appear to have a better pitching staff than it does a lineup. This is partly because it's pretty easy to find decent bullpen arms in the expansion draft. There are some interesting options in the rotation, but the bullpen should be the team's strength. They are going old school with Diego Castillo in a "stopper" role instead of as a traditional closer. Adam Wainwright will provide a veteran face to the rotation. Nate Karns was an emergency trade with the O's after Dallas Keuchel's price tag became too expensive.

SP - Adam Wainwright
SP - Yonny Chirinos
SP - Josh James
SP - Max Fried
SP - Nate Karns

RP - Jose Quijada
RP - Adam Cimber
RP - Reymin Guduan
RP - Jimmie Sherfy
RP - James Norwood
RP - Andrew Vasquez
RP - Diego Castillo

Personnel: Billy Beane has been lured away from Oakland (or the free agent pool rather) to be GM Ray Kinsella's front office consigliere (like Tom Hagen). Joe Girardi has been tapped as the field manager--he retains a good amount of control over the tactics, so let's hope he doesn't bump heads with the front office. Forty-eight year old Doug Bochtler (Fair, Power Pitchers) will coach the pitchers; fifty-five year old Mike Brumley (Average, Patience) will do the same for the batters. Native Aussie Carl Gadd will be Joe Girardi's bench coach. Japan emigrant Norio Yamaguchi (Excellent) will head the scouting department and Rick Jameyson (Great) will mend any injuries.

Farm System: Bare bones. The Timberjacks rank 29th out of 32 teams. There wasn't much to pick through prospect-wise in the expansion draft (and I "helped" teams protect their best players...like when the Twins didn't protect Byron Buxton, I did it for them). The top prospect in the system (68th in MLB) is RHP Josh James (via HOU). James will start the year in the Major League rotation. RHP Franklyn Kilome (via NYM) is rated the 114th best prospect in baseball, but he's still 9 months away from action as he rehabs from UCL surgery. A trio of former Twins farmhands: Nick Gordon, Brent Rooker, and Jorge Alcala were obtained in a trade. Portland sent expansion picks RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (via STL) and LHP Brock Burke (via TEX) as part of the return package. Gordon, Rooker, and Alcala should help make the AA affiliate Fayetteville Frogs a little bit interesting to watch for the local yokels. Some other names perhaps worth keeping an eye on: OF Justin Williams, RHP Marcos Diplan, RHP Ricardo Pinto, OF Michael Gettys. Mostly, prospect hounds are looking forward to the amateur draft where the T'Jacks will begin to build a farm system in earnest. Or as a movie pitch: Ernest Goes To Farm System.

Outlook: BNN appears to be a fan. The prediction service sees the T'Jacks as an 83-79 team, placing 5th in the new 8-team NL West. Much like this author's assessment, BNN sees the club as offensively challenged (.237 BA, 585 runs scored which would be 2nd worst to Miami) and pitching-and-defense powered (3.50 ERA, 609 runs allowed which would be 2nd best after the Mets). Not entirely sure why BNN is predicting Portland to be 4 games over .500 with a -24 run differential, but hey.

BNN really likes RHP Josh James as well. Not only is he rated the 68th-best prospect in baseball, but he's picked as the 9th best starting pitcher in the NL; BNN sees 15-12 with a 3.11 ERA in 196.2 IP in James' future. Under no circumstances should this team and its $18M payroll compete for a postseason spot. But, I've been wrong before. This year will be 100% about foundation building and seeing which players are worth keeping and which ones will be churned.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

That comment about Buxton is funny because in my game, he's not even in the majors anymore. He's playing in the indy leagues


Odd the Twins didn't protect him. They did in my save...stuck with him for '19 and '20 and then refused arbitration.

Of course, I don't think I'd protect Buxton if I was running the Twins... he's not all that wonderful - fringe bat (45/50/40 CON/POW/EYE in my game) on top of solid defense - not hard to find.

And yeah, BNN can be funny with it's predictions. I don't know how those are determined. Sometimes, they are scary accurate and sometimes it's like a monkey just threw darts.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Mitch McIntyre's Win Streak Snapped at 19

Mitch McIntyre's foray into starting is going reasonably well. After going 12-0 out of the bullpen last season, he started off 6-0 as a starter and won the last decision of his 2023 campaign.

That came to an end when he took the loss in a 4-2 Foxes defeat to the Dodgers.

"I guess it was gonna happen sometime, but I wish I could have gotten to 20 wins in a row at least, " McIntyre said after the game.

The Foxes were playing well at home, but actually have been dominating on the road this year, a first for the team. McIntyre embodied that, going 4-0 on the road. The Dodgers are one of the few teams that Foxes have consistently lost against since their rise to a contending squad, so having the streak end at their hands was, as Ronald Guzman called it, "no damn surprise".

"We can't beat them for some reason. No damn surprise that they would do this to McIntyre. It's very frustrating. We can't figure out why, " Guzman spoke.

The streak ending has been one of the few first half bumps in what's shaping up to be the best season yet for the team.

Pitching and defense, again, has led the way, 1st in the NL in both starter and bullpen ERA, and every other pitching and defense category aside home runs allowed (3rd), while just 10th in runs.

McIntyre is 6-1 with a 2.90 ERA so far this season. He was 12-0 with 10 saves and a 2.43 ERA last season.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Foxes, Royals Complete Deadline Swap
Eight Players Changed Teams

The Foxes have to be wondering what happened in the space of about 20 days. They went from being in solid position for the division to witnessing the Nationals remember they are the division captains and storming ahead to put the Foxes in second place.

One thing that's happened was an injury to Brendan McKay. That won't be addressed with this deal.

What will be, hopefully, addressed is an offense that's doing even worse.

Coming from the Royals is Samir Duenez, who has blossomed into a steady bat in recent seasons. He does two things almost no one on the Foxes does right now, hit for a solid average and draws his share of walks. Royce Lewis is the closest at that. On top of that, Duenez has some home run power, so perhaps he can help Devers in the middle of the lineup in that regard and maybe help Tsutsugo as well get better pitches to hit with more people on base in front of him.

Duenez's arrival all but certainly spells the end of Ronald Guzman's time with the Foxes. He was designated for assignment and likely will be released if not claimed off waivers. Even if he agrees to work in AAA, the chances of the Foxes extending him are pretty much nil unless he is willing to work off the bench, and at a lower salary, which is just as unlikely as him accepting a demotion to AAA in the first place.

The cost was on the steep side. Jesus Dominguez, a MLB-ready 24-year-old starting pitcher should help the Royals now. The Foxes also parted with the #89 prospect in the league in pitcher Jorge Santillanes. Scouts think he could be a front line, possible ace-caliber starter in the future. Also leaving the Montreal system is Austin Becker, who threw a no-hitter at High-A last season, pitcher Luis Briones, often lost in the shuffle amid the Foxes' deep pitcher pipeline, and promising teenage first baseman Sam Worthley.

The Foxes got two add-on prospects back from the Royals, both difficult to project, but have some possibilities.

2B Pat Masengill, 19, reminds some analysts of the old-school #2 hitter, high bat control, puts the ball in play, can handle the bat on bunts, and has speed to burn. Defense is a question mark as is what, if any, extra bases ability he has in his bat.

Also joining the Foxes system is Rehor Smoldas, a rare Czech Republic representative and lists as a second baseman as well. There's been some usage of him as a two-way player in the DSL and scouts are cautiously positive on the possibilities there, but his offensive profile, and his pitching one for that matter, are very hard to determine. He has the defensive skills to play around the infield, so that could help him stick, much in the way it's helped Faltine III stay in the system and now at the majors.

"I like that our front office is going for it, " Foxes manager Alex Hildalgo commented, "I know this is a pitching and defense team and I'm probably here to use my hitting background to keep the offensive side going, but bringing a fresh nice bat like that will raise the spirits of the guys and the fans. I like it."

Indeed, the fans are in a frenzy over Duenez donning a Foxes jersey. Duenez is well-regarded around baseball and more of that positive attention will fall on the Foxes.

"We're still largely unknown, so hopefully making a move like this while contending will help us off the field and in the boardroom as much as on it, " G.M. Ander Lyle spoke.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2025 Season

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.

Season Review

The Foxes again were in the high-90's in wins, but, again, it was not good enough to win the division. The Foxes were the first Wild Card out of the NL and will be looking to advance to the NLDS for the first time.

Pitching remained a strength amidst the injuries in the rotation. Mitch McIntyre was a solid performer, though not quite what BNN predicted. Still, he was plenty strong enough and led the way in the rotation all year. McKay suffered a long injury that caused him to miss most of the year. His slack was picked up by Sanson Faltine III, who made his rookie debut.

Faltine III by no means had a standout season, but he did what was needed and impressed enough to make him a strong candidate for the rotation next season. Jorge Rodriguez took another step forward as perhaps the young pitcher is beginning to realize his potential as a solid mid-rotation starter.

The bullpen remained the superior unit, posting a stellar 2.78 ERA as a group. Art Warren had another remarkable season, checking in with a 214 ERA+ in 79 innings of work. Jerry Ford proved a hero in his rookie season, contributing 115 innings from the bullpen with a 1.96 ERA.

Part of the pitching success is credited to the defense once again. The Foxes NL ranking was good enough for first in defensive efficiency, fourth in Zone Rating, and the 3rd fewest errors.

Offensively, things improved nicely with the addition of Duenez at the trading deadline. He hit 15 home runs in 238 plate appearances with the Foxes, continuing what was a strong season prior to the trade. He hit 44 all told, good enough to lead all of baseball.

What ever drop off BNN was expecting out of Rafael Devers did not come to pass. The 28-year-old third baseman hit 57 doubles to go with 37 home runs and piled up 6.3 WAR, a career high mark. Outfielder Juan Salas got his first taste of full-time major league work, and he did well. He batted .282/.321/.469, picking up 2.1 WAR and 119 wRC+ in 463 plate appearances. This will be enough to make him a part of the outfield.

However, there were still some issues at the plate. Wander Franco in particularly collapsed this season. After a very solid 2024 campaign, his production fell off a cliff in all areas. What was thought to be something settled at second base has just become uncertain.

Tsutsugo continues to be an unknown in terms of consistency. He's very streaky at the plate and that has held back his production overall. The team doesn't have the most options around for DH, so he's held the spot, but his performance has become decidedly less than ideal.

Franchy Cordero was part of a revolving door at left field, and the fact he was the "best" is not a good sign. His .687 OPS was below standard and his defense has kept him in the starting lineup.

2025 Postseason

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Both expansion siblings made the playoffs this season, with the Warriors making it for the first time in their history. They won their first playoff game 2-0 over the Cleveland Indians. The winner was rookie star A.J. Biggs, the Warriors' ace and former 3rd round pick out of the 2023 draft class. Biggs, 25, won 22 games and led the AL in wins, innings pitched (211), and ERA (2.38).

"Not bad for a so-called old draft pick and old rookie, huh, " Biggs commented after the game.

The Foxes also advanced to the NLDS, getting past Kershaw and the Dodgers by a 3-1 score. McIntyre pitched seven strong innings and bullpen held the lead.

The Warriors hot run continued as they swept past the Royals with little effort.

Meanwhile, the Foxes run met its end at the hands of the rival Nationals, who won 102 games during the regular season.

"It's another step forward. We have to keep improving. We're in a tough environment but winners rise through adversity. We have to keep pushing, " Hildago commented.

The Warriors actually lost a game, but still advanced once again as the surprise story of the league. They defeated the Rays 4 games to 1 to win the AL Pennant and advance to the World Series.

"We're a team of destiny, " first baseman Blaze Jordan commented, "We're not stopping until we have the championship."

The Nationals, owners of the best record in baseball, faced the Warriors in the Fall Classic.

In a thrilling seven game series, the Nationals squeaked by the upstart Warriors to win the 2025 World Series. The Warriors actually held a 3-2 lead in the series, the Nationals won the final two games at home to claim the title. Jackie Bradley, Jr. was huge in the deciding game seven, hitting three home runs and driving in five runs.

Juan Soto (Nationals) was named World Series MVP. He batted .364 with 3 HR and a staggering .533 OBP in the series.

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Offseason Ahead

The Foxes and Yo****suna Tsutsugo had difficult negotiations during the season, according to sources. The team does want him to return due to his clubhouse influence and still-decent bat, but negotiations have not gone well. The 33-year-old might be wanting a contract longer than the Foxes would prefer to tender.

The fate of Franchy Cordero is very much in doubt. With other defense-first outfielders in the organization, such as Kevin Alcantara and Joe Berrera, and prospects like Luke Leto and Nick Bitsko looking ready, it will be hard for Cordero to argue for a spot.

Farm Report

Pitcher Jorge Lerma got a little time in the majors in September, and command is still a big issue for him. This will likely keep him in AAA, though he'll get spring action in all likelihood. He was strong in AAA everywhere except the command, which is some good sign at least.

Teenage sensation Alfred Montero didn't get any major league action, but that will probably change next season. Montero has flown up the minor league ladder and found himself with a .294/.359/.466 batting line in AAA in 163 at-bats. Spring training action is a given at this point and he may well contend for a major league roster spot.

Luke Leto is looking like he will stick at the majors as a starter. The question will be: where? Is he at second base after Franco collapsed, or does he take a corner outfield spot with Juan Salas?

Nick Bitsko is also looking more and more like a major league hitter. He could complicate things for Tsutsugo at the bargaining table, and perhaps for the roster as a whole. If he gets a corner outfield spot, does that force Leto to DH if the team stays with Franco one more year?

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2026 Foxes

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.

Some new faces in the lineup as the next batch of talent graduates, and hopefully sticks, at the majors.

There are some reasons to be concerned across the board with the team's spring training performance. Leto and Montero had terrible springs, both batting under the .200 mark and for a while Leto was under .150. McGuire again battled injury but came back in time to start the season with the squad. Still, he missed weeks of spring action.

The pitchers had struggles as well. McIntyre looked out of sorts all spring long while McKay's pitches seemed flat and lifeless. Jorge Rodriguez might have performed the worst of all the starters. He was simply hit hard all over the field. Not so many home runs, but shots into the gaps and unable to work out of any trouble at all.

"You don't want to read a lot into these games, but you never want to look bad and out of rhythm. I think we'll be fine, though, " manager Hidalgo commented.

BNN agrees, putting the Foxes and Nationals in the same pitched battle at the top of the division with the winner being up in the air once again this season.

One interesting thing is that only a single Foxes player is on either of the projected top players lists: SP Mitch McIntyre, whom BNN is expected a step back from, projecting his ERA to climb into the low 3's.

On the farm, scouts are starting to side with the critics in regards to Masashi Asai's future. While overall positive, scouts have come down significantly on the future grade they assign to Asai and he has plummeted to barely being on the top 200 in BNN's prospect rankings.