I hope you're all ready, because it'll be an exciting 30 game season, followed by an epic playoffs and finally the great minor league experiment before a hopefully more parity filled year 2!
Pictured: Astros MVP Jose Altuve, one of the many awesome cards in this league! He was created by @BobBumbarger on Twitter. Follow him for more awesome, 00 style cards that he's rolling out from this league as well as many other cool cards!
NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
Projected Record: 20-10
Hitting: The Cubs are one of the most high-risk, high-reward lineups in the league, with some severe concerns facing teams with good rotations and control with their 5 through 9 hitters. But on the positive, the 2-3 combo of Rizzo and Bryant lives up to the hype. Those two should put up great OBPs and set the table for the monster charts lurking below that are just praying for an opportunity. The trade for Markakis was a smooth one by the Cubs, giving them a much needed fourth decent OB hitter to start things off. However, considering the absolutely dynamic Cardinals and the slightly deeper Brewers (even though they don't have anyone as good as either Bryant or Rizzo), the Cubs seem to have the third best lineup in the division teamed with the third best rotation.
Pitching: The Cubs rotation is much weaker in Showdown form than its real life reputation would suggest. Quintana is completely absent thanks to a Tier 4 card that was traded in an attempt to upgrade with the Tier 3 McCarthy. While that'd be insane in real life, it's a strange situational upgrade. Darvish and Lester are coming off seasons that are much worse than their typical All-Star selves, giving them a pair of average cards despite being Ace names. Hendricks is exactly what you'd expect for him though, giving a high Control Tier 3 card that should put up solid, mid-3 ERA numbers. The bullpen does provide some solid support, especially by adding Brandon Morrow in real life and trading for Steve Cishek in the game. With a plethora of Tier 2 guys, they should be able to protect any leads the batting order and starting rotation can get them.
Projected Record: 6-24
Hitting: Joey Votto is easily one of the best hitters in the game, and he should get opportunities to swing his potent bat with the solid Jesse Winkler batting behind him. However.... things get ugly outside of those two. Billy Hamilton and Jose Peraza are incredibly fast, giving Votto/Winkler some easy RBIs if they get on base..... but unfortunately, those two will be relying on getting hits or walks off pitchers charts the vast majority of the time. The rest of the offense will similarly be very lucky to get more than one chart combined the rest of the game with those extremely low On-Base numbers. It's going to be a rough season, with bright days ahead thanks to a loaded minor league system.
Pitching: The Reds have some decent pitchers, particularly DeSclafani who brings a Tier 3 card with good control and no doubles chart to the table. Unfortunately for the Reds, they lack a starter who can chew up innings, which will likely put severe strain on the bullpen. Coupled with a likely lack of run support and having to take on the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers for a combined 18 games this season (as well as 6 games against the Indians in their Interleague Rivalry), it's going to be HARD year for the Reds.
Milwaukee Brewers
Projected Record: 21-9
Hitting: The Brewers lineup was substantially boosted by the aggressive trade for Buster Posey, who gives them a steady OB 10 bat amidst plenty of high risk, aggressive cards. The top four hitters are arguably the best in the division and can stack up with most of the other top teams, especially thanks to the speed of Cain and Yelich teaming with Santana's speed and power combo. The key to the Brewers consistently producing on offense will depend on how big Thames, Shaw, and Braun produce from the 5-6-7 slots. Each player is a definite home run threat and need to take advantage of the two or three charts a game that collection of players gets. Cabrera hopefully will help get some more baserunners in front of the big four at the top, while Arcia may put up a couple big hits against lower tier pitchers.
Pitching: The wonderful thing about Showdown charts is how they're based on the previous year's statistics. So while in real life the Brewers starting rotation was a major question mark that seemed unresolved from adding Jhoulys Chacin in free agency, the Showdown squad has the best rotation and bullpen in the NL Central. Chase Anderson is a true ace after his sub 3 ERA season in 2017 and gives them a great start to the rotation. Yes, Chacin and Nelson are risky against potent teams with high OBs like the Cardinals or Cubs, but as long as they can manage to get through five innings, they turn things over to (perhaps) the best bullpen in the NL. Knebel and Albers are a devestating 1-2 punch at the end of games, and while Hader should be incredibly good next season, he's still a great third option. Giving them a fourth option that would be the closer for several team, the Brewers made an aggressive trade with the Padres to add Brad Hand. Look for the bullpen to wrack up huge K numbers and a great ERA.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Projected Record: 10-20
Hitting: The Pirates are owned by Michael Doudna, renowned in the Greatest MLB Showdown family for being the most aggressive manager in the game via his patented *waves one finger while holding his chin in the thinking man pose before muttering "steal"* maneuver. That alone makes the Pirates relatively dangerous because they've got four players with A speed. However, that's far from enough to make them contenders against the big three of the NL Central, as the offense lacks any stars and will struggle to put base runners on consistently... and more importantly, struggle to knock in the players who inevitably steal into scoring position through Manager Mikey's bold strategies.
Pitching: The rotation is extremely weak and ensures Pittsburgh is at least a year away. They came into the season with two better guys at the top of the rotation, but they're in St. Louis and New York now, giving them two aging, big name pitchers who are liable to get lit up often at the back end of the rotation. However, the bullpen has some really bright spots with Kontos and Schugel. A pair of Tier 1s like that can get Pittsburgh a few victories from protecting a one or two run lead here and there. If things break the right way, the Pirates could find themselves in the running for a .500 record.
St. Louis Cardinals
Projected Record: 20-10
Hitting: Pretty easily, St. Louis has the best batting order in the NL Central (and perhaps the whole NL). Fowler and Pham are a dynamic 1-2, and it's easy to envision Pham being an MVP candidate in Showdown like he is in real life. Carpenter is an interesting number 3 hitter. He's got a great on-base and decent double range, but a lack of HR power and an overwhelming walk range could be very frustrating to his manager. Picking up Ozuna in reality and trading for Suarez in the game gives them a potent 4-5 combination that should drive in a ton of runs behind the 9-10-9 opening. Jose Martinez is a really good number 6 hitter and Wong's OB 9 gives him an extremely valuable card to respark the order. Yadi's old and tired but he's still got a great arm to keep baserunners wary of testing the basepaths. If this team doesn't lead the NL Central in runs scored, it'll definitely be a surprise.
Pitching: Carlos Martinez is a good #1 starter leading the way, with the young Luke Weaver providing a good second option. They're going to strike out a bunch of guys and just try to limit runs while the lineup likely puts up prodigious numbers. Trading for Ivan Nova was honestly a weird choice, but his high control is useful as a #3 starter, while Wacha is definitely a liability. The real win in the Nova trade was Felipe Rivera, who Cardinals manager Kyle "Worst luck at rolling ever" Jacoby has deemed "the best reliever in all of Showdown" and promises "will be an All Star, maybe a Cy Young candidate." Teamed with Lyons, the Cardinals will have a bold backend while Holland and Cecil are stellar RPs to pitch in the early innings.
AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox
Projected Record: 9-21
Hitting: Just like real life, the White Sox are in full on rebuild mode. They've got a pair of good OFs in Avisail Garcia and Nicky Demoncio. Castillo gives them an epic catcher arm to stop the opposition from stealing at will. The pair of OB 4 hitters is super sad to see at the end of the batting order. It'll surprise no one when this team struggles to score, especially against the Indians and the Twins.
Pitching: Giolito has a good tier but his low control is definitely an issue. Gonzalez and Lopez gives them at least a fighting chance as the classic "Control 3, on at 17" starter, although they're both major fly ball pitchers with Gonzalez giving up a ton of doubles. Shields is totally atrocious and is going to be happy to get through the season with an ERA under 6. The bullpen is solid but unremarkable, but it's unlikely they'll be called on to protect many leads. Bright days are ahead with a good farm system, but Year 1 is going to be rough.
Cleveland Indians
Projected Record: 23-7
Hitting: At first glance, the Indians look to have the makings of a great offense. There's only one hitter who's below an OB 7, there's only one OB 7 and it's their superstar SS with a fantastic chart. There's a pair of OB 9, HR at 17 power hitters in the 3 and 4 spots. There's an OB 8 hitter in the eighth hole for goodness sakes! However... there's a major weakness here and it's their lack of speed, especially from a high OB hitter at the top of the lineup. The Indians could go through large droughts from having to rely on three or four hits in one inning just to score one run. Against the weak rotations and bullpens of the division (as well as the Reds), it should be a concern that's quickly worked out for a team with studs like Jose Ramirez, Yonder Alonso, Edwin Encarncion, Michael Brantly, and the energetic Lindor.
Pitching: This pitching staff is easily the class of the AL Central and is neck and neck with the Astros for the best group of pitchers in the American League. Kluber lives up to his Cy Young billing and is definitely a favorite to win the award. After moving half their farm system to get him, Bumgardner slots in really well as the number two. Carlos Carrasco is a great #3, especially with his great K range. Trading nearly the rest of their farm system for Danny Duffy was perhaps the move of the offseason, giving them a top-to-bottom strong rotation. However, the bullpen is the real bright spot, particularly with superstar Andrew Miller being the swiss army knife that can easily go 1 or 2 IP against the opposition's best hitters. There is not a single weakness to see here and this team should cruise to a division title.
While our formulas slightly diverged for this card, enjoy Corey Kluber and check out the rest of the Indians 2017 starters in @BobBumbarger's article here: https://greatestmlbshowdown.blogspot.com/2018/04/2017-indians-power-4.html
Projected Record: 10-20
Hitting: Ouch. This is the worst lineup. The Tigers have been awarded an extremely low amount of points, may God have mercy on their souls. Also... it's so sad to see Miggy like this. If only they were the 2011 or 2012 Tigers.
Pitching: Double yikes, this rotation is pure trash. These Control 2 pitchers are going to get destroyed, although at least they should help any struggling lineups in the division. Shane Greene is their best bet to be an all star this year, so that's a positive.
Kansas City Royals
Projected Record: 9-21
Hitting: Whoa whoa whoa, time to retract what I said about the Tigers -- THIS is the worst offense in baseball! It's crazy that their lineup is only 740 points, featuring a TOTAL of 70 points in the final four hitters. THREE on-base four hitters end the lineup. The plus side is Moustakas and Duda have a ton of power, following the speedy Merrifield... but wow this team is going to be BAD.
Pitching: Remember when the Royals revolutionized the way that teams used their bullpens? When they had a three-headed, all Tier 1 bullpen that shut people down? Those days are long gone, although the suspect rotation remains. The theme in this division continues, as I say it's going to be a looooooong season for the Royals, but the now numerous amount of prospects they have gives them a glimmer of hope for the future.
Minnesota Twins
Projected Record: 21-9
Hitting: The Twins are one of the biggest mysteries entering the season. On one hand, they're like a lesser version of the Cubs offensively, but with three big time OB 8, HR at 16 hitters giving them some dependable power in the center of the rotation. Meanwhile, Buxton (who may struggle to get on-base) will be a weapon when he does with that speed. Mauer has absolutely no power, but his ability to get on base will give RBI opportunities to those big bats in the 3-4-5 slots. If they get charts in the 5 thru 9 slots, they'll be really scary, and should get those chances versus weak pitching from the Chi Sox, Royals, and Tigers. In the end, I have to think they'll end up snagging a Wild Card spot.
Pitching: The rotation is the definition of solid, especially after trading for Jake Arrieta to put in the number four slot. They're going to strike guys out and probably put up solid, mid 3 to low 4 ERAs by season's end. The bullpen is a concern, although there isn't a pure weakness there. Rodney, just like his real life counterpart, is likely going to give up plenty of baserunners but should stay away from giving up too many charts... except when he inevitably gets blown up for 5 runs once or twice. Overall, it's a good enough bullpen to protect them against the three most pathetic opponents in the AL Central, but could be the difference between them and Cleveland head to head.
NL WEST
Arizona Diamondbacks
Projected Record: 20-10
Hitting: Trading for McCLUTCH to team with Goldy gives Arizona an incredibly potent 1-2 punch to lead things off. Both players should be all stars this season, with power (and some more speed) coming behind them with OB 8, HR at 17 hitters in the 3-4 slots. Then you've got an OB 10 to knock in runners or keep a rally going, while the bottom has (surprise) more speed and some pretty explosive, plenty of extra base hit, charts. This team seems to be overlooked, but has to be considered a real threat to the Dodgers in the West.
Pitching: The D-Backs have the horses in the rotation to get to the World Series. Robbie Ray is an absolute stud after breaking through in 2017. Grienke put up another good card, especially with his lack of doubles on his chart. Godley and Walker add a pair of Tier 3 guys to the end of the rotation, and they'll be helped by IP 2 Delgado if the going gets rough. With a Tier 1 closer in Bradley, it's definitely going to be easy to envision Arizona being lights out in the ninth (and if need be, the eighth) inning game after game.
Colorado Rockies
Projected Record: 18-12
Hitting: Whoa, in terms of great 2-3 combos, there are few better in Showdown than Blackmon and Arenado. They give you power, decent speed, great on-base and extra bases galore. After trading for Carlos Santana from the Phillies, it's hard not to envision them putting up a ton of runs. LeMathieu is a good leadoff guy, although he will mainly just get them singles. Rojas, as an OB 8 hitter in the seventh hole, could be a surprise contributor considering how many good players are in front of him and will be on base, waiting to get knocked in. If the pitching can come through, this team could find itself back in the postseason!
Pitching: The Rockies made two huge offseason trades with the Marlins and Phillies. Sure, getting Santana and Rojas is a strong bolstering to the lineup... but the real *huge* part of the trade was upgrading the rotation with Nola and Urena. Nola combines high control with a huge K rate, which should mitigate damage from giving up singles/walks on his own chart. Meanwhile, Gray adds a solid, big K range in the number two slot. If Freelund can hold his own, the Rockies will be deadly. Especially since the bullpen is stout! Wade Davis is going to be a great closer for the Rockies, but the most useful weapon is Chris Rusin -- his IP 2 mixed with Tier 2 card gives them the ability to pull struggling starters a little early, or shut games down before it gets to Wade in the ninth. If this team played in the AL Central or NL East, it'd be a surefire playoff squad; unfortunately, they're going to have to go through the Dodgers and D-Backs, which seems like it'll just keep them on the outside.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Projected Record: 20-10
Hitting: Another one of Kyle Jacoby's squads, the Dodgers have a funky new age lineup. Justin Turner leads off and should have a very good OBP. There's definitely concern that a good control pitcher could shut this offense down, but it's going to make teams PAY for any mistakes. Bellinger and the traded-for Chirinos give them some extreme power. Puig and Gennett add some more power to the 6-7 slots, giving them four guys pitchers have to worry about chart wise in a row. Having an OB 10 hitter in the eight hold is an incredible luxury and shows that the lineup is DEEP. Point wise, LA has a slight edge over Colorado and Arizona for the best lineup in the game, but the Dodgers don't have the star pairings those teams put out and lack a single hitter over 430 points. This season's NL West will truly test whether star power can overcome depth/consistent skill.
Pitching: The second best rotation in baseball. Kershaw is definitely one of the best starters out there and he's supported by fellow Tier 2 Alex Wood. Trading for former-Red Luis Castillo gives them an extra Tier 3 before ending with the solid and dependable Rich Hill. The bullpen is locked and loaded, ready to go with a pair of Tier 2 studs before the actual best reliever in the game, Kenley Jansen. Dude is lights out. It's honestly hard to envision the Giants and Padres managing to score on this Dodgers team, and they're definitely one of the few World Series favorites.
San Diego Padres
Projected Record: 8-22
Hitting: Hey, at least their trade for Ichiro gives them a fun draw.
Pitching: Oh God... thank goodness they have one of best two farm systems in the majors, because this is ugly. Tyson Ross is probably the worst card in Showdown this year, yikes.
San Francisco Giants
Projected Record: 9-21
Hitting: The Giants traded their two best hitters - including star Buster Posey - for an incredible haul of nine minor leaguers, setting themselves up for next season in the tough NL West. However, that leaves the current lineup leaving something to be desired. Look for Jackson and Belt to put up some big numbers, while Hunter Pence is always a feisty card that overperforms.
Pitching: Just like with the offense, the undermanned Giants gave up ace Madison Bumgardner for 5 of the best 6 minor leaguers in the Cleveland farm system. Combined with their other two trades, that gives them an extra 14 minor leaguers (who are almost all better than the ten SF entered the season with) to load up next season. Until then, the Giants rotation is a steady group of Tier 4 guys who should help the team stay around .500.
AL WEST
Houston Astros
Projected Record: 21-9
Hitting: Whew, what a devastating top of the order! Managed by nickname-giving, eccentric manager Riley "the Wiley" Simpson, the Astros have gone ALL IN for this season. Besides dealing almost the whole farm system, the Astros have gone above and beyond in spending points (which will cause a plethora of cuts in the offseason). Matt Olson is going to be amazing and was an under-looked addition in the offseason while surrounded by these high on-bases and with all the baserunners the Astros will put on. Bregman also looks dangerous with that electric chart. Plus, they traded for a +10 arm catcher that's got an OB 8. The Astros have to be considered one of the best batting orders in the whole league, with three bona fide MVP candidates in Altuve, Correa, and Springer.
Pitching: Manager Simpson's bold and aggressive moves continued in the pitching staff, wheeling and dealing for another Tigers ace in Michael Fulmer to give them a monstrous rotation. The bullpen is even better though, especially with an unprecedented bounty with *two* IP 2 relievers. Oh, and they're both Tier 2 pitchers. Team that with Harris and Giles and holy guacamole, this team is the most complete and deepest in the majors. Anything less than an appearance in the World Series is going to be a heavy disappointment for the league's great prankster/Joe Maddon-type.
Los Angeles Angels
Projected Record: 20-10
Hitting: Despite sharing a division with the Astros, the Angels sold the farm to go all in to challenge the Astros and hope to earn a playoff slot. Personally, I believe that 1 thru 5, the Angels have the best hitting in all of baseball (including the Yankees). Trout is the game's best hitter, with fellow former MVP Donaldson set to be in great positions for RBIs behind Trout and OB 10, speed A Cozart. Upton will have a ton of power as a clean-up man, and somehow former-Braves superstar Freddie Freeman is almost forgotten about as the number five hitter. The bottom of the order will be weak, but they're going to be riding early aggressiveness and the occasional huge innings from their five superstars to playoff contention!
Superstar Mike Trout, created by @BobBumbarger! Probably the best card in the game!
Pitching: The Angels made an absolute blockbuster deal with Toronto that centered around Ohtani and Donaldson, but picking up JA Happ and Stroman to solidify the rotation was huge for the Angels too. Their ace is only an IP 4, but they've got enough solid (if unspectacular) bullpen help to get through games. Bidwell will be a risky number four pitcher, but the Angels are hoping he can do just enough to get the games to Stammen and Parker to finish things off.
Oakland A's
Projected Record: 10-20
Hitting: Khris Davis is going to be a helluva fun card, and it's a shame that they dealt Matt Olson away. Would've been cool to see OB 7, HR at 13 followed by OB 7, HR at 14. Frankly, this team is boring.
Pitching: Ugly, ugly starting pitching supported by solid bullpen. Buchter is a stud, but I don't think there's going to be a lot of chances for the bullpen to protect leads with this garbage starting staff. Gossett is liable to get torched by the Angels and Astros.
Seattle Mariners
Projected Record: 15-15
Hitting: Somewhat surprisingly, Mariners manager Kyle Jacoby decided to also make some aggressive trades despite the Astros and Angels being in division. Adding Hosmer to pair with Cruz gives them a really solid 3-4 combo, especially with the TOP NOTCH speed from Gordon and Segura at the top of the order. Haniger is a solid #5 while Zunio adds a ton of power in the sixth hole. Shockingly, Cano is batting eighth, demonstrating how much depth Kyle was able to stretch into Seattle. Honestly, it's a good lineup, with a point value within shouting distance of top teams like the Dodgers and Rockies, but still WAY behind divisional powerhouses Houston and LA.
Pitching: The rotation is a traditionally solid staff, headed up by a definite ace, a pair of good Tier 3 pitchers (although Ramirez's self-chart HR really hurts) and a high control pitcher finishing things up. Zych is a great closer, no doubles and a solid Control 4. Honestly, the Mariners are really well constructed classic Showdown team that ends up with exactly 5000 points..... but sadly, with the Angels and Astros playing for the now, they're going to be overshadowed and end up around .500.
Projected Record: 10-20
Hitting: Beltre continues to put up incredible cards year after year, and he'll be another OB 10 hitter this season. Joey Gallo is a very, very fun card if you love power hitting while Deshields is a cheap and reliable leadoff man. But overall, it's a weak lineup with serious on-base issues. God, Odor is going to stink as an OB 4 against the pitching in this league. Overall, there will be lots of struggles between fun Gallo BLASTS.
Pitching: Tough starting rotation here, especially having a Control 2 pitcher as their "ace." Wow Hamels has fallen on hard times, as has the now putrid Matt Moore. At least they've got Alex Claudio and a Control 6 reliever in the bullpen, but the Rangers are really going to have a tough time in the AL West.
Go tribe!
ReplyDelete