All the cards in this league are based on the 2017 stats. However, in a twist, we made the rosters as a reflection of the beginning of the 2018 season (so Yelich is on Milwaukee, Stanton on the Yankees, etc etc). So basically, we played the season after the "Pennant Run" update came out! Moreover, we have minor league players -- a system that will be explained in the "off season" when teams get the chance to "develop" them -- that were used as trade chips. Unsurprisingly, the tanking of real life was strongly reflected here and the "haves" bought nearly every useful piece from the "have nots" with their prospects. If all goes according to strategy, the season will be much more balanced next season. In terms of scheduling, it's a 30 game season with teams playing five sets of home-and-home three game series with their division foes and their interleague rival.
So this will be a big, BIG post with lots of information that I hope y'all will enjoy! We've got playoff reports, stats, summaries, and finally giving everyone looks at our minor leaguers! Also, due to the epicness of this post, A LOT more images are going to sprinkled throughout this article, along with all the statistics from our 30 games season for 30 teams.... yeah, we actually played out (with a 20 sided dice or random number generator) all 451 Showdown games by hand!!!
So for illustration, Cozart had a MONSTER season with the Reds in 2017 and then signed with the Angels as a free agent. For our season, Cozart played on the Angels just like he did in real life in 2018 (despite producing a much, much worse card).
Now without further ado, let's check out the Standings and Playoff Picture first:
AMERICAN LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS:
Key: red = eliminated from playoffs
green = wild card team
gold = division champ
Playoff Picture:
Play-in:
Houston Astros defeated Minnesota Twins in game 31, 7-2 in Houston.
Wild Card:
Houston Astros defeated Boston Red Sox
ALDS:
(4) Houston Astros over (1) Los Angeles Angels, 3-2
(2) New York Yankees over (3) Cleveland Indians, 3-2
ALCS:
(4) Houston Astros over (2) New York Yankees, 4-2
ALCS:
(4) Houston Astros over (2) New York Yankees, 4-2
Awards:
MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Cy Young: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
Season Narrative: In an obviously top-heavy league, literally every division crown was decided dramatically in the final series of the season!
Boston and New York ran away in the AL East, where they faced each other for the final six games of the year. Boston came into the series with a 21-3 record, two games up on the 19-5 Yankees. That did not stop the potent Yankees lineup from crushing Boston's division title hopes, winning two of the first three in New York to tie for the AL East led, before sweeping Boston at home. Boston still managed to clinch a Wild Card berth at that point, but it was a real body blow to their World Series hopes after getting demolished at the end of the year. Meanwhile, the tanking Rays surprised the whole league by finishing above .500, but that's what happens when you've got 18 games against the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Marlins! Toronto and Baltimore were dreadful, and are hoping to get back into the hunt following the offseason minor league projections!
In the AL Central, the Twins jumped out to a startling lead. They began the year 12-0, then 17-1. Division favorite Cleveland struggled against the White Sox and Reds, floundering to a 4-4 beginning. However, the Indians (despite a struggling lineup), were carried by the best pitching staff in baseball and reeled off 16 straight victories! Meanwhile, the Twins lost 5 out of 6 in their showdown with the Brewers, giving the Indians a 2 game lead heading to the climactic showdown to end the year. The two teams were surprisingly evenly matched, although the Twins bullpen blew not one, but two games late. In the end, the Twins took two of the final three games, finishing 20-10 and forcing a one-game playoff with the Astros. Meanwhile the Indians tied for the best record in the AL, but received the 3 seed for having the worst run differential.
The craziest division was the AL West, although the Angels ended up finishing comfortably in first place. They made some incredible trades in the offseason, sacrificing the entire farm system (including stud Shohei Ohtani) for a run at this years. Some "GMs" in the league questioned the sanity of going all in for an incredible 1-5 batting order, with a mediocre bullpen... but it paid off! The Angels are the 1 seed going into the playoffs, tying with the Yankees for run differential and record vs the AL, but getting the tiebreaker based on strength of schedule. Trout is the MVP, with four other All Stars in the lineup. Meanwhile, the Astros finished second despite the most expensive team in Showdown. They're going to have a pain getting under the cap this offseason, because they currently cost over 6400 points! After an epic final six games against the A's, Houston managed to go 5-1 and finish 20-10, catching the Twins and forcing a one game playoff. Meanwhile, the Mariners were 14-10 going into their final six games against the dreadful, 2-22 Padres. If they won out, Seattle would join the one game playoff brigade... but they blew it, choking with their ace Paxton on the mound.
In the one game playoff, the Astros flexed their clear superiority over Minnesota early and often. The Astros shellacked Lance Lynn for 7 runs in the first two innings, which was enough for Houston to advance to the *real* Wild Card game in Boston, and the playoffs will be discussed below! In the end, it was the Astros making the run all the way to the World Series!
In the AL Central, the Twins jumped out to a startling lead. They began the year 12-0, then 17-1. Division favorite Cleveland struggled against the White Sox and Reds, floundering to a 4-4 beginning. However, the Indians (despite a struggling lineup), were carried by the best pitching staff in baseball and reeled off 16 straight victories! Meanwhile, the Twins lost 5 out of 6 in their showdown with the Brewers, giving the Indians a 2 game lead heading to the climactic showdown to end the year. The two teams were surprisingly evenly matched, although the Twins bullpen blew not one, but two games late. In the end, the Twins took two of the final three games, finishing 20-10 and forcing a one-game playoff with the Astros. Meanwhile the Indians tied for the best record in the AL, but received the 3 seed for having the worst run differential.
The craziest division was the AL West, although the Angels ended up finishing comfortably in first place. They made some incredible trades in the offseason, sacrificing the entire farm system (including stud Shohei Ohtani) for a run at this years. Some "GMs" in the league questioned the sanity of going all in for an incredible 1-5 batting order, with a mediocre bullpen... but it paid off! The Angels are the 1 seed going into the playoffs, tying with the Yankees for run differential and record vs the AL, but getting the tiebreaker based on strength of schedule. Trout is the MVP, with four other All Stars in the lineup. Meanwhile, the Astros finished second despite the most expensive team in Showdown. They're going to have a pain getting under the cap this offseason, because they currently cost over 6400 points! After an epic final six games against the A's, Houston managed to go 5-1 and finish 20-10, catching the Twins and forcing a one game playoff. Meanwhile, the Mariners were 14-10 going into their final six games against the dreadful, 2-22 Padres. If they won out, Seattle would join the one game playoff brigade... but they blew it, choking with their ace Paxton on the mound.
In the one game playoff, the Astros flexed their clear superiority over Minnesota early and often. The Astros shellacked Lance Lynn for 7 runs in the first two innings, which was enough for Houston to advance to the *real* Wild Card game in Boston, and the playoffs will be discussed below! In the end, it was the Astros making the run all the way to the World Series!
NATIONAL LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS:
Key: red = eliminated from playoffs
green = wild card team
gold = division champ
Playoff Picture:
Wild-Card:
Arizona Diamondbacks defeated Los Angeles Dodgers
NLDS:
(1) Washington Nationals over (4) Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-0
(2) Milwaukee Brewers over (3) Colorado Rockies, 3-2
NLCS:
(1) Washington Nationals over (2) Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2
NLCS:
(1) Washington Nationals over (2) Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2
Awards:
MVP: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Season Narrative: The NL had some true surprises in it, both positive and negative. On one hand, the Pirates came within a sudden surge from Arizona in the final two games from sneaking into a wild card and the Phillies were oddly competitive; on the other, the Cubs and Cardinals sank into absolute irrelevance while the Dodgers failed to take the NL West.
However, the NL East was locked up seemingly from day 1. With all four division opponents tanking, the Nationals -- featuring three Tier 2 starters -- rolled their way to the best record in Showdown! Trea Turner stole over 30 bases and Scherzer snagged the Cy Young. The Phillies ended up in playoff contention behind their big two of Hernandez and Hoskins, but they collapsed vs Toronto in the final six games.
The NL Central was supposed to be one of the most difficult to predict divisions. However, the Brewers deep and powerful lineup blew away the competition. Leading Showdown in runs scored (over 7 per game), Milwaukee absolutely blasted opponents away en route to their 25-5 season. Eric Thames almost crossed the 50 RBI mark, which is easily the biggest statistical anomaly in the season. The Cubs and Cardinals really disappointed, brought down by woeful starting pitching and underperforming lineups. Yet, the Pirates came very close to a wild card bid! Their combo of speed and bullpen superiority helped them to second place, and with lots of good prospects, makes them a definite contender for year 2!
Out west, the most dramatic final stretch of the Showdown season unfolded! Going into their final two series, the Rockies, D-Backs, and Dodgers were all tied at 16-8! While the Rockies played a home and home vs. the Giants, Arizona and LA went head-to-head. For the first three games, Colorado took 2/3, reaching 18-9; however, the Dodgers took the division lead with a sweep on the road. At 16-11, the DBacks were suddenly in desperation mode, as they needed to win at least one more to tie the Pirates for the second wild card... but then lost game 4! However, with Colorado taking their first two games vs the Giants at home, the DBacks dug deep and defeated Kershaw. The Rockies, now tied at 20-9 with the Dodgers, took home their final game, clinching at least a tie for the division crown at 21-9. But the Dodgers fell flat in game 30, as Arizona clinched the second wild card and played spoiler -- setting up a "game 7" between these two foes in the Wild Card game.... with the DBacks having all the momentum! However, the rotations reset for the WC, so they'll have to somehow beat Clayton "Cy Young runner-up" Kershaw a *second* time in a row if they want to advance! Meanwhile, the Padres were the worst team in baseball, albeit with a loaded minor league system.
The NL Central was supposed to be one of the most difficult to predict divisions. However, the Brewers deep and powerful lineup blew away the competition. Leading Showdown in runs scored (over 7 per game), Milwaukee absolutely blasted opponents away en route to their 25-5 season. Eric Thames almost crossed the 50 RBI mark, which is easily the biggest statistical anomaly in the season. The Cubs and Cardinals really disappointed, brought down by woeful starting pitching and underperforming lineups. Yet, the Pirates came very close to a wild card bid! Their combo of speed and bullpen superiority helped them to second place, and with lots of good prospects, makes them a definite contender for year 2!
Out west, the most dramatic final stretch of the Showdown season unfolded! Going into their final two series, the Rockies, D-Backs, and Dodgers were all tied at 16-8! While the Rockies played a home and home vs. the Giants, Arizona and LA went head-to-head. For the first three games, Colorado took 2/3, reaching 18-9; however, the Dodgers took the division lead with a sweep on the road. At 16-11, the DBacks were suddenly in desperation mode, as they needed to win at least one more to tie the Pirates for the second wild card... but then lost game 4! However, with Colorado taking their first two games vs the Giants at home, the DBacks dug deep and defeated Kershaw. The Rockies, now tied at 20-9 with the Dodgers, took home their final game, clinching at least a tie for the division crown at 21-9. But the Dodgers fell flat in game 30, as Arizona clinched the second wild card and played spoiler -- setting up a "game 7" between these two foes in the Wild Card game.... with the DBacks having all the momentum! However, the rotations reset for the WC, so they'll have to somehow beat Clayton "Cy Young runner-up" Kershaw a *second* time in a row if they want to advance! Meanwhile, the Padres were the worst team in baseball, albeit with a loaded minor league system.
PLAYOFF SUMMARY
WILD CARD:
Arizona defeats LA
This game was BONKERS. Coming off an incredible comeback to even force this "game 7" for a playoff berth between the DBacks and Dodgers, it seemed like impossible odds for Arizona. NL ERA leader Kershaw was on the mound, the Dodgers were at home, and the bats had been cool in 'Zona... but they absolutely came alive in this back and forth thriller! Honestly, it seemed like the bullpen would blow it in the seventh, but the 4 insurance runs were just what they needed. DBacks advance to the meat of the postseason!
Houston defeats Boston
Boston jumped out to an early lead, but the Astros' lineup depth was too much for the Red Sox. In the end, every Astro nabbed at least one hit, although Bregman's two homers was the nail in Boston's season... and the incredible Houston journey, from play-in game on the road to the elite eight, continues!
ALDS:
(1) Angels vs (4) Astros
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
FINAL: Astros defeat Angels, 3 games to 2
--Absolute heartbreak in LA for the Halos, who went all in on heavy starting pitching and the most front-loaded lineup in Showdown. Absolutely devastating to blow it all after a 2-0 lead, but the most expensive team in the league advances again, riding high on their comeback performance.
(2) New York Yankees v (3) Cleveland Indians
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
FINAL: Yankees defeat Indians, 3 games to 2
--GM Peter LeGrand was left in utter despair after this one. Both of his AL playoff qualifying teams lost in utterly demoralizing fashion, choking away 2-0 series leads. Moreover, game 4 was one of the most heartbreaking losses of all time... and so, Peter goes from so close to a guaranteed World Series berth to no shot at the pennant in a flash; congrats to Mikey and the Yankees, who used a lethal lineup to hit off the Indians star rotation and deep bullpen to shut down the beleaguered Indians lineup.
Arizona defeats LA
This game was BONKERS. Coming off an incredible comeback to even force this "game 7" for a playoff berth between the DBacks and Dodgers, it seemed like impossible odds for Arizona. NL ERA leader Kershaw was on the mound, the Dodgers were at home, and the bats had been cool in 'Zona... but they absolutely came alive in this back and forth thriller! Honestly, it seemed like the bullpen would blow it in the seventh, but the 4 insurance runs were just what they needed. DBacks advance to the meat of the postseason!
Boston jumped out to an early lead, but the Astros' lineup depth was too much for the Red Sox. In the end, every Astro nabbed at least one hit, although Bregman's two homers was the nail in Boston's season... and the incredible Houston journey, from play-in game on the road to the elite eight, continues!
(1) Angels vs (4) Astros
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
FINAL: Astros defeat Angels, 3 games to 2
--Absolute heartbreak in LA for the Halos, who went all in on heavy starting pitching and the most front-loaded lineup in Showdown. Absolutely devastating to blow it all after a 2-0 lead, but the most expensive team in the league advances again, riding high on their comeback performance.
(2) New York Yankees v (3) Cleveland Indians
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
FINAL: Yankees defeat Indians, 3 games to 2
--GM Peter LeGrand was left in utter despair after this one. Both of his AL playoff qualifying teams lost in utterly demoralizing fashion, choking away 2-0 series leads. Moreover, game 4 was one of the most heartbreaking losses of all time... and so, Peter goes from so close to a guaranteed World Series berth to no shot at the pennant in a flash; congrats to Mikey and the Yankees, who used a lethal lineup to hit off the Indians star rotation and deep bullpen to shut down the beleaguered Indians lineup.
NLDS:
(1) Nationals vs (4) Diamondbacks
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
FINAL: Nationals defeat Diamondbacks, 3 games to 0
--The Nats continued their domination as the DBacks impressive run to the playoffs came to a crushing end. Game one was Arizona's big chance, but an 8th inning homer by (of all players) Russell Martin sealed the DBacks fate and set the Nats up for their run to the NLCS.(2) Brewers vs (3) Rockies
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
FINAL: Brewers defeat Rockies, 3 games to 2
--Peter almost suffered his third "up 2-0 and blew it" series, but thankfully the Brewers held on against the super spunky Rockies. Also, it was crazy that, once again, reality reflected Showdown by setting up a Brewers-Rockies NLDS in 2018 too! However, the Rockies put up a much better fight in Showdown, and Milwaukee was lucky to escape this series.
ALCS:
(2) Yankees vs (4) Astros
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
Game Six
FINAL: Astros over Yankees, 4 games to 2
--The Astros were challenged by New York, but in the end the deeper lineup power-wise trumped the deeper lineup on-base-wise... also, Chad Green had a catastrophic series, surrendering 8 runs in 11 and 2/3 IP, which was way off for his typical Control 5, 1-17 out, tier 1, IP 2 card! And so, the richest team in baseball history is knocked off by Showdown's most expensive team, as the Astros head to the World Series to defend their real 2017 title with this even more loaded up team of MLB Showdown 2017 cards!
NLCS:
(1) Nationals vs (2) Brewers
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
Game Six
FINAL: Nationals over Brewers, 4 games to 2
--If you're a Brewers fan, you're going to be heart broken. Games 5 and 6 were some of the hardest losses of all time for the roller, although great, gutsy wins for the Nats. Josh Hader took the extra inning L in both matchups, prompting Peter to straight up cut him in the offseason (where his 440 point card, only 200 points in 2017, will surely be a prime free agent target for many teams). End of the day, the Nats pair of aces and stud lineup won the day -- and Washington's first NL Pennant! Congrats to owner Miles on the most powerful team in the NL and a Pennant victory!!
WORLD SERIES:
The World Series featured the preseason favorites, Houston and Washington. However, the two teams could not have reached this stage in more different ways. Houston overcame the grueling journey from the precipice of elimination -- winning not only the Wild Card game, but a play-in game vs the Twins in game 31, to reach the postseason. From there, they were down 2-0 to the Angels and had to travel on the road vs. the Yankees... but here they are, in the World Series (which makes sense, considering they were the 2017 World Series champs and their GM loaded up on trades, gutting the farm system). Meanwhile, the Nats were the kings of the NL, breezing to a 27-3 record, sweeping the NLDS, and overcoming the spunky Brewers. They would be in for a titanic, usually dramatic series!
Game One
Game Two
Game Three
Game Four
Game Five
Game Six
FINAL: Astros over Nationals, 4 games to 2
The Astros, behind an incredible bullpen and deep lineup, simply out-powered the Nationals... and frankly outlasted them to put the dagger in Washington's shot at a World Series title. Games 3 and 4 were some of the most exciting games of the season, and were truly epic extra innings affairs... even up 2 games to 1, it felt like whoever emerged the victory in the 15 inning slugfest would take the series. In the end, that proved true. Max Scherzer tried to go on short rest in game 6, but he was no match for Justin "Mr. Upton" Verlander on the biggest stage. Washington will have to be satisfied with its first pennant, and will be coming back hungry in Year 2! And with that, the bold moves of Riley Simpson paid off big time (despite concern when they were on the cusp of elimination from the post-season), and he's the GM of the Year 1 World Series Champs!!!
WORLD SERIES CHAMPS
HOUSTON ASTROS
ALL STAR TEAMS:
American League
Lineup: Unsurprisingly, the AL has a potent starting lineup. Due to the small sample size, averages and on-bases for stars tend to be inflated (or extremely disappointing), but overall are not *too* far from realistic -- especially for a 30 game stretch. Trout was the one in the AL who managed to break .400, and did so in incredible fashion, finishing one off the pace for the HR lead and only four back in the RBI race. Thanks to signing Cozart and bolding trading for Donaldson, the Angels ended up with four starting All-Stars and perhaps the most potent 1-4 portion of a lineup in baseball! Seattle's trade for Eric Hosmer paid dividends, as he starts at a weak first base class in the AL and their catcher Zunino gets the nod for (a) blasting 11 dingers and (b) not having an OBP under .300, like most catchers did.
Bench: Definitely a steep fall-off from the starting lineup, although JD Martinez could arguably be starting in this game. Reddick and Garcia are also useful and versatile bats off the bench. Correa was close to taking a starting spot as well, and gives OB 10 pop. Dozer is always a fun card as an OB 8, HR at 16 player. However, the rest of the hitters are here as their team's sole representative and are not extremely deserving Showdown hitters.
Pitching: The bread and butter of the American League! The pitching was so dominant that the roster ended up with a 17/13 split between hitters and pitchers to accommodate all the deserving AL arms, and then Arrieta was still added as the final fan vote player... over two other deserving pitchers in Drew Pomeranz and Reynaldo Lopez! Kluber stands tall as the clear Cy Young winner, dominating foes and pitching a no-hitter on his way to a 0.56 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. He's joined by teammates Madison Bumgardner and Carlos Carrasco, as they all feasted on the tanking AL Central and inter-league rival Cincinnati. The biggest surprise is obviously Chad Kuhl, who managed to pitch an incredible season as the Yankees number 4 starter! The bullpen is full of dominate arms, including Kimbrel and his 12 saves/off the charts K-rate and the minuscule ERAs of Devenski and Colome.
National League
Lineup:
Bench:
Pitching:
Note -- there will be a whole post on the All-Star game that we have, hopefully providing all the 2017 cards involved in the game (although a vast amount are provided below)!
TEAM BY TEAM SEASON REVIEW
Now comes the bulk of this article, the team by team reviews! This section will contain each team's statistics, as well as a short narrative summary of their season and outlook for year 2! Let's jump right in with the AL East teams!
AL EAST
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Record: 8-22
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
BOSTON RED SOX
Record: 22-8
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
NEW YORK YANKEES
Record: 24-6
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Record: 16-14
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Record: 9-21
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
NL EAST
ATLANTA BRAVES
Record: 9-21
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
MIAMI MARLINS
Record: 10-20
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
NEW YORK METS
Record: 10-20
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Record: 15-15
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Record: 27-3, Division Champs
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
AL CENTRAL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Record: 15-15
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
CLEVELAND INDIANS
Record: 24-6, division champs
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
DETROIT TIGERS
Record: 5-25
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Record: 6-24
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
MINNESOTA TWINS
Record: 20-11
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
NL CENTRAL
CHICAGO CUBS
Record: 14-16
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
CINCINNATI REDS
Record: 9-21
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Record: 25-5, division champs!
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Record: 17-13
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Record: 15-15
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
AL WEST
HOUSTON ASTROS
Record: 21-10, World Series Champs!
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Record: 24-6, division champs
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
OAKLAND A'S
Record: 9-21
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
SEATTLE MARINERS
Record: 19-11
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
TEXAS RANGERS
Record: 7-23
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
NL WEST
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Record: 18-12
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
COLORADO ROCKIES
Record: 21-9
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Record: 20-10
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
SAN DIEGO PADRES
Record: 3-27
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Record: 9-21
Hitting Stats:
Pitching Stats:
MINOR LEAGUE OUTLOOK
Probably the most unique aspect of this season (besides it being 450 documented MLB Showdown games played out by hand) is the minor league prospects we added to the game!
We gave each MLB team their top ten prospects as ranked by MLB.com at the beginning of the 2018 season. Based on their tools, prospects received a "peak" "likely" and "disappointing" tier of charts. The peak chart was based on the prospect fully realizing their tools. The #1 prospect was (of course) Shohei Ohtani, so here's how we translated both his pitching and hitting tools:
Raw Tools from MLB.com:
Hitting: Hit: 50 | Power: 65 | Run: 65 | Arm: 80 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60
Pitching: Fastball: 80 | Slider: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Splitter: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 70
Translation as a hitter:
Peak: OB 8, HR 13-20, Speed A(21), OF +2
Likely: OB 7, HR 13-20, Speed A(19), DH
Disappointing: OB 6, HR 13-20, Speed A(18), DH
We gave each MLB team their top ten prospects as ranked by MLB.com at the beginning of the 2018 season. Based on their tools, prospects received a "peak" "likely" and "disappointing" tier of charts. The peak chart was based on the prospect fully realizing their tools. The #1 prospect was (of course) Shohei Ohtani, so here's how we translated both his pitching and hitting tools:
Raw Tools from MLB.com:
Hitting: Hit: 50 | Power: 65 | Run: 65 | Arm: 80 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60
Pitching: Fastball: 80 | Slider: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Splitter: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 70
Translation as a hitter:
Peak: OB 8, HR 13-20, Speed A(21), OF +2
Likely: OB 7, HR 13-20, Speed A(19), DH
Disappointing: OB 6, HR 13-20, Speed A(18), DH
Translation as a pitcher:
Peak: Tier 1, Control 6 IP 7
Likely: Tier 2, Control 5 IP 7
Disappointing: Tier 2, Control 3, IP 6
Obviously, as the absolute best prospect in the game, Ohtani has the best overall potential -- don't worry, there are not too many prospects with peak levels that are All-Stars. Just to put in perspective how incredible Ohtani is, the next best pitcher's real life "overall" prospect rating is 60. He's the only pitcher or hitter who had a score over 65 overall. Thus, Ohtani is literally the only potential Tier 1, and the only pitching prospect who has a Tier 2 for his disappointing range. At the end of the season, each team will roll once for every prospect to determine what that prospect will turn into. If they roll a number between 17-20, they get their peak card. 11-16 gets their likely card. 5-10 and it's a disappointing card... and if they unfortunately roll a 1-4, BUST! Yes, even for the absolute studs out there, because it happens way too often that a "can't miss" guy is a huge swing and a miss for an organization.
At this point, the "tanking" teams control the vast majority of the prospects, in the hopes that they roll themselves into a contender next season! So here are the current minor league rankings of the top 100 prospects to give y'all an idea of which tanking teams have the best chance to make a run at the Year 2 Playoffs! We've put a few "bonus" peak potential cards in here for y'all too, hopefully these players match their top projections one day! Don't worry, we'll have a whole post describing who became what before too long -- plus, free agency! The offseason between Year 1 and Year 2 will honestly be the most exciting part. Anyway, take a look at these guys and let me know what you think about having prospects involved in Showdown!
Peak: Tier 1, Control 6 IP 7
Likely: Tier 2, Control 5 IP 7
Disappointing: Tier 2, Control 3, IP 6
Obviously, as the absolute best prospect in the game, Ohtani has the best overall potential -- don't worry, there are not too many prospects with peak levels that are All-Stars. Just to put in perspective how incredible Ohtani is, the next best pitcher's real life "overall" prospect rating is 60. He's the only pitcher or hitter who had a score over 65 overall. Thus, Ohtani is literally the only potential Tier 1, and the only pitching prospect who has a Tier 2 for his disappointing range. At the end of the season, each team will roll once for every prospect to determine what that prospect will turn into. If they roll a number between 17-20, they get their peak card. 11-16 gets their likely card. 5-10 and it's a disappointing card... and if they unfortunately roll a 1-4, BUST! Yes, even for the absolute studs out there, because it happens way too often that a "can't miss" guy is a huge swing and a miss for an organization.
At this point, the "tanking" teams control the vast majority of the prospects, in the hopes that they roll themselves into a contender next season! So here are the current minor league rankings of the top 100 prospects to give y'all an idea of which tanking teams have the best chance to make a run at the Year 2 Playoffs! We've put a few "bonus" peak potential cards in here for y'all too, hopefully these players match their top projections one day! Don't worry, we'll have a whole post describing who became what before too long -- plus, free agency! The offseason between Year 1 and Year 2 will honestly be the most exciting part. Anyway, take a look at these guys and let me know what you think about having prospects involved in Showdown!
GM EVALUATIONS
Peter - Owns Marlins, Brewers, Padres, Blue Jays, Indians, and Angels
Cumulative Record: 95-85
Division Titles: 3 (Brewers, Angels, Indians)
Playoff Teams: 3
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 1
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 1
Kyle - Owns Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers, Mariners
Cumulative Record: 96-84
Division Titles: 0
Playoff Teams: 2 (Red Sox, Dodgers)
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 0
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 0
Michael - Owns Braves, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Royals, Rangers
Cumulative Record: 81-99
Division Titles: 1 (Yankees)
Playoff Teams: 2 (D-Backs)
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 1
Riley - Owns Mets, Reds, Rockies, Orioles, White Sox, Astros
Cumulative Record: 84-96
Division Titles: 1 (Rockies)
Playoff Teams: 2 (Astros)
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 3
CHAMPIONSHIP
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 3
CHAMPIONSHIP
Miles - Owns Nationals, Cubs, Giants, Rays, Twins, Athletics
Cumulative Record: 95-85
Division Titles: 1 (Nationals)
Playoff Teams: 2 (Twins)
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 2
Amazing how balanced everyone was overall! Everyone had at least two teams play games after the normal 30, and the GM with the most wins didn't have any teams make it past the Wild Card round. It'll be fun to see how things go after year 2, when the prospects come up and tanking teams suddenly have a real shot at glory while the other teams have to get under the 5500 point salary cap. Going to be a fun offseason!!!
If you read all of this, congrats and thank you for nerding out with me and my friends over Showdown! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!
Cumulative Playoff series wins: 2
Amazing how balanced everyone was overall! Everyone had at least two teams play games after the normal 30, and the GM with the most wins didn't have any teams make it past the Wild Card round. It'll be fun to see how things go after year 2, when the prospects come up and tanking teams suddenly have a real shot at glory while the other teams have to get under the 5500 point salary cap. Going to be a fun offseason!!!
If you read all of this, congrats and thank you for nerding out with me and my friends over Showdown! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!
This is super cool! That Aaron Judge though
ReplyDeleteCue the "HE GOT THE POWER" music!
DeletePhew just got through this post. Amazing recap and information. Love the in depth analysis. Only thing missing is big recap on trades that happened. Unless I missed it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteHow are you making/getting these new cards?? I'm from canada and loved this game! Want to start a season
ReplyDeleteReally wish this was still getting updated in 2020, you had/have a great thing here and the work you've done on the cards is extremely impressive, even if i would have numbers for a few guys a little different haha (mookie cough cough) wish all of you the best, you've inspired by
ReplyDelete