MLB SHOWDOWN 2018 SET -- Minnesota Twins

The last of the 2018 AL Central teams is finally here. I know its been awhile since the last post..but life has a way of getting in the way. The Minnesota Twins were the only other team of note in the central besides the Indians. Finishing 78-84 they showed flashes of promise and were the only team that people thought going into 2019 would have a shot besides the Indians for the Central. The team itself is very interesting and composed of some rather interesting charts. I think the 2019 Twins will be better on paper than this team but time will tell. I think the team overall is average at best. They are slower than they should be obviously without Buxton. Though the pitching staff is nothing to bypass. The bullpen seems rather week except for one positive note. So lets dive into this team.

Showdown Challenge #4: Oh, He Hits for the Cycle!

Surprise! Posting this a few days early because I won't be available to post on May 1. Also, there's plenty to celebrate, like it being the weekend, it being the week of Vlad Jr's debut, and, best of all, it's gonna be May! (Sorry, had to). Without further ado, here is #4.

Much has already been written about Bob Gibson's incredible 1968 season. The 1968 season in general was so pitcher-heavy that MLB lowered the mound. We don't have a mechanic for that in Showdown, but we do get to simulate scenarios that otherwise may only take place in Kevin Costner's head. If you make it (it being the 1968 Bob Gibson card, pictured below), they will come. And so, in this challenge you are tasked with building a lineup to face the best Showdown pitcher's card we have, 1968 Bob Gibson.

Happy Jackie Robinson Day

It's April 15, so that can only mean one thing across Major League Baseball, and that is that it is Jackie Robinson Day. We honor the man that broke the color barrier of the game making his MLB debut on this date in 1947. Jackie Robinson Day has been a Major League Holiday since 2004 and requesting that every player on the field wear the number 42, which has been retired across the league since 1997, on Jackie Robinson Day in 2009. If you would like to see more about how Major League Baseball is celebrating the day follow this link. Now for the reason we are all on this site, the Showdown cards, and I took a few stabs at a card to celebrate this day.

The Krush Test

Over on twitter @mlbshowdowncup there was a discussion about Khris Davis and his dominance the last two days. Thanks to someone saying they tested him on 10 at bats sparking a conversation I decided to go all in on the 2018 set, plus a few pennant run cards that were added. Khris Davis vs the entire pitcher set twice. This would equal out to 546 plate appearances, almost in the sweet spot of where we like our players to be when we are calculating their stats for a cards chart. Now my disclaimer is I really enjoy analyzing stats. This post is probably going to go way over board and for that I don't apologize because I had so much fun doing it. So lets break this thing on down from a number stand point.

Custom Card Tournament

The tournament is back, and after the last one I could not wait to get started on this one. A few slight changes will be happening, I think in the 2 tournaments I ran i used the bench maybe 2-3 times total, there is no point in playing them unless players are getting days off, and since this isn't a season they don't need days off. So that being said a roster with 4 starters 3 relievers and a closer plus the 9 batters of a lineup is 17 roster members, for 5000 points. Taking you from a 250 point average to a 290 point average. Here's the kicker though, if you want a bench your more than welcome to have one, For this tournament a roster size is dependent on the team builder it can be anywhere from 17-20. If you want to load up on bullpen arms, feel free to do so. This tournament will use all the custom cards that I have in my database, mostly consisting of cards from our site, some haven't even been posted. Plus from other creators that I have found online. Since these are custom the points may not always equal the value of the player, so will you use that to your advantage and find some draft steals. There are no Juan Guzman sized mistakes though. I am really looking forward to seeing some of these teams, this could be the deepest and most potent teams yet.
The tournament will begin next Friday, and the cutoff for rosters to be submitted by midnight on Wednesday. The pools are released as it will be a small round robin. 4 three team pools. Winner of each advance to a single elimination round to determine who will meet in the finals.

Showdown Challenge #3: Decent Exposure

Earlier today Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the expansion of Major League Baseball, announcing the addition of two teams, one being the return of the legendary Montreal Expos. We here at The Greatest MLB Showdown Blog love the Expos and are thrilled to have them back into the mix. We've written extensively on the Expos in the past (including what could have been teams) and now we're excited to introduce a new Expos themed challenge!