Showdown Cup Season 2 Pr-Season Preview

The chalk is down, the grass is cut and it is opening day here at the Greatest Showdown Blog for Season 2 of the Showdown Cup. Games will be starting for my 20 team season that many of you participated in drafting. So how about we show everyone how wrong I truly am by my preseason predictions on who I think will be there when the playoffs start. Whoever I pick, I am truly sorry for jinxing you and your team, and whoever I picked for last place, congratulations on making the playoffs. If you're patient enough to look through the whole article you might see some cards that Bradley hasn't gotten around to posting yet as well.

So for my pre season rankings I picked categories that I believe are important to a successful showdown team. I used this model in my first showdown cup tournament, not last years season, and it projected the cubs as the nest team and the royals third, and that was the finals match up. 

For Starting Pitching it is:

1.Tier Total: ( for those that still don't know what tiers are, it is the control plus the outs on a chart, 00 Pedro was Tier 1 with 5 control + 17 outs giving him a total of 22) So for this category the lower the score the betters.

2. Control Total: Adding the 4 starters controls together to see who may have the most advantages. Higher the score the better

 

3. HR Allowed: Which starters are allowing homers off their own chart, a dedication to 2018 Mike Fiers

4. Total IP: Added all the starters IP together, this one gives a glimpse at who can extend the game before going to bullpen.

For Relief Pitchers: (all same as starters)

1. Tier Total

2. Control Total

3. HR Allowed

Now for the Offense:

Batters

1. On Base Average 9 hitters On-Base added up and average score taken

2. Speed Average 9 hitters Speed added up and average score taken

3.Power Average 9 hitters HR added up and average score taken

Fielding

1. Catcher Defense

2. Infield Defense

3. Outfield Defense

Now first we are going to measure it division by division who it thinks will win each division. Ranked 1-5 in each category, with 1 being the best and 5 being the worst. Lowest score is the best for the division. I also have a weighted Total, from my own opinions again, that pitching is key, so the total scores for starters is multiplied by 3, bullpen and offense is multiplied by 2, and defense is multiplied by 1. 

Divisional Rankings:

In Division 1 It says Acuna Matata will come out on top. his bullpen and offense outweigh the strength of Dat Boy X's starting rotation. According to this it will be a two team race in this division with the bottom 3 teams looking to stay alive in the wild card race hopefully. Also, no matter how many times I say this I feel like I cannot say it enough, these are my opinions and I will probably be wrong lol.

Division 2, In my opinion the toughest division that will be out there, and it has last year Champion ranked third in the rankings. MoDogg Posse score single digits in every category as did the Thanos Snappers. This division race will be great to see I think the standings will be jumbled all season long. 

Division 3 says that the Flying Squirrels will run away with this Division, interesting to see that. Everyone else is all about the same rankings wise, that should make the division play really interesting if they can all beat each other. 

Division 4 is picking two teams as well between the Six Path Sage and the Skyway Rainiers. These rankings for the Six Path Page look very promising and one of the best teams in the league, once all the teams are ranked together will they be at the very top.

Computer Rankings Division Winners

1. Acuna Matata

2. MoDogg Posse

3. Flying Squirrels

4. Covington Six Path Sage

Now we look at the Overall rankings to determine what they playoff seedings may be, so 8 teams make the playoffs, with the 4 Division winners getting the top 4 seeds, regardless of if a wild card team has a better record, and 4 wild card teams to make up the playoff 8.

There we have it, the rankings are saying the MoDogg Posse are the best team in the league by a wide margin and he is coming from what I believe is the toughest division. His win total may not get to the highest in the league because of his tough division but the rankings call him the best. The playoffs would look like this:

1. MoDogg Posse vs 8. Skyway Rainiers

2. Acuna Matata vs 7. Dat Boy X

3. Flying Squirrels vs 6. Wisconsin Wolves

4. Covington Six Path Sage vs 5. Thanos Snappers

The best part about this is the 4 teams that made last years playoffs are all in this top 8 rankings. Interestingly enough wOBA the Hutts is said to be the worst team, and he drafted purely off of his rankings system, so we can see whos rankings system is better, mine or his. Apologies to Win Dance Repeat who had the worst offense last year, and is rated worst by my system again, could too much tinkering have effected the team he originally built? Anyone looking for full rankings they are now in our league spreadsheet.

Lets take a look at some of the tops in the league

Rotation : Tie MoDogg Posse & Dat Boy X

MoDogg Posse:

  

  

Dat Boy X ( Some unrelesaed Cards here, bug Bradley enough to get the whole teams posted)

  

Bullpen: West County Boys

   

  

Offense: Tennessee Studs

   

  

   

Defense: West County Boys ( Talk about going All In one Defense)

  

  

  

  

 NO CHANGEUPSSSSSSSS

Now for my once and final prediction for who I will be wrong about winning the whole thing, I am going to choose........ the Wisconsin Wolves to REPEAT..... thats right Peter I'm putting the jinx on you not winning three leagues in a row.