MLB SHOWDOWN '15-'19 Set

This is my first post and I hope to bring something of value to those who follow showdown.  I want to thank Peter and Bob for inviting me.  Now, on to the set.

Back in 2016 I had established an accurate baseline formula and began toying with the idea of creating my own cards, but struggled with how long it would take me to create so many seasons throughout history.  I finally settled on making half decade mini sets that would satisfy my need to create cards of players throughout history, without losing my mind.  

My first 2 sets were the late 90's and early 00's which I printed and played with my league.  The set I am releasing here is the 2015-2019 as it has the most up to date custom additions to showdown.  I will release the late 90's and early 00's set once I have updated the pitcher defense, bunt, and catcher framing that I added into this set (more on that later).  

For set creation I make only about 1/3 the size of the original showdown sets (about 200/600 cards) with a focus on offense (Starters and Relievers tend to get repetitive once you get past the stars and outliers). 

The breakdown is roughly as follows:

Position Players:    

top 5 players (WAR)

top 5 most common players (games played)

top 5 outliers   (defense, base running, power, on base, -WAR)    

I chose this breakdown because it gives me an overall picture of that time period.  Top players are the studs we all want at their best, common players are those names we just remember whether they were good or not, and the outliers give flavor to a set and capture seasons that may have gone under the radar.  

Starting Pitchers:

Top 15 pitchers (WAR)

Top 15 most common (Games)

Top 10 Outliers ( K %, GB %, ERA, BB %, HR %)  ---  (the inverse of these ratios are the other 5)

Relief Pitchers:

Same as starters

Custom Additions:

You'll notice some new additions to the game on some of my sample cards below:

The first is the + after the pitcher position.  This number reflects a pitchers contribution to holding runners through pick-offs and a quick delivery time.  The range is from -2 to +5 but the most common is +0 to +2.  You add or subtract this number to your catchers arm during any steal attempt.

The second addition is the bunt rating on hitter cards.  I got tired of trying to create my own bunting rules so I just added the bunt stat based on how successful each hitter was at laying them down up until that point in their career (needed the large sample size).  If you roll the number shown on the card or higher, all runners move up a base and the hitter is out.  Otherwise, the hitter is out and runners don't advance.

The final addition is the catcher framing/blocking stat.  Catcher framing stats are a recent phenomena (and may be on the way out if robot umps become a thing) and wasn't really captured in original showdown.  I've added a rating after the catchers arm that will add or subtract 1 from your entire staffs control while this catcher is in play.  This is extremely game changing but also extremely rare.  Only the best catchers get the boost, the vast majority rate out at +0.  Below, you'll see Yasmani Grandal costs nearly 500 points largely due to his ability to help your team with his elite framing.  

Below are some of my favorite cards from the set that really broke the mold and keep me motivated to discover those hidden gem seasons in the past.  I've also included my current favorite Bobby Grich and his slick +6 2B fielding from my still incomplete early 70's set.

Link to the complete '15-'19 set at the bottom of the page.

Hope you all enjoy.  My next post will cover my league and how we have gone about running seasons and tournaments, prize cards, custom reliever tired rules, and maybe some sneak peeks into my other decade sets that are still incomplete.  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RCguBkpcgaKeFhlIOaw9c6Lpq0PDrTCvk_Bj1Phy5Xw/edit?usp=sharing