SEC Showdown League -- Draft Results and Preview

 Happy holidays everyone! Just in time for Christmas, we have a new MLB Showdown league to share with everyone: the SEC Showdown league! Now, the league is not a simple "each teams alumni facing off" or making cards from current SEC players. Instead, we had some fun with players from 2000 to the present, "recruiting" (aka drafting) '01 style cards to SEC schools. Since we are playing as colleges, we didn't have a salary cap; instead, we limited the total OB that could be on a team's lineup and control in a team's rotation and bullpen. Needless to say: it's going to be an All Star league!!

That said - of course I picked player pictures from the college years if a team selected an alumnus!

We've got a 162 game schedule cooked up to play out this 16 team league, much like the 30 for 30 leagues of the past! So now, let's take a look at how the draft played out!

2011 Set - Baltimore Orioles

Remember the 2011 Mets set? (If not, look it up on the blog.) They have a bunch of high-OB, low-power bats. The Orioles are the exact opposite. Only one card is 9 OB; the rest are 7’s with power. Most Showdown players I know prefer higher On Base, but there are draftable cards in this lineup. 

Matt Wieters, for example, is a lock to be picked due to his C+12 defense. J.J. Hardy may get picked up by someone who values infield for a similar reason. Matt Reynolds doesn’t have the defense going for him, but he’s a 7 OB, B-Speed, 15-20 homer card for just 240.

2011 Set - Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays roster will give you whiplash. Jose Bautista may be the best position player in the set. (He’s tied with Mike Napoli for most points with 580.) Ricky Romero is a 520-point, tier-3, no-doubles, 7 IP ace. 

They also have 7 cards worth less than 100 points, including a starter and two closers.

2011 Set - Boston Red Sox

This might be the best squad in the 2011 set. They come in a close second in points to the Rangers overall, but have the top offense. 

The lineup features several draftable cards, from the big names like Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, and Adrian Gonzalez, to value, above-average bats including Josh Reddick and The Greek God of Walks, Kevin Youkilis. (Yes, he has an alt-foil, but he isn’t the only Red Sox player with one…) 

2011 Set - Tampa Bay Rays

As a small market, low budget team, the Rays don’t really have one big superstar. The closest they get is ace James Shields, a 520-point, tier-3 starter with no double who can pitch 8 innings. He’s the only 8 IP starter in the set. After that, there’s just a variety of cards that make positive contributions.

Ben Zobrist is a versatile, fast player with a nice chart and plus defense at 2B. Evan Longoria is one of just two 3B+4s in the set, and he hits for power. Casey Kotchman is a value 9 OB bat. Sam Fuld is Speed A and a plus defender in all three outfield positions. And Desmond Jennings is a versatile, speedy, 9 OB addition to the team via the Pennant Run. 

2011 Set - New York Yankees

Now this is a good lineup. I expected the pitching to be better – especially the rotation – but none of it is bad, and the lineup offers few breaks for opposing pitchers.

Leading the way is the monster power-hitting, A Speed, center fielder Curtis Granderson. The only thing you don’t like there is his low defense. A-Rod is past his prime, but he’s still a good hitter and defender. I love Derek Jeter as a cheap 9 OB, A Speed shortstop, if you don’t care about infield defense. (Shadows of former teammate Chuck Knoblauch’s OG Showdown cards?)

2011 Set - Minnesota Twins

Minnesota has arguably a worse 2011 team set than the Houston Astros. (They total 80 fewer points despite having one more card.) They have better pitching, but since Houston’s season was more affected by their trade deadline firesale than Minnesota, the Twins lack some of the base set batters that helps the Astros avoid being a complete dumpster fire of a team set.

Starter Scott Baker earned the foil, but it was a tough decision whom to make a foil here.

2011 Set - Kansas City Royals

The Royals lineup has a few Showdown friendly cards. Alex Gordon is an early pick, in my opinion, being one of the few LF/RF cards with +2 defense. He’s also a 9 OB, Speed A bat with a solid chart – the type of card you could bat 1, 2, or 3. Billy Butler is another reasonably priced high OB bat with some power. If you’re more inclined toward low OB cards with big charts, check out Jeff Francouer and his 5 doubles starting at 12. Finally, Pennant rookie foil Salvador Perez is a solid catcher bat.

The pitching is not good, aside from a few draftable bullpen arms. All the starters are 2 or 3 Control, and none above a tier-4. Maybe Danny Duffy or Kyle Davies is your 4th starter if you want to rely heavily on bullpen days when it’s his turn to pitch.

2011 Set - Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have plenty of holes, but they also have a few interesting cards. Far from their 2005 World Series glory, but nothing like the 2024 trainwreck of a team.

Paul Konerko is an affordable, solid bat, but when mixed in with Todd Helton, Carlos Pena, Aramis Ramirez, Jim Thome, and Travis Hafner, I wonder if he gets lost in the crowd. Brent Lillibridge is a versatile A Speed card with lots of power and only 2 chart outs, but is he still too expensive at 350 points?

Value-wise, the star of the show is Juan Pierre.

2011 Set - Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians fans are well represented in the Showdown revival community, so I hope the wait is worth it for this Cleveland team. They finished 2nd in the AL Central in 2011, just under .500 with 80 wins. This team is full of average players. The highest point starter is 420 points. The highest point position player is 300 points. That said, there is value to be found, for sure.

I like Shin-Soo Choo at 200 points for an 8 OB, A Speed, with a homer on his chart. Travis Hafner is an affordable 9 OB that can hit. Will anyone pick up Mitch Talbot to be their 4th starter? He’s a 3 Control, 5 IP, tier-6 starter for 10 points. 

2011 Set - Detroit Tigers

We’ve finally reached my favorite team, my hometown Detroit Tigers. A year before their 2012 World Series appearance, this team was strong, with AL MVP, Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Justin Verlander leading the pack. He’s the highest point card in the set, as well as a great looking card featuring a throwback uni.

The second best card on the team would be many team’s best: Miguel Cabrera with 11 OB. (There’s still another 11 OB to come.) He’s not a walk-heavy, C-speed card either; it’s a good chart that feels like a deal at 550 points. Miggy gets an alt-foil as well. 

2011 Set - Seattle Mariners

The lineup is bad, but the pitching is good, especially the rotation.

Am I talking about the Seattle Mariners? Yup. 2024 season? Actually, no. The 2011 Mariners had this description in common with this past season’s team.

Doug Fister was only the third best starter in this rotation, and he was traded to Detroit at the deadline. (Pennant Run card with the Tigers incoming!) “King” Felix Hernadez leads the rotation in points. Don’t miss his “alt-foil” card.

2011 Set - Oakland Athletics

The Oakland A’s always look so cool on the green cards. No other teams look quite like them. Some of the best looking cards in the set are from the A’s due to the color, not my cutout work.

The team itself is not great, though there are some fun, draftable cards. The pitching is definitely the strength here, with 4 starters for 400+ points, headed by ace Brandon McCarthy, and 3 relievers for 200+ points. I like Jemile Weeks and Chad Willingham on the offensive side, but there isn’t much else to speak of. (Anyone drafting Daric Barton

2011 Set - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Angels biggest strength is their rotation. They have two foils, but could have gotten three. Their bullpen is strong too, all ranging from 180-300 points. The lineup is much weaker, but with a few bright-ish spots. OG Showdown star Bobby Abreu is still a decent (and affordable) leadoff hitter here. Howie Kendrick brings great 2B defense and a powerful chart. Mark Trumbo brings the low OB pop. Overall not great, but reinforcements are coming…

The Rangers and Giants may have gained more overall with their Pennant Run additions in 2011, but the Angels have a September call-up who won ROTY the following season. In my opinion, no single player improves a team from base set to Pennant Run like rookie foil Mike Trout.

2011 Set - Texas Rangers

With the NL complete, let’s move onto the AL with the team that battled the Cardinals to Game 7 of the World Series. The Texas Rangers have some monster bats.

Mike Napoli is tied for the best bat in the set at 580 points. He’s the only 10 OB with homers starting at 17 on his chart. His lack of defense is the only thing keeping him from being the obvious first pick at catcher (Buster Posey may go ahead of him), but in an offense-light set, he’s a first-, maybe second-, rounder for sure.

2011 Set - Florida Marlins

In their last season as the Florida Marlins, before their move to downtown Miami to become the Miami Marlins, the team finished in last place in the NL East. That doesn’t mean there aren’t draftable Marlins in 2011 though.

Giancarlo Stanton is the standout here – a power bat that isn’t too pricey – and the multicolor foil with teal and orange looks sweet. I look at Emilio Bonifacio though, when I’m thinking of value here.

2011 Set - New York Mets

Billy Beane would rave about this lineup... Why? Because they get on base. The Mets have lots of 8 and 9 OB cards for low points because they have little to no power. (Dave Magadan fans, look no further!) Several come with good versatility too.

Overall, this team is average, at best, but it comes with lots of draftable players. Does Carlos Beltran’s base set card go first in a draft, or his Pennant Run card with the Giants? Jose Reyes’ only weakness is a lack of defense at SS. The cutout is sweet too. As is rookie foil Justin Turner’s.

2011 Set - Washington Nationals

NL East third-place-finishers the Washington Nationals finished with an average record, and their Showdown roster seems the definition of average. Some value cards and some good cards are here, but nothing exceptional with a still-solid collection of cards.

OG (01) Showdown set pitcher Rick Ankiel is here, this time as an outfielder. Jayson Werth is a nice value with On Base 8, A Speed, and plus defense in CF. Rookie foil Wilson Ramos is a great defender and a solid bat for a good price. Mr. National Ryan Zimmerman is a solid 3B for a decent point total too.

2011 Set - Atlanta Braves

The Phillies may feature the top rotation in the 2011 set, but the Braves have the highest point pitching staff overall. Cristhian Martinez is a tier-2, IP 2 reliever who makes up a good portion of that point total. Multi-inning relievers tend not to be popular with Showdown players in my experience, but Martinez might be good enough to be utilized as an opener.

Some OG Showdown set studs make a reappearance here. Tim Hudson is one of the best starters in the set. Chipper Jones is no longer a top-end card, but he’s playable. Alex Gonzalez is back too. Derek Lowe

2011 Set - Philadelphia Phillies

The 102-win Phillies had the best record in MLB in 2011 and the biggest contributor was their three-headed monster in the rotation: Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Halladay (check out his fun alt-foil). All three are 550 points or more, tier-2s with 7 IP. Hamels and Halladay feature charts with no doubles.

On the offensive side, Ben Francisco brings cheap 8-OB energy a la 00 Orlando Palmeiro. Pennant Run foil Hunter Pence adds to a solid lineup already full of 8 OB cards with good charts. One of those is Chase Utley, who also features a great-looking cutout in a throwback uniform.

2011 Set - Houston Astros

This is the dumpster fire Houston Astros team that sold at the deadline before new ownership’s/management’s overhaul. It shows. A few Base Set cards rescue this lineup from being the worst you’ve ever seen, but 2 of the top 3 hitters were dealt to other teams and show up in the Pennant Run elsewhere.

Hunter Pence is a solid card who gets even better in his PR card with the Phillies. Michael Bourn is an affordable 9 OB, speed A card. Another 1B +1 shows up on Carlos Lee’s decent card. Clint Barmes has big 00 Mike Bordick energy.

2011 Set - Chicago Cubs

On paper, the Cubs should be a bit better than the Pirates, but in reality they finished one game behind Pittsburgh in the NL Central. I think there are more draftable cards here myself, but there are holes too.

Alfonso Soriano is a 6 OB power bat with one of my favorite cutouts in the set. Starlin Castro is a solid all-around shortstop with a nice cutout too. Carlos Pena of Moneyball infamy is a terrific value

2011 Set - Pittsburgh Pirates

This team is rough. The Pirates were only the third worst team in the NL Central in 2011, but that is partly because at the time, the disastrous Houston Astros were the 6th team in the Central.

Andrew McCutchen is one of the best cards in the set, in terms of the look of the card, as well as in being an affordable card that does a lot of things well. Excellent value. Jose Tabata is great value as well: for 190, you get

2011 Set - Cincinnati Reds

The 2011 Reds are what I call sneaky-decent. No real stars outside of Joey Votto, one of the most valuable 10 OB cards in the set, and maybe Brandon Phillips, but they have several middle-of-the-road cards that add up to an above average team.

Bill Bray, Francisco Cordero, and rookie Aroldis Chapman make up a solid bullpen. Johnny Cueto is the best of three above-average starters. Power bats Jay Bruce, Chris Heasey, and Pennant Run-addition Todd Frazier shore up the rest of the lineup. The 1-2 punch at catcher features the bat-first Ramon Hernandez and the glove-first Ryan Hanigan. 

2011 Set - St. Louis Cardinals

Your 2011 World Series winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, made the postseason as a Wild Card team by just one game over the Braves. Their lineup features lots of fun cards. Lance Berkman is one of the few 10 OB cards in the set. Albert Pujols had an off year, but he still features a strong card at 1B/3B. Matt Holliday is a great, well-rounded bat with a unique alt-foil you won’t want to miss. 

Anyone looking to draft cheap cards with decent On Base and versatility, the Cardinals are your team.

2024 MLB Showdown Set -- NLCS Preview

Been a while since we put out some cards, but we've been inspired by Cal's awesome 2011 set to put out some 2024 cards - especially when a battle between two of the highest payrolls in baseball is set to begin in the NLCS. I apologize if there's a change here-or-there that the teams made between NLDS and NLCS, but I'm just rocking with the playoff guys that I see (it's already going to be *a lot* of cards for y'all). All cards were made using the epic MLB Showdown bot, which you can use to make your own cards too! Without further ado, let's take a look at the teams in the NLCS: Dodgers and Mets!

Little comparison of the overall cards between the two MVP candidates on these teams... as a big Showdown believer, you better believe I'm taking Ohtani over Lindor

2011 Set - Milwaukee Brewers

With the NL West posted, it's time to move on to the NL Central, with a very fun team to start off.

The Brewers were the second-best NL team during the regular season, winning the NL Central as well. NL MVP Ryan Braun has a monster chart to go with 9 OB and A speed. Prince Fielder is one the few 10 OB batters in the set. But perhaps what makes the Brewers so dangerous is

2011 Set - San Diego Padres

The Padres’ rotation falls just 30 points short of matching the Phillies’ insane 3-headed monster of a rotation. That’s partly due to them having 6 starters in the set, but Pennant Run rookie Cory Luebke – a tier-2 ace – leads a slew of above average starters. The real pitching star is tier-0 Mike Adams, the costliest 1 IP reliever in the set at a whopping 360 points.

The lineup is a couple of high OB speedsters and several 7 OB outfielders with decent charts. Cameron Maybin at least seems likely to be picked, as one of the four outfielders in the set with CF+3 defense. Jesus Guzman is a fun, versatile, 9 OB bat with Speed A and 5 doubles on his chart.