*Note – Upon testing some of the trade logic, I am convinced that it doesn’t matter which rosters you use. Using the A’s I was able to part ways with veteran players and trade them in packages for some of the best prospects in baseball. More to come in my next post.
As I become more excited about baseball season and baseball in general (football and basketball are quickly dying on my interest list – what’s a hockey? – Just kidding) I am looking to try a few new things going into MLB 23 as a Franchise Mode player.
First – I will be using the stock rosters supplied by SDS. I have a suspicion that edited rosters are ruining already bad trade logic. On top of that, I also think the game itself will function better in the mode if I keep it in the parameters of the development decisions.
Second – My team choice this year will come down to a couple of aspects and the first is actually not salary, but stadium age/style. The next aspect will focus on recent/semi recent team performance – playoff appearances and overall vibes.
I plan on re-locating and possibly re-branding the team I choose this year. I also hope to find some time to do monthly updates with occasional player and prospect tracking and updates with my own unique twist on things (as is the nature of personal web pages).
My Top Teams For Franchise Mode This Year –
Los Angeles Angels – Stadium was built in 1966. Team has under-performed for years even with the biggest names in the game. This would be a complete overhaul as the team was briefly up for sale in 2022.
Oakland Athletics – Try to throw a rock on YouTube without hitting some clown doing their over-delivered franchise mode of rebuilding the A’s. The way I see it, this is a team that should either be moved and invested in or cut from the league. To build this team with any real simulation effort will take a lot of time… I am intrigued.
Pittsburgh Pirates – The team has a few pieces, but there’s no motion towards actually building a winning team. The stadium does not need rebuilt, so less work on that end. I think Oneil Cruz is the next huge superstar and it would be fun to build a team around him.
Cleveland Guardians – Haven’t won a World Series since 1948. Progressive field is starting to show its age and while they have major renovations planned, it won’t be in this iteration of The Show. Not to mention, this team has one of the lowest budgets in the game. The biggest aspect for me is that this is my favorite team as well.
Kansas City Royals – I am not a fan of anything about this team. Their colors are lame. The stadium is straight out of 1970’s poor fashion decisions – the fountains are stupid. The World Series banners look like they were made in someone’s garage. Oh, and the team is terrible. Sounds like a fun rebuild/rebrand, actually.
Tampa Bay Rays – The team outperforms the local fans. Somehow, they aren’t a bad team. Their stadium is utter trash and the fans are somehow worse in terms of attendance (as a Guardians fan, I know of what I speak). Tampa would be a team I select primarily as a rebrand with some tough decisions to make everywhere outside of Wander Franco.
Cincinnati Reds – One of the most pathetically bad ownership groups in sports. The stadium isn’t really old, but it doesn’t do much for me aesthetically. There are a couple pieces here to build around, but it would take a couple years to make it a team worthy of any excitement. Not bad for a franchise team, I won’t rebrand, but I might build a new stadium – bad for every fan in real life though.
I will be paying close attention to the changes they have made to scouting as it will most likely require a new update in my franchise mode house rules.
House rules will still be in effect as they have made the game a lot more fun for me. The biggest change for me this year involves using stock rosters – and that might end up changing more than I thought possible.
NoobTubeTV 