I’ve built an absolute wagon.

83-79 Missed playoffs

106-56 lost WS (dominated games 1-2 then lost 4 in a row 1 run games) a bullpen which had given up 1 run in 19 innings in the DS and CS gave up like 15 runs from games 3-6.

100-62 (Lost DS to an 85 win team 3-1) 3 SPs under 3.20ERA imploded

106-56 (lost Ds to an 88 win team 3-1) hitting and defense imploded (lowest rated defender is 65) walkoff passed ball.

I literally cannot get over the hump. It’s not even fun because it feels like the game is screwing me.

I’ve followed baseball my entire life as a diehard. I know this type of stuff can happen. But I have a team of 3.5-5 star players losing to 2-3.5 star teams regularly.

Theres literally nothing I can do to make the team better or to fight the randomness. I manage every playoff game with the same strategies that brought us success and brought me to the WS.

I’ve tried playing the matchups and analytics to a T, I’ve tried playing hunches and letting my gut decide it.

I have a team ranked in the top 3 in every single category and then just absolutely implode in the playoffs. I’ve done this with the 11th highest payroll and a meddling, extreme profit owner.

Hi all, just wanted to share a fun little AI use case I did in my most recent historical playthrough of the expansion Mets. I thought it might be cool to see the players on my team reimagined as Mets, so I found their cards from the year I’m currently on in my save (1970) and asked GPT to change around the uniforms and the card text, it came out OK - not perfect, but certainly a fun way to waste some time while having fun in a historical save.

I started a save (OOTP26) with the Reds, and in my first season we made the NLDS (lost to the Dodgers in 5 games). Had a fun season. Nick Martinez pitched his balls off. That HR/9 and FIP- were crazy! But he's 35, and we have a new contract for Elly kicking in, and the Reds dont have a lot of money to work with....

What would you do? I'm leaning towards trying for a 1 year deal, but I think he'll reject it. On the one hand, his pitcher profile is perfect for Cincy because he doesnt give up HRs, but cant I find something similar elsewhere? The 60 overall from my scout seems pretty inflated.

**update**

I offered a QO. He wanted 6 yrs @ 24 per. LMFAO

I've been playing since 2020, and I've always felt this sinking feeling that I'm somehow hurting my team's chances / warping the result when I decide to manually play out my games vs just hitting the sim button.

It feels like the wild pitches and balks are genuinely out of control, and the rate at which I seem them is crazy compared to real life. I've never seen a balk when watching a baseball game outside of highlights, yet I'll see one every couple games when playing. I have 1-3 passed balls (which always results in the runners scoring or advancing) regardless of my catcher or pitcher's abilities

I understand that we tend to remember the crazy stuff that happens and forget all the times it doesnt happen, but I play such a small subsection of the games (usually only playoffs) that I feel like my rates are insane. I just tracked my stats for the post season, through almost 2 errors a game and multiple games with 2-3 wild pitches/runs scored off wild pitches. I've even seen a handfull of inside the park HRs from some slow ass people

I don't know, I'm probably just salty from the latest post season L, just I want the experience to be authentic and it'd be frustrating by me just essentially watching that I'm somehow warping the gameplay because of a potentially weird simulation

He's been good (albeit injury-prone) in the regular season, but goes nuts every year in the playoffs. My A's team has won 4 consecutive World Series, and lost in 7 games in 2029. (That 2029 loss was heartbreaking, Vlad flew out to CF with 2 outs and the bases loaded in a 1-run game at home to end it). 2032 was the most impressive run out of all of them, he hit .400/.412/.877 with 9 homers in 16 games while playing the entire playoffs with 2 different DTD knee injuries

What is the point of holding onto these players? To me, it lowers the chance that your actually high potential get the development changes on the first of the month... Am I missing something? This is why I also keep my farm as thin as possible. Like 26 men per level.

Essentially the title. I'll have pitchers with high stuff potential and it isn't as direct as 'Improve Control's or 'Increase Movement'. I usually look at improve secondary pitches. If they are you g with more velocity potential I will have them improve velocity. Are those the best ways for me to get stuff potential gains?