Well, it’s getting close to that time of the year when my favorite sports gaming franchise is about to be released. MLB The Show 26 is set to release on March 17th, and gamers like me can’t wait. After a little bit of a confusing announcement, New York Yankees slugger and three-time MVP, Aaron Judge, will grace the cover once again.
So if you’re a Yankees fan, a Mets fan, love Diamond Dynasty, or Road to the Show, baseball is right around the corner. For me, it has always been the Franchise mode. Rebuilding your favorite team and setting them up for years of success, as I imagine myself being Jonah Hill from Moneyball. Here are a few teams to consider starting your ultimate Franchise with.
Intriguing Teams for You to Control in Franchise Mode
Detroit Tigers
Ok, I am a little biased here, being from Detroit, but I couldn’t leave them off the list. The Tigers have made the ALDS two years in a row and can’t seem to get over the hump. The offseason has been full of the Tarik Skubal drama. What direction do you take the “Motor City Kitties”? Who do you build around? Is it the young bats of Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson? Or the dominant pitching staff with Skubal and newly signed Framber Valdez?
With already having one of the most intriguing farm systems in all of baseball, do you trade guys like Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, and Max Anderson for veterans to put you in World Series contention? Or do you continue to build for the future by trading your back-to-back Cy Young Winner for a few more young pieces? The storylines and directions with this team could be fun for any “General Manager” to piece together!
Pittsburgh Pirates
This list has Jim Leyland written all over it so far. The Pirates could also be a fun team to play with. A similar situation to Detroit, Pittsburgh has the reigning Cy Young Award Winner in Paul Skenes and a bunch of young talent. Don’t forget Oneil Cruz in the outfield, and five top-100 prospects in all of baseball, including number 1 Konnor Griffen.
Do you try to sign Skenes long-term, or do you trade him for a King’s ransom? Do you build up the pitching so you can be the NL’s version of the Tigers, or do you move some of your top pieces to compete now? The choices are yours, and yours alone. Which direction will you take the team from the “Steel City”?
Athletics Formerly Residing in Oakland
So you like change? The future Las Vegas Athletics might be for you! A few years back, the MLB The Show franchise introduced the “Create a Stadium” feature for all of you architects out there. The A’s will be playing their games in Sacramento the next few seasons, but that’s not stopping us from speeding up the process. Go ahead, design the park, on the Vegas Strip you always imagined.
With a core of young talent locked up, the A’s have a bright future. Known for their “Moneyball” ways, this team could change its identity. Moving to Vegas could put them in a position to be bigger spenders in the offseason. Could we see more of the Luis Severino-type signings, or is Brad Pitt still trying to play Hatteberg at first base?
Baltimore Orioles or Tampa Bay Rays
Why did I choose both? I couldn’t decide. Both are bottom feeders of the dreaded American League East. A division that always has those damn Yankees, pesky Red Sox, and now World Series-contending Blue Jays. In one of the toughest divisions in baseball, can you take an unexpected team with a lesser payroll to the playoffs?
Does the young trio of Henderson, Holliday, and Mayo intrigue you, or does the Rays front office seem like a position you can take over with sabermetrics? The Rays always find a way to be competitive. Are you keeping the low payroll and finding players to plug in and get the best out of them? Or are you taking an Orioles team that a few years ago had so much promise to finish their World Series dreams?
Colorado Rockies
Do you like dumpster fires as much as I do? Then you will love playing as the Rockies. Not only will you have to find talent to come to Colorado, but also have to find a way to compete with one of the best teams ever assembled with the Dodgers.
With only two prospects in the top-100, this may be the hardest rebuild of them all. You may have to overpay players to come to your team or sign a lot of veterans on one-year deals to try to flip them at the deadline. You may need a lot of patience for this project. Hunter Goodman is only one guy; do you build around him, or move him for a couple of nice pieces?
Final Thoughts
MLB The Show continues to be my favorite sports game every year. Does it need a few upgrades in certain areas? Yes, but in my opinion, it is still the best in its category. I love the offline Franchise Mode, and try to play it as realistically as possible. Not spending money for small markets, one-year prove it deals, and being a buyer or seller at the trade deadline, limiting myself to three trades a year. With the right personal parameters set, being the General Manager can be as realistic as it comes.
Point of Vision 