Coolest what-if scenarios?

[JackOnAMacYT]

I'm thinking of doing a OOTP save where every team gets altered in some way, whether that be through Players, Relocation, or anything else. I want to get some community input on this. Here's the first question, on the MLB Structure itself: How many Teams will their be?

A - the original 16 AL and NL teams
B - 30, the usual MLB
C - 32, Adding 2 teams, make sure to include who you want those teams to be.
D - 36 Teams, again, make sure to at least list one team name you want

[Brad K]

24.

[JackOnAMacYT]

The next question is going to be about Historical Settings, What year should the settings be?

A - Modern Day
B - Historical (tell me which year)

(btw thank you Brad for answering, loved your Moneyball save with the Pirates!)

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Brad K

24.

Agree with this. I think two leagues, each containing 12 teams split into two divisions of 6 teams is the best arrangement, and the scheduling for it provides a good balance of divisional and interdivisional contests (90 and 72 games total, respectively).

Also, no interleague play.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by JackOnAMacYT

(btw thank you Brad for answering, loved your Moneyball save with the Pirates!)

Thank you. I enjoyed doing it.

[Pelican]

My preference would be 32 teams (two expansion franchises), in four leagues of eight teams each. When I did this, I had one wild card team for each league, so only eight teams out of 32 in the playoffs. Of course you could do 12 or even 16 teams.

I use the Buffalo Wings and the Charlotte Hive. The Pirates moved to New Orleans and remained the Pirates. The Rays moved to Montreal and became the Moose. Oakland moved to San Jose and became (or continued to be) the Elephants.

BTW, my expansion draft rules exempted all players under three years of MLB service, and only allowed teams to protect 12 guys initially. As they lost a player, they could protect another. This, as you might expect, makes for expansion teams that do not suck, and are competitive, if not playoff material. It also tends to promote parity as the best organizations lose more players.

[JackOnAMacYT]

Final Votes:
24 - 2
32 - 1

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by JackOnAMacYT

I'm thinking of doing a OOTP save where every team gets altered in some way, whether that be through Players, Relocation, or anything else. I want to get some community input on this. Here's the first question, on the MLB Structure itself: How many Teams will their be?

A - the original 16 AL and NL teams
B - 30, the usual MLB
C - 32, Adding 2 teams, make sure to include who you want those teams to be.
D - 36 Teams, again, make sure to at least list one team name you want

E - Whatever you want

[uruguru]

Personally, I think four 10-team leagues with a 4-team playoff is the way to go.

edit again after some research:

If the # teams scaled with the US population, leagues would go from 6 teams in the 1870s to 40 teams today. In that vein, this seems like the most logical league progression. I also structured the progression such that no teams would need to abandon their market and leave for another.

1870s - league founded with 6 teams: NY, NY, Phi, Bos, StL, Chi

early 1890s - expands to 8 teams, adding Bal & Pit

early 1900s - expands to 10 teams, adding Chi & Cle

early 1910s - expands to 12 teams -- two 6-team leagues. Adding Det & Cin

mid 1930s - expands to 16 tems - two 8-team leagues. Adding LA, SF, Min & Mil

mid 1950s - expands to 20 teams - two 10-team leagues. Adding LA (Ana), Dal, Hou, Was

mid 1960s - expands to 24 teams - four 6-team leagues. Adding SF (Oak), KC, Miami & Atl

early 1990s - expands to 32 teams - four 8-team leagues. Adding Sea, SD, Charlotte, Phoenix, TB, Indianapolis, Denver & Portland

mid 2010s - expands to 40 teams - four 10-team leauges. Adding Orlando, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, San Antonio, Columbus, Las Vegas, Nashville & Austin


Note: by keeping the leagues at 6, 8 or 10 teams, you can theoretically maintain a 140-game schedule throughout the entire history of the league. (The 10-team leagues would have two 5-team divisions)

[andyhdz]

The problem is small leagues are super fun BUT once you become an ootp expert, dominating small leagues is pretty easy and you'll get bored. At least this is my experience. I have a 40 team league and it gets a bit harder to dominate and once I establish my super team I simply move on to another team. With a 40 team league yes it's a bit harder to track everything but the big boys will alwayg be the big boys and you'll know their names but luck plays a bigger factor so winning isn't a guaranteed thing.

[Le Grande Orange]

Here's a real-life scenario which could have happened for the 1969 MLB season:

The AL would have split into two 6-team divisions playing a 156-game schedule with a best-of-5 championship series, while the NL would have operated as a 12-team league with no divisions playing a 162-game schedule.

[Pelican]

Update. Before the 2024 Season, the KC Royals moved to San Antonio and became the Missions. (The AA Missions moved to KC and became the Blues.) It is going to be weird playing games in the Alamodome, with short LF and RF lines and high fences, deep CF. Huge infusion of cash, and the Missions are signing free agents to improve in a hurry. They are picked to win the AL Central in preseason prediction.

[Bobbyraz49]

Originally Posted by Pelican

Update. Before the 2024 Season, the KC Royals moved to San Antonio and became the Missions. (The AA Missions moved to KC and became the Blues.) It is going to be weird playing games in the Alamodome, with short LF and RF lines and high fences, deep CF. Huge infusion of cash, and the Missions are signing free agents to improve in a hurry. They are picked to win the AL Central in preseason prediction.

How did you get the Alamodome into your game play ? TY

[MXMISSIL007]

36 is a great number if you want to play with divisions and formats. ie three divisions of six, two divisions of nine, or 32 with two divisions of eight or four divisions with four.

[MXMISSIL007]

I know this topic is closed but consider 1975 the year free agency was implemented, also pre DH. post raised-mound pre smaller stadiums ie power crazy teams and steroids

[Le Grande Orange]

Or to go way back, the 12-team NL of 1892 decides to split into two divisions of six teams, with the two division winners playing for the league championship. Had this been done, it is quite possible the 12-team NL would have flourished and done much to forestall the rise of the American League as a major league rival.

[Michael Xavier]

48 professional teams divided into two separate major leagues, both with 24 teams.

One MLB is fictional, but is also a promotion/relegation league with no minors.

The second is fictional, too, but allowed to import 1 rookie historic player per a lottery.

There is a championship playoff between the two MLB's.

Draft in the pro/rel performance based. The best teams based on end of year finish and then power chart are allowed to draft first. They are alternated in the draft with the worst teams in the league which allows historical imports.

Best players on the 24 relegation league teams are allowed to be upgraded/edited to improve 2 players under the age of 25 by 10 points per rating category.

[Syd Thrift]

What if: the Astros chose to trade away every player on their team with a 2 star or better rating? How bad could they get? What if in the same dynasty Mike Trout changed his name to Ken Griffey 3 and signed with the Mariners for a 10 year major league minimum contract?

[BaseballGOAT]

My favorite what if is to have players who died during their careers not die. Can Jose Fernandez lead the Marlins to the WS? Can Oscar Tavarez become the second coming of Stan the man?