Join the Whalehead League - Real Life Player Dynasty League

[whaleheader]

Real-Life Dynasty League - Like MLB we do it every day and there is no true off-season.

Five teams available (see below for more info)

Last season a new GM took a .500 Wild Card contender all the way to our World Series.

1. League Name: Whalehead League Baseball / https://statsplus.net/wlb/
2. OOTP 26 (updates every year)
3. Modern MLB: In Off-Season - Nov. 9th (game date) - Non-Tender Deadline is On November 11th (real life)
4. Sim Frequency: one year = one season, sim schedule varies between daily Mon-Fri and Sun-Sat during the regular-and off-season. Regular season runs between the middle of January to the middle of September (real life).
5. Minimum Export = once a week (most GMs export more frequently
6. Incentive Point System to encourage participation
7. Communications: We use Discord and Stats+ Web. Message for Discord invite.

League Description
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WLB is a detail-oriented, daily MLB league. We play with current, MLB-affiliated players, whose ratings get updated to OOTP Live-Update Ratings at the completion of our World Series and after the MLB season ends.

This update schedule allows us to begin the off-season with player values close to their real-life values and allows us to begin our regular season in the middle of January (when we have more time and really miss MLB action).

Player development is turned on. Major league players only keep gains/drops until the end of the year. Minor league players development is controlled by in-game development until players because major leaguers. (Potentials get updated when the new version of OOTP is released. GMs may use Incentive Points to align current ratings for some players whose in-game development lags behind real life.)

WLB is a stable, fun, league with a rich history of over 30 years. GM ages range between 20 and 70. The league has played various simulations over the years. We switched over to OOTP in 2019.

Some unique features include: Competitive Balance Picks for the lowest revenue teams, winter AFL and Caribbean Winter Leagues, and more revenue sharing than real life.

The league’s GMs have a mix of styles and competitive levels.

Contact me via the message feature of this site.
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Five teams are available:

Team / 2025 Record / Budget Space B4 Non-Tender / Top MLB Players / Top Prospects
1) Houston Astros / 70-92 in 2025 / $31.4M (17th) / SS Zach Neto, C Francisco Alvarez, SS Geraldo Perdomo, SP Grayson Rodriguez, 1b Triston Casas, Jose Altuve, OF Steven Kwan, others / SP Daniel Espino
https://statsplus.net/wlb/team/64?page=roster

TAKEN 2) Colorado Rockies // 82-80 / $80.7M (4th) / 1B Max Muncy, RP Shawn Armstrong, C Drew Romo / SP Hagen Smith, OF Miguel Bleis, C Henry Davis, 1B Curtis Mead, 3B Marco Luciano, IF Justyn-Henry Malloy
https://statsplus.net/wlb/team/51?page=roster

TAKEN 3) Minnesota Twins // 69-93 / $95.3M (3rd) / Good Bullpen: Alvarado, Bennett Sousa, Graham Ashcraft, Ashby, Koenig / 3B Cam Collier, DP David Shields, SS Graham Pauley, 2B Brice Matthews, RHP Marco Raya
https://statsplus.net/wlb/team/2078?page=roster

TAKEN 4) Seattle Mariners // 60-102 / $60.30 (8th) / SP Kevin Gausman, SP Trey Yesavage, SS Ha-Seong Kim, 2B Jeff McNeil1 / SS Tai Peete, 3B Aaron Escobar,
https://statsplus.net/wlb/team/73?page=roster

TAKEN 5) Chicago White Sox (moved from MIA) // 67-95 / $34.0 (16th) / C Will Smith, 2B Brandon Lowe / RHP Braylon Doughty, OF Jakob Marsee, SS Max Muncy
https://statsplus.net/wlb/team/59?page=roster

Current Top Potential Free Agents:
OF Aaron Judge
SS Francisco Lindor
RF Ramon Laureano (SEA)
RF Cody Bellinger
CF Harrison Bader (CHW)
C Carson Kelly
DH Marcel Ozuna
LF Bryan Reynolds
2B Ozzie Albies

SP Chris Sale
SP Sean Manaea
SP Tyler Mahle
SP Michael Wacha (SEA)
SP Zac Gallen
SP Jose Berrios

RP Edmin Diaz
RP Aroldis Chapman
RP Raisel Iglesias

OTHERS

[jcard]

Am I correct that updating to EOS Live Start ratings basically turns player ratings into a 1-year recalc?

[whaleheader]

Not exactly. The basis for the ratings at the end of the year are the ratings from the game that comes out in March. Those ratings are based on projections with roster team adjustments. From there those ratings are adjusted during the by season stats (primarily MLB stats) and manual adjustments from the roster team.

My league also allows GMs to keep the development gains for ratings for players with less than one full year of major service in our league. (We've tried different methods, but this way keeps managing your minor leagues relevant for teams who are out of the playoff hunt.)

[jcard]

I should have expressed my compliments on what appears to be a league of exceptional commitment and execution. If you donÂ’t mind a follow-up question, as it is obvious that considered thinking is devoted to the league:

1) Could you reconcile the post-season / WS Live Start ratings update with the statement that the new ratings that the roster team releases in March (projections w/ adjustments) are the initial basis for a seasonÂ’s ratings? Why is the LS update done if the changes are going to be overridden by the March releaseÂ’s ratings?

2) Could you do the same for the statement that the ratings in season are adjusted by MLB stats (primarily) and roster team adjustments with the blog entry on your site that says in-season ratings changes are the product of the development engine?

Regardless, thank you for your time and commendations again on the enterprise.

[whaleheader]

Originally Posted by jcard

I should have expressed my compliments on what appears to be a league of exceptional commitment and execution. If you donÂ’t mind a follow-up question, as it is obvious that considered thinking is devoted to the league:

1) Could you reconcile the post-season / WS Live Start ratings update with the statement that the new ratings that the roster team releases in March (projections w/ adjustments) are the initial basis for a seasonÂ’s ratings? Why is the LS update done if the changes are going to be overridden by the March releaseÂ’s ratings?

We don't overwrite all the ratings in March. We only update Potential ratings for minor league players (less than one year of major service in our league AND who aren't on a 40-Man Roster at the time).


2) Could you do the same for the statement that the ratings in season are adjusted by MLB stats (primarily) and roster team adjustments with the blog entry on your site that says in-season ratings changes are the product of the development engine?

OOTP creates a roster set when the new game is released (OOTP 26). Those ratings get adjusted as the MLB season plays out, by the Live Stats and by the roster team.

We don't use those ratings during the season, which we played with OOTP25. Instead, after our World Series completes, we move to the OOTP version from March (OOTP 26) and update most of our league's players with those OOTP 26 end of MLB season Live Start ratings.

Essentially, we start our offseason with the new OOTP's version of the MLB end-of-season Live Start ratings.

Regardless, thank you for your time and commendations again on the enterprise.

Again, at the end of our World Series (which used OOTP 25), which ends after the MLB season ends, I create a Live Start in (OOTP 26) of the MLB franchise game. I then match players between the two games and update our league's players (excluding experience at positions and service time) when we change to the new game (OOTP 26 this year).

Between the start of the offseason and our World Series the development engine adjusts ratings in OUR LEAGUE FILE. We don't update the current ratings (what would go into a player's OVR) for any player. We don't update Potential ratings (what goes into POT) for any player on the 40-Man and/or who has one full year of of major service in our league.

[jcard]

Originally Posted by whaleheader

Again, at the end of our World Series (which used OOTP 25), which ends after the MLB season ends, I create a Live Start in (OOTP 26) of the MLB franchise game. I then match players between the two games and update our league's players (excluding experience at positions and service time) when we change to the new game (OOTP 26 this year).

Between the start of the offseason and our World Series the development engine adjusts ratings in OUR LEAGUE FILE. We don't update the current ratings (what would go into a player's OVR) for any player. We don't update Potential ratings (what goes into POT) for any player on the 40-Man and/or who has one full year of of major service in our league.

Thanks again. I had not understood the timing of the version change vs. LSU. As for the second part, I am not familiar with the mechanics or process involved in having the development engine change the league file without manifesting simultaneously in the active league itself; sounds like it works for your goals, which is great.

[whaleheader]

Sorry for not being clear. I have been battling the flu, and I was a little cloudy last night. I'll try to be clearer.

There are two things going on. There is OOTP's franchise game. There is our league season.

Let's use 2025.

Franchise game:

OOTP 26 came out in March 2025. Its ratings are based on multiyear projections with adjustments by the roster team.

As the MLB season progresses, its initial ratings are adjusted by Live Stats as the MLB season plays out. OOTP also manually adjusts the ratings as the season goes on.

At the end of the MLB season, I create a Live Start game two days after the MLB season ends. The ratings from that game will be used to update our league's ratings at the end of our season (which used OOTP 25 in 2025).

WLB season.

The 2025 WLB season ends around the same time as the MLB season ends. When the season ends, we import our league into OOTP 26. I then move the game ahead one day after the WLB World Series ends.

I match the player ids from the OOTP 26 Live Start Roster file that I created two days after the MLB season ended with the NOW OOTP 26 WLB Roster file.

I update the WLB Roster file with the OOTP 26 Live Start ratings (excluding service time, contracts, experience at positions, and a few other things).

After updating the players ratings, I advance our league to two days after the WLB World Series and we start our 2025-2026 offseason.

We then progress through our offseason and play our season. During that time, in-game player development will take place, so the players at the end of our season won't be exactly the same as when we started.
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We have a couple of other things we do, but that's the basics.

We operate similarly to leagues which use games like Strat-O-Matic, Diamond Mind, and Dynasty League Baseball. Instead of using their ratings based on the previous season, we use OOTP end-of-season Live Start ratings. Essentially, we move from the MLB season to our off-season.

[jcard]

Originally Posted by whaleheader

Sorry for not being clear. I have been battling the flu, and I was a little cloudy last night. I'll try to be clearer.

There are two things going on. There is OOTP's franchise game. There is our league season.

Let's use 2025.

Franchise game:

OOTP 26 came out in March 2025. Its ratings are based on multiyear projections with adjustments by the roster team.

As the MLB season progresses, its initial ratings are adjusted by Live Stats as the MLB season plays out. OOTP also manually adjusts the ratings as the season goes on.

At the end of the MLB season, I create a Live Start game two days after the MLB season ends. The ratings from that game will be used to update our league's ratings at the end of our season (which used OOTP 25 in 2025).

WLB season.

The 2025 WLB season ends around the same time as the MLB season ends. When the season ends, we import our league into OOTP 26. I then move the game ahead one day after the WLB World Series ends.

I match the player ids from the OOTP 26 Live Start Roster file that I created two days after the MLB season ended with the NOW OOTP 26 WLB Roster file.

I update the WLB Roster file with the OOTP 26 Live Start ratings (excluding service time, contracts, experience at positions, and a few other things).

After updating the players ratings, I advance our league to two days after the WLB World Series and we start our 2025-2026 offseason.

We then progress through our offseason and play our season. During that time, in-game player development will take place, so the players at the end of our season won't be exactly the same as when we started.
------------------------

We have a couple of other things we do, but that's the basics.

We operate similarly to leagues which use games like Strat-O-Matic, Diamond Mind, and Dynasty League Baseball. Instead of using their ratings based on the previous season, we use OOTP end-of-season Live Start ratings. Essentially, we move from the MLB season to our off-season.

Apologies for this delayed acknowledgement and expression of gratitude—already appreciative of your earlier feedback, I hadn’t anticipated receiving more of your time. A pleasant surprise, and I look forward to digesting its contents when I get a chance to give it its due consideration. Thanks once again.