All-Acquired 2014 Exhibition Series: Game 1

Mark Trumbo takes his hacks, representing the National League

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been compiling a database of the more than 1,300 players included in MLB 14: The Show with an eye towards facilitating the various roster construction based projects on which I like to spend my time. Having the most recent MLB-branded game allows me to plug my custom lineups into the PS3 and see what might happen in a hypothetical game situation. Because while it's a lot of fun (for me, at least) to build these rosters and write them down on paper, nothing compares with seeing your work brought to life in hyper-realistic 720p via the game's simulation engine.

The first of these projects is not only the least labor intensive, but also the one with the longest track record on this blog: the AL and NL All-Acquired Teams. These two rosters, one per league, are made up of the top players who changed teams during the 2013-14 offseason, and thus serve as a sort of summary of the top trades, free agent signings, and wavier wire pick-ups of the winter. The last time I got to see this project brought to life in a video game setting was back in 2011, and a lot has changed since then, so let's get right down to the World Series formatted showdown between the two teams. Rather than going through the lineups player by player, I'll combine my analysis with play-by-play commentary, starting with Game 1, and possibly continuing if there are more storylines I want to address.

I used 2013's World Series teams to represent each league, and it only makes sense that the AL should have home field advantage, since Boston won it all last year. Thus the first player introduced is the AL's top acquired, and most enigmatic, starting pitcher: Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka. When creating these rosters, I had to use the first downloadable update (dated 4/7) as my base, since the game's default rosters lacked such key acquired players as Tanaka and new Miami 3B Casey McGehee. The disparity between these two players pretty much sums up the differences between the two leagues in general: a lot of high-impact, franchise player types for the AL and a lot of middling placeholder types for the NL.

Speaking of placeholder types, the first batter to step in against Tanaka is new Miami 2B Rafael Furcal, despite the fact that he hasn't yet played a single inning in a Marlins uniform due to a hamstring strain. His presence in this lineup illustrates one of the main differences between crafting a roster for a video game (which is based on talent and potential) versus crafting a roster for a fantasy team (which is based on real-life playing time). I decided to ignore Furcal's current placement on the DL because he has a higher ceiling than replacement options Mark Ellis or Emilio Bonifacio, and because this NL roster needs all the help it can get, especially offensively.

On the pitching side (again, as long as you ignore current DL status) the NL sports more high upside types, particularly considering that this thought experiment takes the form of a short series. Relying on a rotation staffed primarily of near-40-year-olds - Bartolo Colon (40), Tim Hudson (38) and A.J. Burnett (37) - to stay healthy over an entire 162-game season is a risky proposition indeed. But as of now, Fister got a break, as Jacoby Ellsbury - who got on base via a leadoff walk and then promptly stole second base - promptly got thrown out trying to steal third. A questionable decision by the AI, given that there was one out, he was already in scoring position, and arguably the AL's best left handed hitter (Robinson Cano) was at the plate.

A Jarrod Saltalamacchia homer over the green monster in the next inning drew first blood in the next inning - a fitting player to strike first in our venue as he late of the Red Sox himself, signing with the Marlins as a free agent. Then the wheels started to fall off for the AL club, as they allowed another run the following inning on a wild throw to first while attempting to complete a Curtis Granderson swinging strikeout on a pitch in the dirt. This does not bode well for the Yankees, as Tanaka's nasty splitter is likely to lead to a lot of similar plays, and if Brian McCann (also signed by New York in the offseason) can't handle those throws to first regularly, it's gonna be a long season in the Bronx.

The NL manufactured a couple more runs, chasing Tanaka out of the game after 4.2 innings. In to relieve was Houston's big signing, Scott Feldman. I don't generally like to load up these video game rosters with starting pitchers, since it's unrealistic and can be overpowered, but Feldman was one of two extra starters I allowed on each roster to fill out the "Long Relief" spots. Actually, one thing about the game's ranking system is that it somewhat overvalues relievers - Grant Balfour is good (rated 83 overall), but I don't see him adding more value to a team than Masahiro Tanaka (81). However, I appreciate that peculiarity because it's a built-in way to keep CPU-generated rosters from filling up their bullpens with starters.

No sooner did Feldman enter the game than two former Cardinals on the AL team made it a competitive affair. First David Freese hit a solo homer, then an inning later Carlos Beltran took out a two-run shot. I don't know if the game's AI has a built-in vengeance-meter, because with Salty's homer earlier in the game, that's three players who put the hurt on their former team at the plate. Of course for the purposes of this experiment, the "Red Sox" and "Cardinals" really represent the AL and NL, but there's no way for the game to know that.

Those two long balls amounted to the only offense the AL could muster however, and despite an in-game injury to NL setup man LaTroy Hawkins (he struck out Ian Kinsler, but bounced his first pitch to Cano and had to leave the game "holding his arm"), the bullpen was able to close it out in Game 1. After a little roster tweaking - Francisco Rodriguez will likely be called up to take the Hawk's roster spot - we'll see which league comes out on top over the course of the series!