Fictional Baseball League (FBL) 2024 New Thread

[SCO'sFan]

Hello All (or none),

Welcome to miscellaneous updates for my fictional OOTP 22 league. I am currently playing as the Baltimore Orioles which have a record of 27-1 (and have won the past three world series). So I'll just update whenever I please.

Goodbye.

[SCO'sFan]

So, what has happened since I started the league in the year 2021?

I am in 2024 now, the fourth year of play. My Orioles have swept the World Series every single year (I jacked up all my starters' ratings in the first year, and I'm letting everything play out from there). The league has 36 teams so far, with the original thirty MLB teams as well as six fictional ones:

Charlotte Knights
Columbus Sea Lions (formerly Memphis Spiders)
Mexico City Vaqueros
Montreal Expos
Norfolk Tides
Salt Lake Bees

I have plans to expand once more by six teams to make 42, but that will only happen once one of the original expansion teams makes the playoffs. These six locations are the contenders:

Jacksonville, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Monterrey, Mexico
Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA
Portland, OR

Because OOTP's scheduling for any league outside of the standard 30 teams is dumb, I'm stuck to playing only AL teams during the regular season, even though I have "allow interleague play" on.

Here are highlights and notable mentions from the past three years:

2021:
AL Winner: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
NL Winner: MEMPHIS SPIDERS (now Columbus)

Playoff Teams: (CAPS represents winner)
AL East: BALTIMORE ORIOLES and Norfolk Tides
AL Central: CLEVELAND NAPS (now Guardians)
AL West: HOUSTON ASTROS and Oakland Athletics
NL East: WASHINGTON NATIONALS and Pittsburgh Pirates (division alignment was a little strange)
NL Central: MEMPHIS SPIDERS and Cincinnati Reds
NL West: MEXICO CITY VAQUEROS

AL MVP: Marcus Ferrell, BAL
NL MVP: Mike Johnson, MEM
AL ROTY: Aaron Stambach, SEA
NL ROTY: Luis Cuesta, STL
AL Cy Young: Dusty Bowman, CLE
NL Cy Young: Jaden Lowe, MON
AL Reliever: Chris Greco, HOU
NL Reliever: Omar Lopez, CIN

2022:
AL Winner: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
NL Winner: PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Playoff Teams: (12 team playoffs now)
AL East: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
AL Central: CLEVELAND INDIANS (now Guardians), Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins
AL West: HOUSTON ASTROS
NL East: WASHINGTON NATIONALS
NL Central: PITTSBURGH PIRATES, Memphis Spiders, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cincinnati Reds
NL West: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

AL MVP: Buster Bigs, BAL
NL MVP: Young-lau Chuko, WSH
AL ROTY: Buster Bigs, BAL
NL ROTY: Kevin Milner, ARI
AL Cy Young: Tyler Boykin, BAL
NL Cy Young: Brendan Dall, WSH
AL Reliever: Chad Godfrey, TOR
NL Reliever: Isaiah Jordan, PIT

2023:
AL Winner: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
NL Winner: St. LOUIS CARDINALS

Playoff Teams:
AL East: BALTIMORE ORIOLES and Norfolk Tides
AL Central: MINNESOTA TWINS, Cleveland Guardians, and Chicago White Sox
AL West: SEATTLE MARINERS
NL East: WASHINGTON NATIONALS
NL Central: St. LOUIS CARDINALS, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Memphis Spiders
NL West: SAN DIEGO PADRES and Arizona Diamondbacks

AL MVP: Buster Bigs, BAL
NL MVP: Young-lau Chuko, WSH
AL ROTY: Larry Rodenbeck, CHA
NL ROTY: Chris Foskey, MEX
AL Cy Young: Tyler Boykin, BAL
NL Cy Young: David Gil, ARI
AL Reliever: Bobby Napoles, MIN
NL Reliever: Chris Greco, PIT

Top 20 Batters 2021-23 (BOLD denotes rookie player)
1. SS Buster Bigs, BAL
2. 1B Marcus Ferrell, BAL
3. 2B Bobby Carmona, BAL
4. 3B Preston Ballard, BAL
5. SS Joe Miller, BAL
6. LF Sam Newman, NYY
7. CF Mike Dunn, NOR
8. 3B Joe King, SEA
9. 3B Luis Cuesta, STL
10. LF Tyler Kirk, MIL
11. LF Young-lau Chuko, WSH
12. 2B Antonio Trujillo, CIN
13. 3B Ismael Mendoza, KC
14. 2B Mike McKinley, WSH
15. CF Tom Reinhardt, BAL
16. 1B Jeremy van Riper, ARI
17. 3B Bob Prince, CLE
18. 1B Rich Bonham, NYM
19. 1B Lorenzo Jaimes, LAD
20. 2B Hyun-hee Kim, STL

Top 20 Pitchers 2021-23
1. SP Tyler Boykin, BAL
2. SP Cesar Ramos, BAL
3. SP Victor Cervantes, BAL
4. CL Omar Lopez, CIN
5. SP Jaden Lowe, NOR
6. SP Michael Rodriquez, CHC
7. CL Dawson Miles (Retired due to injury)
8. SP Sal Lopez, BOS
9. SP Dave Lee, LAA
10. SP Josh Timmons, BAL
11. SP Antonio Paez, KC
12. SP Xavier DeMent, PIT
13. SP Ju-Wei Da, NYY
14. SP Brendan Dall, DET
15. SP Manuel Lopez, PIT
16. CL Alex Augustina, SEA
17. SP Edward Vorbeck, HOU
18. SP Franklin Suchil, MIA
19. RP Blake Miller, Free Agent
20. CL Jon Blunck, BOS


My Starting Lineup:
1. 3B Preston Ballard
2. 2B Bobby Carmona
3. SS Buster Bigs
4. 1B Marcus Ferrell
5. DH Joe Miller
6. LF Jonathan Allen
7. RF Scott Kinsey
8. CF Mike Hall
9. C Chris Throne

My Rotation:
1. Tyler Boykin
2. Cesar Ramos
3. Victor Cervantes
4. Ryan Yocum
5. Jeff Kelly

[SCO'sFan]

Meet the lads

[SCO'sFan]

Reflection: The Orioles' sweep of the Salt Lake Bees was marked by dominant pitching in all the contests. Tyler Boykin and Victor Cervantes both pitched back-to-back complete game shutouts, the first time ever accomplished in the MLB. The Orioles used no relievers in the entire series against the Bees, also a first-time accomplishment. Orioles starters compiled a collective ERA of 1.00 during the sweep. The Orioles improved to 30-1, setting a record for fewest number of games to reach 30 wins.

Game 1: BAL 4 - SLB 3
WP: Cesar Ramos (6-0)
LP: Danny Vargas (1-4)

BAL Player of the Game: Cesar Ramos (9.0 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
SLB Player of the Game: Sergio Osornio (5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)

Homers:
BAL: None
SLB: Jose Heredia (2), Johnny Farler (6)

Recap- Cesar Ramos's fine performance carried the Orioles to a win today, going the distance for a complete game to help out the Orioles' depleted bullpen. His only blip was the top of the 8th inning where he allowed back-to-back home runs to give Salt Lake the lead 3-2. Otherwise, he scattered 9 hits across nine innings, and his stuff looked sharp early on. The beginning of the game was rather quiet as both teams traded 0s in the first three innings. The first scoring occurred in the bottom of the fourth, where a Joe Miller triple sparked the offense for two runs. Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth, where the Orioles are down 3-4. A double and a single from Bobby Carmona and Tom Reinhardt put men on corners with no one out. The Jonathan Allen sacrifice fly in the next at bat tied the score at 3-3. Tom Reinhardt then got a rare steal of second base (just the 26th of his career), setting up the winning run as Chris Throne served up a bloop single for the walk-off. This was Chris Throne's second career walk-off hit.

Defensive Gem: Scott Kinsey preserved the ballgame for the O's, throwing out Bees CF Terry Dorantes at home in the 8th inning.

Game 2: BAL 11 - SLB 0
WP: Tyler Boykin (7-0)
LP: Nelson Quintero (2-5)

BAL Player of the Game: Tyler Boykin (9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
SLB Player of the Game: Terry Dorantes (2-4)

Homers:
BAL: Buster Bigs 2 (9), Marcus Ferrell (6), Joe Miller (8), Scott Kinsey (3)
SLB: None

Recap- The Orioles had many highlights in today's thrashing of the Salt Lake Bees, winning 11-0. Tyler Boykin gave the Orioles their second consecutive complete game, giving up five hits and striking out four in the process. Buster Bigs, Marcus Ferrell, Joe Miller, and Scott Kinsey chipped in with homers. Eight Orioles reached base. Buster Bigs swiped two bags to complement his two-homer performance.

Game 3: BAL 5 - SLB 0
WP: Victor Cervantes (3-0)
LP: Jeff Gabardi (0-1)

BAL Player of the Game: Victor Cervantes (9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
SLB Player of the Game: Frank Gunter (1-3, 2B)

Homers:
BAL: None
SLB: None

Recap- Victor Cervantes was stellar today as the Orioles won this contest against the Salt Lake Bees 5-0. Cervantes pitched a complete game shutout, allowing four hits and striking out five. However, it wasn't just Cervantes that gave the Orioles the win. A balanced attack by the hitters paved the way towards the Orioles' 30th win, led by Marcus Ferrell and Preston Ballard, who each had two hits apiece. All of the game's scoring occurred within the first three innings, with the highlight being Edgar Melendez's 2-run double in the bottom of the third. The Salt Lake Bees have not scored in 19 innings.

Transactions: No major transactions

Injury Report: Orioles usual starter at center field, Miguel Cervantes was recently placed on the 60-day injured list with a severe hip strain. He is anticipated to return sometime in August or September. Orioles bullpen mainstay John Pavel just began his rehab assignment for Triple A Irving, pitching one scoreless inning. He had been sidelined for the past 12 months with a torn flexor tendon. Here's to a hopefully smooth transition back into major league pitching!

Up next: The Orioles travel to Houston to play the Astros in Minute Maid Park. Houston has not been playing well recently, currently on a six game losing streak. They have a record of 13-20 and currently sit 4th in the AL West.


Miguel Cervantes


John Pavel

[SCO'sFan]

Reflection: The Orioles brought out the broomsticks once again, now sporting a record of 33-1. The Astros have now lost nine games in a row, setting a new record and falling to 13-23, their worst start through 36 games.

Game 1: BAL 16 - HOU 9
WP: Ismael Rodriquez (1-0)
LP: Ernesto Razo (2-4)

BAL Player of the Game: Marcus Ferrell (5-6, 4 runs, 7 RBI, 2B, 2 HR)
HOU Player of the Game: George Willerton (3-5, 2 runs, 4 RBI, HR)

Homers:
BAL: Joe Miller (9), Buster Bigs (10), Marcus Ferrell 2 (8), Bobby Carmona (9)
HOU: Steve Newell (1), George Willerton (4), Tyshawn Forman (4)

Recap- My oh my, what a game that was. It was completely action-packed as the Orioles came away with the victory, 16-9. The Orioles scored 16 runs off 18 hits, with Marcus Ferrell (5-6), Buster Bigs (3-5), and Chris Throne (3-4) providing much of the firepower. The Orioles banged eight extra base hits and eight players reached base once again. It seemed like the game would be unusual from the very beginning as Houston opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first by plating two runs off Baltimore errors. However, the Orioles answered very quickly, scoring fifteen runs in the third through fifth innings. Both starters left the game early, with Ernesto Razo getting chased and Ryan Yocum leaving due to injury (strained abdominal muscle). The Orioles struck out thirteen Astros in 8.1 innings of relief.

OFFENSIVE GEM: Marcus Ferrell had only his second 5-hit performance of his career, his first one coming in 2021 against the Montreal Expos.

Game 2: BAL 8 - HOU 2
WP: Jeff Kelly (5-0)
LP: Jake Lahti (0-4)

BAL Player of the Game: Marcus Ferrell (4-5, 3 runs, 2 2B)
HOU Player of the Game: Tyshawn Forman (2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR)

Homers:
BAL: Tom Reinhardt 2 (10), Buster Bigs (11)
HOU: Tyshawn Forman (5), Rob Ramirez (5)

Recap- The Orioles won against the Houston Astros today by a score of 8-2. Jeff Kelly pitched a fine effort today, throwing six innings of 2 run ball, allowing one walk and striking out two. His only blip was allowing two homers to Tyshawn Forman and Rob Ramirez in the second and fourth innings. The Orioles had a lot of firepower offensively, racking up 11 hits. Leading the way was Marcus Ferrell, who went 4-5 today and now has 15 hits in his last four games. Be on the lookout for a potential Player of the Week award for Ferrell. Tom Reinhardt also helped out the Orioles' cause with solo shots in the first and eighth innings.

Game 3: BAL 5 - HOU 4
WP: Luis Mata (1-0)
LP: Jayson McLean (1-2)
SV: Wilson Diaz (5)

BAL Player of the Game: Alexis Flores (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
HOU Player of the Game: Tyshawn Forman (2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR)

Homers:
BAL: Ruben Calvo (1)
HOU: Rob Ramirez (6), Tyshawn Forman (6), Kyle Featherstone (4)

Recap- The Orioles eked out a close win in the series finale against the Houston Astros today, winning 5-4. Late game heroics by Tom Reinhardt (RBI single to knock in Buster Bigs) broke a tie caused by two Astros homers. Wilson Diaz was credited with his fifth save of the year. The close win overshadows Alexis Flores' quality start, in which he threw six innings of two run ball with no walks allowed and five strikeouts. Marcus Ferrell and Chris Throne also performed well for the O's, with each having two hits.

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: Tyshawn Forman of the Astros hit a home run in each of the three games against the Orioles, which makes it a new personal record for his longest home run streak... Orioles reserve 2B Ruben Calvo hit his first major league home run in the 6th inning.

---

INJURY REPORT: SP Ryan Yocum left game one of the series after pitching only 0.2 innings. He has been diagnosed with a strained abdominal muscle and will be out for 4 weeks.

TRANSACTIONS: Ryan Yocum was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 10th, allowing John Pavel to return to the 26-man roster after nearly a year of absence.

UP NEXT: The Orioles have a three game homestand against the red hot Kansas City Royals. The Royals have a record of 24-12 and lead the AL Central.



Ryan Yocum and statistics.

[SCO'sFan]

When I last posted in this thread, I was in the midst of the 2024 Orioles MLB Season. I am now in the 2026 season, and I have also won the 2024 and 2025 World Series. None of the six original expansion teams have yet to reach the playoffs, so the league is still 36 teams large. However, the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers seem to have the best shot at success moving forward. Here's a recap of the last two seasons!

2024:
AL Winner: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
NL Winner: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Playoff Teams: (CAPS represents division winner)
AL East: BALTIMORE ORIOLES and Norfolk Tides
AL Central: MINNESOTA TWINS, Charlotte Knights, and Kansas City Royals
AL West: SEATTLE MARINERS
NL East: WASHINGTON NATIONALS, Montreal Expos, and New York Mets
NL Central: PITTSBURGH PIRATES and Cincinnati Reds
NL West: MEXICO CITY VAQUEROS

AL MVP: Buster Bigs, BAL
NL MVP: Young-lau Chuko, WSH
AL ROTY: Joel Hucke, TOR
NL ROTY: Clint Larson, COL
AL Cy Young: Tyler Boykin, BAL
NL Cy Young: Xavier DeMent, PIT
AL Reliever: Wilson Diaz, BAL
NL Reliever: Zhong-shu Chio, WSH

2025:
AL Winner: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
NL Winner: MONTREAL EXPOS

Playoff Teams:
AL East: BALTIMORE ORIOLES, Toronto Blue Jays, and Norfolk Tides
AL Central: MINNESOTA TWINS
AL West: SEATTLE MARINERS and Oakland Athletics
NL East: NEW YORK METS, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals
NL Central: COLUMBUS SEA LIONS
NL West: SAN DIEGO PADRES

AL MVP: Buster Bigs, BAL
NL MVP: T.J. Goldstein, MON
AL ROTY: Shigeyuki Ota, SLB (Salt Lake Bees)
NL ROTY: Steven Munoz, COL
AL Cy Young: Tyler Boykin, BAL
NL Cy Young: Mike Hearnsberger, NYM
AL Reliever: Juan Gonzalez, SEA
NL Reliever: Kyle Wolfrum, MON

Top 20 Batters 2026 (BOLD denotes rookie)
1. SS Buster Bigs, BAL
2. 2B Bobby Carmona, BAL
3. 3B Preston Ballard, BAL
4. 1B Marcus Ferrell, BAL
5. CF Mike Dunn, NOR
6. LF Young-lau Chuko, WSH
7. 2B Joel Hucke, TOR
8. 2B Hyun-hee Kim, CLS (Columbus Sea Lions)
9. 2B Mike McKinley, WSH
10. 1B Rich Bonham, NYM
11. 1B Sam Newman, NYY
12. RF Jesus Hernandez, SEA
13. 3B Keith Broadbent, NYY
14. 2B Joe Miller, TEX (Former Oriole, left after 2025)
15. CF Jeremy Anderson, NYM
16. 3B Joe King, MIN
17. DH Tom Reinhardt, BAL
18. CF Carlos Marques, BOS
19. SS Nate Burkart, STL
20. LF Justin Miller, SD

Top 20 Pitchers 2026
1. SP Victor Cervantes, BAL
2. SP Tyler Boykin, BAL
3. SP Cesar Ramos, BAL
4. SP Jaden Lowe, NOR (Norfolk Tides)
5. SP Franklin Suchil, MIA
6. SP Biggie Cheese, TOR
7. SP Antonio Paez, KC
8. SP Dave Lee, LAA
9. SP Edwin Garcia, COL
10. SP Josh Timmons, BAL
11. SP Mike Freeland, NOR
12. SP Justin Curry, STL
13. SP Brendan Dall, DET
14. SP Michael Rodriquez, CHC
15. CL Wilson Diaz, BAL
16. SP Ricky Mendia, CHA
17. RP Omar Lopez, LAD
18. SP Xavier DeMent, PIT
19. CL Juan Gonzalez, SEA
20. SP Go Inouye, NOR

My Starting Lineup (Opening Day, 2025)
C: Chris Throne
1B: Marcus Ferrell
2B: Bobby Carmona
3B: Preston Ballard
SS: Buster Bigs
LF: Jonathan Allen
CF: Mike Hall
RF: Scott Kinsey
DH: Tom Reinhardt

My Rotation (2025, by most games started)
1. Tyler Boykin
2. Cesar Ramos
3. John Pavel
4. Ryan Graham
5. Victor Cervantes

My Starting Lineup (Opening Day, 2026)
C: Chris Throne
1B: David Moreno
2B: Bobby Carmona
3B: Preston Ballard
SS: Buster Bigs
LF: Jonathan Allen
CF: Mike Hall
RF: Marcus Ferrell
DH: Tom Reinhardt

My Rotation (Current: 5/20/26)
1. Tyler Boykin
2. Cesar Ramos
3. Victor Cervantes
4. Stephen Hammell
5. Ryan Graham

[SCO'sFan]

Each player, from top row to bottom row (right to left):

Mike Hall- Center Field. Hall was drafted by the Orioles in 2022 from Indiana University- Bloomington with the 31st overall pick. He was born in Rome, Georgia. He's the Orioles primary starter at center field with plus speed and plus contact abilities. Overall, he's hit .272 with 38 homers and 74 stolen bases through parts of four seasons with Baltimore.

Mike Smalley- Relief Pitcher. Mike Smalley was acquired in a free agent signing after pitching for the Detroit Tigers. He's from North Kensington, Maryland. He has amazing strikeout abilities to go along with good command and high stamina. Solid setup option if not closer. Throughout his career, he has averaged an ERA of 1.61 with 20 saves and a K/9 ratio of 12.9 through six seasons with Detroit and Baltimore.

Tyler Boykin- Starting Pitcher. Boykin has unquestionably been the best pitcher in the major leagues. His age is catching up to him a little bit (35), but he still has sharp stuff and pinpoint control. Stamina and hold runner ratings are high. He's from Austin, Texas. Over the course of his career, he's recorded an ERA of 2.25 with a 139-3 record with Baltimore. He also has a career WAR of 42.2 across just six seasons, so he will likely make the Hall of Fame when he retires. He has five All-Star appearances and has won the last four Cy Young awards.

Cesar Ramos- Starting Pitcher. Ramos can be the ace on any baseball team. He hails from San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic. He has very similar statistics to Tyler Boykin and in fact has only seven more career strikeouts than him. Overall, he has averaged a 2.91 ERA with a 131-8 record with Baltimore. He has three All-Star appearances.

Victor Cervantes- Starting Pitcher. Cervantes is the third pitcher of the "Big Three", born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. As of now, he is rated the best pitcher in the MLB, though his 2025 campaign was overshadowed by injuries. Throughout his career he has a 2.93 ERA and a record of 112-7 record with Baltimore. He also has four All-Star appearances.

Wilson Diaz- Closer. The final player on the first row is Wilson Diaz, from Turmero, Venezuela. He is rated as the best closer in the game with exceptional strikeout, command, control, and stamina. He has a career 177 saves with a 2.16 ERA and an average K/9 of 12.7. All six of his seasons have been with the Orioles. He has not appeared in an All-Star game, but won the 2024 Reliever of the Year Award.

I will post the next row in another thread.

[SCO'sFan]

Here's the next few players's descriptions on my team:

Isaiah Jordan- Relief Pitcher. Jordan joined the Orioles after the 2022 season after we signed him from the Pittsburgh Pirates. His hometown is Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, which is fitting, because Jordan is also a super-athlete. He won the Reliever of the Year Award with Pittsburgh in 2022, becoming the first and only non-closer to win the award. Throughout his career with the Phillies, Pirates and Orioles, Jordan has accumulated an ERA of 2.04 along with a K/9 rate of 14.2. He has only nine total saves.

John Pavel- Relief Pitcher. He's a valuable left hand bullpen piece. Born in Akron, OH. His greatest attribute is his control-- he doesn't walk a lot of batters. He was primarily a starter in 2025, but still starts occasionally when I face teams with a lot of lefties. Throughout his career with the Orioles (only team he's been on), he has an ERA of 3.18, a win loss record of 39-6 across 162 games (45 starts), and an average K/9 of 6.4. He hasn't been doing too well this season, so I may trade him.

Julio Aleman- Relief Pitcher. Aleman is a reliable mainstay in the Orioles bullpen. He's one of the few pitchers left in my original 2021 World Series team. He's mainly been a setup man, but since 2025 he's taken on a long relief/follower role. He was born in Cancun, Mexico. His career has been entirely with the Orioles, and his stats highlights are as follows: 2.36 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 13 saves, and a 30-8 W-L record.

Luis Mata- Relief Pitcher. This name may be unfamiliar. I signed Mata as an international free agent before the 2024 season, and he's mainly been my setup man. He's a strikeout machine who induces a lot of groundballs, so he's pretty reliable. He was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Throughout three years with the Orioles, he has accumulated a 2.15 ERA, a K/9 of 13.1, and a W-L record of 11-3.

Ryan Hildreth- First Base. He's a rookie this year in 2026, and I acquired him in a trade with the New York Mets by shipping reliever Alex Velasquez away. He's from Austin, TX. Drafted in the 2nd round out of Virginia Tech by the Mets. He hasn't played much for the Orioles, but in his small sample size he's been impressive, batting .276 with 10 home runs in 36 games. He doesn't steal many bases.

The next row will be posted soon.

[SCO'sFan]

Here is a summation of everything that has happened for the Orioles since 2024, the first time I introduced this team.

Some of the names you see mentioned above in game recaps are no longer with the team. Let's highlight them:

Cesar Ramos is still with the team.

Joe Miller tragically left the Orioles in free agency after the 2025 season, after he had missed the final two months of his contract year to a sprained ankle. He was started to show signs of aging regression in 2025, which is why we let him walk. However, he is still doing fine with the Texas Rangers, batting .335. He is 35 years old.

The Orioles signed utility man Luis Landa out of Cuba to fill in as Miller's replacement, he is currently on the 10-day injured list due to a bruised forearm. He is projected to be a 4-star ballplayer.

Bobby Carmona, Tom Reinhardt, and Jonathan Allen are all still with the team.

Chris Throne is still with the team.

Scott Kinsey enjoyed a great year in 2025 with the Orioles, batting .244 with 20 home runs and 90 RBI with great defensive value. Unfortunately, the signing of Luis Landa, who can play all outfield spots, meant that his playing time would be limited. He was traded to the Charlotte Knights just before Opening Day, along with minor leaguers SS Brad Clark, RP Matt Roth, and RF Josh Allen, in exchange for CL Mike Harmon, 3B Lee Lowe, and SP Jim Draper. Mike Harmon, who was the biggest name, unfortunately suffered a career-ending injury two months in (torn UCL). Lowe and Draper are currently in Short Season A Lubbock.

Buster Bigs and Marcus Ferrell are still with the team.

Tyler Boykin and Victor Cervantes are still with the team.

Preston Ballard is still with the team.

Edgar Melendez is still with the team, though he is expected to retire at the end of this year. He is hitting .232 as a 40-year old.

Miguel Cervantes signed with the Oakland Athletics after the 2024 season, where is doing OK. We let him walk because although he has lots of power and great speed, he is too injury-prone. Also, the emergence of young CF Mike Hall would have created a logjam in the outfield.

John Pavel is still with the team.

Ismael Rodriquez is no longer in the major leagues. He retired after the 2025 season. He did put up solid numbers with the Orioles across parts of three seasons, however, recording an ERA of 2.68 (2.46 career) with a K/9 of 9.4. In his total career, he appeared in 187 games (1 start) with a win loss record of 17-3, 259 strikeouts, and a WAR of 3.6. He was released by the Baltimore Orioles organization following a spring training outing where he allowed five runs without recording an out.

Ryan Yocum is currently a starter for the Chicago White Sox after he was claimed off waivers just before the 2026 season. He spent a lot of time shuttling between Baltimore and Triple AAA during his time with the organization. In total, his numbers with Baltimore: 53 games (16 starts), 14-3 (W-L), 3.56 ERA, 93 K's in 124 IP, 1.9 WAR.

Jeff Kelly is currently a starter for the Cleveland Guardians after he was claimed off waivers in August 2024. He's been mediocre at best. 4.75 ERA with Baltimore in 31 games (10 starts), 9-1 (W-L), 63 K's in 89 IP, 0.3 WAR.

Luis Mata is still on the team.

Alexis Flores is no longer on the team. He was traded to the Miami Marlins in May of 2025 after struggling as a starter. The trade also included minor-leaguers RF Carlos Acosta, SS Jay Burall, and SP Ruben Gonzalez. Baltimore received RF Freddie Gillespie and RP Pat Frye. Gillespie and Frye are both in AAA Irving. Throughout his career with Baltimore, Alexis Flores accumulated a 3.46 ERA, 47-8 (W-L), 303 K's in 484 IP, 7.7 WAR. His best season was in 2023, when he received an all-star bid.

Ruben Calvo was traded to the Columbus Sea Lions in 2026, along with Chad Scheneman. Both players were overgrown prospects in need of a scenery change. Baltimore received RP Emmanuel Juarez and RP Eric Fairley. Juarez is in AAA Irving while Fairley is in Short Season A Lubbock. Calvo's Baltimore stats: .193/.302/.603, 1 HR, 9 RBI 12/18 (BB/K), 5 stolen bases, 37 games (18 starts).

Wilson Diaz is still with the team.

[SCO'sFan]

Lots has happened since I last posted.

In short, my game crashed in the middle of the 2026 season, and I had not backed it up since before the 2025 season, so a lot of different history has occurred. I'll fill you in on what's happened with each player based on the TOP picture (I'm now in the middle of the 2028 season with a record of 94-5).

Cesar Ramos is still with the team. He missed all of 2027 due to injury, but is back and is pitching well again.

Tyler Boykin is still with the team, though he is currently on the 60-day IL with a torn UCL.

Ryan Yocum was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2027 season. He's struggled since then, now just regarded as a 1.5 star reliever in Single A. Stats with the Orioles: 11-1 record in 30 games (13 starts), 89.0 IP with a 2.33 ERA and 1.5 WAR. 53 strikeouts in 89 IP. The trade that sent Ryan Yocum (and reliever Victor Garcia) to Cincinnati also gave the Orioles Ryan Fullmer, who is a rookie now in 2028).

Wilson Diaz is still with the team. Won the Cy Young award in 2027 after being converted to a starter.

Ismael Rodriquez retired from baseball after the 25 season, at the age of 35.

Julio Aleman is still with the team.

Mike Hall and Mike Smalley are still with the team.

Joe Miller is still with the team. In the save that corrupted, he left for the Texas Rangers in free agency after the 2025 season, but he is still doing fine for Baltimore at the age of 37.

Mark Atkinson was traded to the Oakland Athletics during the 2026 season. His stats with the Orioles, 168 games, .222/.318/.670, 14 HR, 70 RBI. The trade that sent Atkinson (as well as reliever Eddie Degree) to the Athletics gave the Orioles RP Sam Hurst, who has since been traded (along with 1B Zachary Bloom) to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for RP Matt Gies and a 7th round draft pick in 2029.

Mike Chapman is retired.

Luis Mata, Victor Cervantes, and Buster Bigs are still on the team. Cervantes also missed the 2027 season with an injury, but is pitching fine for Baltimore this year.

Ruben Calvo was released by the Orioles in the 2026 season after being released by the Cleveland Guardians after the Rule 5 Draft. Calvo is now in AAA in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. His Orioles statistics: 36 games, .237/.375/.748, 1 HR, 11 RBI.

Bobby Carmona is still with the team. He is 39 years old.

Preston Ballard and Marcus Ferrell are still with the team.

Tom Reinhardt signed with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 2025 season and is still playing well. He enjoyed an 8.6 WAR season his first year in Toronto. His Orioles statistics: 712 games, .301/.377/.917, 176 HR, 689 RBI, 25.8 WAR.

Scott Kinsey and Chris Throne are still on the team. Kinsey was traded to Charlotte in the other sim, but remains with Baltimore here.

Isaiah Jordan is now on the Seattle Mariners after being traded from Baltimore in 2026. The Orioles received RP Bill Thone in returned, and he has subsequently been traded to the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles received RP Alex Armendariz in THAT trade, and HE has subsequently been drafted in an expansion draft (we'll get to that later).

Jeff Kelly is now in the New York Mets organization, pitching for their AAA team.

Alexis Flores is now pitching in the minor leagues. He is 37.

Edgar Melendez retired after the 2027 season. Prospect Ross Hodgson (23 years old) has been playing in his place this season.

Jonathan Allen is still with the team.



There will be more updates below...

[SCO'sFan]

As I said before, I would expand the league once one of the original expansion teams from 2022 reached the playoffs, and that happened in 2027 (Congratulations to the Miami Marlins!)

The league now has 40 teams, and the new teams are:

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Nashville Sounds
New Orleans Baby Cakes
Portland (OR) Sea Dogs

This expansion also resulted in division realignment, where there are now eight divisions of five teams each.

AL East
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Guardians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins

AL West
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

AL South
Charlotte Knights
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
New Orleans Baby Cakes
Norfolk Tides
Salt Lake Bees

NL East
Columbus Sea Lions
Montreal Expos
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals

NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

NL South
Atlanta Braves
Mexico City Vaqueros
Miami Marlins
Nashville Sounds
Portland Sea Dogs

History of the MLB up until the current season will follow this post.

The division winners and two wild card teams from each league make the playoffs, adding up to twelve total playoff teams.

[SCO'sFan]

Here's what happened in 2025.

Playoff Seeding

AL

1. Baltimore Orioles (157-5)
2. Seattle Mariners (102-60)
3. Minnesota Twins (91-71)
4. Toronto Blue Jays (95-67)
5. Charlotte Knights (87-75)
6. Chicago White Sox (79-83)

NL
1. Montreal Expos (94-68)
2. San Diego Padres (92-70)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (92-70)
4. New York Mets (88-74)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (88-74)
6. Washington Nationals (88-75)


The Top 5 draft picks for the 2026 would belong to:
1. Cleveland Guardians
2. Texas Rangers
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Houston Astros
5. San Francisco Giants

AL Wild Card: Knights > Blue Jays, Twins > White Sox
NL Wild Card: Mets > Phillies, Nationals > Cardinals

AL Divisional: Orioles > Knights, Twins > Mariners
NL Divisional: Expos > Mets, Padres > Nationals

AL Pennant: Orioles > Twins
NL Pennant: Expos > Padres

World Series: Orioles > Expos

The Orioles drafted Alvaro Gonzalez in the first round of the 2025 draft.

Awards:

AL
MVP: Buster Bigs (BAL)
Cy Young: Tyler Boykin (BAL)
Rookie: Jorge Vidal (NOR)
Reliever: Juan Gonzalez (SEA)

NL
MVP: Ross Lamb (PIT)
Cy Young: Andy Drummond (PHI)
Rookie: Seth Gilliam (LAD)
Reliever: Chris Greco (PIT)

[SCO'sFan]

Here's what happened in 2026.

Playoff Seeding

AL

1. Baltimore Orioles (157-5)
2. Chicago White Sox (92-70)
3. Seattle Mariners (89-73)
4. Toronto Blue Jays (98-64)
5. Charlotte Knights (87-75)
6. Oakland Athletics (87-75)

NL

1. St. Louis Cardinals (99-63)
2. Washington Nationals (93-69)
3. San Diego Padres (91-71)
4. Columbus Sea Lions (95-67)
5. Montreal Expos (92-70)
6. New York Mets (90-72)


The Top 5 picks in the 2027 draft would belong to:
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Cleveland Guardians

The Top 5 picks in the 2026 draft were
1. Justin Russell (CLE)
2. Paul Lander (BAL)
3. Ernie Hampton (MIL)
4. Aaron Higgins (HOU)
5. Chris Wilson (SF)

AL Wild Card: Blue Jays > Knights, Athletics > Mariners
NL Wild Card: Sea Lions > Expos, Mets > Padres

AL Divisional: Orioles > Blue Jays, Athletics > White Sox
NL Divisional: Sea Lions > Cardinals, Nationals > Mets

AL Pennant: Orioles > Athletics
NL Pennant: Sea Lions > Nationals

World Series: Orioles > Sea Lions

The Orioles drafted Paul Lander and Michael Flack in the first round of the 2026 draft. The Orioles traded a bunch of prospects and regulars that were becoming overgrown, including 3B Josh Allen, 1B Dave Haughn, RP Mike Bustillos, RF Nate Fidler, and RP Alex Velasquez, to Texas in order to obtain the second overall pick.


Awards

AL
MVP: Buster Bigs (BAL)
Cy Young: Cesar Ramos (BAL)
Rookie: Hideyori Yamauchi (BAL)
Reliever: Matthew Salter (OAK)

NL
MVP: Danny Gomer (SD)
Cy Young: Justin Curry (STL)
Rookie: David Edwards (WSH)
Reliever: Omar Lopez (NYM)

[SCO'sFan]

Here's what happened in 2027.

Playoff Seeding

AL
1. Baltimore Orioles (157-5)
2. Houston Astros (89-73)
3. Chicago White Sox (87-75)
4. Toronto Blue Jays (87-75)
5. Detroit Tigers (85-77)
6. Charlotte Knights (85-78)

NL
1. San Diego Padres (101-61)
2. Montreal Expos (101-61)
3. Columbus Sea Lions (92-70)
4. Miami Marlins (94-68)
5. New York Mets (86-77)
6. St. Louis Cardinals (86-77)


The Top 5 picks in the 2028 draft would belong to:
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Boston Red Sox (Comp)
5. Cleveland Guardians

The Top 5 picks in the 2027 draft were:
1. Armando Estrada (TB)
2. Pat Finch (MIL)
3. Jim Cote (BOS, did not sign)
4. Angel Medrano (ATL)
5. Karl Thornton (CLE)

AL Wild Card: Blue Jays > Tigers, White Sox > Knights
NL Wild Card: Mets > Marlins, Sea Lions > Cardinals

AL Divisional: Orioles > Blue Jays, Astros > White Sox
NL Divisional: Mets > Padres, Expos > Sea Lions

AL Pennant: Orioles > Astros
NL Pennant: Mets > Expos

World Series: Orioles > Mets

The Orioles drafted Gabe Berwick in the first round of the 2027 draft.


Awards
AL
MVP: Buster Bigs (BAL)
Cy Young: Wilson Diaz (BAL)
Rookie: Mike Atherton (NYY)
Reliever: Chad McGuire (HOU)

NL
MVP: Gabe Day (MON)
Cy Young: John Menninger (MIA)
Rookie: Rogelio Torres (NYM)
Reliever: Omar Lopez (NYM)


Three players were inducted to the Hall of Fame, they were:
1B Zach Bacon (NYM)
3B Allen Hoffman (PIT)
3B Patrick Frost (SF)

[SCO'sFan]

Now that we're all caught up, let's recap some.

It's July 18, 2028, which means both the draft and the All Star Game have already occurred.

The first five draft picks:
1. Mike Taylor (BOS)
2. Dillon Christian (ATL)
3. Aaron Cooper (CIN)
4. Josh White (BOS)
5. Caleb McCaulley (CLE)

The Orioles drafted SP Kyle Carey, CF Jonathan Hall, and RF Lino Presas in the first round of the 2028 draft.

The Orioles also sent 12 players to represent the AL in the All Star Game:
SP Ken Bishop
SP Victor Cervantes
SP Cesar Ramos
C Chris Throne
1B Marcus Ferrell
1B David Moreno
2B Bobby Carmona
2B Joe Miller
3B Preston Ballard
SS Buster Bigs
RF Scott Kinsey
DH Hideyori Yamauchi

Who are some of these guys?
- SP Ken Bishop came to Baltimore in 2025 when we traded reliever Marco Perez to Pittsburgh. Baltimore also received Scott Lacy in the trade.
- 1B David Moreno was a scouting discovery in 2021, and finally made his first All Star Game after playing parts of four seasons. He is 23.
- DH Hideyori Yamauchi came to Baltimore before the 2026 season as an Intl FA. He was signed to be a replacment for the departing Tom Reinhardt.

AL All Star Starters
SP Ken Bishop
C Chris Throne
1B Marcus Ferrell
2B Bobby Carmona
3B Preston Ballard
SS Buster Bigs
LF Steve Swiger (DET)
CF Hideyori Yamauchi
RF Scott Kinsey
DH Rogelio Vasquez (HOU)

NL All Star Starters
SP John Menninger (MIA)
C Jesus Sais (LAD)
1B Jeremy Kammer (SF)
2B Cody Anderson (LAD)
3B Danny Gomer (SD)
SS Barry Brown (CHC)
LF Mario Schreck (ARI)
CF Tony Coronado (CIN)
RF Rogelio Torres (NYM)
DH Marvin Pearson (STL)

The Top 10 Prospects in the MLB are:
1. RHP Willie Ruiz (BAL, Scouting Discovery)
2. 1B Justin Galdamez (BAL, 2nd round 2027 draft)
3. SS Nazario Bussoti (BOS, Scouting Discovery)
4. C Andy Trevino (CHC, Intl FA Signing)
5. 3B Jose Martinez (BAL, Intl FA Signing)
6. 2B Dillon Christian (ATL, 1st round 2028 draft)
7. LHP Paul Lander (BAL, 1st round 2026 draft)
8. RHP David Valeriano (OAK, Scouting Discovery)
9. CF Mike Taylor (BOS, 1st round 2028 draft)
10. LF Emeric Toldo (BAL, Intl FA Signing)

[SCO'sFan]

There are still some players you may not be familiar with on the Orioles roster. They are:

- RP Ryan Fullmer. Trade from Cincinnati 2027.
- RP Matt Gies. Trade from San Francisco 2028.
- SP Zach Umstead. Zach "Big Z" Umstead was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2024 and was supposed to be a big-time prospect. However, he decided to leave baseball for football. I didn't necessarily like that move, so I unretired him and waited a few months for a team to sign him. No one did, so now he's pitching for Baltimore, though he isn't as hyped up as he originally was.
- RP Brian Franklin. 2024 draft pick, 31st round.
- RP Jose Herrera. Trade from Los Angeles (Angels) in 2025.
- SP John Hocutt. 2024 draft pick, 1st round.
- RP James Rusnak. Trade from Columbus 2025. Currently injured.
- C David Taylor. Minor League FA Signing in 2027. Rookie.
- LF Ross Hodgson. 2024 draft pick, 7th round.

[SCO'sFan]

We began our series with the 4th ranked Charlotte Knights, who sport a record of 60-39.

Orioles mash a few homers to beat Charlotte 8-1.

WP: Victor Cervantes (18-0)
LP: Ken Crawford (7-7)

BAL Player of the Game: Buster Bigs (3-4, 3 runs, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
CHA Player of the Game: Ken Crawford (5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 10 K)

Homers:
BAL: Buster Bigs 2 (37), Scott Kinsey (22)
CHA: None

Record: 95-5

Injury Report: Preston Ballard left the game in the third inning while running the bases. He has been diagnosed with knee tendinitis.

[SCO'sFan]

3B Preston Ballard has been placed on the 10-day injured list. While his knee tendinitis only takes about 5 days to recover, he could use the rest while he heals. He will likely only stay the minimum time on the IL and won't need to go on a rehab assignment.

SS Alvaro Gonzalez (3.5, 3.5) has been recalled from AAA Irving to take Ballard's place.

In other news, SP Joe Schwei (3.0, 3.0) has been traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Norfolk Tides. Schwei had spent all eight years with the Pirates thus far, compiling a record of 74-75 in 241 starts, an ERA of 3.55, and a WAR of 29.9. This is a heartbreaking trade for Pittsburgh, who has been reeling for a few years now. Schwei was part of Pittsburgh's "Fearsome Four" consisting of him, 2024 Cy Young Winner Xavier DeMent (3.0, 3.0), Manuel Lopez (3.0, 3.0), and Wil Martinez (2.5, 2.5). Martinez is now the only pitcher of the group left on the Pirates.

[SCO'sFan]

A nice pitchers duel occurred vs the Knights, with the Orioles coming out on top, 3-1.

WP: Ken Bishop (16-0)
LP: Gabe Avila (9-7)
SV: Wilson Diaz (21)

BAL Player of the Game: Ken Bishop (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
CHA Player of the Game: Larry Rodenbeck (2-4, 1 RBI)

Homers:
BAL: Marcus Ferrell (22)
CHA: None

Record: 96-5

Injury Report: Baltimore 2B Joe Miller (4.5, 4.5) left the game in the 4th inning while running the bases. He has been diagnosed with a strained rib cage muscle and is considered day to day for two weeks.

[SCO'sFan]

A multitude of home runs proved too much for Charlotte as the Orioles prevailed, 18-4.

WP: Cesar Ramos (17-0)
LP: Ricky Mendia (8-10)

BAL Player of the Game: Scott Kinsey (3-4, 5 R, 4 RBI, HR)
CHA Player of the Game: Mike Johnson (2-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR)

Homers:
BAL: Mike Hall (10), Buster Big (38), Scott Kinsey (23)
CHA: Mike Johnson (26), Larry Rodenbeck (14)

Record: 97-5

Up next: The Orioles have a three game stand at home versus the Texas Rangers, who have a record of 40-62 and are 5th in their division.