Using OOTP 21 for Miami Marlins 2020 Season Simulation

During this COVID-19 assisted work stoppage, there aren’t any live games to watch.

I’m simulating a season using the Beta version of OOTP 21, with automated management and general management. The first week of the simulated season would see the Miami Marlins get swept at home against the Philadelphia Phillies then take two-of-three from the Washington Nationals.

March 26th

Phillies 6, Marlins 5

Garrett Cooper was three for five with a double and two RBI. Brian Anderson was two-for-four with a walk and two runs scored. Jorge Alfaro went two-for-three with two RBI. Pablo Lopez whiffed six in five innings, and left with a 3-2 lead. Two of the strikeouts were J.T. Realmuto, who finished with three strikeouts in the game.

Trevor Rogers pitched the sixth and surrendered three runs on four hits to allow the Phillies to tie the game, and was awarded the first blown save of the year. Ryne Stanek surrendered a run in the seventh and took the loss. Jesus Aguilar and Jon Berti combined to go 0-for-10 with four strikeouts. Bryce Harper went four-for-four with two doubles, two runs, a walk, and an RBI.

March 27th

Phillies 5, Marlins 2

Garrett Cooper hit Miami’s first home run of the season in the bottom of the second inning, going two-for-four to raise his average to .556 for the season. Jon Berti went three-for-four, and Matt Joyce hit a pinch-hit, RBI-single in the eighth inning.

Caleb Smith whiffed eight in only five frames, and surrendered only one earned run. Unfortunately, he gave up two in total, on six hits and a pair of walks to take the loss. Tommy Eveld and Dylan Lee also allowed a run each in their respective appearances.

Postgame Transaction

Daniel Stumpf was called up from the Wichita Wind Surge, and Elieser Hernandez was sent down prior to appearing in a game thus far. Stumpf spent the last three seasons mostly at the major league level with the Detroit Tigers, and has a 4.66 ERA in 110 career innings at the top level. He’s struck out 100 and walked 48 while giving up a 1.57 WHIP.

March 28th

Phillies 3, Marlins 1

Miguel Rojas scored the only Marlins run of the game on a passed ball in the seventh inning. He was the only Marlins player to finish with a multi-hit game, going two-for-four. Tommy Eveld pitched two perfect innings, relieving starter Jordan Yamamoto in the sixth and finishing with one strikeout. Giovanni Soto, recently acquired via free agency, whiffed two in 1 2/3 innings. Isan Diaz had a pinch-hit double late in the affair.

Yamamoto surrendered all three runs on six hits and three walks in five frames for an in-game WHIP of 1.800. Harold Ramirez, Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, and Brian Anderson each went one-for-four. Jon Berti, Jonathan Villar, Corey Dickerson, Matt Kemp, & Jesus Aguilar combined to go 0-for-13 with five strikeouts.

Postgame Transaction

Dylan Lee replaced Tommy Eveld on the roster, as the two switched places between Wichita and Miami.

March 29th

Phillies 3, Marlins 1

The Phillies complete the sweep behind Nick Pivetta‘s eight shutout innings. Sandy Alcantara took the loss, giving up all three runs on six hits and three walks in five innings, an identical stat line to Yamamoto’s on the day prior. Garrett Cooper went deep to ruin the shutout with two outs in the ninth inning, raising his average to .529 by going three-for-four in the game. Trevor Rogers struck out one and walked one in two hitless innings.

Postgame Transaction

Elieser Hernandez and Harold Ramirez were sent down to Wichita for Jake Smolinski and Tommy Eveld.

March 30th

Marlins 10, Nationals 5

The Marlins finally came through in the win column, downing the defending World Series Champion Washington Nationals, 10-5. Brian Anderson collected six RBI, going three-for-five with a double and a homer. Jesus Aguilar had a single and a double, Jon Berti collected a pair of singles, and Jose Urena went one-for-one from the plate while throwing five shutout two-hit innings, striking out three.

Postgame Transaction

You’re not going to believe this, but the Marlins called up now-31-year-old Matt Harvey from the Wind Surge in place of Dylan Lee. Yes, that Matt Harvey.

March 31st

Marlins 4, Nationals 2

Pablo Lopez struck out eight and gave up two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings for his first win of the year. Newly anointed closer Drew Steckenrider got his first opportunity of the season, and converted by striking out two and keeping the Nationals off the board. Matt Joyce went deep for he first time this year, and Garrett Cooper again collected multiple hits, going three-for-four. In his first six games of 2020, Cooper has multiple hits in four of them, starting his season 13-for-26 with two homers.

Postgame Transaction

Management called up Dylan Lee in place of Jordan Yamamoto.

More from Marlins News

• Why didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?
• Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offer
• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win
• Miami Marlins can’t afford to botch this trade

April 1st

Nationals 4, Marlins 3, 12 innings

The Marlins dropped their first extra-inning affair of the season to the Nats when Trea Turner hit an RBI-single off new Marlins pitcher Giovanni Soto in the 12th inning.

Garrett Cooper hit a ninth inning home run, and Jorge Alfaro followed with a run-scoring single to tie it at three and send it to extra innings.

Caleb Smith surrendered a home run to Howie Kendrick, allowing three earned runs in total off four hits and a walk over six innings, along with six strikeouts. Alfaro, Jonathan Villar, and Corey Dickerson finished with two hits each. In something slightly out of character for Villar, he’s been successful on zero-of-four stolen base attempts through the first week of the season.

The Marlins will take tomorrow, April 2nd, off. They’ll then open their first road series of the season the following day, April 3rd versus the Atlanta Braves. They’ll then follow their three game set in Atlanta with three more against the Nationals, but this time in Washington D.C. Look for all of the results tomorrow about this time, and thanks for reading.

I know it’s not real, but it’s all we have. It’s all a lot of us have. I know some prefer MLB The Show, but OOTP has always been “my jam.” What do you prefer? Thanks for reading.