Are you excited for the release of MLB The Show 25? Maybe you don’t want to play online against that trash-talking eleven year old that can probably kick your ass in the game? Perhaps you’re like me and want to fantasize about being the General Manager of your favorite franchises, rebuilding a team, or taking young talent to the next level to take down the evil Yankees or the powerhouse Dodgers! The dream is to bring the ultimate underdog to a World Series Championship. You could be like me, sitting there for an hour trying to figure out what team to start your journey with. Here are five teams that could be fun rebuilds; some may be quicker than others.
photo credit: Daddydimmutv
Teams To Rebuild in The Show 25
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The Blue Jays could be the team with the most storylines and/or drama this upcoming season. Toronto not only plays in the brutal American League East division but may also have some big names leaving for free agency in the offseason. This team has a ton of talent, but how realistic do you want to make your franchise? Do you try to resign Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero to long-term deals? Or are you sellers at the deadline trading the two young superstars to help jump-start the rebuild? You could get a lot in return, sending them to contenders. The Jays also signed future Hall of Fame Pitcher Max Scherzer to a one-year deal. Do you keep Scherzer for possibly his last season or do you trade him at the deadline as well?
THE ATHLETICS
The Athletics are on their slow road trip to their new home in Las Vegas, with a pit stop in Sacramento. How fun would it be to rebrand the team as the Las Vegas Athletics or come up with some other goofy name? There are hundreds of Vegas-related nicknames you could use! Additionally, you can realistically utilize one of the game’s newer features with the Stadium Creator.
You can build your dream stadium on the strip or download the one from the community that just feels right for your franchise. The Athletics have a young core of players, including Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom, alongside Brent Rooker to build around. The shocking signing of Luis Severino may be an indication of a new era of Athletics baseball, where the team could spend money with Sin City as its future.
MIAMI MARLINS
Speaking of young, unproven talent, the Miami Marlins could be the perfect team to take to the next level. You could build around three young pitchers with some serious potential. You could treat Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, and Ryan Weathers as the modern-day Zito, Hudson, and Mulder of the Moneyball Athletics. Add a bat or two to the lineup to complement the core of Connor Norby, Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez, and Griffin Conine. A team with strong pitching and speed could take Major League Baseball by storm by adding a couple of key pieces.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
What the heck do you do with the Los Angeles Angels? Does Mike Trout finally have enough around him to make his second playoff appearance? Do you trade the all-time franchise leader in Home Runs to a contender for multiple pieces? Or do you continue to try to bring success around the aging future Hall of Famer? The Angels have a few nice players around Trout, including Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Jo Adell, and Taylor Ward. Do you try to become an instant contender by bringing in Vlad Guerrero or Justin Tucker in the offseason? Maybe you blow it all up and start over with the young guys! There are so many possibilities with this team!
Final Thoughts
Again, this article is for those who may not want to throw their controller if a 14-year-old kid is talking smack to you online. I enjoy playing the Franchise Mode offline, rebuilding a team, and making it as realistic as possible. Sign those veteran guys on one-year deals and trade them at the deadline if you’re not in contention.
Sacrifice the farm system to acquire that generational player. Or you could do the opposite and trade away the face of the franchise to bring in prospects with great potential! The storylines in MLB The Show 25 could be as fun as playing on the diamond!
