“Ace celebrated a HR playing MLB The Show HR Derby at Season Ticket Holders Event.” by james_in_to is licensed under CC BY 2.0
MLB The Show has shown us the future, and it involves happy people wearing pinstripes spraying each other with champagne and celebrating with impunity.
According to the video game world, the New York Yankees are destined to be 2020 World Series champions. We know this to be so thanks to Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports. Using a review copy of MLB The Show, the league’s official video game, Cwik figured out who would win this season’s World Series in virtual reality. With a full simulation of a 162-game regular season and playoffs contested in the game’s franchise mode, the Yankees came away with their 28th World Series title.
The simulation didn’t take into account that the actual baseball season was shortened to just 60 games. Nor did it factor in the expanded playoffs that featured eight teams in each league instead of the usual five.
How It Happened
In the MLB The Show version of the 2020 campaign, the Yankees won 101 games. The Bronx Bombers beat the Minnesota Twins in a four game American League Division Series, so right away, you’ve got to question the accuracy of the video game account, because that would mean the Yankees won the best-of-five series 3-1.
In the real world, the Twins have lost an MLB-record 18 consecutive postseason games. The real Twins don’t win playoff games but evidently, the virtually real Twins do.
Another flaw in the belief system – the Yankees met the longstanding rivals the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series. Boston got there by beating the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card game and the 116-win Houston Astros in the ALDS round.
In reality, the BoSox finished last in the AL East Division this season at 24-36 and fired manager Ron Roenicke at the conclusion of the campaign.
After winning a seven-game ALCS, the Yanks moved on to face the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals in the Fall Classic. New York won the World Series in seven games.
Yanks’ right fielder Aaron Judge was named World Series MVP. He hit .364 with four home runs in the seven-game set.
Again, there’s another comeuppance for the virtual world. The Nationals also missed out on postseason play this year. Washington went 26-34, tied for fourth in the NL East with the New York Mets.
The virtual Mets were equally as dismal as the real Mets. They won just 71 games in the MLB The Show simulation. The Baltimore Orioles picked up an MLB-low 52 victories.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won 110 games but failed to advance to the World Series. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole was named the AL starter for the MLB All-Star Game.
”MLB The Show gameplay screenshot” all rights owned by MLB the Show.
Betting On Reality
It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility that the Yankees could win this year’s World Series. In fact, despite finishing 33-27 and in second place in the AL East, oddsmakers are betting on the Yankees in the 2020 World Series odds. New York’s AL ballclub is the +350 second betting choice to win the Fall Classic this year.
The Dodgers are offered at +250 favorite’s odds.
Both teams are long overdue for a title. LA last carried off a World Series crown in 1988. The Yankees most recently claimed the honor in 2009.
Is It A Reliable Source?
A 2019 MLB The Show simulation had the Seattle Mariners winning the World Series at the expense of the Atlanta Braves. In reality, Seattle has never won, or even played in the World Series. In fact, the Mariners haven’t qualified for postseason play since 2001.
MLB The Show came close to nailing it down in 2018. The game had the Dodgers beating the Red Sox in the World Series. In real life, the Red Sox beat the Dodgers in the World Series.
In 2017, prior to Game 7 of the World Series in real life, GameSpot.com played the game between the Astros and Dodgers on MLB The Show. LA won 6-2, with Yasel Puig clubbing a three-run homer. But in the actual Game 7, it was the Astros who toppled the Dodgers 5-1.
What does it all mean? Well, as much fun as playing the season on MLB The Show actually is, it’s always wise to remember that virtually reality and reality are two completely different worlds.
