2021 Strat-O-Matic

Dont know if you saw this but:

2020 Imagined – Two Ratings Sets Coming from Strat-O-Matic to Relive Historic Baseball Season

By Glenn Guzzo

“Strat-O-Matic will capture the unique 2020 Major League Baseball season with a special presentation – two separate ratings sets, available each for both the board game and the Windows game”, Strat-O-Matic creator Hal Richman announced.

In early 2021, gamers will be able to choose a traditional ratings set based on the shortened, 60-game Major League season or a different set that expands upon the player statistics from the 60-game season by adding projected stats for the missing 102 games.

The set that includes projected stats will be called “Strat-O-Matic Baseball 2020 Imagined.”

The unprecedented double offering is the product of the Strat-O-Matic community’s robust response to the game company’s recent customer survey.

“Thousands participated in the survey,” Richman said, “reflecting the passion our customers have for playing baseball the Strat-O-Matic way.”

Many wanted the continuity and realism of the 2020 season rated by traditional methods. But Strat-O-Matic is the original fantasy sports game and many others said they preferred a projection set, both for the familiarity of a full season and for the “what-if” potential such a set offers. As Richman noted, many Major Leaguers had uncharacteristically good or bad stats in the abbreviated season. The “Imagined” set’s extra layer of projected stats will bring such players closer to their statistical norms.

“The player cards were created to reflect the most realistic expectation of a player’s performance if the full season were played,” Richman explained. Player projections are NOT simply pro-rated statistics from the 60-game season. The cards may, in some cases, be dramatically different for players who had extreme performances in a limited sample of at bats or innings pitched.

The Imagined set will be comprised of the same players as the regular 2020 season set. The “top-of-the-card” ratings, such as defense, baserunning and pitcher endurance, will be the same, too. The bodies of the cards will differ because the statistics they are based on will differ.

“By offering our customers this unique choice, Strat-O-Matic believes we are giving everyone the opportunity to play our board and computer games to their satisfaction,” Richman said. “Both are going to be fun to play and the survey tells us that some customers will want both sets to capture and experiment with the historic nature of the 2020 season.”

Player Example Stat Lines

Kris Bryant, CHN

Traditional Set- .206/.293/.351, 131 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 12 BB, 40 K

Imagined Set- .240/.332/.434, 346 AB, 17 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 38 BB, 102 K

Luke Voit, NYA

Traditional Set- .277/.338/.610, 213 AB, 5 2B, 0 3B, 22 HR, 17 BB, 54 K

Imagined Set- .263/.339/.530, 562 AB, 18 2B, 0 3B, 44 HR, 57 BB, 157 K

J.T. Realmuto, PHN

Traditional Set- .266/.349/.491, 173 AB, 6 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 16 BB, 48 K

Imagined Set- .264/.338/.498, 474 AB, 23 2B, 2 3B, 28 HR, 42 BB, 122 K

none of my keeper leagues better even think of using the "imagined" set.

I would agree with you there Paul!

They can "imagine" using that set!

Randy

Have to agree with Paul. Any Keeper Leagues using the Imagine Set may as well Imagine I'm that I'm really dropping out.

So Altuve, who will be worth 50 cents next year, becomes a $4-5M guy based on his career stats? I won't even be putting this to a vote in the leagues I commish. Maybe they are doing this for the Windows crowd.

I don't know, most keeper leagues do a 2-season format. Could be fun to do one of each, just to change it up. Sometimes that second season is dull (because it doesn't change much, if at all, from the first one). Plus this would add meaning to any leagues using supplemental drafts between seasons. I've always thought doing 1 season of regular set and 1 season of unleashed would even help the issue with season 2 being somewhat dull and predictable.

I don't know, most keeper leagues do a 2-season format. Could be fun to do one of each, just to change it up. Sometimes that second season is dull (because it doesn't change much, if at all, from the first one). Plus this would add meaning to any leagues using supplemental drafts between seasons. I've always thought doing 1 season of regular set and 1 season of unleashed would even help the issue with season 2 being somewhat dull and predictable.

Not sure I agree there. I'm only in 1 traditional keeper and I didn't make the playoffs the first season and won it all the second. Is have to look back but there is usually enough variance that they don't end up the same

Isn’t this game supposed to be the game that is the most realistic? I would add to my post but instead I will rest my case with their mission statement.

I won't be playing any kind of set offered based on this year's stats. Maybe i am alone in this, but i hope others are sticking with current set for another season if anything. This year is an asterisk year (at best) if there was ever one for any sport....i'll pass

I don't know, most keeper leagues do a 2-season format. Could be fun to do one of each, just to change it up. Sometimes that second season is dull (because it doesn't change much, if at all, from the first one). Plus this would add meaning to any leagues using supplemental drafts between seasons. I've always thought doing 1 season of regular set and 1 season of unleashed would even help the issue with season 2 being somewhat dull and predictable.

Interesting idea, I kinda like it. To address part of what you are saying though, the keepers I'm in always move the playoff teams from season 1 into one division in season two thereby ensuring that at least half the playoff teams are different. Sometimes that doesn't matter for determining the champion, but other times it most certainly has. Even so, I kinda like your play one season with each set scenari. Bummer is depending on which way my leagues go, I'm likely going to have to but two ratings books/downloads this year. This smacks of a bit of a cash grab from Strat, despite what they say about demand. That said, having played in FTF leagues with the board game in the early 90's I can where those players would want a set that reflects a full 162. I just hope there is no UNLEASHED set for either version, what would be the point??