2018-23 Anaheim Angels, meet the Kansas City Blues

I play a sixteen-team 54-game league with teams modeled on the American Association and International League from the 1950s. One team, the Kansas City Blues, is accidentally recreating the Anaheim Angels experience with Trout and Ohtani, carrying two stars of the game with abysmal results.

For a third season now the Blues have employed two S-tier players(of three in the league): Pedro David (SS) and Brian Bellomy. In those two years they have won 43/108 games (a 65-win pace in MLB) and have finished last and third-to-last in their conference. This is despite outstanding play from David and Bellomy (both had a .950+ OPS last season).

Yesterday I started a three game series vs. the Blues in game 2 of a new season and when David came up I noticed he was locked in and had three homers this season. I investigate and discover that in their first game of the season the Blues lost 9-4 as their starter gave up three walks and five runs in less than two innings, while David drove in all four runs on his dingers. Classic Mike Trout experience.

The Blues are well on their way to a third losing season after getting another short start, forcing their weak, exhausted bullpen to try to cover 7+ innings for a second time in two games.

Love the emergent narratives in this game.