Managing Yankees For a Game in Strat-O-Matic's Daily Simulation of 2020 MLB Season

Within the Strat-O-Matic simulation of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, the Yankees got off to a slow start.

According to research director John Garcia, who's in charge of creating all player cards and periodically updating rosters to ensure realistic results, the Bombers were uncharacteristically struggling to score runs.

"They started off real slow they got swept by Tampa which was really a difference in our season so far, but they just couldn't hit," Garcia explained. "They scored five runs in those three games. Hitting has been their problem which is a little surprising, but DJ [LeMahieu] is hitting .140, [Giancarlo] Stanton missing a lot of time and not hitting – doesn't have a home run yet – [Mike] Tauchman struggling, no [Aaron] Judge."

READ: Strat-O-Matic's 2020 Simulation Fills Void for Major League Baseball Fans

Heading into the weekend and their first west coast road trip of the season, New York was 7-7 and in third place in the American League East. The Yankees needed a boost. That's where I came in.

Not only was ace Gerrit Cole set to take the mound on Sunday – the final game of a three-game set in Oakland – but yours truly had an opportunity to manage the Bombers for the day.

Ahead of Sunday's sim, I took over for as skipper Aaron Boone and submitted my starting lineup. With right-hander Mike Fiers on the bump for the Athletics, I sprinkled in a few lefty bats (including Mike Ford off the bench for a slumping Luke Voit). Here's how the lineup card looked:

Yankees starting lineup (@ OAK 4/12)
DJ LeMahieu 2B
Brett Gardner CF
Gleyber Torres SS
Giancarlo Stanton DH
Gary Sánchez C
Miguel Andújar LF
Mike Ford 1B
Gio Urshela 3B
Mike Tauchman RF

Strat-O-Matic's simulation is meant to be as accurate and realistic as possible. Garcia factors all attributes from defense to base running into his cards. Therefore, I incorporated injuries, splits against Fiers and recent tendencies from the 2020 sim into my choices.

For example, Giancarlo Stanton is returning from an early season injury – ailments aren't specified in the simulation so all we know is he missed a few games, potentially due to his right calf strain sustained in Spring Training. His 3-for-13 clip against Fiers in his career – including one home run – isn't anything spectacular. By keeping the slugger at designated hitter, however, it would give him a chance to focus on the at-bats and prevent further injury in the field.

Miguel Andújar adding left field to his defensive repertoire this spring was a means to get him at-bats in real life. In this simulation, he's seen playing time at third base, designated hitter as well as the outfield (appearing in all 16 games so far). I slotted him in as the left fielder as Clint Frazier had been sent down to free up a spot for Stanton's return from injury.

I was tempted to shift the order around and put Ford's hot bat in the middle – or Tauchman who has had success against Fiers in the past – but Brett Gardner has been New York's best hitter in this simulation. The longest-tenured Yankee leads the team in batting average and has set the table with five stolen bases.

So, how did it go?

New York 2 – Oakland 1

As it turns out, not much offense was needed to win this one.

Gerrit Cole was magnificent in his simulated start – the fourth of this young season. After surrendering a leadoff home run to shortstop Marcus Semien in the bottom of the first, Cole allowed just three base runners over eight strong innings. He struck out nine, extending his season total to 37 punch outs (the best in baseball).

Cole's ERA, after winning Sunday's simulated game, is now a stellar 2.05. Match that up with his 2-1 record and the Bombers' No. 1 hurler is on pace for a special campaign.

Fiers pitched well too, keeping New York scoreless for seven frames and allowing just four hits. Once the A's starter was taken out, the Bombers bats jumped on Yusmeiro Petit in relief. Gleyber Torres launched a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to give New York the lead. Then, Zack Britton shut the door in the ninth for his first save of the season.

The victory gives New York a 9-7 record as of Sunday, as they look to continue climbing up the ranks in the division.

As is the case in real life, there are variants to realistic results. Tampa Bay and the San Diego Padres are probably not the most likely candidates to have the best records through two weeks of the season – you'd probably guess the Yankees and Dodgers – and yet they lead the league with 12 wins.

Similar statistical variants are occurring on the Yankees' roster as well. LeMahieu went 0-for-4 on Sunday, struggling throughout the first 16 games. The player that finished fourth in the American League MVP race last season is currently hitting below .150 and leading the team in strikeouts (17).

That's the beauty of this simulation. You can continue to check back in every day and keep tabs on how your favorite players are progressing as days in quarantine fly by. Will LeMahieu break out of his slump? Can Stanton stay healthy? Will Ford earn more playing time swinging a hot bat?

We may never know how this season would have transpired, especially if the COVID-19 pandemic forced MLB to eventually cancel the remainder of the season, but this sim is an entertaining and realistic way to get our baseball fix in the meantime.

"Of course we all miss baseball and what's happening in the world is terrible. We can't wait for MLB to come back if it can," Garcia said. "But until then, we're craving baseball ... hopefully we're just able to fill that void."

Results from each day's simulation are released at 2 p.m. ET on Strat-O-Matic.com

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