Many surprising seasons have come down the pike during Strat-O-Matic’s 63 years of superrealistic baseball action, but we must ask SOM fanatics: Did YOU pick the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks to advance to the World Series? Moreover: Did you expect the kind of records and stats we saw throughout baseball along the way? It was an astonishing campaign – and SOM strategists can take advantage of incredible performances and underdog pacesetters as they replay 2023.

The 2023 season saw a pair of 2022 free agent signings rebound from disappointing campaigns to help lead Texas to a 90-72 record. Corey Seager (AL leading 42 doubles, 33 HR, 96 RBI, .327) and Marcus Semien (league-leading 122 runs, 185 hits) were back in stride and helped torrid Texas plow through the playoffs and into the Fall Classic. Meanwhile, Arizona, led by promising youngsters Corbin Carroll, Zac Gallen, and Gabriel Moreno, got hot at just the right time. After eking into the playoffs, the D-Backs won 9 of 12 games to get past favored Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia to become the ultimate World Series underdogs.

It all led to a thrilling, unpredictable World Series. Seager, second in the regular season MVP voting, stormed through Diamondbacks pitching to win his second WS MVP, homering in three of the five games and knocking in six runs. A game D-Backs squad give it their all, with great offensive performances by Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., but Bruce Bochy’s Rangers were not to be denied – and now Strat managers can test their wits while replaying one the most shocking World Series pairings of all time. Fun fact: In 2021, both Texas and Arizona lost more than 100 games – and you can go back in time and discover why as you play out any seasons you choose with Strat.

A Pair of Star MVPs

The season closed with a pair of undeniably deserving Most Valuable Player recipients in Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves. While the off-season gab was all about Ohtani’s 10- year, record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Strat fans knew why he became baseball’s all-time money maker – the phenom aced the AL in home runs with 44 to go along with his league-leading .412 OBP, .654 slugging, 1.066 OPS, and 325 total bases … to go along with a pitching record of 10-5 and a 3.14 ERA. Stat mavens made his 2022 cards exceedingly popular, and we can only imagine his 2023 cards will be coveted by both collectors and serious gamers alike once again. Acuña, considered by many to be baseball’s top all-around player, put up “video game” stats in leading the Braves to the NL Eastern Division title – he became the first to ever hit 40 home runs and log 70 steals in the same campaign. That wasn’t nearly all; he led the NL in runs (149), hits (217), steals (73), OBP (.416), total bases (a staggering 383), and more.

Stealing The Spotlight

Indeed, baseball’s new rules in 2023 led to quicker games and tighter play – and many SOM fans point to the return of the stolen base as a vital offensive strategy. Baseball averaged the most stolen bases per game since 1997, when the sport still had 28 teams. Taking advantage in the NL were Acuña, Carroll (54), CJ Abrams (47), and Nico Hoerner (43), while the AL was paced by the fleet Esteury Ruiz of Oakland with 67, while Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City finished second with 49. Once again, it pays to be a thief – and Strat players can take advantage of this trend by using their best baserunners to get a serious offensive advantage.

Roll Up More Dingers

Of course, fans love the long ball – and serious Strat mavens love to see those dice rolls result in HOMERUN. Matt Olson of Atlanta paced the NL with 54 dingers, followed by Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies (47 homers in one of the oddest offensive seasons in history) and Pete Alonso of New York (46). Following Ohtani in the AL were Adolis Garcia of Texas (39), Luis Robert of Chicago (38), and Aaron Judge of New York (37). Draft leaguers will have plenty of power to choose from.

It’s Up To You

So, can you change the 2023 upset post-season births of Texas and Arizona? Can you bring Philadelphia or Atlanta back to the World Series by employing your own unique managerial acumen? Could you revive the chances of bettering the disappointing records of both New York teams, or the Chicago squads? Now is the time to take charge and make your own big-league history by enjoying a Strat league, taking part in solo play, or gathering with friends to prove your baseball skill. With Strat-O-Matic, the possibilities for fun are endless.

27 cards per team plus 27-card mixed player group. 288 additional players available – See Products List

Two-sided cards for basic, advanced and super-advanced play