2020 season

The 2020 season player set debuted for play in Strat-O-Matic 365 on Friday, March 12, 2021.

Actual vs. Imagined
Strat-O-Matic has captured the unique 2020 season with 2 separate card sets!

Actual - Our traditional set based on the results of the 2020 MLB season, small sample size and all.

Imagined - A special card set based on a blend of actual 2020 season results and realistic projections for each player (based on their history and age), bringing everyone closer to their statistical norms, and providing a more familiar full-season experience.

Note that both consist of the same exact group of players, with the same "top of the card" ratings (defense, bunting, hit & run, running, pitcher endurance, balk, wild pitch), with the exception of base-stealing.

There are no "Unleashed" versions of either set.

All starting pitchers need at least 4 days of rest between starts
All starting pitchers will need at least 4 days of rest between starts in Strat-O-Matic 365 leagues using modern single-season player sets, beginning with the 2020 season. Some pitchers will continue to receive 4-day starter asterisks from Strat-O-Matic, but they will be meaningless in the context of Strat-O-Matic 365 (exception: if these pitchers appear in an environment designed to mix eras, e.g. ATG). This rule was initially designed to make today's pitchers compatible with older eras of baseball, but it does not make sense for self-contained modern seasons. The playoff schedule has been updated to include more rest days as a result of this change.

Rest days added to playoff schedule
Due to the change that all starting pitchers need at least 4 days of rest between starts, extra rest days have been added to the playoff schedule. There is now a rest day after Games 2 and 4 in the Quarter-Finals (only for 24-team leagues); after Games 2 and 5 in the Semi-Finals; and after Games 2 and 5 in the Finals.

New 3-batter minimum rule for relief pitchers
We have adopted the new rule that Major League Baseball implemented in 2020 that requires all relief pitchers to face at least 3 batters, or to the end of a half-inning, unless he is unable to continue due to injury. Beginning with the 2020 season, and for all subsequent seasons where it is in effect in the MLB, this new rule will be in effect in Strat-O-Matic 365 league play.

Injury limit thresholds (Actual set only)
Since players only had a maximum of 60 games of appearances during the 2020 MLB season, we have pro-rated the usual thresholds that limit the length of injuries players can sustain during a game which are normally based on their real-life playing time.

Instead of needing 680 real-life AB+BB to limit a batter's injury duration to "remainder of the game", he needed 252 real-life AB+BB in 2020.

Instead of needing 600 real-life AB+BB to limit a batter's injury duration to 3 additional games, he needed 223 real-life AB+BB in 2020.

Instead of needing 300 real-life IP to limit a pitcher's injury duration to "remainder of the game", he needed 112 real-life IP in 2020.

Instead of needing 200 real-life IP to limit a pitcher's injury duration to 3 additional games, he needed 75 real-life IP in 2020.

These numbers were determined simply by dividing by 2.7.

Player Set Construction
Both the 2020 season Actual and Imagined player sets consist of the same list of 945 Strat-O-Matic cards:


 * 485 hitters
 * 460 pitchers