Franchise Mode Guide — Full Season Management in Legends Deck
Franchise Mode is Legends Deck's full-season, front-office simulation: 162 games, farm system development, trades, the amateur draft, arbitration, playoffs, and the Hall of Fame. This guide walks through every system and the non-obvious strategies that separate dynasty rosters from also-rans.
Franchise Mode is the deepest mode in Legends Deck and the closest thing to running a real MLB front office that any browser game has ever shipped. Unlike Diamond Dynasty or Perfect Team, there are no packs, no marketplace, no coins — just scouting, drafting, developing, trading, and winning.
Team Selection
You pick any of the 30 MLB franchises, and you inherit their real Opening Day roster, payroll, farm system, and stadium. Small-market teams (Pirates, Royals, A's) start with tight payrolls and weak rosters but deep prospect pools. Big-market teams (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets) have elite MLB talent but bloated contracts and thin farms. Pick based on how you want to win — retool on the fly or rebuild through the draft.
The 162-Game Season
Each franchise season plays out over 162 regular-season games with realistic weekday scheduling, off-days, and travel fatigue. You can sim games in three modes:
- Sim fast — instant result using Statcast-weighted math
- Sim with highlights — key moments surface as animated plays
- Play it live — pitch-by-pitch control of any game
Injuries, clutch performances, and slumps all follow real MLB rate data. If you run a starter on short rest he accumulates fatigue that depresses his spin and velocity the next start.
The Farm System
Your organization carries four minor-league affiliates: AAA, AA, High-A, and Low-A. Prospects develop based on age, ceiling, and playing time. The key lever most players miss is development slots — give your top prospects premium playing time at the highest level they can handle without a confidence dip. A top-100 prospect mis-assigned to Low-A for a full year can lose a full tool grade.
Trades
The trade system prices value by remaining team control, age-adjusted projected WAR, and contract status. Rookies with 6 years of control are worth far more than you'd think. Veterans on expiring deals are worth less than their current numbers suggest.
Trade deadline (July 31): Trade activity spikes. Contending teams overpay for rentals. Rebuilders accept slightly below-market returns for pre-arb surplus. If you're buying, target underperforming stars on teams in rebuilds — the algorithm discounts them correctly.
The Amateur Draft
The First-Year Player Draft runs every July. Draft order inverts standings from the previous year. You get a bonus pool keyed to your slot, and you can under-slot top picks to fund over-slot high-school prep deals later.
Scouting matters. Each prospect has a visible and hidden component. Investing in your amateur scouting budget reduces the uncertainty on hidden tools. A cheap draft pool + no scouting = mystery picks. A max scouting budget + disciplined draft = Dynasty-tier talent pipelines.
Arbitration and Free Agency
Post-season, eligible players hit arbitration (3–6 years of service) or free agency (6+ years). Arb awards are modeled on real MLB comparables. Free agent pricing is efficient — there are almost no bargains, but also almost no overpays if you stick to WAR-per-dollar math.
Playoffs and the Hall of Fame
Make the playoffs (12 teams, 3 division winners + 3 wild cards per league) and you enter best-of-3 wild card → best-of-5 ALDS/NLDS → best-of-7 LCS → best-of-7 World Series. Win the Series and players from your roster accrue World Series rings that compound their Hall of Fame case.
Players who accumulate enough career WAR, black ink (league-leading seasons), and postseason success enter the Legends Deck Hall of Fame. Your franchise history preserves every championship, every Hall of Famer, every retired number.
Why This Mode Is the Game's Hidden Depth
Most players never leave Showdown or Ranked. Franchise is where Legends Deck earns the "simulation" label. If you have ever wanted to run a major-league club — to trade James Wood for a championship rental, to draft a high schooler you believe in, to watch a prospect you signed at 17 win the Silver Slugger at 24 — Franchise is the mode.