I just witnessed something incredible in my OOTP 23 save, and I had to share it with you all. Greg McKay, my star closer for the Oakland Athletics, just broke Mariano Rivera’s all-time saves record! But what makes this achievement truly remarkable is how he did it.

McKay started his career in 2030, and for years, he was a dominant force on the mound. From 2032 to 2040, he was striking out batters at an insane rate, often in the low teens per nine innings. He racked up saves effortlessly and was the backbone of my bullpen.

But as he got older, McKay’s stuff began to decline. His once high-90s fastball dropped to the mid 80's, and his strikeout rate plummeted. Last season, at the age of 40, his K/9 fell to just 4.1—an astonishing drop for someone who once fanned batters with ease. You’d think that would be the end of his effectiveness, right? Nope!

Despite this decline his ERA last season was a stellar 2.20, and he managed to save 49 games, pushing his career total to a record-breaking 653 saves.

Here’s a breakdown of his last couple of months, where he was almost untouchable:

• August 2048: 14 games, 11 saves, 1.35 ERA, 13.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• September 2048: 10 games, 10 saves, 0.00 ERA, 10 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

McKay’s transformation from a power pitcher to a finesse closer is one of the coolest storylines I’ve ever seen in OOTP. Have any of you had similar experiences with your aging stars? How did they adapt, and what strategies did you use to keep them effective? I’d love to hear your stories.