most important attributes?????

chriskelly · 05-01-2014, 08:46 PM

I've been playing this game for a few years, with mixed results, and it's occurred to me that maybe I'm placing importance on the wrong thing when evaluating players.

I use the overall rating (20-80) as my guide. For hitters, I care about power, contact and eye...i really don't care about gap power or avoiding Ks.

For SPs, I look for at least 3 ML quality pitches, a good balance of stuff, movement and control, and a high groundball rate. For RPs, i go by stuff and pitch ratings.

For defense, I look at the overall rating for a position. I'm concerned that this may be mostly experience, and that I should care more about the individual defense ratings, like range, etc.

I don't care about speed by itself; only as a tiebreaker. I pretty much do the same with personality, especially for a young player.

Am I prioritizing the wrong things? Are the overall ratings useful and accurate, or do they mask the more important stuff?

RchW · 05-01-2014, 09:59 PM

One could quibble about your specific likes and dislikes but who knows what really works. I'll tell you where we differ.

Quote:

I use the overall rating (20-80) as my guide. For hitters, I care about power, contact and eye...i really don't care about gap power or avoiding Ks.

You can't have 8 or 9 cleanup hitters so I'd suggest you mix and match batting attributes with position unless you have a certified stud at a non-standard position. I value contact eye and avoid K in all batters and will sacrifice power to be able to hit-and-run. This obviously needs speed so that is part of the equation. If I get contact and speed bracketing my power bats it turns the lineup more often and gives the opposition problems.

Quote:

For SPs, I look for at least 3 ML quality pitches, a good balance of stuff, movement and control, and a high groundball rate. For RPs, i go by stuff and pitch ratings.

For SP good stuff trumps everything then control and multiple good pitches next. Obviously movement matters especially in HR friendly parks. Keep in mind that a pitcher that hitters can't make good contact on will be better than anybody else. Don't sneeze at stamina. Borderline stamina can lead to middle inning issues with SP. In the pen I try to mix and match power arms with control. I try to find MR with better stamina and multiple pitches but they are hard to find.

I'll take a good FB pitcher over a middling GB pitcher any day. The exception is extreme HR parks. If your league is like real life it should have relatively few extreme GB SP. Take the better pitcher and use GB as a tiebreaker for twins. I'd still take better pitch quality first.

Quote:

For defense, I look at the overall rating for a position. I'm concerned that this may be mostly experience, and that I should care more about the individual defense ratings, like range, etc.

I try to get exceptional defense up the middle. This really matters IRL and in OOTP. Double plays are king. I'll compromise some defense at 1B and the corner OF, less so at 3B. Obviously catching defense is critical. Right now I have a less than stellar catcher who hits 0.330 but it bothers me.

Quote:

I don't care about speed by itself; only as a tiebreaker. I pretty much do the same with personality, especially for a young player.

I love speed and stealing. They are critical tiebreakers at all positions/batting order and especially on the bench. Having speed/stealing off the bench can be critical in high leverage situations.

hfield007 · 05-01-2014, 10:00 PM

Someone ran tests last year and concluded for batters contact was the most important, followed by eye and power. i believe he also found gap was incredibly low in terms of value. for pitching control was the most important.

RchW · 05-01-2014, 10:15 PM

My rankings from the current just completed season. My defense was hurt by injuries to CF and RF and my hitting catcher.

Carlton · 05-02-2014, 12:12 AM

Desire for winning is the most important

Because if ya ain't first YER LAST!

Questdog · 05-02-2014, 12:51 AM

One thing about starting pitchers: the number of pitches a pitcher throws is important. The more pitches he can throw the better his Stuff will be, but this is already reflected in the Stuff rating. However, pitchers with only 3 pitches can have one of their pitches go south and then they end up a 2-pitch reliever (A 2-pitch starter is an iffy proposition). A 4-pitch pitcher who loses a pitch, will still have three left. Plus, the more pitches he has, the less his Stuff rating will be affected by a pitch failing him.

chriskelly · 05-02-2014, 09:43 AM

Thank you all. how about on Defense? I have been using the overall rating as a guide, but that seems to be more based on experience than skill. Which of the IF skills do you rate most highly......Range? turn DP? I know some goes by position; 2B is more a DP skill need, 3B more an arm need. How about OFs?

I build my team thru expansion, so choices are limited. I was going power, SP and Defense. After your feedback, I think I may focus more on OBP thru contact and eye, with speed and defense, then stock up on control pitchers with 4 plus pitches, searching too for relievers with 3 pitches and decent stamina.

Avindian · 05-02-2014, 11:55 AM

You're right -- the raw ratings are for experience. The most important stat for a CF is range, RF is probably arm. LF can be either/or.

05-01-2014, 08:46 PM	#1
chriskelly All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 753	most important attributes????? I've been playing this game for a few years, with mixed results, and it's occurred to me that maybe I'm placing importance on the wrong thing when evaluating players. I use the overall rating (20-80) as my guide. For hitters, I care about power, contact and eye...i really don't care about gap power or avoiding Ks. For SPs, I look for at least 3 ML quality pitches, a good balance of stuff, movement and control, and a high groundball rate. For RPs, i go by stuff and pitch ratings. For defense, I look at the overall rating for a position. I'm concerned that this may be mostly experience, and that I should care more about the individual defense ratings, like range, etc. I don't care about speed by itself; only as a tiebreaker. I pretty much do the same with personality, especially for a young player. Am I prioritizing the wrong things? Are the overall ratings useful and accurate, or do they mask the more important stuff?

05-01-2014, 10:15 PM	#4
RchW Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto ON by way of Glasgow UK Posts: 15,629	My rankings from the current just completed season. My defense was hurt by injuries to CF and RF and my hitting catcher. Attached Images __________________ Cheers RichW If you’re looking for a good cause to donate money to please consider a Donation to Parkinson’s Canada. It may help me have a better future and if not me, someone else. Thanks. “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” Frank Wilhoit

05-01-2014, 10:00 PM	#3
hfield007 All Star Starter Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,713	Someone ran tests last year and concluded for batters contact was the most important, followed by eye and power. i believe he also found gap was incredibly low in terms of value. for pitching control was the most important.

05-02-2014, 12:12 AM	#5
Carlton Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 3,765	Desire for winning is the most important Because if ya ain't first YER LAST!

05-02-2014, 12:51 AM	#6
Questdog Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: In a dark, damp cave where I'm training slugs to run the bases...... Posts: 16,142	One thing about starting pitchers: the number of pitches a pitcher throws is important. The more pitches he can throw the better his Stuff will be, but this is already reflected in the Stuff rating. However, pitchers with only 3 pitches can have one of their pitches go south and then they end up a 2-pitch reliever (A 2-pitch starter is an iffy proposition). A 4-pitch pitcher who loses a pitch, will still have three left. Plus, the more pitches he has, the less his Stuff rating will be affected by a pitch failing him.

05-02-2014, 09:43 AM	#7
chriskelly All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 753	Thank you all. how about on Defense? I have been using the overall rating as a guide, but that seems to be more based on experience than skill. Which of the IF skills do you rate most highly......Range? turn DP? I know some goes by position; 2B is more a DP skill need, 3B more an arm need. How about OFs? I build my team thru expansion, so choices are limited. I was going power, SP and Defense. After your feedback, I think I may focus more on OBP thru contact and eye, with speed and defense, then stock up on control pitchers with 4 plus pitches, searching too for relievers with 3 pitches and decent stamina.

05-02-2014, 11:55 AM	#8
Avindian Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 274	You're right -- the raw ratings are for experience. The most important stat for a CF is range, RF is probably arm. LF can be either/or.