Park Factors

[mcilkaer8k]

Does anyone have a list of the park factors? I feel that my home park is causing my pitching to be terrible. It didn't start showing up until I got to bronze. I can list my factors if that will help

[LeeD]

Park factors are completely under player control, with the caveat that you set AVG and HR between 0.9 and 1.1. There are also limits on XBH settings, which I believe are between 0.5 and 1.5 (not sure here because I've never changed them this much). You can change location, dimensions, and fence heights, but these don't do anything unless you have the game engine auto-calculate the factors. To look at any team's settings, click on the team and go to Info-Ballpark. They will be displayed lower left just like your park factors on your team screen.

What, specifically, are you looking for? Somewhere around half the teams in any league will be dead neutral (1.0) across the board. The most popular changes would be home runs to 0.9 or 1.1 (to take advantage of your team's power or to nerf power if yours isn't that good) or the so-called lefty cheese park, with right-handers set to 0.9, lefties to 1.1, and an all-lefty starting rotation. This was extremely popular last year with the plethora of top-quality lefty bats and arms but not doable (yet) this year because most of the best toppers have been right-handed.

You basically want to adjust the park to maximize your teams' advantages and increase home winning percentage. In the longer term, you want to complete missions and buy players to fit your park and strategy, although this will be heavily influenced by card releases.

Last year, power hitters were garbage. This year, the team belting 200+ home runs is a winner, so I'm trying to fill my lineups with sluggers and play Weaver Ball (two walks and a three-run homer). This - optimizing the roster to PT23 norms - is the key. Park factors can supplement this, but they won't make a bad team good, not-the-least because you still have to play half your games on the road.

[mcilkaer8k]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Park factors are completely under player control, with the caveat that you set AVG and HR between 0.9 and 1.1. There are also limits on XBH settings, which I believe are between 0.5 and 1.5 (not sure here because I've never changed them this much). You can change location, dimensions, and fence heights, but these don't do anything unless you have the game engine auto-calculate the factors. To look at any team's settings, click on the team and go to Info-Ballpark. They will be displayed lower left just like your park factors on your team screen.

What, specifically, are you looking for? Somewhere around half the teams in any league will be dead neutral (1.0) across the board. The most popular changes would be home runs to 0.9 or 1.1 (to take advantage of your team's power or to nerf power if yours isn't that good) or the so-called lefty cheese park, with right-handers set to 0.9, lefties to 1.1, and an all-lefty starting rotation. This was extremely popular last year with the plethora of top-quality lefty bats and arms but not doable (yet) this year because most of the best toppers have been right-handed.

You basically want to adjust the park to maximize your teams' advantages and increase home winning percentage. In the longer term, you want to complete missions and buy players to fit your park and strategy, although this will be heavily influenced by card releases.

Last year, power hitters were garbage. This year, the team belting 200+ home runs is a winner, so I'm trying to fill my lineups with sluggers and play Weaver Ball (two walks and a three-run homer). This - optimizing the roster to PT23 norms - is the key. Park factors can supplement this, but they won't make a bad team good, not-the-least because you still have to play half your games on the road.

My current factors are set at AVG and HRs are at 1.1, doubles and triples are at 1.5
I carried these over from PT22 which was my first PT. I guess that I have to add more players on my team that have power and vision

[LeeD]

Maximizing all three will definitely increase pitcher ERA and tax the bullpen. Take a look at your overall BABIP, Power, and Gap Power ratings and lower the factors in areas where your hitters are weaker than the average team's players. A lot of sluggers, particularly more recent players, will have high power and lower gap power (doubles and triples). Since higher power lowers BABIP in relation to contact, you'll want to look at that, too. A high walk, high home run team doesn't rely so much on batting average, so you might be doing yourself a disservice by jacking up AVG.

Another fix would be to check your bullpen usage. With your Coors Field-like factors, you'll want to carry extra pitchers or swap out bullpen arms as the season progresses. Almost inevitably, you'll find yourself behind for the simple reason that you'll be facing fresher pitching staffs than your own during every home stand.

This is what has plagued the Colorado Rockies. A new opponent comes to town for three games with a normally rested pitching staff. Meanwhile, the Rockies have been playing musical chairs on the mound for the last home series or two, and their relief pitchers are gassed. Hard to keep the opposing hitters down when you have a bullpen full of guys at 43% or 52% rest status (or worse).

[mcilkaer8k]

I probably should have just left my park factors alone. I feel like I've been putting myself behind the 8 ball using what I have. MY good pitchers have above 4 ERAs and my good offense from my previous bronze season has turned bad. I'm outside the top 10 in almost every category

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by mcilkaer8k

I probably should have just left my park factors alone. I feel like I've been putting myself behind the 8 ball using what I have. MY good pitchers have above 4 ERAs and my good offense from my previous bronze season has turned bad. I'm outside the top 10 in almost every category

THe adbice givers here usually overlook the benefits to earning PP in the lower level leagues that come from having a maxed out hitting park. You get a lot more in game awards and players of the week and al-stars from hitting.

However you do need to give up a completely hitting freindly park at some point,

[mcilkaer8k]

I've thankfully won 2 in a row so far because my offense started to wake up. However, I'm having bad luck with Dickey and Faber. I put in Faber to help with some of the fatigue on my pitching staff, but his first start didn't go so well

[mcilkaer8k]

And then my only 100 Hahn goes and gives up 6 runs on the road

[TwanLX2000]

I just started this week with a new park setup attempting to cater to my strengths (and weaknesses). My park hits well in the gaps for extra bases, but HR's are pretty limited. It's helped keep the ball in the park for my movement deficient starters, and my defense and contact are good enough to balance it well on offense and defense.

I wonder sometimes if it just makes up the difference when you play on the road... my pitchers have been more HR prone than usual when traveling, despite the home park doing what it's supposed to do. Overall, it seems to be helping against diamond lineups.

[mcilkaer8k]

Originally Posted by TwanLX2000

I just started this week with a new park setup in attempt to cater to my strengths (and weaknesses). My park hits well in the gaps for extra bases, but HR's are pretty limited. It's helped keep the ball in the park for my movement deficient starters, and my defense and contact are good enough to balance it well on offense and defense.

I wonder sometimes if it just makes up the difference when you play on the road... my pitchers have been more HR prone than usual when traveling, despite the home park doing what it's supposed to do. Overall, it seems to be helping against diamond lineups.

What did you set your park factors at? I think that I just have to toss this season just like the last and wait until the end to change my park

[mcilkaer8k]

I have no idea what to do with my team anymore. I've become the worst team in my bronze league and even on the road, my pitchers are doing terrible. My offense has been blah, yet I have many of the same players that the top teams have. I'm completely lost

[TwanLX2000]

Originally Posted by mcilkaer8k

What did you set your park factors at? I think that I just have to toss this season just like the last and wait until the end to change my park

I didn't want to go crazy without knowing how drastic it would change things, but I tuned HR down to .97 with doubles and triples up to 1.06. I also have a slight bend for RHB average since that platoon tends to need more handicap at the plate. My team has a lot of LH contact, so they're ripping a lot more doubles, and my defense is keeping the opponent's contact hitters at bay. I'm sitting at 26-16 right now in diamond (14-7 at home), and that's after a few weeks near .500. I also deactivated my LH power in favor of guys that can generate contact to suit the settings.

I am fearful of doing too much at once, since I usually like a consistently balanced squad. But without much roster additions, I'm doing what I can for an edge.

[HondoLane]

Originally Posted by mcilkaer8k

I have no idea what to do with my team anymore. I've become the worst team in my bronze league and even on the road, my pitchers are doing terrible. My offense has been blah, yet I have many of the same players that the top teams have. I'm completely lost

So much the game just comes down to chance. Sounds normal to me. Just ride out the bad season.

Two seasons ago, Mark Prior had a 5.86 ERA with negative WAR for me. Last season, he has a 3.56 ERA and almost 5.0 WAR for me.

Two seasons ago, Hank Aaron had 6.0 WAR for me, nearly 40 HRs, hit over .300
Last season, he had 1.5 WAR for me, and hit .222 with 22 HRs (yeah, that was frustrating, lol)

I could do this with most of my players. It's just the way the game works - which actually mirrors real life in many ways. You should expect large swings in performances - and when you get a whole bunch swinging in one direction, that's when you have really good or bad seasons.

what

[mcilkaer8k]

Originally Posted by eeshvardasikcm

adding complexity by adjusting the stadium dimensions too much can complicate statistical feedback on the field. use baseball knowledge and pick the right players against the competition you're up against.

I put my park factors back to normal and my team had over 100 wins. I was beat in the bronze championship, but I’m moving up to silver. I haven’t checked yet today to see how my team is doing, but I’m leaving my park where it is