Team position rankings

alanohio · 07-08-2026, 08:46 PM

Suggestion: Make “Team Position Rankings” Reflect Actual Usage, Not Just Card Primary Position

One area of Perfect Team that could be significantly more useful is the Team Position Rankings panel.

Right now, the rankings often appear to be based heavily on a card’s listed primary position, rather than the position where the player is actually being used in the lineup/depth chart. That can make the rankings misleading, especially for teams that use platoons, secondary positions, DHs, utility players, or role-specific bullpen assignments.

For example:

A player listed as a 1B but used almost entirely as a DH may still be ranked as the team’s first baseman.
A player whose primary position is SS but who is being used at 2B may not properly reflect the team’s actual second-base strength.
A reliever listed as a CL but used only as a specialist or setup arm may be evaluated as if he is the team’s closer.
A platoon player may be ranked poorly overall even though he is being used very effectively in the correct split.

This makes the panel less useful than it could be, because it does not always answer the question a manager actually needs answered:

“How strong is my team at the position as I am actually using it?”

Proposed Improvement

The Team Position Rankings could become much more valuable if they were based on actual assigned role and playing position, rather than only the card’s default position.

Ideally, the rankings would evaluate:

Lineup position assignment
If a player is starting at 2B, rank him as the team’s 2B, even if his card’s primary position is SS or 3B.

DH separately from 1B
A DH-only bat should not distort the team’s 1B ranking, and a poor defensive 1B being used strictly at DH should be evaluated as a DH.

Platoon usage
If one player starts vs RHP and another starts vs LHP, the ranking could account for the combined projected value at that position.

Bullpen role usage
A reliever being used as a stopper, setup man, specialist, or mop-up arm should ideally be evaluated in that role, not only by whether his card says CL or RP.

Possible Display Options

A really useful version of the panel might show something like:

C: Johnny Bench — ranked 8th
1B: Albert Pujols — ranked 14th
DH: Carlos Delgado — ranked 10th
2B: Rogers Hornsby — ranked 27th
3B: Joe Sewell / David Wright platoon — ranked 15th
SS: Honus Wagner — ranked 12th
LF: Tris Speaker — ranked 7th
CF: Willie Mays — ranked 11th
RF: Mickey Mantle — ranked 9th

For pitching:

SP Rotation: ranked by actual rotation assignment
Closer: ranked by assigned closer
Stopper: ranked by assigned stopper
Setup: ranked by assigned setup usage
Specialist: ranked separately if used that way

Even if this could not be perfect, a toggle would help:

“Rank by Card Primary Position”
or
“Rank by Current Team Role / Assigned Position”

Why This Matters

Perfect Team rewards smart roster construction. A lot of successful teams are not simply using players at their card’s default position. They are built around:

park factors,
platoons,
secondary-position flexibility,
defensive substitutions,
DH usage,
bullpen roles,
and split-based optimization.

The current Team Position Rankings can sometimes make a roster look weaker or stronger than it really is because it does not fully account for how the team is actually being managed.

A role-based version of this panel would give managers a much clearer answer to the real strategic question:

“Where is my team actually weak?”

That would make the rankings more accurate, more actionable, and much more useful for roster decisions.

07-08-2026, 08:46 PM	#1
alanohio Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2024 Posts: 165	Team position rankings Suggestion: Make “Team Position Rankings” Reflect Actual Usage, Not Just Card Primary Position One area of Perfect Team that could be significantly more useful is the Team Position Rankings panel. Right now, the rankings often appear to be based heavily on a card’s listed primary position, rather than the position where the player is actually being used in the lineup/depth chart. That can make the rankings misleading, especially for teams that use platoons, secondary positions, DHs, utility players, or role-specific bullpen assignments. For example: A player listed as a 1B but used almost entirely as a DH may still be ranked as the team’s first baseman. A player whose primary position is SS but who is being used at 2B may not properly reflect the team’s actual second-base strength. A reliever listed as a CL but used only as a specialist or setup arm may be evaluated as if he is the team’s closer. A platoon player may be ranked poorly overall even though he is being used very effectively in the correct split. This makes the panel less useful than it could be, because it does not always answer the question a manager actually needs answered: “How strong is my team at the position as I am actually using it?” Proposed Improvement The Team Position Rankings could become much more valuable if they were based on actual assigned role and playing position, rather than only the card’s default position. Ideally, the rankings would evaluate: Lineup position assignment If a player is starting at 2B, rank him as the team’s 2B, even if his card’s primary position is SS or 3B. DH separately from 1B A DH-only bat should not distort the team’s 1B ranking, and a poor defensive 1B being used strictly at DH should be evaluated as a DH. Platoon usage If one player starts vs RHP and another starts vs LHP, the ranking could account for the combined projected value at that position. Bullpen role usage A reliever being used as a stopper, setup man, specialist, or mop-up arm should ideally be evaluated in that role, not only by whether his card says CL or RP. Possible Display Options A really useful version of the panel might show something like: C: Johnny Bench — ranked 8th 1B: Albert Pujols — ranked 14th DH: Carlos Delgado — ranked 10th 2B: Rogers Hornsby — ranked 27th 3B: Joe Sewell / David Wright platoon — ranked 15th SS: Honus Wagner — ranked 12th LF: Tris Speaker — ranked 7th CF: Willie Mays — ranked 11th RF: Mickey Mantle — ranked 9th For pitching: SP Rotation: ranked by actual rotation assignment Closer: ranked by assigned closer Stopper: ranked by assigned stopper Setup: ranked by assigned setup usage Specialist: ranked separately if used that way Even if this could not be perfect, a toggle would help: “Rank by Card Primary Position” or “Rank by Current Team Role / Assigned Position” Why This Matters Perfect Team rewards smart roster construction. A lot of successful teams are not simply using players at their card’s default position. They are built around: park factors, platoons, secondary-position flexibility, defensive substitutions, DH usage, bullpen roles, and split-based optimization. The current Team Position Rankings can sometimes make a roster look weaker or stronger than it really is because it does not fully account for how the team is actually being managed. A role-based version of this panel would give managers a much clearer answer to the real strategic question: “Where is my team actually weak?” That would make the rankings more accurate, more actionable, and much more useful for roster decisions.