Reducing The Number Of Career Minor Leaguers in MLB

[Brad K]

I'm in my 15th year of a full minors save and the number of career minor league pitchers in MLB has gotten unacceptably large. Percentages don't include my team which has zero.

I've considered some of the following for reducing career minor league pitchers in MLB:

Reducing teams to a total 3 with a max of 1 SP.

Reducing all teams by half with fractions retained rounded up then the next season putting in specific numerical limits.

Any number allowed but with total star ratings of maybe 6 or 6.5.

I realize anything will disrupt competition for a time but this is not a serious save. It's one where I'm trying some different things.

[LansdowneSt]

So, a historical game where the engine has developed career minor leaguers in real life into an "unacceptable" number of MLB pitchers? Is that the situation?

Well, my first thought is that "retire according to history" turned on should thin the herd at the end of the year. Maybe significantly given it's been 15 years.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by LansdowneSt

So, a historical game where the engine has developed career minor leaguers in real life into an "unacceptable" number of MLB pitchers? Is that the situation?

Well, my first thought is that "retire according to history" turned on should thin the herd at the end of the year. Maybe significantly given it's been 15 years.

That sure would do it! I wonder if retire according to history means from MLB or from all of baseball.

My selection of full minors is because I want some "what if" in my games.

Due to the other effects of retire according to history, I'm willing to do the reductions manually rather than by that one click method.

But that's just me. I bet a lot of people would use your suggestion.

[MisterTidster]

It’s a problem in regular leagues as well. The AI just doesn’t do a good job at prioritizing potential right. I’ve reached 2045 and there’s no hope of a winning record in rookie ball and A ball, because my top prospects struggle against these career minor leagueers.

[MisterTidster]

Oh, and I’m tinkering with creating a possible solution… creating an independent Mexican league that’s profitable enough to offer reasonable enough contracts to poach those career minor leaguers.

[LansdowneSt]

Originally Posted by Brad K

That sure would do it! I wonder if retire according to history means from MLB or from all of baseball.

I believe it's the year that the last stat line loaded, so in your save, it would be looking at all stat lines if RAH were turned on. If it were a game that had no real minors enabled, the last stat line would be the MLB one.

[venflaalachi]

Originally Posted by MisterTidster

It’s a problem in regular leagues as well. The AI just doesn’t do a good job at prioritizing potential right. I’ve reached 2045 and there’s no hope of a winning record in rookie ball and A ball, because my top prospects struggle against these career minor leagueers.

You can address this by adding either an age limit or professional experience limit to the minor leagues.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by LansdowneSt

I believe it's the year that the last stat line loaded, so in your save, it would be looking at all stat lines if RAH were turned on. If it were a game that had no real minors enabled, the last stat line would be the MLB one.

Thanks. I may try a test on that.

Oakland has nine career minor league pitchers on its 25 man. I can't really run retire according to history on this save at present.

[MisterTidster]

So I experimented with creating some independent leagues to suck up some of the has beens and never will be players… added a fun layer to the game with the option for MLB teams to “purchase” a contract, because you can snag a borderline MLB starter to fill in for an injured player if you’re thin at the position in AAA, and can scour for overlooked prospects that weren’t worth investing in until they got playing time. Unintended consequence was the AI managed teams are much better at tracking development of younger players in an independent league and are constantly plucking younger players that show potential before a player notices, plus the larger pool of players developing creates a bit of a bottleneck at the AA level for AI run teams.

Kinda neat that independent leagues have development labs of their own so you do get some interesting players that develop.

[Brad K]

That's an interesting idea. I bet after your post lots of people try it.

Its not immediately clear to me how this would reduce the number of career minor leaguers in MLB. Perhaps you have some data and conclusions?

[OutS|der]

Originally Posted by Brad K

That's an interesting idea. I bet after your post lots of people try it.

Its not immediately clear to me how this would reduce the number of career minor leaguers in MLB. Perhaps you have some data and conclusions?

By giving them other places to play. So instead of being a career minor leaguer, they become a career Indy leaguer.

With roster, age and play time limits for the minors, in theory this should force more players to be released and stop teams from hoarding players. Though this will only lead to the FA list becoming exceptionally large if they don't have somewhere else to play, they don't seem to retire at a fast enough rate if they don't sign anywhere, so it's best to provide other Indy leagues.

[Brad K]

Several long term solutions that appear viable have been offered. I need a big change over the next off season or two before I can try them.

I'm leaning toward allowing each MLB team 50% of its current career minor league pitchers rounded up by retiring them. What's next I don't know. It could be AAA is filled is career minor leaguers rated better than the historic pitchers.

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by Brad K

I'm in my 15th year of a full minors save and the number of career minor league pitchers in MLB has gotten unacceptably large. Percentages don't include my team which has zero.

I've considered some of the following for reducing career minor league pitchers in MLB:

Reducing teams to a total 3 with a max of 1 SP.

Reducing all teams by half with fractions retained rounded up then the next season putting in specific numerical limits.

Any number allowed but with total star ratings of maybe 6 or 6.5.

I realize anything will disrupt competition for a time but this is not a serious save. It's one where I'm trying some different things.

I tend to retire so many of those guys not counting the ones who get to bounce around all of my random international leagues that I spin up mostly to give them some meaning. But agreed that the game is pretty bad at recycling these guys, there are an unacceptable amount of 25+ guys on my AAA rosters and it takes a lot of pruning to get rid of them. Even in my massive universe where I have Mexico, India, St. Lucia, Canada, several indy leagues, Europe, Australia, Taiwan and others activated, there are still too many of these dudes clogging my AAA teams. It's been a persistent problem, and short of turning on age limits, there's no good way to stop AAA from having too many of them. I'm glad someone is talking about it, I am usually forced to just mass retire hundreds or thousands of these guys every few years to get them out of circulation.

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by OutS|der

By giving them other places to play. So instead of being a career minor leaguer, they become a career Indy leaguer.

With roster, age and play time limits for the minors, in theory this should force more players to be released and stop teams from hoarding players. Though this will only lead to the FA list becoming exceptionally large if they don't have somewhere else to play, they don't seem to retire at a fast enough rate if they don't sign anywhere, so it's best to provide other Indy leagues.

The only real issue with AAA age limits is if you have rehab assignments on, guys can accidentally be released when they go to the minors for rehab, a thing I have yet to solve, I will sometimes keep age limits off the complex league so they have somewhere to go but otherwise....age limit/service time limits can kind of work though still too many persist.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

I tend to retire so many of those guys not counting the ones who get to bounce around all of my random international leagues that I spin up mostly to give them some meaning. But agreed that the game is pretty bad at recycling these guys, there are an unacceptable amount of 25+ guys on my AAA rosters and it takes a lot of pruning to get rid of them. Even in my massive universe where I have Mexico, India, St. Lucia, Canada, several indy leagues, Europe, Australia, Taiwan and others activated, there are still too many of these dudes clogging my AAA teams. It's been a persistent problem, and short of turning on age limits, there's no good way to stop AAA from having too many of them. I'm glad someone is talking about it, I am usually forced to just mass retire hundreds or thousands of these guys every few years to get them out of circulation.

Presently I'm concerned with cutting way back on the career minor league pitchers in MLB. I wonder how many there are waiting in AAA who are better than the real MLB players who will just jump onto MLB rosters. I guess I'll know after I do the retirements.

It's peculiar that the pitcher percentage is so high compared with position players.

[WhiskyTango]

My current game is running an (obviously quasi-) historical scenario: historical players/teams (not rosters) with Federal League. 24 MLB teams, each with 3-tier fake MiLB. Pro rosters currently (1939 season) contain 15% lifetime MiLB IRL. If this is interesting ask away. If not no worries.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by WhiskyTango

My current game is running an (obviously quasi-) historical scenario: historical players/teams (not rosters) with Federal League. 24 MLB teams, each with 3-tier fake MiLB. Pro rosters currently (1939 season) contain 15% lifetime MiLB IRL. If this is interesting ask away. If not no worries.

My overall is 19%, my team excluded.

Do you have a breakdown by SP, RP, and position players?

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Presently I'm concerned with cutting way back on the career minor league pitchers in MLB. I wonder how many there are waiting in AAA who are better than the real MLB players who will just jump onto MLB rosters. I guess I'll know after I do the retirements.

It's peculiar that the pitcher percentage is so high compared with position players.

OOTP is really bad at player movement and getting teams/players to realize "oh there's a better job for me, I should take it. Or teams saying "oh this asset should be used not just squatted on." I suppose you could use apologetics and say like real life that some guys just go undiscovered and end up in perpetually bad situations, but...yeah the game isn't always the most efficient market.

[WhiskyTango]

Originally Posted by Brad K

My overall is 19%, my team excluded.

Do you have a breakdown by SP, RP, and position players?

Currently (end of May) 14.5% MiLB, composed of

27% batters
33% SP
39% RP & CL


[edit]
What may also be interesting is playing time:

batters with at least 100 innings played, 6% lifetime MiLB
and 5% of qualified batters are lifetime MiLB.

SP >= 100 BF, 21% are lifetime MiLB.
qualified SP, 19% are lifetime MiLB

[Brad K]

Interesting. My percentages of total MiL are SP 25% RP 44% batters 31%.

Your 5% percentage on qualified batters is a close match to my 4.35% regulars.