Originally Posted by progen
In my current game, I have a 30 round amateur draft. I have a spreadsheet that I printed out, very simple, name, position, age. Then I have 9-10 columns, that I use to follow my players through their career. I just pencil in where they start, say rookie league, and if I promote them during the season, to say short season, I just write that in the box. I also do this for my Rule 5 picks, my international signings, and in some cases any trades I make with players in the minors.
I'm always interested in seeing how well my draft picks go, and where they end up over a 9 to 10 year span. I know this is fairly bare bones and simple, but it gives me a "snapshot" of my minor league system, and my organization overall. At the end of every season, I update my spreadsheets, and I also write in where the player will be playing the next season. If a player has had say two straight seasons at A ball as an example, I'll look at their stats, and if they're weak, I'll usually release them. Of course, if they are a higher draft pick, I may give them another season in A ball, and keep an eye on their season. I circle the A in the most recent year, which reminds me to monitor that players performance.
And another reason I felt compelled to answer your question, is to let you know that I've found this is an excellent way to keep me "immersed" in the game, and really get to know my players on a level that I think a GM may in real life. This has absolutely kept me involved in the game, and I have found some real surprises with players that I drafted just trusting my gut, and they had a decent major league career. And I play stats only, so it really makes me pay attention to their production in hs/college, and then how they are doing in the minors. Sorry this is long, but hope it helps.
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