[JMDurron]

Just to clarify to anybody asking if this wall of data really "matters", here's why I think it does, *if* there is really an underlying game engine issue here.

I, personally, am fine with unrealistic outcomes, but only within certain parameters. My parameters are my own and won't match everyone else's, hence "it's your game, play it your way." Those parameters include having an outlandishly good team dominating the league, but doing so by assembling an unrealistically talented roster that combines to be unrealistically good at the baseball-related skills that impact their play on the field *in a realistic way*.

For example, I prioritized getting my top hitting 2B and SS prospects who were *also* stud defenders onto my MLB roster, and traded away slightly better-hitting, but less fielding-capable alternative prospects. I do so based upon the assumption (and previous OOTP outcomes to that effect) that the axiom of "strong defense up the middle is key to run prevention, and enhances whatever pitcher talent level you happen to have" applied in my OOTP universe. The shift in GB/FB within OOTP17 appears to have somewhat negated the impact of that decision, unrealistically in comparison to the actual MLB outcomes posted by BoomerSooner above.

I happen to have two excellent hitting 1B, but one is about 40% better at hitting, but 90% worse defensively than the one I chose to be the starter in 2026. I happened to do this in the offseason prior to my first season in OOTP17 in this league, and now I see that I weighed that decision incorrectly based on how 1B are actually getting far fewer chances than the position as a whole realistically does in MLB, and used to in previous OOTP versions.

I had to make a decision in my 2025-2026 offseason between keeping an excellent stud DH nearing 300 career HRs all on my team, and my stud defensive CF who is merely very good offensively against RHP, for a CFer. I decided to keep the CFer instead of going with a more offensively-focused OF, and in hindsight, boy am I glad I did so, between the GB/FB shift and the identified issue with excessive CF chances that will be addressed by OOTPD.

This isn't a game breaker by any means, because as Matt pointed out, I can adjust the GB/FB ratio on my own. It does, however, matter when it comes to how play-by-play outcomes are determined, which matters when it comes to how I should focus resources and preferences when constructing my roster, which is a huge proportion of what makes OOTP fun for me.

So, yes, while playing around with PivotTables in Excel isn't my idea of a roaring good time on a Friday morning, I do happen to have loads of fun playing OOTP17, this is all about helping to keep an awesomely responsive developer aware of a potential issue that might have a negative impact on my enjoyment, and the enjoyment of others.