Quote:
Originally Posted by zrog2000
I have no idea how a team would be more likely to win in the playoffs than in the regular season. I'm all ears.
Now there is a theory that you need players who can hit elite pitching to do well in the postseason. There are a lot of players who feast on bad to mediocre pitching but can't hit elite pitching at all. But some don't drop off, and these are the guys who will do well in the postseason generally.
However, how would OOTP handle that in a way anyone can figure out? Do you need more Contact and Avoiding K's? I'm not sure. And I'm also not sure what kind of pitchers are better in the postseason.
It will be pretty impossible to figure much out with such short sample sizes though regardless. The worst team in baseball can sweep the best team in baseball. It happens all the time.
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There are two fold issues in play during the playoffs because chances are you're playing the best.
Facing Elite Pitching
Facing Elite Hitting
What I'm surmising is that most people seem to be building elite hitting by acquiring power hitting players. After all, "chicks dig the long ball". I haven't figured out how to completely take elite hitting out of the game, but I'm going to minimize the effect of power by getting pitchers with high movement and control. (That and the fact that I've adjusted my HR factors). I attempt to reduce the overall effect of elite hitting by using elite defenders. If possible, I try to gain a favorable advantage on splits. I check the opponent's split records (and the makeup of the lineup) and may decide to stack my starting rotation heavily with right handers or lefties.
As far as attacking elite pitching, I anticipate that runs are going to be hard to come by so I approach it from that standpoint. All my position players are above average baserunners with good speed. I may not steal a lot of bases, but I am aggressive on the basepaths and will try to take the extra base. A run scored by sac fly counts just as much as one from a home run.
Obviously, due to the 14 day rule for the reserve roster changes, I can't just shuttle players into and out of my roster, so this is something I have to commit to from the start.
For me, it's high movement/control pitchers (stuff is great if I can get that too) and at least one righty and lefty starter in my bullpen so I can shift them in and out of my rotation.
Second, elite defense and good speed. High contact and gap. Power is optional, Good IF or OF ratings so I can train my players to play multiple positions. Rookie Ichiro and Omar Vizquel are perfect examples. I will trade early season defensive issues for late season or next season defensive positional flexibility.
Not sexy. Won't generate a lot of PP achievements. May not win a ton of games over the course of a long season. But give me a short series with a chance to set my rotation and I'll take my chances.
Not saying this is the only way,,, or even if I'm right. As I mentioned before, I'm still pondering this.
But, a roster like this is something you have to commit to from the beginning.
Just my humble opinion.