OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

chazzycat · 09-09-2019, 04:26 PM

I have been thinking about the best way to explain park factors recently. It's a complex topic, can be hard to explain sometimes...but also is quite important IMO.

Essentially it boils down to two axes (x & y) which divides all players into four quadrants. One axis is Contact/Gap vs. Power/Eye, and the other is Lefties vs. Righties.

So we have 4 types of hitters:
A) RHB contact/gap hitters (Gary Maddox)
B) RHB power/eye hitters (Mike Trout)
C) LHB contact/gap hitters (Rod Carew)
D) LHB power/eye hitters (Babe Ruth)

So basically you choose one quadrant, and stock your team with that type of player. Pretty straightforward so far. But the complex part comes when you remember that the same axes exist for pitching and defense strategies as well. It's absolutely critical to consider both sides of the game when you're thinking about your park factors. So for example if you build your offense around type A hitters (max RHB contact) then you would also want to have strong RHPs to keep opponents RHBs in check. Also, by throwing all RHP you would get more lefties into your opponents lineups from platoons, who would then be playing at a 10% disadvantage. So you can kind of use your ballpark factors to neutralize handedness advantages. Over time, these add up.

The other axis is critical as well. If your park favors contact over power, that means your pitching/defense strategy should revolve around preventing singles, not homers. The park is already helping prevent homers so it's not the priority. How do you prevent singles? Strike the hitters out and play good defense...those are the two options. Movement rating doesn't do a thing to help with that, despite what you may read about how important MOV is. Ignoring that common advice has been the key to my success for my SmallBallers (5x perfect level playoff appearances and one lucky championship before I spent money). Don't be afraid to try something new if it makes sense in your head, despite what others say.

For my other team though, with maximum HR factor and minimum AVG factors, it makes total sense to prioritize movement rating. And that team is pretty dang effective as well (reached perfect a few times before spending money).

In my opinion, obtaining some kind of synergy between your offensive strategy, and your pitching/defense strategy, via the park factors, is key to success for anyone on a budget. The only question is how extreme one should take it.

09-09-2019, 04:26 PM	#5
chazzycat All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 1,685	I have been thinking about the best way to explain park factors recently. It's a complex topic, can be hard to explain sometimes...but also is quite important IMO. Essentially it boils down to two axes (x & y) which divides all players into four quadrants. One axis is Contact/Gap vs. Power/Eye, and the other is Lefties vs. Righties. So we have 4 types of hitters: A) RHB contact/gap hitters (Gary Maddox) B) RHB power/eye hitters (Mike Trout) C) LHB contact/gap hitters (Rod Carew) D) LHB power/eye hitters (Babe Ruth) So basically you choose one quadrant, and stock your team with that type of player. Pretty straightforward so far. But the complex part comes when you remember that the same axes exist for pitching and defense strategies as well. It's absolutely critical to consider both sides of the game when you're thinking about your park factors. So for example if you build your offense around type A hitters (max RHB contact) then you would also want to have strong RHPs to keep opponents RHBs in check. Also, by throwing all RHP you would get more lefties into your opponents lineups from platoons, who would then be playing at a 10% disadvantage. So you can kind of use your ballpark factors to neutralize handedness advantages. Over time, these add up. The other axis is critical as well. If your park favors contact over power, that means your pitching/defense strategy should revolve around preventing singles, not homers. The park is already helping prevent homers so it's not the priority. How do you prevent singles? Strike the hitters out and play good defense...those are the two options. Movement rating doesn't do a thing to help with that, despite what you may read about how important MOV is. Ignoring that common advice has been the key to my success for my SmallBallers (5x perfect level playoff appearances and one lucky championship before I spent money). Don't be afraid to try something new if it makes sense in your head, despite what others say. For my other team though, with maximum HR factor and minimum AVG factors, it makes total sense to prioritize movement rating. And that team is pretty dang effective as well (reached perfect a few times before spending money). In my opinion, obtaining some kind of synergy between your offensive strategy, and your pitching/defense strategy, via the park factors, is key to success for anyone on a budget. The only question is how extreme one should take it.