MiLB Age Limit Suggestions?

[PSUColonel]

I am looking to employ age limits for minor league teams, and obviously don't want them to be TOO restrictive as to cause some AI problems. I do think however, if I set them up reasonably, (from my testing) it will be just fine.

First off, I do have roster limits.

AAA-25
AA-25
A+-25
A-25
A-30
R-35

Next I would like to employ age limits. Here are the ideas I have had:

AAA:none
AA:26
A+:25
A: 25
A-:25
R: 24

OR

AAA: NONE
AA: 28
A+: 27
A: 26
A-: 25
R: 24

OR:

AAA: None
AA: 27
A+: 26
A: 25
A-: 25
R: 24


What do people think of these? Do you have any other suggestions?

[Mecza]

These are the age limits I use to great effect. They mirror real life to an extent based on service time limits:

AAA: None
AA: None
A+: 24
A: 23
A-: 22
R: 21

"Summer" rookie leagues used in standard MLB games I like to set at 22 for the sake of realism.

Let me know if you don't have any issues with the roster limits. In my experience it causes AI teams to release top prospects and recently drafted players if you have limits for all minor leagues. Doesn't even matter the size. Should be okay if at least one is unlimited though - usually rookie ball. Roster limits can sometimes lead to goofy roster construction too (35 limit, 12 pitchers and 25 batters, if you mess with the league options it still doesn't really work in my experience. Your mileage may vary)

[jpeters1734]

my levels are AAA, U27, U24, U22, and U20. AAA is open.

[PSUColonel]

my thinking is, the higher limits help...the fewer decisions the AI has to make, the better. Rookie ball may be a bit high at 24, and AA a bit low at 26 however.

Maybe:

AAA: None
AA: 27
A+: 26
A: 25
A-: 24
R: 23

[Curve Ball Dave]

My limits are:

AAA-None
AA-25
A+-24
A-24
SSA-22
R-20

It's working well for me.

[BigRed75]

My roster limits are the same as yours. My age limits are as follows:

AAA, AA, A+, A: None
SS-A: 24
GCL and AZL: 23
DSL: 22

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by Curve Ball Dave

My limits are:

AAA-None
AA-25
A+-24
A-24
SSA-22
R-20

It's working well for me.

these are age limits?

So you think the following would be OK without any odd AI behavior (releasing decent prospects etc..)

AAA; None
AA: 26
A+: 25
A:24
A-:23
R: 22

I just feel giving each level one more year than this helps the AI out a bit.

[Curve Ball Dave]

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

these are age limits?

So you think the following would be OK without any odd AI behavior (releasing decent prospects etc..)

AAA; None
AA: 26
A+: 25
A:24
A-:23
R: 22

I just feel giving each level one more year than this helps the AI out a bit.

Whatever you feel is appropriate. My limits are working just fine and the minor leagues have a good competitive balance, which was severely lacking prior to the imposition of age limts. If the free agent pools are any indication, the AI is keeping their good players in their systems and releasing the bad ones.

I figure Rookie is for kids right out of high school or who were drafted as underclassmen out of college, and kids from the International Complex. Guys who were drafted as seniors in college go to SSA which is Advanced Rookie ball by any other name.

[homerj]

I do

Rookie(DSL, GCL, AZL) at 22
Higher Rookie and SS A at 24
Full season A at 26
AA at 28

I figure by 28 if they haven't figured out AA, they go. I also do a 40 round draft with 45 rounds to keep an influx of younger players into the game.

Roster limits I go:

DSL, AZL, GCL = 35
everything between = 28
AAA unlimited

I'm really hopeful that next year, they can just have the actual service time limits, minor league reserve rosters, etc. and not have to mess around with this stuff.

[Le Grande Orange]

This thread makes me wish there was the option to set service time limits for the minors (which is in reality the more realistic way player participation in the minors is handled).

For what it's worth, here is the average age for hitter and pitchers for each minor league in 2015, according to Baseball-Reference.

International League: 26.9 / 27.2
Pacific Coast League: 26.8 / 26.8
Eastern League: 24.5 / 24.5
Southern League: 24.0 / 24.3
Texas League: 24.2 / 24.4
California League: 22.6 / 23.2
Carolina League: 22.7 / 22.9
Florida State League: 22.7 / 22.9
Midwest League: 21.4 / 21.9
South Atlantic League: 21.6 / 21.9
New York-Penn League: 21.1 / 21.3
Northwest League: 21.0 / 21.3
Appalachian League: 20.6 / 20.6
Pioneer League: 20.9 / 21.2
Arizona League: 19.9 / 20.5
Gulf Coast League: 19.5 / 20.4
Dominican Summer League: 18.4 / 19.0
Venezuelan Summer League: 18.3 / 18.7

[PSUColonel]

Yes, service time limits is the way it's actually done IRL. I am trying to mimic that somewhat, without getting to constricting for the AI. I have decided on this, and will see how it goes and whether I need to change things or not.

AA: 26
A+: 25
A: 24
A-: 23
R: 22

[NoOne]

becareful, or you can miss out on some talent. it happens in real-life too (in different ways, though), so that may not be a concern. everything should be considered in a relative way below. e.g. if a college kids starts in a- or rookie, how long are you willing to let them develop there? add that to the oldest age you think a college kid can be drafted. that should be your age limit there. my recommendation is to be conservative in your estimates... work on 'worst' case scenarios (ie - old when drafted in this case).

some college kids are 23-25 when they get out, eh? if they should start in A that's a problem even if they are younger. some college kids even start below that. high schoolers won't be a problem in general, but slow-developers could get screwed, too.

i'd put A and AA a bit older. 26 / 28 or even 28/28.

Rookie is one i'd use a limit in a more strict way. 22 seems reasonable. A- i still see college kids start there often enough i'd rather not stunt their growth in A. a couple years below a/aa is good. give a 2-yr padding or a 3-yr padding if a college kid starts there.

also, i'd want to know exactly how it works. is it when they turn the age, or is it the season the turn that age? does the ai dump them or promote them? so if i want 22 year olds in that league, maybe 23 is the age i should use, etc. the latter part will help understand ramifications. you may have certain times of the year where picking through MiL FA will be more rewarding than normal.

[endgame]

Originally Posted by NoOne

becareful, or you can miss out on some talent. it happens in real-life too (in different ways, though), so that may not be a concern.

some college kids are 23-25 when they get out, eh? if they should start in A that's a problem even if they are younger. some college kids even start below that. high schoolers won't be a problem in general, but slow-developers could get screwed, too.

i'd put A and AA a bit older. 26 / 28 or even 28/28.

Rookie is one i'd use a limit in a more strict way. 22 seems reasonable.

also, i'd want to know exactly how it works. is it when they turn the age, or is it the season the turn that age? does the ai dump them or promote them? so if i want 22 year olds in that league, maybe 23 is the age i should use, etc. the latter part will help understand ramifications. you may have certain times of the year where picking through MiL FA will be more rewarding than normal.

See your point on some college draftees, but personally I view 28-year-olds as nearing or at their peak. I certainly don't want them in AA, as it's unlikely they'll improve their skills beyond AAA at 29-30 and then maybe the only usefulness is a 40-man callup or possible deep sub.

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by NoOne

becareful, or you can miss out on some talent. it happens in real-life too (in different ways, though), so that may not be a concern. everything should be considered in a relative way below. e.g. if a college kids starts in a- or rookie, how long are you willing to let them develop there? add that to the oldest age you think a college kid can be drafted. that should be your age limit there. my recommendation is to be conservative in your estimates... work on 'worst' case scenarios (ie - old when drafted in this case).

some college kids are 23-25 when they get out, eh? if they should start in A that's a problem even if they are younger. some college kids even start below that. high schoolers won't be a problem in general, but slow-developers could get screwed, too.

i'd put A and AA a bit older. 26 / 28 or even 28/28.

Rookie is one i'd use a limit in a more strict way. 22 seems reasonable. A- i still see college kids start there often enough i'd rather not stunt their growth in A. a couple years below a/aa is good. give a 2-yr padding or a 3-yr padding if a college kid starts there.

also, i'd want to know exactly how it works. is it when they turn the age, or is it the season the turn that age? does the ai dump them or promote them? so if i want 22 year olds in that league, maybe 23 is the age i should use, etc. the latter part will help understand ramifications. you may have certain times of the year where picking through MiL FA will be more rewarding than normal.

If a player turn the age of the limit while on a roster, he's okay until removed from that roster. As for how the AI behav s, we shall see. I am hoping it will promote, but then there are roster limits on the number of players also....so the AI could easily get very squirrelly....ill have to see. This is one reason I'm for some more liberal age limits.

[PSUColonel]

If you put your limit of 27 at AA for example, you can still have a player at 28 there. It's just that he turned 28 while on the roster.

[NoOne]

i thought i've seen someone removed/moved due to age but could be wrong. maybe it was the offseason. my minors are mostly automated, could have something to do with what i saw.

i said conservative in estimates, but mean liberal in resulting age limits as you said. same wave, there

just like age limits, be really careful using roster limits. i'd only use them if you see ~35+ in all the A-AAA leagues. also, test your age limits wiht and without roster # limits in place... you may see 2 different results and be surprised by the one you like more.

i think this is in the Stats and AI portion of league settings. you set # of relievers and # of benchplayers... and it adds up to 25 on default. if you want them to have more than 25, alter these settings for that specific minor league. rinse and repeat for each minor league.

you can control what they have extra of rather than leaving it to random chance.

as always use the "play potential over ability" option for each minor league... even if things don't work perfectly, the best prospects get the playing time, regardless. thta's the key... development of kids, afterall.

[andyhdz]

Age limits only kick in after the season is over and it doesn't prevent you from breaking the rules and moving aged out players to the team. I don't know if the AI follows the rules during the season either. I dont' bother with age limits and I manually clean up the leagues during the offseason

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by andyhdz

Age limits only kick in after the season is over and it doesn't prevent you from breaking the rules and moving aged out players to the team. I don't know if the AI follows the rules during the season either. I dont' bother with age limits and I manually clean up the leagues during the offseason

Then what is the point of this feature? Why would Markus design a feature which does not work?

I have not yet had a chance to test this thoroughly though. Do you have experience with this?

[PSUColonel]

Originally Posted by NoOne

i thought i've seen someone removed/moved due to age but could be wrong. maybe it was the offseason. my minors are mostly automated, could have something to do with what i saw.

i said conservative in estimates, but mean liberal in resulting age limits as you said. same wave, there

just like age limits, be really careful using roster limits. i'd only use them if you see ~35+ in all the A-AAA leagues. also, test your age limits wiht and without roster # limits in place... you may see 2 different results and be surprised by the one you like more.

i think this is in the Stats and AI portion of league settings. you set # of relievers and # of benchplayers... and it adds up to 25 on default. if you want them to have more than 25, alter these settings for that specific minor league. rinse and repeat for each minor league.

you can control what they have extra of rather than leaving it to random chance.

as always use the "play potential over ability" option for each minor league... even if things don't work perfectly, the best prospects get the playing time, regardless. thta's the key... development of kids, afterall.

any suggestions/recommendations?

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

Then what is the point of this feature? Why would Markus design a feature which does not work?

I have not yet had a chance to test this thoroughly though. Do you have experience with this?

It works... sometimes. There are some flaws in it, times when the limits weren't being applied properly, and those will be cleaned up for the next patch.