Catcher Rating

[elutz31]

Does catcher rating affect the game more than a bad arm catcher allowing a higher stolen base rate and a low catcher ability allowing more passed balls? Does it affect the pitchers game outside of more runners in scoring position via passed balls and stolen bases? Do they affect pitch calling, pitch counts or framing pitches to get more strikeouts?

I've attached my 2 catcher's stats for the season. The first catcher is the live Buster Posey card with a 90 catcher rating with 86 ability and 70 arm. The second card is Craig Biggio's 94 peak card. He's my utility guy and backup catcher but he only has a 21 catcher rating with 36 ability and 32 arm. However he's throwing out runners at the same rate as Posey 38.9% to 38.7% but is well below Posey in the ratings. Biggio also has no errors or passed balls and a lower catcher era 2.52 to 3.15. Granted it is a small sample size but there has to be a reason why there is such a high demand for catchers like Pudge with a 115 defensive rating that I'm over looking or not aware of.

[old timer]

Originally Posted by elutz31

Does catcher rating affect the game more than a bad arm catcher allowing a higher stolen base rate and a low catcher ability allowing more passed balls? Does it affect the pitchers game outside of more runners in scoring position via passed balls and stolen bases? Do they affect pitch calling, pitch counts or framing pitches to get more strikeouts?

I've attached my 2 catcher's stats for the season. The first catcher is the live Buster Posey card with a 90 catcher rating with 86 ability and 70 arm. The second card is Craig Biggio's 94 peak card. He's my utility guy and backup catcher but he only has a 21 catcher rating with 36 ability and 32 arm. However he's throwing out runners at the same rate as Posey 38.9% to 38.7% but is well below Posey in the ratings. Biggio also has no errors or passed balls and a lower catcher era 2.52 to 3.15. Granted it is a small sample size but there has to be a reason why there is such a high demand for catchers like Pudge with a 115 defensive rating that I'm over looking or not aware of.

One of the developers mentioned that a higher catcher ability will benefit your pitchers, but in my experience (which I just mentioned in the Mathis thread), the difference isn't significant enough to justify going for defense, so long as you can afford to get someone who can provide good offense.

But, that's just from my experience (mostly with my now static OOTP 19 team which has Pudge and Posey on it). Maybe someone else has some evidence to the contrary?

[Kushiel]

My experience is how many ERA titles won by my pitchers during 19 and now 20 with my defensive catchers. Lots of teams have had as good or better pitchers but lesser catchers. But then, perhaps I am an anomaly. But still I play Lavallier at catcher now. Imagine that, an OVR 69 that hits .250 or so with a very nice defensive rating. I think next week when we go to Perfect Level that he will still hit near the same. Also when I go to the playoffs every year I look at the other teams catcher. It is surprising how many good teams have that hitting catcher with the 60-70 arm. My base stealing slider immediately moves upward for those series. The Wizard is one of my players that really loves them leading off for me.

This is my opinion and as such means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Play how you like and have fun!

[pappyzan]

Originally Posted by Kushiel

The Wizard is one of my players that really loves them leading off for me.

I know you loved his 78 silver card in 19, were you able to get diamond Ozzie for 20? I was lucky to snag him pretty early.

[pappyzan]

Originally Posted by elutz31

Does catcher rating affect the game more than a bad arm catcher allowing a higher stolen base rate and a low catcher ability allowing more passed balls? Does it affect the pitchers game outside of more runners in scoring position via passed balls and stolen bases? Do they affect pitch calling, pitch counts or framing pitches to get more strikeouts?

Yeh don't look at just SB% because It's not about just that. A good defensive catcher tandem will cut down SB attempts, have a better CERA for your pitchers, will typically cut down the number of passed balls, and usually your team will throw fewer wild pitches.

I use LaValliere/Sundberg and normally have fewer SB attempts, wild pitches and passed balls than most other teams in whatever league I'm in. But the offense they generate is pretty small.

You'll need to determine what's better for your team, a catching tandem geared more to defense or offense. For most it tends to be offense, but that doesn't mean it's right for your team.

[Renfro]

Originally Posted by elutz31

Does catcher rating affect the game more than a bad arm catcher allowing a higher stolen base rate and a low catcher ability allowing more passed balls?

Relatedly, look to a pitcher's HOLD rating. This for sure reduces stolen base attempts. Coupled with Catchers with great arms and you greatly eliminate the SB. My best year in PT19 Pena and Johnson (along with SP like Cy Young, P Corbin, Whitey Ford) only allowed 40 SB attempts, and only 20 successful SB, for the entire year.

[Kushiel]

Originally Posted by pappyzan

I know you loved his 78 silver card in 19, were you able to get diamond Ozzie for 20? I was lucky to snag him pretty early.

I have the Gold OVR 82

[allenciox]

FYI, I don't know if this matters or not, but I did linear regressions to predict player's OVR ratings based on their offensive abilities and their defensive abilities for each position. I found out several interesting things:

1. Defense mattered the most at the following positions, in order: SS,CF,2B,3B,C & RF,LF,1B

2. Some positions had a rating "boost" compared to others; holding DEF and Offensive skills constant, they would get added points added to their rating. In order: C,SS,CF,2B,3B

3. For all positions other than Catcher and Shortstop, the best predictor on the defensive skills for their position was DEF. For Shortstop, it was Infield Range, all by itself, and for Catcher, it was 2/3 arm and 1/3 ability (so even though the DEF rating for catcher treat those as 1/2 importance overall, for ratings they have assigned greater importance to catcher arm.

You can make of this what you will --- and of course the OVR rating might be a poor correlator of success, but I found it interesting.

[One Great Matrix]

The CERA (Catcher's ERA)...is a half run lower with Posey, though.

[chazzycat]

From my testing in the simulation module, catcher ability does have an effect on strikeout to walk ratios. It's fairly small though...probably smaller than you would think.