Has anyone ever seen a player like this?

[Stan 'da Man]

I just bought OOTP 24 with the holiday sale and started up a new league. I didn't change any league settings and noticed one player that was very odd to me. He has hit over 500 home runs in the minor leagues and never really gotten a chance at the majors. The AI seems to think he is a pitcher, although his ratings have always been better as a hitter.

[jcard]

That 2028 stat line is … unique. 9 doubles, 2 triples, 82 homers. Perhaps the most absurd (and disappointing) part, however, is that the organization let him spend the whole season at one A-ball level accumulating those numbers.

[futuremarlinsgm]

It's incredible that no major league team ever gave him legitimate play at the major league level with that power level. Would be interested to see his rating/scouting profile throughout his career.

[CField17]

This is hilarious, also the name “Mateo gray” ����

[joefromchicago]

Joe Hauser

[Syd Thrift]

Also of course the minor league's Babe Ruth, Buzz Arlett:

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Buzz-Arlett/

[TrapperJohn]

He's a real guy! Two-way player eligible for this coming year's draft. https://www.perfectgame.org/players/...aspx?ID=709603

[OmahaBaseball]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Also of course the minor league's Babe Ruth, Buzz Arlett:

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Buzz-Arlett/

Never heard of Buzz but really enjoyed reading about him. Seems like a special ballplayer and quite the character.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by CHOWDERHEAD

Never heard of Buzz but really enjoyed reading about him. Seems like a special ballplayer and quite the character.

Much more about Buzz and many other colorful PCL characters can be found in "The Greatest Minor League: A History of The Pacific Coast League, 1903-1957" by Dennis Snelling. Highly recommended reading for fans of minor league baseball history & the historic PCL

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by jcard

That 2028 stat line is … unique. 9 doubles, 2 triples, 82 homers. Perhaps the most absurd (and disappointing) part, however, is that the organization let him spend the whole season at one A-ball level accumulating those numbers.

Also 190 Ks… and as nice of an average .326 is, it’s kind of low for a guy who hot 80 dingers, I think. Close to two thirds of his hits were home runs!

It’s a nice season I guess but maybe the team was just clogged with 1B/DH types. Also of course I’m not about to trust how the game uses two way players; there’s just not a lot of history to go off of with them.

[thehef]

Both Arlett & Hauser were - for the most part - putting up their monster numbers for teams that were not affiliated with the majors, so a simple call-up was not in the cards. Rather, an MLB team would have to purchase (or trade for) the player. And - especially in Hauser's case - those monster years were when they were aged in their mid-to-late 30's. Plus, as their SABR bios indicate, there were additional circumstances that further frustrated their hopes to be major leaguers.

So I wonder if there is some sort of OOTP backstory for Mateo Gray that has kept him out of the majors... Or it could just be that his career minor league avg of .286 with 190 K's (over 580 plate appearances) doesn't translate to major league success...

[Syd Thrift]

Yeah Arlett as it’s noted in the bio blew out his arm right when he was about to come up as a pitcher, then transitioned to the outfield during an era where there were a million guys who could hit .300 with 20 homers in the majors leagues. Also by the mid 20s he’d have been considered too old.

Another example in this sort of is Smead Jolley, who played in parts of a few seasons but was also a big time minor league bat who never got a lot of ML duty. In his case if memory serves terrible defense was the culprit.

[OmahaBaseball]

Originally Posted by thehef

Much more about Buzz and many other colorful PCL characters can be found in "The Greatest Minor League: A History of The Pacific Coast League, 1903-1957" by Dennis Snelling. Highly recommended reading for fans of minor league baseball history & the historic PCL

Thanks for the heads up -- will look for the book.