Have handedness affect position ratings

[mgoetze]

Left-handed throwers should be better at playing first base than right handers, see Why are first baseman often lefthanded .

On the other hand, certain positions such as 3rd base should be all but impossible for lefties, see Left-handers playing third base (and catcher, second, and shortstop) » Baseball-Reference Blog » Blog Archive

On a related note, players with great range and horrible running speed or vice versa always seem rather unrealistic to me.

[Cryomaniac]

IIRC the game doesn't create LH middle infielders or catchers anyway.

[Painmantle]

Originally Posted by mgoetze

Left-handed throwers should be better at playing first base than right handers, see Why are first baseman often lefthanded .

On the other hand, certain positions such as 3rd base should be all but impossible for lefties, see Left-handers playing third base (and catcher, second, and shortstop) » Baseball-Reference Blog » Blog Archive

On a related note, players with great range and horrible running speed or vice versa always seem rather unrealistic to me.

Range has almost as much to do with the instincts and the jump the player gets off the bat as it does speed. Fast players don't always have good range and visa versa. Speed is always helpful but isn't necessary for a player to have good range

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

IIRC the game doesn't create LH middle infielders or catchers anyway.

There's a left-handed catcher every once in a while, but otherwise yeah, no 2B, SS, or 3B are created left-handed, from what I've seen.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

There's a left-handed catcher every once in a while, but otherwise yeah, no 2B, SS, or 3B are created left-handed, from what I've seen.

I thought that was the case. I think though that the OP's issue is that a LH 1B with very good Infield Range, Arm, and Error attributes could technically learn to play 2B if you played him there enough.

[RchW]

One of the best fielding 1B I've seen is Mark Teixeira a RH thrower. There is a natural advantage given to LH throwing 1B but I'd submit that the advantage may be reduced by LH people in general being slightly awkward, even the good athletes.

I think skills rule even when the position has an advantage.

[mgoetze]

Originally Posted by Painmantle

Range has almost as much to do with the instincts and the jump the player gets off the bat as it does speed. Fast players don't always have good range and visa versa. Speed is always helpful but isn't necessary for a player to have good range

Sure, I'm not saying they should be exactly the same thing, but I see guys with like 20/20 outfield range and 1/20 speed on a regular basis and that just doesn't quite add up.

[blasek0]

The reason you see so many LH 1Bs is that they can't play other infield positions because they're left-handed. If the guy can hit, you don't care which hand he throws with, because you'll find a place to play him (and that ends up being 1B because he can't stick in LF).

You rarely see lefty catchers because if they have the arm strength to make the throws necessary to play catcher, then they probably have the arm strength to be lefty pitchers, and they end up on the mound.

[MrSmooth]

As far as Left Handed Catchers I've read convincing articles that say there's really no reason why a left handed throwing catcher couldn't succeed, just a stigma.

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by blasek0

The reason you see so many LH 1Bs is that they can't play other infield positions because they're left-handed. If the guy can hit, you don't care which hand he throws with, because you'll find a place to play him (and that ends up being 1B because he can't stick in LF).

And that's the correct answer. There is a slight advantage to being left-handed (sweep tags on pick-off plays are easier, for example), but the difference is minimal. Over the last decade, eight Gold Glove awards have been won by left-handers, twelve by right-handers.

Left-handed: (NL) Adam Laroche (2012); Adrian Gonzalez (2008-09); Tod Helton (2004)
(AL) Adrian Gonzalez (2011); Carlos Pena (2008); Darin Erstad (2004); John Olerud (2003)

Right-handed: (NL) Joey Votto (2011); Albert Pujols (2006,2010); Derrek Lee (2003, 2005, 2007)
(AL) Mark Teixera (2005-06, 2009-10, 2012); Kevin Youkilis (2007)

If there were a significant difference, there wouldn't be any right-handed first basemen, just as there are no left-handed second basemen. It's pretty clear, however, that righties are just as competent at first base as lefties.

[Leo_The_Lip]

How does the OP know handed-ness is not currently affecting fielding ratings in the game?