Player Development

Rex Dart · 11-06-2013, 08:41 AM

I just started playing the game, and am starting to think I don't understand player development as well as I thought I did. I think I understand the basics of how players can change with time, but not what all the practical implications are.

A couple scenarios in particular have me puzzled:
1. Let's say I have a 20 year old SP with a one-star or 1/2 star "Current" rating, but a 5-star "potential" rating. What's the best way to get his current performance up to its potential level? Is it best to put him in the minors and hope he develops, or to throw him into the starting rotation and hope for the best? The minor league solution "feels" right in real-life terms, but I haven't had awful results (though not great results either) with the "throw him to the wolves" solution, even though the pitcher's "current" rating never moves.

And how do the pitcher ratings (Stuff, etc.) enter in? I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm underestimating the value of 1/1 star-rated players who have good ratings, given that "potential" is something that can go up and down too.

2. On the other side of things, I was playing a historical league as the 1985 Toronto Blue Jays. Both my veteran ace, Dave Stieb, and acquisition Bud (still known as "Buddy" in the 1985 database) Black had serious (2-4 month) injuries during the season.

Both had current/potential ratings in the 4-5 star range, but with each of them, when they came back, the star ratings were basically cut in half.

This represents, I think, "permanent" damage, and since both pitchers are over 27, that the possibility of them "getting back to their old selves" is essentially zero? (At first I thought the reduction might just be some sort of "they need some rehab/recovery time, then they'll be fine," but after a little more experience with the game, I think not.)

I seem to get a ton of injuries in general - is there something I'm not doing, but should be doing to mitigate injury risk? Is it wise to put pitch counts on all pitchers, or maybe to give "scheduled" days off to position players instead of just going with "use the backup when he's tired" lineup option?

Bluenoser · 11-06-2013, 09:03 AM

Players need playing time to develop.

Prospects should be in the minors. Putting players at a higher level then they are ready for can hurt their development, or even ruin them altogether.

Putting a player with 5* potential who's barely developed into the majors is a sure fire way to ruin the kid.

Look at their stats for the level they're playing at. If a guy is in AA and struggling, drop him down a level or two as required.

Any player, all players, can develop or fall off the face of the planet. This models r/l to a tee.

As far as Stieb and Black go, it's normal for a player on long term injury to suffer a drop in ratings. When they come off the DL send them on rehab assignments. There's a possibility their ratings will move back up once they start playing again. They may not move up either, maybe the injury was too much to overcome. Like r/l, when a player suffers a LT injury, there's no guarantee he'll be his old self when he comes back.

Every case will be different, it's up to you to watch him and see. If you feel he's done, then you have a decision to make. Or, maybe he isn't good enough to start any more but he might still be a useful arm out of the pen, or in the case of a batter, a useful bat/glove off the bench.

You can adjust injury frequency in league setup, there are 5 options. Very low, low, normal, high, and very high. Well, actually there's 6 because you can disable them altogether. Everyone has their own likes/thoughts on what level is best.

If you're getting lots of injuries, look at your players. Are they mostly injury prone? When dealing with injuries, you have to figure those things out yourself. There's no one solution that works as a blanket for all players.

I've had injury prone players who almost never get hurt. I've had ironmen spend extended time on the DL every season.

For injury prone starters, my preference is a pitch count. Depending on their stamina and other factors, I'll control how long they stay in. For hitters, I might platoon an injury prone guy if I have a suitable player to platoon him with. This is really up to you, how your managerial style is and how you want to deal with them. Every situation is different. Am I in contention? Do I really need his bat? Or am I just playing out the season as I rebuild and don't care as much. If I'm rebuilding, can I trade this injury prone guy for another piece of my puzzle?

Lots of things to consider, but the bottom line is - you have to manage it.

G/L and don't hesitate to ask questions here, lots of helpful people on these boards.

11-06-2013, 08:41 AM	#1
Rex Dart Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 36	Player Development I just started playing the game, and am starting to think I don't understand player development as well as I thought I did. I think I understand the basics of how players can change with time, but not what all the practical implications are. A couple scenarios in particular have me puzzled: 1. Let's say I have a 20 year old SP with a one-star or 1/2 star "Current" rating, but a 5-star "potential" rating. What's the best way to get his current performance up to its potential level? Is it best to put him in the minors and hope he develops, or to throw him into the starting rotation and hope for the best? The minor league solution "feels" right in real-life terms, but I haven't had awful results (though not great results either) with the "throw him to the wolves" solution, even though the pitcher's "current" rating never moves. And how do the pitcher ratings (Stuff, etc.) enter in? I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm underestimating the value of 1/1 star-rated players who have good ratings, given that "potential" is something that can go up and down too. 2. On the other side of things, I was playing a historical league as the 1985 Toronto Blue Jays. Both my veteran ace, Dave Stieb, and acquisition Bud (still known as "Buddy" in the 1985 database) Black had serious (2-4 month) injuries during the season. Both had current/potential ratings in the 4-5 star range, but with each of them, when they came back, the star ratings were basically cut in half. This represents, I think, "permanent" damage, and since both pitchers are over 27, that the possibility of them "getting back to their old selves" is essentially zero? (At first I thought the reduction might just be some sort of "they need some rehab/recovery time, then they'll be fine," but after a little more experience with the game, I think not.) I seem to get a ton of injuries in general - is there something I'm not doing, but should be doing to mitigate injury risk? Is it wise to put pitch counts on all pitchers, or maybe to give "scheduled" days off to position players instead of just going with "use the backup when he's tired" lineup option?

11-06-2013, 09:03 AM	#2
Bluenoser Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In The Moment Posts: 14,477	Players need playing time to develop. Prospects should be in the minors. Putting players at a higher level then they are ready for can hurt their development, or even ruin them altogether. Putting a player with 5* potential who's barely developed into the majors is a sure fire way to ruin the kid. Look at their stats for the level they're playing at. If a guy is in AA and struggling, drop him down a level or two as required. Any player, all players, can develop or fall off the face of the planet. This models r/l to a tee. As far as Stieb and Black go, it's normal for a player on long term injury to suffer a drop in ratings. When they come off the DL send them on rehab assignments. There's a possibility their ratings will move back up once they start playing again. They may not move up either, maybe the injury was too much to overcome. Like r/l, when a player suffers a LT injury, there's no guarantee he'll be his old self when he comes back. Every case will be different, it's up to you to watch him and see. If you feel he's done, then you have a decision to make. Or, maybe he isn't good enough to start any more but he might still be a useful arm out of the pen, or in the case of a batter, a useful bat/glove off the bench. You can adjust injury frequency in league setup, there are 5 options. Very low, low, normal, high, and very high. Well, actually there's 6 because you can disable them altogether. Everyone has their own likes/thoughts on what level is best. If you're getting lots of injuries, look at your players. Are they mostly injury prone? When dealing with injuries, you have to figure those things out yourself. There's no one solution that works as a blanket for all players. I've had injury prone players who almost never get hurt. I've had ironmen spend extended time on the DL every season. For injury prone starters, my preference is a pitch count. Depending on their stamina and other factors, I'll control how long they stay in. For hitters, I might platoon an injury prone guy if I have a suitable player to platoon him with. This is really up to you, how your managerial style is and how you want to deal with them. Every situation is different. Am I in contention? Do I really need his bat? Or am I just playing out the season as I rebuild and don't care as much. If I'm rebuilding, can I trade this injury prone guy for another piece of my puzzle? Lots of things to consider, but the bottom line is - you have to manage it. G/L and don't hesitate to ask questions here, lots of helpful people on these boards. Last edited by Bluenoser; 11-06-2013 at 09:12 AM.