Am I unlucky or just bad at this?

stealofhome · 11-24-2018, 04:11 PM

Currently sitting at 48-64, right near the bottom of the entry pool league. My team seems to match up just fine, but the 22 blown saves are killing me, good enough for 2nd most in the league.

My bullpen seems to match up favorably even with the top teams in the league but they consistently can't hold a league. Is this just bad strategy?

Josquin · 11-24-2018, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stealofhome

Currently sitting at 48-64, right near the bottom of the entry pool league. My team seems to match up just fine, but the 22 blown saves are killing me, good enough for 2nd most in the league.

My bullpen seems to match up favorably even with the top teams in the league but they consistently can't hold a league. Is this just bad strategy?

Could be just bad luck. Personally, I don't think using middle relievers in PT is an optimal strategy. I like to stock up on the best starting pitchers I can afford. Put the ones that are doing well in the rotation, and use the rest for middle/long relief. Sets you up for success in long extra inning games and gives you more flexibility to temporarily bring in a different starter into the rotation for a favorable L/R matchup.

The only reason to have a reliever in the bullpen is if he is a lights out closer or you can't afford a starter with the same quality ratings.

stealofhome · 11-24-2018, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josquin

Could be just bad luck. Personally, I don't think using middle relievers in PT is an optimal strategy. I like to stock up on the best starting pitchers I can afford. Put the ones that are doing well in the rotation, and use the rest for middle/long relief. Sets you up for success in long extra inning games and gives you more flexibility to temporarily bring in a different starter into the rotation for a favorable L/R matchup.

The only reason to have a reliever in the bullpen is if he is a lights out closer or you can't afford a starter with the same quality ratings.

Ah yes, maybe something to try. Carl Edwards was my lone gold pull so I've been hanging onto him, but it may be time to cut bait. Of course none of this matters too much with the reset looming, but it is nice to find some kind of strategy.

Pointer1VB · 11-24-2018, 05:12 PM

You have an all right handed bullpen, which is terrible baseball strategy. Need to have a couple leftys in there to play the matchups.

Josquin · 11-24-2018, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pointer1VB

You have an all right handed bullpen, which is terrible baseball strategy. Need to have a couple leftys in there to play the matchups.

My bullpen is all righthanded as well and has the lowest ERA in the league. Good lefties are hard to find. It's probably easier to do well with a bullpen full of lights out righties than a couple of mediocre lefties.

Pointer1VB · 11-24-2018, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josquin

My bullpen is all righthanded as well and has the lowest ERA in the league. Good lefties are hard to find. It's probably easier to do well with a bullpen full of lights out righties than a couple of mediocre lefties.

He doesn't have lights out righties though.

Josquin · 11-24-2018, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pointer1VB

He doesn't have lights out righties though.

Put 2-3 starters in the bullpen for middle/long relief. One of them can even be a lefty if you can find a decent one. Then focus on finding the one or two best closers you can afford, regardless of handedness.

If you have historical pitchers in the rotation with 100+ stamina ratings, and set your strategy to slow hook, a bullpen of five is enough. Focus on quality over quantity.

Clavette · 11-24-2018, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pointer1VB

You have an all right handed bullpen, which is terrible baseball strategy. Need to have a couple leftys in there to play the matchups.

Yea I heard that about the red sox all season..

Pointer1VB · 11-24-2018, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clavette

Yea I heard that about the red sox all season..

Who had 83 relief appearances by a lefty during the regular season and 9 in the playoffs. There was never a game where the Red Sox didn't have a lefty available out of the pen.

stealofhome · 11-24-2018, 07:53 PM

Well I threw in a lefty who can also go long so we'll see how things go after this.

Echo127 · 11-25-2018, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josquin

Could be just bad luck. Personally, I don't think using middle relievers in PT is an optimal strategy. I like to stock up on the best starting pitchers I can afford. Put the ones that are doing well in the rotation, and use the rest for middle/long relief. Sets you up for success in long extra inning games and gives you more flexibility to temporarily bring in a different starter into the rotation for a favorable L/R matchup.

The only reason to have a reliever in the bullpen is if he is a lights out closer or you can't afford a starter with the same quality ratings.

On the other hand, with no injuries to worry about overworking your bullpen isn't a concern. I drew an elite bullpen in my packs so I gave my SPs a short hook and leaned into it. It's worked well for me.

Kushiel · 11-25-2018, 06:31 AM

I use 3 starters and 3 elite closers in my pen. They handle whatever situation arises.

Fenixdown · 11-25-2018, 08:22 AM

What's your starting pitching look like? Blown saves can look looming, but that's just the surface. Are they blowing 3-1 leads? Are they blowing 12-12 ties? Are the blown saves in the 7th? 9th? Extras?

A LOT goes into figuring out what the root cause of the issue with your bullpen is. Your offense may not be generating enough run support for your starters, thus leaving your bullpen in a rough situation once they do start coming out (a la Jacob DeGrom this year....a lot of his games were no decisions for that reason). Your starters may have a shorter hook than they really should if they're really top notch guys. My starters, for example, average 6 2/3 per start, and I had two starters this most recent season crack the top 5 in CG's at 7 apiece. Having that ability not to overtax your pen in long game stretches can make a world of difference. All righties may be an issue if your league is full of lineups with top tier lefty batters, since your pen doesn't have a lot of top tier pitchers. If you have some starters higher ranked, you may want to throw them in your pen instead.

From the experiences I've had thus far, I'd say the game is about 30% luck and 70% being able to better play the percentages than your opponents. That's how I managed to win a WS against a team with the best record in the league. He continued with a full 5-man rotation, while I trimmed mine down to 4. By game 3, the match ups were way in my favor since my aces were going against his 4's and 5's. I also made sure to add my best righties to both my lineups, where during the regular season I make sure to use my bench in lefty games to guarantee some rest days (especially at catcher).

11-24-2018, 04:11 PM	#1
stealofhome Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,282	Am I unlucky or just bad at this? Currently sitting at 48-64, right near the bottom of the entry pool league. My team seems to match up just fine, but the 22 blown saves are killing me, good enough for 2nd most in the league. My bullpen seems to match up favorably even with the top teams in the league but they consistently can't hold a league. Is this just bad strategy? Attached Images

11-25-2018, 06:31 AM	#12
Kushiel All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Deep in the Heart of Texas Posts: 1,810	I use 3 starters and 3 elite closers in my pen. They handle whatever situation arises. __________________ *Favente Deo supero*

11-24-2018, 05:12 PM	#4
Pointer1VB Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Nov 2018 Posts: 44	You have an all right handed bullpen, which is terrible baseball strategy. Need to have a couple leftys in there to play the matchups.

11-24-2018, 07:53 PM	#10
stealofhome Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,282	Well I threw in a lefty who can also go long so we'll see how things go after this.

11-25-2018, 08:22 AM	#13
Fenixdown Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 123	What's your starting pitching look like? Blown saves can look looming, but that's just the surface. Are they blowing 3-1 leads? Are they blowing 12-12 ties? Are the blown saves in the 7th? 9th? Extras? A LOT goes into figuring out what the root cause of the issue with your bullpen is. Your offense may not be generating enough run support for your starters, thus leaving your bullpen in a rough situation once they do start coming out (a la Jacob DeGrom this year....a lot of his games were no decisions for that reason). Your starters may have a shorter hook than they really should if they're really top notch guys. My starters, for example, average 6 2/3 per start, and I had two starters this most recent season crack the top 5 in CG's at 7 apiece. Having that ability not to overtax your pen in long game stretches can make a world of difference. All righties may be an issue if your league is full of lineups with top tier lefty batters, since your pen doesn't have a lot of top tier pitchers. If you have some starters higher ranked, you may want to throw them in your pen instead. From the experiences I've had thus far, I'd say the game is about 30% luck and 70% being able to better play the percentages than your opponents. That's how I managed to win a WS against a team with the best record in the league. He continued with a full 5-man rotation, while I trimmed mine down to 4. By game 3, the match ups were way in my favor since my aces were going against his 4's and 5's. I also made sure to add my best righties to both my lineups, where during the regular season I make sure to use my bench in lefty games to guarantee some rest days (especially at catcher).