Does giving top prospects playing time in ML Spring Training do anything?

[tejdog1]

Does it help? Can it hurt?

What I tend to do is give my top prospects 20 or so games in ML ST, and then let my A team start over the final 10 games. Does it do anything functionally to do this?

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by tejdog1

Does it help? Can it hurt?

What I tend to do is give my top prospects 20 or so games in ML ST, and then let my A team start over the final 10 games. Does it do anything functionally to do this?

A lot of us use this as a way of getting position ratings to maximum quicker. Other skills likely develop, but that is harder to discern. So yes, play them in ST.

[ALB123]

I really wish that OOTP would add Split Squad games in Spring Training. I don't believe it would require anything new...it can be treated as a double-header where anyone who played in the 1st game is ineligible for the 2nd game. That would give the impression that your team played two games in two different locations. Not only do I think it would be cool, but it would also be a great way to get more of our players involved in Spring Training.

[Brad K]

Kinda tough for me. I usually have 31-32 players in ST.

[tejdog1]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Kinda tough for me. I usually have 31-32 players in ST.

I usually have 78.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by tejdog1

I usually have 78.

I have full rosters and move players off and on after most games in the second half

[BirdWatcher]

I have no hard evidence that this is true, but my sense has always been that it can boost their morale a bit as well. I especially use this with better prospects who are at AA and not likely to make the big league squad in the upcoming regular season and have been in a bad mood due to their team record not being good (sure, even better just to make sure they are always on winners, but I can't seem to sustain good minor league records except at AAA, so I'm looking to get my prospects up to AAA without poor morale totally sapping their development first.)

I will bring these players in at the beginning of ST as non-roster invitees and, depending upon their performance, likely send them back down to minor league camp somewhere around the half-way point of the exhibition season (or before). In my experience this can produce a morale boost that at times is quite sustained and good morale can only be a positive when it comes to development.

I begin each ST with a fairly large roster and slowly whittle down, but I also just move day by day so I can do this easily enough.

And yes, as mentioned previously, it is also a good way to take more direct control of teaching them a new position or getting them more experience at a position you want them to be competent at.