Player Not Accumulating Experience at Position in Profile

[torpidbeaver]

I have a player that looks to be an okay prospect at 1st, and I wanted to expand his usefulness as an okay back-up option at 3rd. I changed his strategy at the beginning of the season to force-start him at 3rd.

Checked in, and according to his Profile, he hasn't accumulated any experience. I was surprised, so I looked behind the scenes, and while he has accumulated a load of experience, he hasn't gained anything in the "resulting rating" column.

I'm wondering why that would be. According to his profile, he's a 45 Range, 55 Error, and 60 Arm. Nothing amazing, but good enough to accrue some sort of rating, I'd think.

Is there something going on here that I don't understand? A bug?

[IanIachimoe]

left handed?

[Silfir]

Being left-handed or right-handed shouldn't be a detriment either way at first base, from what I'm aware.


I suspect your player might be woefully short. Height factors into 1B ratings to a significant margin. I tried to get some players 1B experience in the minors, and when it didn't catch immediately I realized I forgot about height. As soon as I a put a 6' 3'' outfielder there he got position ratings instantly, despite fairly abysmal infield ratings.

[TomVeal]

While 3B is easier to learn than the middle infield positions, it isn't really easy. If the guy has been playing there only part of one season, it doesn't strike me as surprising that he doesn't yet have a rating.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Silfir

Being left-handed or right-handed shouldn't be a detriment either way at first base, from what I'm aware.


I suspect your player might be woefully short. Height factors into 1B ratings to a significant margin. I tried to get some players 1B experience in the minors, and when it didn't catch immediately I realized I forgot about height. As soon as I a put a 6' 3'' outfielder there he got position ratings instantly, despite fairly abysmal infield ratings.

The OP is trying to teach a firstbaseman to play third, not the other way around. So it could be his man is left handed.

[NoOne]

it doesn't have to show in the profile for him to be able to play 3b... although it's typically better if they do.

if a 3b has too low of 'turn dp' ability, it will never show up.

similar things for each position. for example, minimum 2b turn dp has to be even higher for obvious reasons.

while it may be a deal-breaker for a second baseman not to have all the required ability, at third base you can likely get away with decent range and a strong arm. i would not fear playing a player with those attributes at 3b with a poor turn dp... whether "3b" shows up as a bar in profile or not.

once in a long while, i do see some that simply don't show up.. .it's some rare occurence, though. i've even investigated into profile and confirmed they had the minimums, but for some reason, even with 200/200 exp, it simply won't show up in profile. personality? bug? no idea. even editting the player won't make it show up in these cases.

i think minimum turn dp for a 3b is ~35/200 in editor? maybe ~50? you could turn comissioner on and take a peak. if it's sufficient for range, error, arm and turn dp, then you know it's what i describe. if he's awful at one of those, then it will never show up for good cause.

[Dyzalot]

Originally Posted by NoOne

if a 3b has too low of 'turn dp' ability, it will never show up.

Pretty sure this changed this year. I think I've seen third basmen with ratings even though their turn dp rate was 1 on a 1-20 scale. So maybe only at zero can you not get a rating for third or possibly they removed the requirement for turn DP all together since it doesn't make a lot of sense for the position anyways.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by Dyzalot

Pretty sure this changed this year. I think I've seen third basmen with ratings even though their turn dp rate was 1 on a 1-20 scale. So maybe only at zero can you not get a rating for third or possibly they removed the requirement for turn DP all together since it doesn't make a lot of sense for the position anyways.

They still need a minimum, but yes the min rating is like a 1 or 2 on the 1-20 scale.

[torpidbeaver]

FWIW, he's got a 40 for Double Play.

He is a leftie though, and I didn't think of that, so I guess that's it!

[Dyzalot]

Unless something changed this year, being left handed shouldn't matter as it is only cosmetic. The raw ratings are all that matters.

[NoOne]

in past releases i've had a random and rare player simply not show the fielding position even if they have the requirements... maybe you got one.

i might see it 1 or 2 times in 50-100 years or more in the past, so not common at all, and maybe not in this release? i haven't played enough. i'm also only paying attention to my team over that period of time... and not all players are even eligible for the context, for obvious reasons.

i've even gone in and upped the ratings and it still wouldn't show with an elite fielder for that position, because i couldn't figure out why it wasn't showing up.

take a screenshot in editor with the guy in question, then screenshot the player profile. (give them 200/200 exp) then, post it and they can determine if it's ~normal or not. request a scouting report to update, or re-run entire league's scouting etc after editting.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by Dyzalot

Unless something changed this year, being left handed shouldn't matter as it is only cosmetic. The raw ratings are all that matters.

It does matter. Lefty throwers cannot gain experience or show ratings on the left side of the infield.

[Dyzalot]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

It does matter. Lefty throwers cannot gain experience or show ratings on the left side of the infield.

I assume this is new since I was able to get lefty throwers last year to become third basemen with ratings, Or maybe if not last year then the year before but I certainly remember this being discussed in the forums here and being told by someone in the OOTP dev team that which hand a fielder threw with was purely cosmetic. Also, does this mean a lefty thrower can get ratings at second base?

[CanadaCajanek21]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

It does matter. Lefty throwers cannot gain experience or show ratings on the left side of the infield.

Hey! Us lefties deserve love too

[NoOne]

heh, that must have been it when i'd see it occasionally.

you'd always have to swing around to set feet properly if moving to their right. I could see a negative effect, but i don't think it should be completely zeroed out. at 3b, you'd mostly be going toward 1b (maybe?) to catch a ball and that does get your feet in right direction. backhanding is no more difficult just because you are moving left. and for that matter, if moving right as a righty, your left arm turns your body the wrong way too. you can't reach to your right with your left hand without turning your entire body that way. well, you could, but you'd look like a gump out there.

this seems like groupthink of traditionalists.

[polydamas]

Originally Posted by NoOne

heh, that must have been it when i'd see it occasionally.

you'd always have to swing around to set feet properly if moving to their right. I could see a negative effect, but i don't think it should be completely zeroed out. at 3b, you'd mostly be going toward 1b (maybe?) to catch a ball and that does get your feet in right direction. backhanding is no more difficult just because you are moving left. and for that matter, if moving right as a righty, your left arm turns your body the wrong way too. you can't reach to your right with your left hand without turning your entire body that way. well, you could, but you'd look like a gump out there.

this seems like groupthink of traditionalists.

For 3B, a righty is disadvantaged fielding going right (backhand) and throwing going left (but he is moving in that direction). A lefty is disadvantaged fielding going left and throwing going right (and is moving away from the target).



A 3B usually has more ground to cover to his left, so advantage to the righty as will only have to backhand balls between him and the bag he covers. A lefty has the advantage throwing from the left, but it doesn't matter if he can't reach the ball. Now, if the ball is hit to the right of the 3B. The left has an advantage fielding the ball. It isn't as big as the advantage the right has fielding left though, because there is less ground to cover (from 3B fielder to the bag than from 3B to SS). However, when the left fields the ball to his right, it is harder for him to throw it. He must either pivot, jump, or spin into a throwing position as he will not be properly aligned with 1B. That's the same situation for a righty fielding to his left, but the difference is that the throw is shorter heading towards 1B and therefore he has more time to set himself (and less distance to throw). Throwing out a fast runner, when fielding the ball toward the foul line is the most difficult play a 3B must routinely make.



So, a lefty won't have the fielding range of a righty and will have a harder time throwing guys out even when he has the fielding advantage (of a ball going towards his glove-side). I only thought of this for 3B as I played it for over a decade, but for short-stop, I suppose the throwing advantage a righty has going right is greater than the fielding advantage the lefty would have as the left would have a significantly more difficult throw to make to first base.



I'd actually never considered this before, so it was an interesting thing to analyze.


Edit: If you are wondering why I make a bigger deal about the fielding disadvantage for a lefty 3B making a backhand than a righty short-stop, the answer is that 3B usually play closer to the plate and have less time to move and react to the ball (aka "The Hot Corner").

[NoOne]

you can take different angles. it's the transfer and throw that is the problem. all mlb players can catch a ball to their left or right.

they may be able to catch the ball a bit easier going to their right, but their whole body is not set up to throw to 1b, which would be the huge negative impact due to time requirement. you'd have to catch it deeper and that would help turn you to through, which would be more difficult doing a spin each time, lol. or, try to be swinging around as you catch it.

the ergonomics are obviously better for a righty.

all i'm saying is it should be some sort of negative effect on the ratings.. whether 10% or 25% whatever would make sense. i'm sure someone out of 8billion can pull it off, albeit more difficulty. we've had 1-armed pitchers, so ....

i don't think it would b ecommon, but to totally write it off is a total lack of imagination. different routes and more efficient mechanics and positioning could make it mostly possible for someone.

catchers are always righty too, but they do fine when a lefty is in the box... and if a batter is in the way it's catcher interference... ibet it'd happen way more due to opportunity with a lefty c and right batter so often, lol. it'd be a good thing, if they applied the rule in an equal way... rare for umpires, lol...

[Matt Arnold]

They probably don't "deserve" a 0, but given there hasn't been a left handed thrower play 2b/ss/3b in about 100 years, not counting the odd game here or there (or Rizzo "officially" playing 2B due to standing next to the pitcher for bunts), it's much better to zero it out so that the AI won't be tempted.

[TomVeal]

Anthony Rizzo also played an inning or two at third base once, when Kris Bryant was injured and the Cubs ran out of position players.

[NoOne]

is this also like other situations where a position doesn't show up?

i.e. even though 3b doesn't display, some can do it given range and good arm?

or, is handedness detrimental in a more tangible way?