Do any teenagers hit well in the minors?

greenOak · 04-05-2019, 05:31 AM

I have noticed in the last few versions of OOTP, that very few 18 or 19 year olds play well in the minors when they're first drafted. This is obviously not realistic, as every year there are newly drafted 18 year olds who tear up rookie ball, and the very best 19-year olds are tearing up AA and higher.

In OOTP, this just doesn't happen - even the high schoolers who go on to appear on the top 100 prospects list invariably start their careers playing like crap in rookie ball. Here are some data points from my current game (all players aged under 20 by seasons end, drafted in the top 100, last two years):

Name, age (years-days at end of season), draft position, slash line, WAR
(League Level is rookie ball unless otherwise stated)

2025 Draft Picks

Zach Erickson, 19-89, 4th, .243/.316/.357, -0.0
Arturo Zamora, 18-322, 12th, .273/.322/.397, 0.8
Alfredo Oviedo, 18-244, 14th, .214/.275/.381, -0.4
Jeff Brock, 19-40, 15th .284/.311/.402, 0.2
Dave Fayard, 18-155, 20th, .296/.303/.520, 0.3 (18 game sample)
Chris Spare, 18-41, 25th, .270/.284/.365, -0.2 (18 game sample)
Jeff Erdman, 18-236, 26th, .174/.207/.239, -1.1
Jim Davidson, 18-311, 28th, .158/.206/.221, -0.9
Joe Kellett, 18-144, 30th, .246/.261/.373, -0.2
Juan Arzate, 18-146, 35th, .215/.267/.259, -0.8
Dave White, 19-81, 42nd, .202/.297/.250, -0.5
Ken McAllister, 19-68, 45th, .140/.254/.280, -0.3 (17 games)
Chris Beaver, 18-93, 48th, .182/.198/.330, -0.3
Andy Cochran, 18-347, 60th, .245/.298/.377, -0.4
Al Garner, 18-356, 65th, .198/.211/.286, -0.4
Eric Daniels, 18-298, 67th, .276/.353/.447, 0.5
Ronnie Myers, 19-213, 78th, .244/.319/.366, -0.1
Ismael Silver, 18-364, 79th, .153/.228/.194, -1.3
Luis Pereyra, 18-359, 100th, .281/.328/.368, 0.0 (11 games)

2024 Draft Picks

Jeff Barney, 19-135, 9th, .219/.309/.344, 0.1
Quadir Toodle, 19-109, 13th, .218/.295/.273, -0.1
Juan Sarmiento, 19-293, 19th, .250/.278/.368, 0.1 (19 games)
Nehemiah Mabone, 19-91, 22nd, .214/.250/.274, -0.5
Dave Belshe, 19-116, 29th, .174/.220/.221, -0.8
Bobby Graziano, 19-65, 30th, .225/.259/.306, -0.2
Steve Mascorro, 19-129, 35th, .244/.292/.356, 0.0
Chris Leblanc, 19-100, 43rd, .086/.220/.086, -0.5 (10 games)
Chonen Tiktin, 19-101, 49th, .229/.267/.367, 0.1
Rob Comer, 18-333, 65th, .246/.276/.297, -0.5
Erik Clark, 19-146, 80th, .233/.226/.233, -0.2 (9 games)
Vince Richardson, 19-52, 87th, .245/.287/.275, -0.2
Jaeden Taiwo, 19-265, 91st, .286/.324/.371, 0.1 (10 games)
Kevin Mioduszewski, 19-160, 93rd, .263/.333/.371, 0.6
Josh Mello, 18-310, 96th, .200/.246/.231, -0.1
Mike Lagrange, 18-31, 98th, .167/.188/.227, -0.5

It is just a truly awful list of stats. Moreover, teenage pitchers exhibit the same trend of being terrible right out of the gate. Though I am less certain about this, this problem does not seem to affect international FA's.

04-05-2019, 05:31 AM	#1
greenOak Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 203	Do any teenagers hit well in the minors? I have noticed in the last few versions of OOTP, that very few 18 or 19 year olds play well in the minors when they're first drafted. This is obviously not realistic, as every year there are newly drafted 18 year olds who tear up rookie ball, and the very best 19-year olds are tearing up AA and higher. In OOTP, this just doesn't happen - even the high schoolers who go on to appear on the top 100 prospects list invariably start their careers playing like crap in rookie ball. Here are some data points from my current game (all players aged under 20 by seasons end, drafted in the top 100, last two years): Name, age (years-days at end of season), draft position, slash line, WAR (League Level is rookie ball unless otherwise stated) 2025 Draft Picks Zach Erickson, 19-89, 4th, .243/.316/.357, -0.0 Arturo Zamora, 18-322, 12th, .273/.322/.397, 0.8 Alfredo Oviedo, 18-244, 14th, .214/.275/.381, -0.4 Jeff Brock, 19-40, 15th .284/.311/.402, 0.2 Dave Fayard, 18-155, 20th, .296/.303/.520, 0.3 (18 game sample) Chris Spare, 18-41, 25th, .270/.284/.365, -0.2 (18 game sample) Jeff Erdman, 18-236, 26th, .174/.207/.239, -1.1 Jim Davidson, 18-311, 28th, .158/.206/.221, -0.9 Joe Kellett, 18-144, 30th, .246/.261/.373, -0.2 Juan Arzate, 18-146, 35th, .215/.267/.259, -0.8 Dave White, 19-81, 42nd, .202/.297/.250, -0.5 Ken McAllister, 19-68, 45th, .140/.254/.280, -0.3 (17 games) Chris Beaver, 18-93, 48th, .182/.198/.330, -0.3 Andy Cochran, 18-347, 60th, .245/.298/.377, -0.4 Al Garner, 18-356, 65th, .198/.211/.286, -0.4 Eric Daniels, 18-298, 67th, .276/.353/.447, 0.5 Ronnie Myers, 19-213, 78th, .244/.319/.366, -0.1 Ismael Silver, 18-364, 79th, .153/.228/.194, -1.3 Luis Pereyra, 18-359, 100th, .281/.328/.368, 0.0 (11 games) 2024 Draft Picks Jeff Barney, 19-135, 9th, .219/.309/.344, 0.1 Quadir Toodle, 19-109, 13th, .218/.295/.273, -0.1 Juan Sarmiento, 19-293, 19th, .250/.278/.368, 0.1 (19 games) Nehemiah Mabone, 19-91, 22nd, .214/.250/.274, -0.5 Dave Belshe, 19-116, 29th, .174/.220/.221, -0.8 Bobby Graziano, 19-65, 30th, .225/.259/.306, -0.2 Steve Mascorro, 19-129, 35th, .244/.292/.356, 0.0 Chris Leblanc, 19-100, 43rd, .086/.220/.086, -0.5 (10 games) Chonen Tiktin, 19-101, 49th, .229/.267/.367, 0.1 Rob Comer, 18-333, 65th, .246/.276/.297, -0.5 Erik Clark, 19-146, 80th, .233/.226/.233, -0.2 (9 games) Vince Richardson, 19-52, 87th, .245/.287/.275, -0.2 Jaeden Taiwo, 19-265, 91st, .286/.324/.371, 0.1 (10 games) Kevin Mioduszewski, 19-160, 93rd, .263/.333/.371, 0.6 Josh Mello, 18-310, 96th, .200/.246/.231, -0.1 Mike Lagrange, 18-31, 98th, .167/.188/.227, -0.5 It is just a truly awful list of stats. Moreover, teenage pitchers exhibit the same trend of being terrible right out of the gate. Though I am less certain about this, this problem does not seem to affect international FA's.