What strategies do you employ that are not common in MLB?

[ink625]

Originally Posted by texasmame

I also have my pitcher take the maximum number of pitches (I play on one-pitch mode) unless a man is on and it's a clear bunt situation. A successful pitcher AB to me, shy of a hit, is getting the opposing starter to throw 6 pitches.

I thought I was the only one! I've done this for years and years on every baseball video game I've played.

[Jakeydude18]

Some things that I'm doing in my Colorado Rockies save:

Pitcher bats 8th in the lineup, have a fast guy bat 9th (Tapia in this case)

Starters going 7 innings routinely (not afraid to get my SPs at 100+ pitches, if they're going well and their stamina is not near the red they can stay in)

Bunt with one out to move a guy over. The top of my lineup is pretty good with speed (Garrett Hampson has 13 SBs in 23 games so far, Story has 7)

I haven't been using a closer much as Davis blew my games :/

I'm using infield shifts a lot this year, something I've never touched before, I don't change my outfield much if at all

All leagues loaded except independent leagues and u19,u22 and full World Baseball Classics

[gosensgo101]

In OOTP 18 I had a fully rested pen as the Cubs for game 7 of the World Series so I started Carl Edwards Jr. followed by a parade of relievers. Truly ahead of my time.

[texasmame]

Originally Posted by DaBears

Curious on this - I use a lot of hit and run as well (I manage the Giants a lot, so both because of the ballpark and the fact I might actually run faster than most of their team), but have found in OOTP 20 it seems to be less successful. It feels like I get a lot more swing and miss, them thrown out. Do you think they have changed the settings a bit?

I have had a few of those plus one line out DP so far. Only about 15 games in so hard to say if it's a trend or blip.

[AirmenSmith]

Anything dealing with sabermetrics if that counts.

But really I keep my starters in until the 8th most of the time. No more leaving at the 5 or 6th innings. If you can't play that long, as a starting pitcher, then get off my team. I tend to carry only 9 or 10 pitchers as well. 4 starters, 1 backup start/long reliever. 1 specialist for left, 1 specialist for righties, 1 closer.

[fsclb66]

I dont let my runners steal very much, if you can't reliably steal 85% of the time or more then your not running more the a handful of times a year

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[Tazilon]

I play the heck out of run and hit. I build my team for it: fast players who can hit for average. Even if the batter misses you get tons of steals. I combine that with a few power hitters and dominate offensively. It works really well. The huge offensive output covers for the weaknesses of your lesser SPs. In my last fantasy league that team building strategy got me in the playoffs 39 out of 40 years with 19 world series appearances and 13 world championships. The modern game emphasizes home runs but a small ball/homer mix is infinitely superior

[Anthony5967]

Unless I have a super bullpen, which I don't (I'm using the 2019 Mets live start), I will bring the closer in, in this case, Diaz, for the eighth inning if I am up one run and the meat of the opposition's lineup is coming up...for example, Segura, Harper, Hoskins. I worry about the ninth when I get there.

[DawnBTVS]

This is largely influenced by Earl Weaver but taken up 2-3 notches.

I will liberally use platoon splits to the extreme if I can help it even for sluggers such as Jim Rice in the past when managing teams. Unless you're a Barry Bonds level talent, my managerial tendencies will happily platoon the snot out of your bat and power hitting ability. I've literally platooned 7 positions out of all 9 (largely play AL teams) for some of my squads.

Same goes for relievers and leveraging them hard against Righties or Lefties unless you're a Mariano Rivera dominant reliever.

[ccd494]

I've been thinking about this:

10 man pitching staff. Half pitch one day, half the next. Basically a red team and a blue team. Monday is red, Tuesday blue, etc. No one goes more than 2 innings. It's easy to find 1 or 2 inning relievers, and cheap. I can spend 75-80+% of my free agent budget, payroll and draft capital on hitting.

[Tram2Whitaker]

Originally Posted by Jakeydude18

Some things that I'm doing in my Colorado Rockies save:

Pitcher bats 8th in the lineup, have a fast guy bat 9th (Tapia in this case)

Starters going 7 innings routinely (not afraid to get my SPs at 100+ pitches, if they're going well and their stamina is not near the red they can stay in)

Bunt with one out to move a guy over. The top of my lineup is pretty good with speed (Garrett Hampson has 13 SBs in 23 games so far, Story has 7)
s

I usually bat my pitcher #8, if I have 2 speedsters. I usually put the fast guy with the better batting average #1, and #9 sets up the top of the order.
I'll keep my pitcher in until he can't throw strikes anymore (there's usually a pretty clear line)
I'll use anyone to bunt a guy over, particularly if they're on a cold streak, 0-3 late in a close game, or aren't a good matchup for the pitcher (i.e. contact v. lhp is low).
I'm not big on platoons, preferring to have many utility guys.
Playoff rosters: I'll drop a reliever, and move a starter to the bullpen, having a 4 man rotation with a built in long reliever. I then carry an extra bat into the playoffs. Quite literally, a hired bat. Often it's a veteran that I've let play 1b on and off, even though they're probably out there with a walker; sometimes it's a prospect that I don't have the heart to promote, because other than a fantastic bat, he's more of a liability. I mostly play NL, so it's a DH in a no DH league. Playing AL with DH, kind of makes this tactic redundant (I still do it, though)

[ThePretender]

Originally Posted by texasmame

I lead the world in hit-and-run plays. Seems to be not much downside; seldom thrown out or line in to DP. Then again, most of my team are good contact guys so maybe that's why. Just gotta stay out of that GIDP inning-killer!

The downside is they fail to make contact and you get a runner thrown out.