Drafting Help

[Hockey13Playa]

Originally Posted by JoseB

My first suggestion is to adjust all ratings/potential numbers to 1-100 and 1-80, which will give you the most insight into where a drafted player could end up.

If you're picking high, select the player with the highest current rating. If you're in the middle rounds, filter by Potential and then look at each player's hitting/pitching ratings. If a pitcher is showing 37 control rating with a 42 control potential, he's always going to be wild and give up a lot of walks.

Secondly, most batters are a trade-off between hitting ability and speed, and you should also look at Potential/Ratings as an indicator of potential success.

My overall strategy is to always take the best pitcher available in the high rounds, and then the highest potential pitcher in the middle/low rounds. Then the pitching prospects can be traded for hitting prospects. Don't select a batter unless you are in the top-ten overall picks and he already has a high overall rating (not potential).

Thanks for the tips!!!!! I will give this a shot in my next draft!

[magicspeedo]

Originally Posted by GoOs

I usually go by the Stuff/Movement/Control as long as the pitcher has 3+ yellow pitches and good stamina.

Hopefully you aren't wasting your first/supp/second round picks on guys like this. My criteria for pitching:

Pitch speed must be 90+ and groundball must be 50%+. The only exception is if the guy gets 80% ground balls and only pitches around 88. I never draft fly ball pitchers. My teams are built around amazing infield defense and ground ball pitchers are the key to success with that.

stamina must be at least yellow as guys who project as starters with orange stamina usually tween back and forth and it annoys me.

stuff must be green, control must be green. At least 13/20 for both.

AT LEAST three pitches with green potential (13/20).


The minimum guy for all of that might be a #5 starter for me, but more likely trade bait or a middle reliever.

[GoOs]

I didn't mean with my early picks. I was talking about later rounds. My strategy is working out well. 4 straight WS with 118+ wins, 4+ starters with 20 wins and a sub 3.2 ERA. All but one homegrown.

[ricealum]

Magicspeedo's league is vastly different from either of mine. Like Hockey13Playa I see nothing but dreck and relievers when I pick. (Almost always 30th.)

My strategy is always draft the best available player, even if it's a MR. I'd much rather have too many quality pitchers than a player with no hope of making the majors. IMHO the draft is a poor way to build a team. Trades are the only way to go.

Hocket13Playa, I think it is unlikely to "discover" a hidden gem, since it appears to be random. I have seen 1-2 star outfielders suddenly develop into hitting machines, but unless you could predict it, why bother? Let someone else take the risks. Wait a year or two and trade for the players or prospects you covet.

Originally Posted by magicspeedo

1st round look for SP first (they must have stamina and at least three good pitches). Next look for dominant hitters. Not just power.
2nd round look for a dominant closer first. Next look for power hitters.
3rd round look for power hitters first, then look for bullpen guys.
4/5 round look for amazing defensive players.

If you are drafting well you should be able to trade for the top prospects every year without having to give up everything.

[magicspeedo]

Originally Posted by ricealum

Magicspeedo's league is vastly different from either of mine. Like Hockey13Playa I see nothing but dreck and relievers when I pick. (Almost always 30th.)

My strategy is always draft the best available player, even if it's a MR. I'd much rather have too many quality pitchers than a player with no hope of making the majors. IMHO the draft is a poor way to build a team. Trades are the only way to go.

Hocket13Playa, I think it is unlikely to "discover" a hidden gem, since it appears to be random. I have seen 1-2 star outfielders suddenly develop into hitting machines, but unless you could predict it, why bother? Let someone else take the risks. Wait a year or two and trade for the players or prospects you covet.

There are power hitters usually in round 2. Sometimes if you're lucky theres one or two in round 3, but most often there aren't. You can't just go by star potential when drafting later rounds because all decent hitters at that point still only show 1 star potential.

And it's easier to trade a 1 star hitter with 16/20 power and 9/20 contact than it is to trade a MR with 11/20 movement or 6/20 control.

[ricealum]

Originally Posted by magicspeedo

There are power hitters usually in round 2. Sometimes if you're lucky theres one or two in round 3, but most often there aren't. You can't just go by star potential when drafting later rounds because all decent hitters at that point still only show 1 star potential.

And it's easier to trade a 1 star hitter with 16/20 power and 9/20 contact than it is to trade a MR with 11/20 movement or 6/20 control.

Not in my league. Before choosing, I always look at "All Batters" and then sort by contact, power, and eye potential, looking for anyone the other teams missed. I rarely see anyone worth drafting. OTOH I can always find at least two MR with 18+ stuff, 15+ movement, and 12+ control (potential).

I think our leagues just differ.

[DatCloserKid]

I got absolutely lucky had the tenth pick and got teh #2 ranked player in the whole draft to help my crappy pen. Not great but its worth it 2.5 ovr stars and 4.5 potential which I desperately needed
Sorry its so big, I dont know how to fix it

[magicspeedo]

Originally Posted by DatCloserKid

I got absolutely lucky had the tenth pick and got teh #2 ranked player in the whole draft to help my crappy pen. Not great but its worth it 2.5 ovr stars and 4.5 potential which I desperately needed
Sorry its so big, I dont know how to fix it

sorry but if you took that guy 10th overall you wasted your pick. This kinda player can be found in the supp or 2 round. He's an average reliever and will probably never develop into a starter. Unless he's a knuckleballer, never draft a pitcher in the first round with only 2 pitches.

[DatCloserKid]

Originally Posted by magicspeedo

sorry but if you took that guy 10th overall you wasted your pick. This kinda player can be found in the supp or 2 round. He's an average reliever and will probably never develop into a starter. Unless he's a knuckleballer, never draft a pitcher in the first round with only 2 pitches.

I dont need a starter my starters are fine, also ranked as the second best player in the draft. Draft class sucked that year anyway
I will use him as a setup or something

[magicspeedo]

Originally Posted by DatCloserKid

I dont need a starter my starters are fine, also ranked as the second best player in the draft. Draft class sucked that year anyway
I will use him as a setup or something

take a hitter. You could have gotten that guy in the supplemental round. Potential isn't valued against other positions...so, you took the (second?) best MR in the draft, not the second best player.

A 3 star fielder is a better prospect than a 5 star reliever, unless that 5 star reliever is 17/20 in ALL THREE categories.

[Sam_15]

This is kind of a newcomer question, but I can't figure out if there's a way to add a fourth player to trades for one side (On screen there's only 3 "add player" buttons). On this thread people have talked about trades and stuff, but too often the prospects I want need more than three guys I'm willing to get rid of...

[DatCloserKid]

Originally Posted by Sam_15

This is kind of a newcomer question, but I can't figure out if there's a way to add a fourth player to trades for one side (On screen there's only 3 "add player" buttons). On this thread people have talked about trades and stuff, but too often the prospects I want need more than three guys I'm willing to get rid of...

You can only have three players for each side of the trade. I agree with you though. Sometimes you need to add more than 3 people

[Panchobamba]

Originally Posted by DatCloserKid

You can only have three players for each side of the trade. I agree with you though. Sometimes you need to add more than 3 people

You can offer a fourth player. Use the 'make this trade work' on the action button. His name will not show up in list but will in the trade summary and if completed onto the other team's roster. I've seen the computer offer 4 players. I suppose you could switch managing teams, then back again and maybe pull off a 4 for 4 player but haven't tried that.

[DatCloserKid]

Originally Posted by Panchobamba

You can offer a fourth player. Use the 'make this trade work' on the action button. His name will not show up in list but will in the trade summary and if completed onto the other team's roster. I've seen the computer offer 4 players. I suppose you could switch managing teams, then back again and maybe pull off a 4 for 4 player but haven't tried that.

Cool I didnt know that, but you still cant make 4 player trade to exactly your liking, which kind of sucks.

[magicspeedo]

Originally Posted by DatCloserKid

Cool I didnt know that, but you still cant make 4 player trade to exactly your liking, which kind of sucks.

Always trade your guys in the last season of arbitration. That's when their value is the highest, before they get that big contract. That is unless you're player is a once in a generation guy.

[Disco Dog 13]

Originally Posted by magicspeedo

Always trade your guys in the last season of arbitration. That's when their value is the highest, before they get that big contract. That is unless you're player is a once in a generation guy.

Think that's where I have sometimes go tit wrong as I'll trade them after they've gone from $500K to $12M (normally taking me over budget) .. rather than before

Guess I'd get better offers ...

[magicspeedo]

Originally Posted by Disco Dog 13

Think that's where I have sometimes go tit wrong as I'll trade them after they've gone from $500K to $12M (normally taking me over budget) .. rather than before

Guess I'd get better offers ...

So, sometimes the other team just doesn't have the cap space to take a guy whos at 12 mil in arbitration. Yet, they would be willing to if they had the cap space. That same guy the very next year could have a 12 mil contract and NOT be under arbitration and that same team won't take him even if they have the cap space. So yes it's easiest to move a player when he's cheap. However, their value is usually highest in that last year before the arbitration runs out. That's what I was trying to say.

[magicspeedo]

oh, btw, i've found that some guys will accept 8 year contracts for 13.5 mil a year in the last year of arbitration. That's really helpful info when you have that 23 year old ACE who's about to run out