Reading team strengths/weaknesses, how well they drafted etc.

[skyballer455]

After getting plenty of help in interpreting stats a while back, I've discovered there's another area which i am weak in.

As the title suggests, I can't seem to see another big picture when it comes to team strengths and weaknesses. For all I know, a team that does poorly is weak, while a team that does well is strong, and that's based off their win-loss record!

Also, when it comes to the draft I'm totally blind. When a team gets the first pick and, well, picks somebody, I just assume that they drafted well and move on.

On a similar note, I'm also totally blind when it comes to how well a player fits on a team. I just assume that all players on a team fit on that team, when I know full well that that's not true.

I hope I explained my problem well enough. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[OBSL Commish]

Originally Posted by skyballer455

After getting plenty of help in interpreting stats a while back, I've discovered there's another area which i am weak in.

As the title suggests, I can't seem to see another big picture when it comes to team strengths and weaknesses. For all I know, a team that does poorly is weak, while a team that does well is strong, and that's based off their win-loss record!

Also, when it comes to the draft I'm totally blind. When a team gets the first pick and, well, picks somebody, I just assume that they drafted well and move on.

On a similar note, I'm also totally blind when it comes to how well a player fits on a team. I just assume that all players on a team fit on that team, when I know full well that that's not true.

I hope I explained my problem well enough. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

One suggestion I have when when trying to interpret strengths and weaknesses of a team is to look at that team's stats and where those stats rank in relation to the rest of the league. If their pitching is at or near the top but their batting is near the bottom, then check to see how many of their batters are ranked in the top 10 in any hitting category and go from there. The same with their pitchers.

When drafting players, look at their Work Ethic and Intelligence ratings as well as their competition level where they played. If their Work Ethic and Intelligence aren't at least Normal or higher, then they may not develop as well as their scouting reports indicate. And, the better the competition they played against, be it in high school or college, then the better their game skills should be.

Hope this helps some.

[jazzrack]

I go to the first team on the dropdown list, go to the pitching screen, set it to view ratings and then just view the page without really focusing on a single player just kind of noticing what the ratings spread looks like (the way OOTP uses colors really helps) don't spend much time, a minute... tops. then I go to the next one on the list and work my way through the ML teams. it doesn't take long before i start getting a feel for good, bad and whatnot at a glance. then i just do the same for batters.

at the end of the process I have a pretty good feel for the lay of the land, so the speak. with that basic context it's far easier for me to analyze an individual player or team.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by skyballer455

After getting plenty of help in interpreting stats a while back, I've discovered there's another area which i am weak in.

As the title suggests, I can't seem to see another big picture when it comes to team strengths and weaknesses. For all I know, a team that does poorly is weak, while a team that does well is strong, and that's based off their win-loss record!

There is much more to it than that. You should scout certain teams to assess what makes them strong or weak. Obviously payroll and budget will explain some of the things you see. Sometimes a team does poorly because of injuries. Looking at season stats will show you who didn't play. Sometimes a team does well because of a recent trade or a rookie playing full time maybe both. Look at team defence, especially CF and SS/2B. I had a pitcher with no business being in MLB go 13-4 for me as a replacement for an injured player. He also won two critical playoff games in a WS win. This can and does happen to AI teams.

Originally Posted by skyballer455

Also, when it comes to the draft I'm totally blind. When a team gets the first pick and, well, picks somebody, I just assume that they drafted well and move on.

You can see each teams weaknesses in the trade screen. Probably elsewhere. It shouldn't take too much work to determine if teams are drafting by need or by best player (I suspect need). I certainly wouldn't assume every pick is good. After the 1st round a quick review should tell you what the AI is thinking and if it makes sense. I focus on my team needs as there is really nothing you can do about who is drafted before your turn.

Originally Posted by skyballer455

On a similar note, I'm also totally blind when it comes to how well a player fits on a team. I just assume that all players on a team fit on that team, when I know full well that that's not true.

Why would you assume that? Just looking at rosters should enlighten you. Also look at prospects to see what they may have coming. One of the weaknesses of AI teams is that they often acquire bats with little regard to position played and defensive capability. Knowing this may help you get a player via trade.

I'm not sure what else to say. With all rosters stats and results available you can spend as little or as much time as you want making assessments. We're talking 10-15 minutes to get a good idea who has what. In my style of game (fictional but current RL stats) I don't do any external assessment outside of trades until after the draft. I focus on building a dominant WS contender each year with little money for FA. As the regular season progresses I look at potential playoff opponents to see if I have the right pieces ie a lefty specialist or good RHB platoons if they have good LH starting pitching. Sometimes I can't do anything about it.