Logic behind AI picking starters or relievers

Wudl83 · 08-13-2024, 03:12 PM

I'd like to ask a question.

Could somebody roughly explain the logic behind the AI assigning pitchers a starter or reliver role?

Of course I do have a rough idea what is going on but sometimes I just don't get it. I let my manager set up the pitching staff and lineup.

For example in my current franchise I have 5 guys in my pitching staff who I would consider starters based on their number of different pitches, their control ratings and their stamina, with additionally 1 guy who could serve as a long reliever or emergency starter.

But out of those 6 potential starters the AI is picking only 3 for the starting lineup. The other 3 are assigned a relief role by the manager.

The manager picks guys as starters who I would classify as relievers instead. They have the lower stamina, lower control and the smaller number of pitches. I don't get it.

It does not seem to be manager related either. Throughout the league there is not a huge number of relievers being picked as starters and vice versa. But there is a certain and noticeable amount.

It seems that especially guys with closer stuff are put in the rotation. My last game vs. the Giants saw my lineup facing Camilo Doval.

md40022 · 08-13-2024, 04:33 PM

I handle my major league pitching but will usually let the computer handle my minor league pitching with the exception being if there's a top pitching prospect that I want to handle a certain way, and I will say that I do agree with you. Often times I will have guys who I'd consider my #6, #7 and #8 starters, who are basically AAA guys with some "fill in" MLB experience, will often get moved to relief roles on the AAA team and when I look at who is in the starting rotation over those guys, it won't necessarily make any sense at all. Like you said, the guys who get slotted into the starting rotation instead of the lifelong starters are often clear cut relievers (2 pitches, low stamina, etc.)

It's something I've always sort of just lived with, but I agree that the computer logic for this doesn't seem to be very good

Pdubya64 · 08-13-2024, 05:38 PM

Wudl:
I find that usually what has happened in a case like Doval is the AI gets backed into a corner due to players being exhausted or having a day-to-day injury.
Not sure if you are using the Strategy page (one under the Manager or Bench Coach and each player has their individual one) to tell things like:
Aggressive tiredness checkbox for pitchers
Settings for cutoffs to rest % for starters or relievers.

There are lots of ways to help manage your pitching staff. I suggest poking around the menus and discovering them and how they can be utilized.

NoOne · 08-13-2024, 09:03 PM

also, if you changed any setting related to the number of days rest to get back to roughly 100% for an SP, and you have "start highest rested" It will skip lower quality pitchers anytime a noticeably better pitcher is rested.

Rhetorical...
Are they "openers?"

If it's consistently putting the high quality relievers that would retain a decent overall as an SP despite limited success that comes with with only 2 pitches, read up on how to do a bug report and include the file.

consider any settings you may have fiddled with, first.

there are ways to increase pitch count without reducing number of days to recover. use the modifier not the drop-down selection box on left of stats and AI

Wudl83 · 08-14-2024, 12:51 AM

Thanks for all your answers.

At the time my lineup was facing the Giants with Camilo Doval being the starter the Giants had two guys in the pen who easily could have been starting pitchers.

And the problem is not on my staff alone, it occurs across the league and as one user said in the minors, too.

I don't use "highest rested" and the starters I talked about haven't been used as openers.

It's nothing which breaks the game for me, but I seriously consider this has to be improved.

Maybe I will post some screenshots later to further tell what I mean.

I can approve that I did not play around with settings or anything like that.

jets12 · 08-14-2024, 11:57 AM

In a lot of ways this game is a mess right now. Sorry but that has been my experience. This is my sixth or seventh edition of the game and too many problems exist and it shouldn't be this way. And no I am not going to go into a deep discussion and list my problems I have with the game. There are plenty of threads on the issues already. But my experience with this edition has been meh at best. Hopefully it improves with 26.

08-13-2024, 03:12 PM	#1
Wudl83 Bat Boy Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 10	Logic behind AI picking starters or relievers I'd like to ask a question. Could somebody roughly explain the logic behind the AI assigning pitchers a starter or reliver role? Of course I do have a rough idea what is going on but sometimes I just don't get it. I let my manager set up the pitching staff and lineup. For example in my current franchise I have 5 guys in my pitching staff who I would consider starters based on their number of different pitches, their control ratings and their stamina, with additionally 1 guy who could serve as a long reliever or emergency starter. But out of those 6 potential starters the AI is picking only 3 for the starting lineup. The other 3 are assigned a relief role by the manager. The manager picks guys as starters who I would classify as relievers instead. They have the lower stamina, lower control and the smaller number of pitches. I don't get it. It does not seem to be manager related either. Throughout the league there is not a huge number of relievers being picked as starters and vice versa. But there is a certain and noticeable amount. It seems that especially guys with closer stuff are put in the rotation. My last game vs. the Giants saw my lineup facing Camilo Doval. Last edited by Wudl83; 08-13-2024 at 03:15 PM.

08-13-2024, 05:38 PM	#3
Pdubya64 Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Staunton, VA Posts: 491	Wudl: I find that usually what has happened in a case like Doval is the AI gets backed into a corner due to players being exhausted or having a day-to-day injury. Not sure if you are using the Strategy page (one under the Manager or Bench Coach and each player has their individual one) to tell things like: Aggressive tiredness checkbox for pitchers Settings for cutoffs to rest % for starters or relievers. There are lots of ways to help manage your pitching staff. I suggest poking around the menus and discovering them and how they can be utilized. __________________ "Chew, if only you could see what I've seen with your eyes." - Roy Batty Blade Runner

08-13-2024, 04:33 PM	#2
md40022 All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 740 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	I handle my major league pitching but will usually let the computer handle my minor league pitching with the exception being if there's a top pitching prospect that I want to handle a certain way, and I will say that I do agree with you. Often times I will have guys who I'd consider my #6, #7 and #8 starters, who are basically AAA guys with some "fill in" MLB experience, will often get moved to relief roles on the AAA team and when I look at who is in the starting rotation over those guys, it won't necessarily make any sense at all. Like you said, the guys who get slotted into the starting rotation instead of the lifelong starters are often clear cut relievers (2 pitches, low stamina, etc.) It's something I've always sort of just lived with, but I agree that the computer logic for this doesn't seem to be very good

08-13-2024, 09:03 PM	#4
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	also, if you changed any setting related to the number of days rest to get back to roughly 100% for an SP, and you have "start highest rested" It will skip lower quality pitchers anytime a noticeably better pitcher is rested. Rhetorical... Are they "openers?" If it's consistently putting the high quality relievers that would retain a decent overall as an SP despite limited success that comes with with only 2 pitches, read up on how to do a bug report and include the file. consider any settings you may have fiddled with, first. there are ways to increase pitch count without reducing number of days to recover. use the modifier not the drop-down selection box on left of stats and AI

08-14-2024, 12:51 AM	#5
Wudl83 Bat Boy Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 10	Thanks for all your answers. At the time my lineup was facing the Giants with Camilo Doval being the starter the Giants had two guys in the pen who easily could have been starting pitchers. And the problem is not on my staff alone, it occurs across the league and as one user said in the minors, too. I don't use "highest rested" and the starters I talked about haven't been used as openers. It's nothing which breaks the game for me, but I seriously consider this has to be improved. Maybe I will post some screenshots later to further tell what I mean. I can approve that I did not play around with settings or anything like that.

08-14-2024, 11:57 AM	#6
jets12 Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2021 Posts: 99	In a lot of ways this game is a mess right now. Sorry but that has been my experience. This is my sixth or seventh edition of the game and too many problems exist and it shouldn't be this way. And no I am not going to go into a deep discussion and list my problems I have with the game. There are plenty of threads on the issues already. But my experience with this edition has been meh at best. Hopefully it improves with 26.