platoon system

[nick_sr]

do you use/favour this system? do you find it effective?

[RogueHominid]

Re: platoon system

I LOVE the platoon system ...

If you're a budget-conscious team, using the platoon system allows you to assemble a roster full of guys with very specific skills and can help save money. It also allows you to win lots of matchup battles.

In practical terms, I like to platoon one OF, one middle infielder, one corner infielder, and the catcher if possible. That way you only have to find 1-2 "complete" outfielders and 1-2 "complete" infielders who can play everyday. That drastically reduces the number of people you have to pony up and pay for.

Also, a complete player can often have CON/PWR ratings that are lower than a specialist who only hits one type of pitcher well.

[nick_sr]

Re: platoon system

I can't hit lefties at all so I don't really set my lineup withall rhb but iI will however stack my lineup with lhb while facing a rightie. Platooning catcher's is a great idea tho

[RogueHominid]

Re: platoon system

I can't hit lefties at all so I don't really set my lineup withall rhb but iI will however stack my lineup with lhb while facing a rightie. Platooning catcher's is a great idea tho

You'll hit lefties a lot better if you get some lefty assassins. Plouffe from MIN is one of my favorite guys in the game because he plays all over the field and murders lefties, while his numbers vs. righties are just barely passable for the MLB level. So he plays for my weakest hitter vs. LHP, no matter the position.

At C, Derek Norris is also a certified ninja assassin vs. LHP. He's a great guy to pencil in as your C vs. LHP, or to DH vs. LHP if you already have a C who hits lefties.

Those guys are good examples of the way you can generate value for a low price, as each makes less than a million, I want to say (I know Plouffe does). So you can build a roster with 3 guys like that for less than one "complete" player would cost you.

You still need a few good everyday players, but you don't need as many as you'd think. OAK is a good example: Crisp, Donaldson, Lowrie--they play every day. Everyone else gets moved around depending on match ups.

[uf2005]

Re: platoon system

I always platoon catcher, since they have to sit out every few games anyways. I also have a platoon outfielder at all times. You can find good platoon guys that are in the low to mid 70s that teams just basically give away.

[BA2929]

Re: platoon system

You'll hit lefties a lot better if you get some lefty assassins. Plouffe from MIN is one of my favorite guys in the game because he plays all over the field and murders lefties, while his numbers vs. righties are just barely passable for the MLB level. So he plays for my weakest hitter vs. LHP, no matter the position.

At C, Derek Norris is also a certified ninja assassin vs. LHP. He's a great guy to pencil in as your C vs. LHP, or to DH vs. LHP if you already have a C who hits lefties.

Those guys are good examples of the way you can generate value for a low price, as each makes less than a million, I want to say (I know Plouffe does). So you can build a roster with 3 guys like that for less than one "complete" player would cost you.

You still need a few good everyday players, but you don't need as many as you'd think. OAK is a good example: Crisp, Donaldson, Lowrie--they play every day. Everyone else gets moved around depending on match ups.

Danny Valencia is a lefty killer as well. And since he played 2nd base this year a little for the Royals, I pencil him in at 2nd on a few off days instead of just 3rd.

[royals19]

Re: platoon system

I'm a big fan of platoons myself. It's a really cost effective move if you're playing with a franchise that doesn't have a massive payroll to roll out a solid everyday player. If you have the right players, then platoons can be considerably effective.

As mentioned above, Oakland isn't very good from a pure talent standpoint but they've managed to be one of the best teams in the league by effectively using platoons and managing matchups.

My franchise this year is with the Cardinals so I don't really make extensive use of the platoon. The only position that I'm trying to find an effective platoon for is at second base. Obviously I want one guy that can hit right handers and another guy that can hit left handers but I really like to have guys with good gloves. I want the transition from player to player in the platoon to be seamless on at least one side of the ball and I prefer defense over offense.

[NDAlum]

Re: platoon system

Great ideas and this thread has inspired me to look for some platoon opportunities in my franchise.

[wolfpack23]

Re: platoon system

I am a die-hard Athletics fan so I've grown accustomed to the platoon system over the last few years. I start my franchise mode with a fantasy draft and usually have a couple of positions that I plan on platooning at. For example, I am through about 60 games in my franchise right now and I used a platoon system at catcher, third, and right field.

I used Mike Zunino and Stephen Vogt as my catcher platoon early on but I found Zunino difficult to take out of the lineup because he was swinging a hot bat. Now I use Zunino as my everyday catcher and get the versatile Vogt time where I can. The same thing happened with my third base platoon between Danny Valencia and Steve Lombardozzi. Valencia caught fire and I decided to ride his bat as a regular player. In right I still use a platoon of Dustin Ackley and Jorge Soler.

So I guess I implement the platoon system but if I have a player that is excelling in the lineup I give him a chance against the opposite handed pitcher and see how it goes. Off topic question...but am I the only one that finds you just can't hit with certain players? I had John Mayberry Jr. as the right handed bat in my right field platoon but through 50 games just couldn't hit with him despite his excellent ratings against LHP. Traded him for a prospect and that's why I have Soler up now.

[nickefer]

Re: platoon system

Can some tell me what this is?

[wolfpack23]

Re: platoon system

Can some tell me what this is?

A platoon system is having two players at one position. One player plays against right handed pitchers and the other against left handed pitchers. The players who tend to get platooned are players who excel against one sided pitcher and tend to have sub-par splits against the other handed side.

The whole idea behind it is to have two players who excel at one thing but are below average in another and by platooning them you minimize their weaknesses and create one average to solid player at the position. Hope that helps.

[RogueHominid]

Re: platoon system

Another guy I really like for platooning is Daniel Nava. With that RHP contact rating in the 90s, you can legitimately play him vs. RPH only and expect him to hit .280-300.

The player search feature this year is extremely helpful for finding those guys in the high 60s/low 70s who can help you win for a reasonable price (and most of these guys are easier to pry away from their teams via trade than competent everyday players).

In generating the platoon system, I place a premium on having at least 2 players who excel vs. RHP, as that's where 70% of your at-bats will go, and two players who excel vs. LHP, which you face less often but still need to hit, especially late in games when facing a good bullpen.

And I totally agree about OAK's roster. I've run with them a lot, and I almost always have most of my starters hitting at .250 or below, but I win individual match ups far more often than not with them, so on the whole I wind up winning way more games than you'd think a team with no .275 hitters or better would.

A couple of more relevant thoughts: you have to excel at pitching if you're going to go platoon-heavy like OAK does. If you just want to platoon one position, it's not such a big deal, but if you're going to platoon three, you better spend your money on SP and a good pen.

And also, you want to think about your overall defensive makeup when putting a platoon system together, as most of the platoon types in the game are average to below average defenders. That means you'll want one dedicated glove guy, or that your everyday players should be very good defenders, such that they provide "protection" to platoon players in their general vicinity in the form of exceptional range and/or fielding ability.

[nickefer]

Re: platoon system

A platoon system is having two players at one position. One player plays against right handed pitchers and the other against left handed pitchers. The players who tend to get platooned are players who excel against one sided pitcher and tend to have sub-par splits against the other handed side.

The whole idea behind it is to have two players who excel at one thing but are below average in another and by platooning them you minimize their weaknesses and create one average to solid player at the position. Hope that helps.

Completely understand, thanks a lot!

I guess I have been working on this without knowing what it's called. In my Braves chise I'm struggling with Chris Johnson against lefties, batting under .100. I made a trade for a Minor League 3B with 92 Contact against LHP so hopefully I can build him into a "platoon player".

[nick_sr]

Re: platoon system

might just have to start platooning bryant and soler in my cubs franchise. anyone else using the cubs have trouble with hitting with these two?

[fatleg3]

Re: platoon system

I platoon with Robbie Grossman and Alex Presley in LF in my Astros franchise. Grossman/RHP, and Presley/LHP. Coincidently, they both missed the first three months of the season, but now im at the end of August and Grossman is hitting .290, and Presley is hitting .330. But due their injuries, they both don't have enough AB to be among the league leaders.

Its also allowing me to delay calling up a couple of stud rookies I have in the minors. Also, if im correct, neither of then make over 1m. So im getting all star production from my LF spot for around 1.5mil.