Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

[torpidbeaver]

Am I wasting my time if I assign a minor league player to play an unfamiliar position for the whole season? Will he learn that as a second position (or even better, become "reassigned" to that position)?

I think I read that players play at 80% of their defensive ability playing a secondary position, and 60% at an unknown position. Is that true?

Short of editing a player, can I slowly mold my players to my Franchise needs?

[underdog13]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

nope, have to edit them

[torpidbeaver]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

So will the upcoming years of my franchise be bereft of utility players? Will the Willie Bloomquists and Mark DeRosas of the world go the way of the dodo?

Or do some drafted players naturally have lots of 2nd positions?

[canes21]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

I've drafted players that had 3 secondary positions I am pretty sure. Don't have the game on, but I am pretty sure I did. One odd thing I did have and no for sure because I just looked at it a bit ago today was that I drafted a RP last night and when I looked at his player card today before offering him a contract, he had 2B and 3B as secondary positions. I thought that was funny. Guy has 5 contact against right handed pitchers, 0 against lefties. I guess if I ever need him to field in a rare situation, I'll have the luxury. I know it isn't unheard of to have RP's in real life that can play the field, but I still was surprised this game even had that too.

[baseballphanatic]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

I have had a few players develop a position they never had before so yes it can happen.

[Knight165]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

I have had a few players develop a position they never had before so yes it can happen.

You must not have noticed that they had those secondaries.
For some players...they are not listed in the editor and you can only see them when hitting triangle on the manage roster(and a few other) screen.

M.K.
Knight165

[KBLover]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

Short of editing a player, can I slowly mold my players to my Franchise needs?

Sadly, no. Unlike OOTP, you can't give a player experience at a position and then see if he develops the skills you want for him to stick.

Granted, I don't know how steep the "off position" penalties are. If I take an average 60-ish reaction LF and put him a SS, just how badly would he perform?

You can take an "OOTP-ish" approach in that you can use the base fielding skills (reaction, fielding, arm, accuracy) and edit with that in mind. So if you have a slick fielding SS, putting him at basically any other infield position isn't going to be a problem, unless his arm is fringe for SS - then 3B probably wouldn't be viable - 2B would be a better secondary (keep him on the middle infield).

If you have a good reaction/speed LF, editing his second to "OF" makes sense, but if he doesn't have the speed maybe only RF. I can't remember if there's a 1B/RF (I know there's 1B/OF).

Or if he has a good arm and good reaction - 3B might make sense.

Things like that. You might lower his reaction/fielding a little as well if you want to emulate the lack of experience. Maybe 10-15% for "similar" positions (LF -> RF, SS -> 2B), and maybe 25% (or more?) for more daring changes (SS -> CF, 2B -> 3B, etc).

I noticed guys like Zobrist don't have their stuff show in the editor for whatever reason. Makes me wonder how those positions got there...and why doesn't the editor allow us to set something accordingly..............

[gamer052001]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

So has it been confirmed that a guy playing at his secondary position will only have 80% of his defensive attributes?

[countryboy]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

So has it been confirmed that a guy playing at his secondary position will only have 80% of his defensive attributes?

I don't think this is true. I have MarkEllis and he's listed as a 2B. But I've played him at 3rd and 1B (his secondary) positions and his fielding hasn't dropped off in the least. Same for Daniel Descalso.

I'm wondering if they lose 80% of their fielding ability playing them out of position? Meaning, a position not listed on their player card.

[Knight165]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

I'm not sure of the %....but 80/60 sounds right...but it's correct that a player playing out of primary takes a hit and out of position altogether is the larger hit.

IMO...it's still not enough of a hit and I conveyed that to Brian at SCEA...but I fully understand why they don't make any MLB player look like a buffoon at any position in the game.
I can live with that.

What I wish they would do is let you as a manager/GM tell your coaching staff to start playing a player at a new position at practice....and then getting a report on the likelihood that he can learn that new position.
If he says..."He looks good there"...then you can instruct them to have him learn a new position....if not....he cannot.

Something along those lines.....and it has to be limited to some point through coaching time or something.
I don't want half the players turning into super utility guys.

M.K.
Knight165

[KBLover]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

IMO...it's still not enough of a hit and I conveyed that to Brian at SCEA...but I fully understand why they don't make any MLB player look like a buffoon at any position in the game.
I can live with that.

The problem with nailing all "out of position" players with big penalties is that it ignores the nuances between positions, imo. I think something like the defensive spectrum should be used or at least some awareness of what needs positions have. A SS moving to 1B shouldn't have as big a hit as the reverse.

I'm leary of anything that doesn't just use the player's actual skill profile. The ratings are largely there:

Speed+Reaction = Range
Fielding = Hands
Arm Ratings = Throwing tool.

Only thing missing is a separation between infield and outfield throws.

Why not just use these and relate them to the positions in what's most needed and go from there?

Wouldn't need "penalties" if a 3B needed a strong arm to do well. He might get to balls but lack the arm strength to make those charge-one-handed-throws or a long throw from the 3B line to the 1B bag on a close play, for example, or if I took a 90/90 2B with a 40 Arm and put him at SS - would suffer the same fate, especially on throws deep in the hole. One of those "jump throws" would probably 3-hop the 1B, risking bad bounces, errors, and not getting the batter-runner. Likewise, a cannon-armed, decent-ranged 3B could make all the throws, but his slow actions and would either require great positioning or he just wouldn't get to many balls.

A slow player might struggle at CF unless he had the reactions to get great reads on the ball. Otherwise, he might be better suited for corner or if he had a strong arm, maybe even 3B. Take his speed out of the equation more and let his ability to read the ball off the bat try the hot corner. If you want to put the coaching part in - that would make sense, if the skill profiles are used as well, if nothing else to determine the success rate. Though, what coach abilities would govern this? Ability to teach fielding (Fielding +3 vs Fielding -3)?

Those are the kinds of "penalties" I'd want to see - those that relate to playing the positions themselves. Not just "60% haircut because 1B isn't listed on your player card".

[raiderzride4free]

Re: Can Players "Earn" a New Position?

in all my years of playing the show i have never seen a player learn a new position without editing that player into that position but it something ive always thought would be an awesome addition to the game. if i draft an A catcher but would like to move him to first or 3rd. i would love it if SCEA would implement something where if the catcher starts at 3rd base more than C for an entire year it first becomes his secondary position, and if you continue to play him at third it eventually becomes his primary position with catcher becoming his 2nd position. i would LOVE that. i think alot of people would enjoy it as well. brings a sense of realism to moving players to new positions.