CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

[bamagrad03]

OK, this is a weird issue I'm having, but it's been consistent through half a franchise season on All-Star+ batting.

I have a created player 3B who is an overall 93. 85+ on hitting lefties and righties with power in the 70s.

I'm halfway through a franchise season and he's hitting in the 240s. All my other batters are hitting well, 270+. And my good batters I'm hitting over 340.

Every. Single. Time my created player gets up to bat, pitchers, even terrible ones, become Greg Maddux. They'll be throwing grapefruits to the entire rest of my lineup but not my created player. It can be an 11-3 type game and he'll go 0-5.

First, they never catch much of the plate. 80% of their strikes are on the dead black, sometimes 6-7 pitches in a row. They throw a lot of balls, but not obvious ones. I have mostly jam shots and just under pop fly ball outs.

I've got a higher rated player on my team hitting .370 that gets hittable pitches all the time.

This player also had a 1/30 cold streak in the middle of the season. I've never come anywhere close to having that with any of my other hitters.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? I've got a 93 rated player who is an absolute liability and it kind of makes it not fun. I'd get it if I wasn't decent at hitting, but I've got players rated in the low 70s hitting 280+.

[underdog13]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

It's pressure.

I had the same issue about 5 years ago with my Cubs franchise. Starlin Castro was my favourite player by far, also the best guy on the team...couldn't bat better than .250 with him. I wanted to do so well with him I always pressed at the plate and had terrible ab's.

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[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

It's pressure.

I had the same issue about 5 years ago with my Cubs franchise. Starlin Castro was my favourite player by far, also the best guy on the team...couldn't bat better than .250 with him. I wanted to do so well with him I always pressed at the plate and had terrible ab's.

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Adrian Beltre went that way for me in 16. He was a liability all year. But in the playoffs he finally woke up and went on a tear. I don't think it was pressure at all though for me. i think it was just a down season for him. I love that it happens and players dont play 100% to their attributes all the time.

I cant speak for created players though, as ive only played against the few created players that i have.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

I've often had one player on my franchise teams who is like this. For me, its always a right handed guy with a lot of power, who has the tendency to be a free swinger in real life. Right now, its Javy Baez, in the past it was Alfonso Soriano, or Starlin Castro, among a few others.

Its never an issue with left handed hitters, and I've had plenty of right handers who don't suffer this fate either, like Kris Bryant, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramariz, Wilson Contrares, Addison Russell, ect.

But for whatever reason, like you said, the CPU pitchers will all become Greg Maddux against a certain few. Tons of pitches on the bottom corners of the zone, very few balls thrown, rare to ever get into a favorable count, and when they do, the CPU comes at them with their best stuff, as if getting this one guy out is more important than the rest.

For me, this has been a thing in The Show since I started playing the title in 2008. Always there.

[FSanchez12]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

There's always that one player that I have trouble with, but I just assumed it was similar to the player going into a slump in real life, I was just having trouble hitting with them. In my 1st season of my Pirates Franchise in 2017, McCutchen was hitting .215 for the first 3 months of the season, and only got into the .230's at the All Star Break. He finished the season at .294

I think it's just as simple as focusing on working a deeper count with that player, being very selective. When you work a deeper count, you see better pitches, when you see better pitches, you learn how to react with that given player and a meatball. It's just about syncing up your muscle memory.

[Incognito]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

Not an uncommon thing. In past MLB games I had players with 90+ contact and 90+ power end up being one of the worst players on the team.

[Mbunn1993]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

I agree with the above posts. I can't hit a lick with Kris Davis in my fantasy draft franchise, but I'm raking with Brandon Crawford

[Bullit]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

It's pressure.

I had the same issue about 5 years ago with my Cubs franchise. Starlin Castro was my favourite player by far, also the best guy on the team...couldn't bat better than .250 with him. I wanted to do so well with him I always pressed at the plate and had terrible ab's.

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This so much! I usually always use "my team" for franchise mode. This year for some reason I was struggling. Couldn't hit, couldn't win, I was just having a miserable time. I switched to another team and bam! I was having fun again. Just for the record I switched to the Padres so it wasn't all about winning for me. LOL

[KBLover]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

But for whatever reason, like you said, the CPU pitchers will all become Greg Maddux against a certain few. Tons of pitches on the bottom corners of the zone, very few balls thrown, rare to ever get into a favorable count, and when they do, the CPU comes at them with their best stuff, as if getting this one guy out is more important than the rest.

I've seen this, too, as well as the guy that game that will just do whatever he wants on either team.

I try to recognize it after the 2nd time up. I don't care what his ratings are - I will nibble on him if it seems like "one of those games" for him.

Likewise, I'll attack if I see one of those bad games for another guy.

First, they never catch much of the plate. 80% of their strikes are on the dead black, sometimes 6-7 pitches in a row. They throw a lot of balls, but not obvious ones. I have mostly jam shots and just under pop fly ball outs.

Is this hitter the "last one" in the line of big bats. The game might be going to a pitch around strategy.

I used to have this issue with a player in my long-term carryover. The #3 and #4 guys would have big stats. #5? I'd struggle because the CPU pitches around him to get to the lower power #6 guy.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? I've got a 93 rated player who is an absolute liability and it kind of makes it not fun. I'd get it if I wasn't decent at hitting, but I've got players rated in the low 70s hitting 280+.

I have - and sometimes guys just have rough seasons or rough stretches. One of my power bats in a franchise batted .160 through April with no power. He did better in May and is now at least decent (if still underperforming). My Ichiro-style leadoff man went through similar. Batting .210 and just horrible. Nothing on the ball or anything. He's now around .300...still below ratings (90's contact) but respectable.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

[QUOTE=KBLover;2049415710]
Is this hitter the "last one" in the line of big bats. The game might be going to a pitch around strategy.

I used to have this issue with a player in my long-term carryover. The #3 and #4 guys would have big stats. #5? I'd struggle because the CPU pitches around him to get to the lower power #6 guy. /QUOTE]

Thats an excellent point. In my current season, my #5 hitter was struggling really badly during April. Very uncharacteristic, and he's rated I think 92 OVR. I flipped him with the #2 hitter, and suddenly he's the NL player of the month, while suddenly my new #5 hitter is batting around .200 with no RBIs.

However, my #6 and #7 batters are also very strong, so there isn't a really need or benefit to pitch around the #5 guy, but maybe pitching around that spot in the order is programmed into the CPU to some degree?

[NolanRyansSnowmonkey]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

When Adrian Beltre went through this with me, he was batting 3rd, with a healthy Prince Fielder behind him, who led the team in HR's. After a long time of struggling i moved Beltre down further and further in the lineup but nothing ever changed. Just a bad season. He only had 10 HR all year, and his batting average was low. His only saving grace was his defense.

I stuck with him and in the Postseason he finally woke up and hit over .300 and led the team with 5 doubles.

Im not dismissing the idea that the CPU may be strategically pitching around an unprotected good hitter. I think that very well could be the case. Then there are other times players just have rough seasons.

[KBLover]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

However, my #6 and #7 batters are also very strong, so there isn't a really need or benefit to pitch around the #5 guy, but maybe pitching around that spot in the order is programmed into the CPU to some degree?

It could be - since "most times" a strong #6 or #7 wouldn't be typical.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

It could be - since "most times" a strong #6 or #7 wouldn't be typical.

I agree. But I have Wilson Contrares and Kyle Schwarber

[KBLover]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

I agree. But I have Wilson Contrares and Kyle Schwarber

I don't have Schwearber this year but I had him in a MLB16 franchise - he was insane vs RHP.

Incidentally, he had that "work around him" issue too - he'd have over 120 walks, by far most on the team LOL

[Unlucky 13]

Re: CPU pitches my created player 3B impossibly hard

I don't have Schwearber this year but I had him in a MLB16 franchise - he was insane vs RHP.

Incidentally, he had that "work around him" issue too - he'd have over 120 walks, by far most on the team LOL

I'm not nearly that good at drawing walks! I'm having easily my best season ever, and Schwarber and Bryant have about 40 in mid June. (I just checked, and I'm 27th in the majors with 189 as a team)
He does absolutely get worked around more than anyone. Easy, EASY pitches to take, slow and way outside. I rarely give him any at bats vs left handers at all and he's still in the top 5 in the NL in homers and RBI.