Optimal Player Progress

[Mackrel829]

I'm wondering if anyone has any insight with regards to where young players progress the best - MLB, AAA or AA. Is there a one size fits all approach, or does it depend on player age, overall, etc?

I've noticed that some players will be in AAA without a top prospect symbol. Then, when they're moved down into AA, they gain the top prospect symbol. Does this mean that they are best suited to be in AA at that time and will progress more optimally as a result? Or are they just considered a top prospect in AA because the overall quality of player there is lower?

I'm currently early in my first season of an Oakland As franchise, and I'm wondering how to handle Robert Puason and Logan Davidson. They are each listed on the actual top prospects board and look like they could be fixtures of my middle infield in the future. I want to make sure I handle their development optimally. Elvis Andrus and, to a lesser extent, Jed Lowrie are underwhelming and not part of my long term plans, so I'd like to get Puason and Davidson up into the majors asap. I'm not sure if calling them up early will stunt their development, however. Or will they even progress faster because of the higher level of competition?

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

[canes21]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Progression is unfortunately very simple and based on two things, age and stats. You can leave a young kid in AA for however long you want and let him rake and he'll continue to progress towards his ceiling at an optimal rate. The game doesn't take into account the level of competition, so if you want to cheat the system you can just leave the kid in AA for 3 years, let him progress to an MLB ready overall and then call him up bypassing AAA completely.

There's not really any strategy involved with needing to get him X amount of AB's at the AA level then the AAA level and let him play X, Y, and Z positions to get better at them.

The progression system is one of the biggest weaknesses in the game.

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[Mackrel829]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Progression is unfortunately very simple and based on two things, age and stats. You can leave a young kid in AA for however long you want and let him rake and he'll continue to progress towards his ceiling at an optimal rate. The game doesn't take into account the level of competition, so if you want to cheat the system you can just leave the kid in AA for 3 years, let him progress to an MLB ready overall and then call him up bypassing AAA completely.

There's not really any strategy involved with needing to get him X amount of AB's at the AA level then the AAA level and let him play X, Y, and Z positions to get better at them.

The progression system is one of the biggest weaknesses in the game.

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This is helpful. Thank you!

You mention that there is no difference between AA and AAA progress but does the same apply to MLB? Same rate if progression as AA and AAA?

Also, do you know if play time affects progression? If a guy is an every day starter in AAA but I only play him rotationally in MLB, will he progress more slowly?

Finally, SDS have said that progress is dynamic and player performance contributes to development. Do we know if this is actually true and actually has a tangible effect on growth/decline? It's something that's kind of hard to prove and we just have to take their word that these things are working under the hood.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Its certainly been my experience that guys need to get playing time in order to progress. So if you have a 21 year old who's a 75 OVR player and he's starting every day at AAA, then he's very likely to progress a lot more than if he's getting a handful of at bats in MLB as a bench player. My strategy has long been to only bring high end prospects to the majors if they're going to be starters. I use veteran players and guys who have maxed out their potential as reserves.

Not to send the conversation sideways, but does anyone know if the game takes the "quality" of an out into consideration with regards to progression? For example, if a player hits 100 balls right on the screws and they end up as warning track fly balls, is he given more credit than if he hits 100 dribblers back to the pitcher?

[canes21]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

This is helpful. Thank you!



You mention that there is no difference between AA and AAA progress but does the same apply to MLB? Same rate if progression as AA and AAA?



Also, do you know if play time affects progression? If a guy is an every day starter in AAA but I only play him rotationally in MLB, will he progress more slowly?



Finally, SDS have said that progress is dynamic and player performance contributes to development. Do we know if this is actually true and actually has a tangible effect on growth/decline? It's something that's kind of hard to prove and we just have to take their word that these things are working under the hood.

No difference at the MLB level. Playing time does matter, as well as stats. All the game looks at is what is their age, their stats, and their potential. It doesn't look at what level the stats are being accumulated at.

The progression is dynamic, but not incredibly dynamic. You'll notice in franchise mode each month you'll get the message detailing who is hot and who is not. If a player is hot for extended time like 2 or 3 months, then his potential will increase a random number more than likely. The opposite is true as well, if a guy is cold for an extended period of time his potential decreases in a similar manner.

These are also indicators of how much a player is progressing and regressing. A guy who is hot and batted .340 for an entire month is going to be progressing as a hitter more often than not unless they're 35+ and the game has decided they are going to fall off of a cliff. On the flip side, if you get an email showing that a player batted .186 vs lefties all month then you can likely go into his player card and see his batting attributes vs lefties will be regressing.

They aren't wrong when they say progression is dynamic, but in the long run it typically doesn't change significantly enough to where each franchise is a completely different experience progression-wise.

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[canes21]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Its certainly been my experience that guys need to get playing time in order to progress. So if you have a 21 year old who's a 75 OVR player and he's starting every day at AAA, then he's very likely to progress a lot more than if he's getting a handful of at bats in MLB as a bench player. My strategy has long been to only bring high end prospects to the majors if they're going to be starters. I use veteran players and guys who have maxed out their potential as reserves.



Not to send the conversation sideways, but does anyone know if the game takes the "quality" of an out into consideration with regards to progression? For example, if a player hits 100 balls right on the screws and they end up as warning track fly balls, is he given more credit than if he hits 100 dribblers back to the pitcher?

The game doesn't care how you got to 0-100. It only sees the 0-100.

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[Mackrel829]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Awesome. A bunch of good information here. Thank you both!

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

The game doesn't care how you got to 0-100. It only sees the 0-100.

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That's what I figured, but given that the game knows how hard and how often you hit the ball well, I thought there was a chance it would take that into account.

[Funkycorm]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Without hashing further into progression this is how I treat my minor leagues:

AAA: this is the place for my career minor leaguers most of the time. Those players who are called up for injury but I still want them to play so they have an off chance to grow instead of regress.

AA: This is where I want my future MLB players to be at. They will face weaker competition and have more success. Therefore they have a chance to grow more.

A: Those players who are depth go here. Also if there is a backlog of good prospects at a position. Looking at you middle infield, I can still get reliable growth of 2-3 points per attribute per year here.

One thing I want to clarify. If a prospect does tear it up at the MLB level and is starting, they will grow faster than they will in the minors. It is subtle and only a small difference but it can happen. But the double edged sword is if they struggle, they won't. It's a risk benefit analysis on a case by case basis.


A player will grow more starting every day in the minors than warming the bench in the MLB because they will get more stats. In general, I won't bring my future stars up until they are ready to start or at least better than the current player there hence why my AAA is set the way it is.

I set a specific overall for when my players are deemed MLB ready and stick to this in general.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Without hashing further into progression this is how I treat my minor leagues:

AAA: this is the place for my career minor leaguers most of the time. Those players who are called up for injury but I still want them to play so they have an off chance to grow instead of regress.

AA: This is where I want my future MLB players to be at. They will face weaker competition and have more success. Therefore they have a chance to grow more.

A: Those players who are depth go here. Also if there is a backlog of good prospects at a position. Looking at you middle infield, I can still get reliable growth of 2-3 points per attribute per year here.

One thing I want to clarify. If a prospect does tear it up at the MLB level and is starting, they will grow faster than they will in the minors. It is subtle and only a small difference but it can happen. But the double edged sword is if they struggle, they won't. It's a risk benefit analysis on a case by case basis.


A player will grow more starting every day in the minors than warming the bench in the MLB because they will get more stats. In general, I won't bring my future stars up until they are ready to start or at least better than the current player there hence why my AAA is set the way it is.

I set a specific overall for when my players are deemed MLB ready and stick to this in general.

What are your thoughts on very young guys with low ratings? If a guy is in his teens and has an over below 60, I'm keeping him in A ball until he progresses.

Like you, I basically let my better prospects tear up AA ball until I'm ready to either hand them a starting job in the majors, give up on them as a prospect and put them on my bench or AAA, or trade them.

I also do agree that guys with a high potential will typically progress more if they're doing well in MLB than they would in the minors, especially if they're very young. If you can get a 21 year old to play well with the big club, he'll usually zoom up.

[Funkycorm]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

What are your thoughts on very young guys with low ratings? If a guy is in his teens and has an over below 60, I'm keeping him in A ball until he progresses.

Like you, I basically let my better prospects tear up AA ball until I'm ready to either hand them a starting job in the majors, give up on them as a prospect and put them on my bench or AAA, or trade them.

I also do agree that guys with a high potential will typically progress more if they're doing well in MLB than they would in the minors, especially if they're very young. If you can get a 21 year old to play well with the big club, he'll usually zoom up.

As far as the under 60, it is a case by case basis and there are a few variables.

If I have a solid prospect in AA who is tearing it up and fits into the starting role at AAA and I want to develop that A ball guy, I will put that low overall A ball guy at AA. It all depends on multiple factors. Normally I don't like to do that but if I am confident that the player in AA originally will succeed at AAA I will do it. Mostly applies to middle infield and CF as those players have the biggest talent pools in draft classes. This will usually be the case if the player in A ball has a potential of 85 or more and would have a future role on my team.

Age of that player in A would also be a considering factor. Example if a player is 18 years old and 55 overall, I know they will increase by 3 overall a year so I also consider that. If that A ball player is still under 60 at 21, they are staying in A ball of eventually becoming a career minor leaguer or career call up call down depth. I would not want them taking at bats or innings from someone who is part of my future MLB teams.

Mostly though as you said, I am keeping them at A until they are not as rough around the edges.

That long rambling essentially comes down to that I have no absolute rule about it and it's case by case.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

It also seems that we see a lot fewer HUGE leaps in progression these days than we used to. I remember in the PS3 days, it wasn't uncommon to see guys jump 12 points or so OVR in a single year.

[Mackrel829]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

Without hashing further into progression this is how I treat my minor leagues:

AAA: this is the place for my career minor leaguers most of the time. Those players who are called up for injury but I still want them to play so they have an off chance to grow instead of regress.

AA: This is where I want my future MLB players to be at. They will face weaker competition and have more success. Therefore they have a chance to grow more.

A: Those players who are depth go here. Also if there is a backlog of good prospects at a position. Looking at you middle infield, I can still get reliable growth of 2-3 points per attribute per year here.

One thing I want to clarify. If a prospect does tear it up at the MLB level and is starting, they will grow faster than they will in the minors. It is subtle and only a small difference but it can happen. But the double edged sword is if they struggle, they won't. It's a risk benefit analysis on a case by case basis.


A player will grow more starting every day in the minors than warming the bench in the MLB because they will get more stats. In general, I won't bring my future stars up until they are ready to start or at least better than the current player there hence why my AAA is set the way it is.

I set a specific overall for when my players are deemed MLB ready and stick to this in general.

So I should have Puason and Davidson in AA rather than AAA?

I can't remember their exact details but they're both low 20s in age, low 70s in OVR, and A potential. I want them to be my starting middle infield as early as next season.

Do you have any explanation for the appearance/disappearance of the red top prospect icon when you move guys around divisions? Does the symbol mean anything significant or change anything or is it just to show who has the potential to become an elite player?

[Funkycorm]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

So I should have Puason and Davidson in AA rather than AAA?

I can't remember their exact details but they're both low 20s in age, low 70s in OVR, and A potential. I want them to be my starting middle infield as early as next season.

Do you have any explanation for the appearance/disappearance of the red top prospect icon when you move guys around divisions? Does the symbol mean anything significant or change anything or is it just to show who has the potential to become an elite player?

The symbol is for the top 50 list. It means nothing in terms of player growth. Just a visual. If favors players in AA ball more than AAA.

If it were me for the two, they would stay in AA this season so they can rake and grow more. If they are part of my future infield, they can jump from AA to the MLB in 2022.

Now me being the ruthless GM I am, I wouldn't call them up until mid May so I get an extra season from them. I think the cut off is May 15. But I am ruthless like that lol.

[Mokinmike85]

Re: Optimal Player Progress

If I'm getting the gist of what you guys are saying it would be better just to play all your good prospects in AA rather than AAA because they would be facing worst competition and therefore should have better stats? Does anyone know if there's a bigger jump in progression after the season like in Madden or is just throughout the season? What's the avg time frame of say a 65ovr A potential player to get to say 75ovr. Thanks if anyone answers I know the threads kind of old.