Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

[Steve_OS]

T.J. Cutini has posted an Inside the Numbers look at Major League Baseball 2K8.

"With less than a month before the release of MLB2K8, 2K Sports sent over a 5MB spreadsheet detailing every single rating for every single player included in this year’s game.

At first glance, the numbers seem to go right along with their real-life counterparts, but dig deeper and you’ll find a few discrepancies that the baseball fanatics will be scrambling to fix once the game is released. So let’s go around the horn (apologies to Tony Reali) and take a look at the overall ratings of some of baseball’s best (and worst)."

[Blzer]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Thanks, Steve!

I like to be as picky as the next guy when it comes to ratings, but I haven't looked at overall ratings in a long time. Remember that overall ratings are not a determined number by 2K themselves after having set all of the other independent attributes. Instead, it is a calculated average of those other attributes, where the weights vary greatly. That said, perhaps some things aren't weighted the same as others, resulting in skewed overall averages.

Look at Posada for instance. Great year, right? I think that, with 2K's new partner Inside Edge, they are basing their stats on the last three years or so (and maybe have formulas for determining each number as well). So, say they look at his last three years, and they were very decent (meaning he is more deserving than an 84). While his triple crown numbers say a lot about how he performs in those three categories (and keep in mind there is no direct attribute that says how many RBI's a player might have, though the closest thing is probably the Clutch attribute), there is nothing that talks about his amount of doubles, triples, overall power (there is a home run rating and there is a power rating), speed, ability to draw walks, ability to make contact, even bunt control... and I haven't even gotten started on defense.

What I mean to say is that he can be a great player in everyday stats that we see, but then there are those other things that he is maybe much weaker in. Not only that, but he may only be slightly weaker, and the way that 2K chooses to weight each attribute may give a player a different rating as well.

Say we have two players with every attribute the same except two. One has a contact rating of 100 and a power rating of 0, and the other has the two numbers flipped. With the way 2K calculates the weights of each attribute, these two guys won't have the same overall rating (and I'm willing to bet the player with 100 contact would have a higher rating).

I hope this makes sense, and it's especially important because I feel the overall rating should almost be disregarded, if not removed. I never look at them, because they are a poor indication of the player, especially when looking at the specifics. So what if one guy is an 87 and the other is an 88? What does that say about how much range that player has?

That said, I'm now in year 8 of my ESPN NFL 2K5 franchise. Because of this, I draft a lot of rookies. But I don't look at overall numbers... I only look at what I specifically need. Maybe I need a fullback that only has good run block numbers and poor speed. Maybe I need an outside linebacker that is good with coverage but not pass rushing. That said, when you look at my team's Offense, Defense, and Special Teams ratings, they are very low. However, when I'm utilizing the players exactly as I want to utilize them, they are playing like a high rated team.



Anyway, the bottom line is... overall stats are overrated.

[boomhauertjs]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Anyway, the bottom line is... overall stats are overrated.

Co-sign.

Any chance we would get to see that spreadsheet of all the ratings or is that something OS is not allowed to release?

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Taking a quick look at those ratings, there's bound to be some "controversy." But I urge caution.

Yes, Jeff Kent is rated the second best secondbaseman in the game at 88. And yes, I think baseball fans will agree that is too high.

But we have no idea how age factors into player abilities. It's possible Kent ALWAYS had an 88 rating, but his skills rise and fall with his age. So sure, he may have an overall 88. But now these he's old as dirt, he only performs like a low 70's rated second baseman.

I just know some people are going to see those ratings and freak.

[sask3m]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

3 yr averages are an ok starting point but there are other things involved here as well, age injuries past yr performance etc., take ray durham now as much as i like the giants how the heck can he be #6 2nd baseman no way in fact he might not even be starting this yr., they need to go to a site like rotowire and use their "projected stats" for the coming yr. as a guide it would be a lot closer than this.

[ehh]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

I don't care what the consensus is going to be, I'm doing a lot of editing to the ratings.

[dcarsnyy]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Haha, is that living legends team a joke? I'm sorry, but a lot of those players have no business being considered legends.

[KushGamer]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Haha, is that living legends team a joke? I'm sorry, but a lot of those players have no business being considered legends.

Need to fill out a full team with players you have the rights to. That should probably be called "Active Legends" or something. There are certianly many HOFers that are living and are more legendary than many of those guys.

[baa7]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

take ray durham now as much as i like the giants how the heck can he be #6 2nd baseman

LOL, and I though Bobby Abreu tied for 2nd place as a RF was horrible.

[baa7]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Haha, is that living legends team a joke? I'm sorry, but a lot of those players have no business being considered legends.

Let me get this straight... Giambi is on the Living Legends team, but no A-Rod and no Jeter? Am I reading that correctly??

Somebody please tell me I missed something, and if I did, I apologize. But if not... WTH!!!???

[KushGamer]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Let me get this straight... Giambi is on the Living Legends team, but no A-Rod and no Jeter? Am I reading that correctly??

Somebody please tell me I missed something, and if I did, I apologize. But if not... WTH!!!???

Hmmm... That's a good question. I was gonna suggest that maybe the Legends players are guys that arent on the Rookie class teams, but that doesnt explain A-rod.

One thing is for sure though, that Living Legends teams is made up of all guys that are either over or pushing 40.

[dcarsnyy]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Let me get this straight... Giambi is on the Living Legends team, but no A-Rod and no Jeter? Am I reading that correctly??

Somebody please tell me I missed something, and if I did, I apologize. But if not... WTH!!!???

Exactly my point. Kenny Rogers, Ray Durham? What are those guys doing on that team..

[baa7]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

One thing is for sure though, that Living Legends teams is made up of all guys that are either over or pushing 40.

Okay, so it's an OLD Living Legends team. The Past Their Prime Patrol. So I can play against these dudes in exhibition when I just want to blow someone out

[baa7]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

Hmmm... That's a good question. I was gonna suggest that maybe the Legends players are guys that arent on the Rookie class teams, but that doesnt explain A-rod.

Jeter was playing in '95, BTW. Yet they have him listed in the '97 rookie class, yeesh.

[Sportsforever]

Re: Inside the Numbers of Major League Baseball 2K8

T.J. Cutini has posted an Inside the Numbers look at Major League Baseball 2K8.

"With less than a month before the release of MLB2K8, 2K Sports sent over a 5MB spreadsheet detailing every single rating for every single player included in this year’s game.

At first glance, the numbers seem to go right along with their real-life counterparts, but dig deeper and you’ll find a few discrepancies that the baseball fanatics will be scrambling to fix once the game is released. So let’s go around the horn (apologies to Tony Reali) and take a look at the overall ratings of some of baseball’s best (and worst)."

I'm not sure why it should be a surprise that Peavy is rated so highly...he did win the triple crown in the NL last year as well as the Cy Young.