Questions about player draft, player cards, evaluation

[ripwalk]

I just entered into the first year player draft in my season mode and just felt overwhelmed with trying to decide what players to choose.

I have a few questions:

1) Is there any way to get something else to be displayed in place of that "overall" bar (A number, a potential rating, perhaps?) I just find for prospects the overall rating bar is not all that helpful. Some of the best overall rated players have the worst potential, so aren't all that valuable at all. Do I have to open up every single player's card and look at their potential to figure out who to draft? There must be an easier way? Same thing with evaluating MLB players in the game, I just don't find the bars give all that much info as it's hard to relate them to each other.

2) The scouting reports given for the players must be their talents as currently related to big leaguers, right? For example I see an A potential prospect who is rated all C's, D's and F's in his skills and what's more all the written descriptions of him say he's a below average hitter, not a good fielder etc etc... Yet he's rated A potential. It seems kind of counterintuitive and confusing, can someone explain how this all works?

3) For those who have gone through mutliple drafts in this game, what strategies do you use? What tools do you incorporate in order to evaluate the players and decide who to take? From what I gather there's not much variance in how players will turn out (and A prospect will turn into an A player, but a C prospect won't develop into an A player) so I suppose there's not much more to it than find the guys who have high potential and draft them?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[treyraq]

I'm right there with you on most of your thoughts; I have a rant saved that I'll post to a 2012 wishlist thread...but mods have been closing those because it it's too early.

But for what it's worth, in the past, I just mainly look for the best combo of potential and overall ability at the youngest age possible.

[BwanaKuu]

It all depends on your team's current situation. If you need a good glove or a power hitter right now to help out your team, go for one of the higher rated overall guys. However, if you need some people to help rebuild, go for A potential players. Or if you already have a stacked lineup that is aging, go for A potential players.

[Mike3207]

First off, never scout anyone under the age of 18 before the draft. They won't show up in this year's draft. I scout 17 YO prospects after the draft once I scout all the players 18 and up. The best strategy is to scout for potential, then move on. There's a list in these forums that list descriptor of potential connected to the potential grade. Look for scouts who can scout 4 players at a time.There's also a lot more pitchers than position players, so you might wish to scout position players first.

Here's the descriptor list:

A potential

Future star - McClouth, Napoli, Geovany Soto

Should excel in the majors - Ludwick, Billy Butler, Milledge, Votto

Has the talent, all he needs is the chance - Yadier Molina, Hawpe, Alexei Ramirez, Alex Gordon, Kendrick

Will challenge for the MVP before long - Upton, Ellsbury, Victorino

The potential is there for stardom - Tutlowitzki, Brandon Phillips, Corey Hart


Future star, possible superstar - Kemp, Youkilis, Josh Hamilton, McCann

As close to being a sure thing as you can get - Adrian Gonzalez, Pedroia, Longoria, Upton, Sizemore, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Braun, Fielder


Huge upside, should make a big splash at the shoe - Markakis, Granderson, Willy Taveras, Pence

Does nearly everything well. A stud - Rios, Uggla


All around talent makes his future a bright one - Quentin, Arnold Girard (computer generated guy)

At minimum should be an all star - Kinsler, Zimmerman

Has the tools, has the makeup, a future superstar - Hanley Ramirez

Nobody has more talent - Jay Bruce


__________
Pitchers
_________

Solid arm, very useful relief pitcher - Capps.


Loads of potential, if harnessed he'll be a star - Wainwright, Chris Young P, Wang, Ervin Santana, Jarvis Looper (computer generated guy), Morrow, Ting (computer generated guy), Volquez


The talent is there, should get a chance to do setup work - Qualls, Zumaya


Should make more than a few all star teams - Chris Young CF, Russell Martin, Ethier, Adam Jones, Cavazos (computer generated guy), Jose Lopez, Chris Davis

Should anchor the setup corps in the bullpen - Street, Jenks, Joey Devine


An elite reliever in any situation - Broxton, Papelbon, Saito


Could be an ace for years to come - Billingsly, Cain

Has a chance to be a minor ace - Kuroda, McGowan, Slowey

Should be a top starter for his team - Kershaw

Should be #2 starter at worst - Dobson (computer generated player) this guy is terrible control, hard thrower on all pitches, Anibal Sanchez, Josh Johnson


Has the tools to be a superstar - Lincecum, Hamels


He has a very high ceiling - Matsuzaka, Hughes, Verlander, Liriano

Outstanding stuff, terrific makeup, future star - Lester, Kazmir, Price, Carmona, Greinke, Jurrens

An asset out of the pen - Okajima

Ought to contend for a few Cy Young awards before he's done - Chamberlain

Only a matter of time before he's an all star - Garza, Danks

The talent is there for him to be an all star - Shields, Jered Weaver, Nolasco, Cueto, Gallardo

Very good reliever, should excel in setup work - Rafael Perez, Arredondo

Closer in waiting, top notch setup man - Soria

Should blossom into an all star and staff ace - Felix Hernandez

_____________
B potential

Loaded with potential, could be a star - Doumit, Cano, Chris Snyder, Stephen Drew, Connor Jackson, Mark Reynolds, Garrett Atkins, Barmes, Spilborghs, Gerut, E Burriss, Aaron Hill, Church, Coste, Theriot, K Matsui

Gobs of talent, should make a terrific regular - L Scott, Swisher, Iwamora, D Navarro, Inglett, Lind, J Fields, J Owens, Willingham, Dukes, Tiner


Will be a productive player abeit with limited upside - Schumaker, Ian Stewart, Blake Dewitt, Dobbs

Better tools than most, good future - Iannetta, Melky Cabrera, Jason Bartlett, Hardy, Headley


________
pitcher
______

A #2 or #3 starter with some upside - Snell, Scherzer, Jonathan Sanchez, Guthrie, Sonnastine, Marcum, Litsch, floyd, Olsen, Lannan, Pelfrey, Blanton, R Hill, W Rodriguez, D Bush, Parra

Solid middle reliever with above average stuff - Yates, Craig Hansen, Kyle McClellan, Tony Pena, John Rauch, M Adams, J Hampton, J Miller, C Ray, J Lopez, Veras, Carlson, Feliciano

Very capable pitcher. good #3 guy - Jason Davis, Zach Duke, Gorzelanny, Yusmeiro Petit, Baek, Mitre, Carrasco, D Cabrera

A sold talent, He'll help most teams - Karstens, Edgar Gonzalez, Correia, Waters, Patton, H Sanchez, J Hammel


A nice pitcher to have for middle relief work - Chris Perez, Albers, Sarfate, Littleton, Cormier

The equipment is there, should help out of the pen - T Buchholz, C Wade, Brian Wilson, Sherrill, J Johnson, Ramon Ramirez, J Nelson, Tallet, Frasor, League, Thornton, Geary, Villanueva

A notch below ace starters, but not far below - Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, Maine


Superb stuff. Will thrive as a middle reliever or setup man - Hong-Chih Kuo, Heath Bell, Delcarmen, Marmol


_________
C Potential

A nice pitcher to have for middle elief work - D Bautista, B Thompson,

He can eat innings but probably never better than average - Ohlendorf, Burres

Occasionally brilliant but also plagued by inconsistency - A Phillips, Moss, C Duncan, Barton, Montero, A Ojeda, Luna, Scott Hairston, Luis Rodriguez

His stuff is nothing special but still may help out of the pen - S Burnett, Beam, Kinney, T Johnson, Slaten, Medders, Taschner

Your garden variety middle reliever - Bootcheck, Brazoban, Hennessey

Talent is good but frustrates managers with lack of consistency - Andy Laroche, J Salazar, Quintanilla, Delwyn Young, Ransom

Could be a decent regular, nothing more - Paul Phillips, Riggans

He'd be happy with a career as a #4 starter - Stauffer

A solid talent, he'll help most teams - Misch

Not a bad reliever but a dime a dozen

_____________
D potential

Could be a decent regular, nothing more

His stuff isn't great, will occupy a non important bullpen role

Good for mopup duty and that's about it

His future could be as a reserve

Can help out in spots, maybe in a platoon role

Starting regularly probably won't happen

Not a bad reliever but a dime a dozen

[ripwalk]

Sorry but I don't even know how to use scouts and to scout players in the draft.. How do I go about doing that?

[Mike3207]

Quote: Originally Posted by ripwalk

Sorry but I don't even know how to use scouts and to scout players in the draft.. How do I go about doing that?

You do it in the Personnel section. View Staff-Scouts let you hire and fire your scouts, and Personnnel-Regional Scouting lets you pick the players you want to scout in the 4 regions.