Lack of solid contact - default players vs generated/created

[Unlucky 13]

I have something that I wanted to run by the rest of the community. For years now, its felt to me like when I use a player that isn't a default guy created by SDS, those players just have far less oomph on their hits, and balls they put into play are mostly grounders.

So what I mean is that any player that I draft and develop, or a guy that comes from the SDS full minors rosters and starts out as a low level prospect, even if they have really good ratings after spending a few seasons in the minor leagues, when I bring them to the majors and try to bat with them, they perform far, far worse than the regular players that are in the game from day one. Even guys who have lesser ratings than they do.

Veteran Player A might have contact and power ratings in the 50s, and prospect B might have those ratings in the 70s, but when I bat with them, Veteran guy does much better, over hundreds of plate appearances. Not just statistically too, but getting hard contact and putting loft on the ball when he hits it. While the draft picks and other created guys mostly hit grounders to the opposite field.

Its something thats bothered me for years, but I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced the same thing, and if there were any solutions.

[JoshC1977]

It boils down to 3 things....

Hot Zones
Hot Zones
Hot Zones

SDS is 'generous' with them for created players...

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

It boils down to 3 things.... Hot Zones Hot Zones Hot Zones SDS is 'generous' with them for created players...

I guess despite the fact that I've played the game for ages, I never even considered that. I pay attention when I'm pitching, but hadn't given it a lot of thought for when I'm batting. As a pure button pushing and timing guy, its never seemed to matter with the veteran players all that much, especially with sliders tweaked slightly in my favor.

But now that I look over my roster, and at players that I have used before with great success that are now on other teams, I think that you hit the nail right on the head. The veteran players in my starting lineup all have zones that are mostly red, with some blue around the bottom especially on the corners, and the veterans on my bench are mostly red at the top too. But even my 80 OVR 22 year old rookie hotshot is all blue and black. And 90% of my high end prospects in the minors are the same way.

Kind of makes me wish I hadn't spent a lot of time trying to build the team up from the ground over the last week and simming through three seasons now! But it gives me some better insight into how I should probably build my teams from now on.

Will some of these guys develop better zones if I leave them in the minors long enough? Or is that just a part of the game that doesn't work well?

[Therebelyell626]

The biggest problem I am seeing is that the franchise engine isn’t designed to reward modern baseball when it comes to team building. Hitters these days are rewarded for getting the ball in the air at the expense of average, and pitchers are rewarded for strikeouts at the expense of other statistics such as ERA.

If I have a guy who hits .220 but crushes 30 plus home runs he declines drastically. Yet if I have a guy who bats .280 and hits less than 10 home runs he seems to progress more than my slugger. This is simply not a reflection of how modern baseball values hitters.

On that note pitchers with high ERA’s I feel should progress quite a bit if they are striking out a ton of batters. Don’t get me wrong, sinkerballers who limit the long ball should be valued. But baseball is moving more and more towards a game of 3 true outcomes, and these outcomes simply aren’t rewarded if your batting average is sub par. If I am carrying a .350 OBP and snacking 30 home runs my guy should be considered a borderline all star. I mean for Pete sake the Phillies (cpu team) are batting Rhys Hoskins lead off right now in my franchise

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by Therebelyell626

The biggest problem I am seeing is that the franchise engine isn’t designed to reward modern baseball when it comes to team building. Hitters these days are rewarded for getting the ball in the air at the expense of average, and pitchers are rewarded for strikeouts at the expense of other statistics such as ERA. If I have a guy who hits .220 but crushes 30 plus home runs he declines drastically. Yet if I have a guy who bats .280 and hits less than 10 home runs he seems to progress more than my slugger. This is simply not a reflection of how modern baseball values hitters. On that note pitchers with high ERA’s I feel should progress quite a bit if they are striking out a ton of batters. Don’t get me wrong, sinkerballers who limit the long ball should be valued. But baseball is moving more and more towards a game of 3 true outcomes, and these outcomes simply aren’t rewarded if your batting average is sub par. If I am carrying a .350 OBP and snacking 30 home runs my guy should be considered a borderline all star. I mean for Pete sake the Phillies (cpu team) are batting Rhys Hoskins lead off right now in my franchise

I don't disagree on what your take on reality, however I want The Show to be a place where I can have fun and make baseball the way that I enjoy it. I'm not a fan AT ALL of the direction that MLB is going in real life, and I'd like to try and make the pretend version as much fun as I can. I don't want it to have to mirror reality.

[JoshC1977]

Quote: Originally Posted by Unlucky 13

Will some of these guys develop better zones if I leave them in the minors long enough? Or is that just a part of the game that doesn't work well?

Last year, the players you used IN PLAYED GAMES definitely saw their hot zones developed. Not so much in simmed games (if at all).

I haven't yet gotten far enough into franchise this year to confirm that is still the case....it often took a month or two (of played games). It's probably going to take a bit longer this year because hitting is more balanced than it was in 20.

[Unlucky 13]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

Last year, the players you used IN PLAYED GAMES definitely saw their hot zones developed. Not so much in simmed games (if at all). I haven't yet gotten far enough into franchise this year to confirm that is still the case....it often took a month or two (of played games). It's probably going to take a bit longer this year because hitting is more balanced than it was in 20.

That does stink. I'm still going to be with 20 until I can get a PS5, and who knows when that will be. But some of my guys in the minors have put up HUGE stats and still had blue and black zones. I feel like I've finally figured out a secret that had avoided me for years up until this point, lol.

I did a quick look around the default rosters of the game, and sure enough, almost all of the non-star players that I've had success with had really red zones, at least vs opposite handed pitching. And all of the star players that I've struggled using have cold zones, especially high and inside, where I do my damage. Almost a universal truth across the board. So for my play style, its something I need to pay extremely close attention to.

[Therebelyell626]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

Last year, the players you used IN PLAYED GAMES definitely saw their hot zones developed. Not so much in simmed games (if at all). I haven't yet gotten far enough into franchise this year to confirm that is still the case....it often took a month or two (of played games). It's probably going to take a bit longer this year because hitting is more balanced than it was in 20.

Hmmm that’s a problem then. I am of the variety of playing one game a series and swimming the rest. I don’t play minor league games at all either so that’s a huge issue