Handedness/Splits/Overall Ratings - A Summary

[Ted]

In a recent podcast, Ron and I brought up this old bit I put together. I suggest you read it, but maybe you don't want to get bogged down in details and just want to know the results. Or maybe you can't follow my writing. I get it. I just re-read it and I struggled at times to follow myself.

So here's the summary version.

The OOTP overall rating does not account for handedness.
It doesn't recognize that a player should be platooned.
It cares more about ability to face right handers than left handers (sensibly because there are more right handers).


Let's look at some illustrative examples to show you how this matters to YOU.

Part 1: Handedness

Example McExampleFace is a 6/6/6/6/6 hitter with average speed and fielding skills. Let's say he's 50 POT. Let's also call him "Eggsy" from now on.

It doesn't matter if Eggsy is RHB, LHB, or switch. The game crunches those underlying internal numbers into -> 50.

Let's also assume Eggsy has no split for vs left and vs right.
But which is better?

Switch 6/6/6/6/6
LHB 6/6/6/6/6
RHB 6/6/6/6/6

They'll all have the same overall/potential.

However, the switch hitting one is clearly superior. Most LH PITCHERS have slightly weaker versus right ratings and most RHP have slightly worse versus left ratings.

Switch Eggsy will get to face the weak sides of both right handed and left handed pitching splits. So despite the identical potential, these players aren't the same. Switch Eggsy is superior.

As for who is next, it's probably left handed Eggsy. He'll get to face the weak side of pitchers more often, because there are more right handed pitchers. Now, in reality, most left handed batters are shyte against left handed pitching, whereas most right handed batters are just a little worse against right handed pitching, so with typical splits instead of no split Eggsy, the RHB might be better than the LHB one. But that's only if you don't platoon.

YOU SHOULD PLATOON.


Part 2: Splits

So lets look at Eggsy with splits and overall ratings.

All of the below Eggsy's are left handed with 6/6/6/6/6 versus RHP ratings.

#1 6/6/6/6/6 versus LHP overall/pot 50
#2 4/4/4/4/4 versus LHP overall/pot 40
#3 2/2/2/2/2 versus LHP overall/pot 25

Clearly Eggsy one is superior, because you don't have to platoon him (although maybe you should because a 6/6/6/6/6 RHB is still better against left handed pitching than a 6/6/6/6/6 LHB, because the right handed bat gets to face the pitcher's weak side).

However, there is no real functional difference between Eggsy #2 and Eggsy #3. Neither should ever face left handed pitching and will be abysmal when forced to do so. And both will be so bad that it will hardly make any difference. Also, it's entirely possible to get just as much out of Eggsy #3 as Eggsy #1, if both are being platooned.


Part 3: Putting parts 1 and 2 together

There is more minutia, but these are the big things. By themselves, each of these two issues is minor. COMBINED however, I can easily find a 45 overall player that is better than a 55 overall player.

Here's how:

Eggsy A and Eggsy B have identical defense and speed.

Eggsy A is RHB 6/6/7/7/6 with 5/6/7/6/6 vsRHP and 7/7/7/7/7 vsLHP, ovr/pot 55
Eggsy B is LHB 5/5/6/5/5 with 6/6/7/6/7 vsRHP and 4/3/4/3/3 vsLHP, ovr/pot 45

Eggsy B is a better player. Hands down. There are at least twice as many right handed pitchers than left handed pitchers. As long as you platoon Eggsy B, he will beat out any usage of Eggsy A (platoon or otherwise) despite his lower overall rating.

Hope this was more clear.

[CTBrewCrew]

Interesting topic - now if eggsy has a brother who could P id platoon him in Madison