Before the 2059 season Bob posted two (IMO) iconic league features showing the average ratings in OOTP 25 for batters and pitchers compared to OOTP24. Now that it's been a couple seasons I want to provide an update (plus a few other odds and ends).
First, the odds and ends:
| Position | Avg Age | Avg OVR | Avg POT | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 28.4 | 44 | 45 | $2,900,051 |
| 1B | 28.6 | 56 | 57 | $4,471,044 |
| 2B | 28.1 | 49 | 51 | $3,587,527 |
| 3B | 27.1 | 50 | 53 | $3,435,489 |
| SS | 28.6 | 48 | 49 | $3,256,773 |
| LF | 26.4 | 52 | 54 | $2,608,733 |
| CF | 26.9 | 49 | 50 | $4,271,583 |
| RF | 26.8 | 53 | 55 | $2,820,416 |
| DH | 29.8 | 55 | 56 | $4,338,655 |
| Total | 27.9 | 51 | 52 | $3,521,141 |
I think it's interesting how young the league skews at 3B and the corner outfield which I believe is a product of more talent at those positions in recent drafts. It doesn't carry over to 1B because guys get moved to that position later in their career. We also see that OVR ratings are lower up-the-middle vs the corners which I think is a product of the game undervaluing defense. Player salary looks closely tied to age (no surprise) and OVR rating with the game probably not negotiating large enough salaries for those underrated players on the high end of the defensive spectrum. You could say valuing defense is a market inefficiency but I don't think that's a well kept secret around the BBA.
Now lets review the average ratings you should expect by position. These are weighted averages using PAs for offensive ratings and defensive innings played for fielding. Keep in mind this is by position listed in the game so it probably understates the average defense of a true shortstop, for example, as players are more likely to be kept at a position too high up the defensive spectrum in my experience.
| Catcher | Avg Rating |
|---|---|
| CON | 5.0 |
| BABIP | 5.1 |
| K's | 5.1 |
| GAP | 5.1 |
| POW | 4.8 |
| EYE | 5.2 |
| SPE | 1.8 |
| C ABI | 7.9 |
| C FRM | 7.9 |
| C ARM | 6.2 |
At catcher, you're looking for a guy who can maintain 5s in all offensive categories. The defensive baseline is 8 ability and 6 arm. If they can hit more than that you can accept less defense and vice-versa. Catchers are extremely slow.
| 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CON | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.2 |
| BABIP | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| K's | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
| GAP | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.0 |
| POW | 6.3 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 3.8 |
| EYE | 5.8 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 5.2 |
| SPE | 3.8 | 6.3 | 4.7 | 6.2 |
| IF RNG | 4.1 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 8.7 |
| IF ERR | 5.1 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 8.9 |
| IF ARM | 5.1 | 5.9 | 9.0 | 8.0 |
| TDP | 3.4 | 8.1 | 5.4 | 9.0 |
On the infield, you should expect your first baseman to average 6s across the board offensively while your shortstops will be closer to 5 ratings (third base and second base somewhere in between). Shortstops should be 9s defensively. Third basemen should have a 9 arm. I'm surprised the average second base infield range is only 7 as I'm usually looking for an 8 rating there.
| LF | CF | RF | SS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CON | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.2 |
| BABIP | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.2 |
| K's | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| GAP | 6.0 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| POW | 6.0 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 3.8 |
| EYE | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.2 |
| SPE | 5.5 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| OF RNG | 6.2 | 8.8 | 6.4 | 8.7 |
| OF ERR | 6.6 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 8.9 |
| OF ARM | 7.0 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| TDP | 3.4 | 8.1 | 5.4 | 9.0 |
On to the outfielders. Left fielders look like first basemen offensively but should have at least 6 outfield range to be average. Right fielders are a notch weaker offensively while center fielders start trending closer to 5 ratings. Center fielders need 9 range to be average-ish defensively while right fielders average an 8.5 arm, 1.5 higher than left fielders.
