My first round pick (#2) Fred Price is a 21 rookie this year. Already he is better than most of my big league players, as he is well above average in terms of power and batting eye. His splits are below average for BLer, but not awful (lows 60's). His defense is solid for a 3B now, but I'm hoping he can turn into a SS by the time he finishes developing. I started him in Low A before bumping him to high A. Is there any downside to rushing him up to AA now? and the BL next year? Will that stunt his development at all?

 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Fred Price

His development won't be stunted.  One could argue that he actually would benefit, since he's getting better coaching.

The downside is that you only have 10 (or 10.8 or whatever) guaranteed years of this player.  If you believe that he'll be a better player at 32 than at 22, then maybe he shouldn't be rushed to the majors.  It depends on your situation - if he's going to make a significant improvement to your team next year, bring him up.

+1

If he helped my team, I'd have in in the majors now.
Obviously cant see projections on him, but I'd be surprised if a 21 yo gains 10 points in range and 10+ in arm to become a real ML SS.

That said, if you want to wait until next year, I'd at least wait until after the 20 day window at the star to fhnext season to get an addiitonla season of team control. He look like a really nice player.  Love that he switch hits.

He should be in whichever MiL team that has the best coaching he will obviously start anywhere there.  Bringing him up to the bigs this year isnt necessary unless you think you have a good shot at the playoffs and this guy is an improvement on your current 3b.  this guy will assuredly never be a SS, he will be a GG 3bman, nothing wrong with that...  after the 20 game mark next year is what I would do.

Posted by jptrainwreck on 10/2/2013 2:46:00 PM (view original):
If he helped my team, I'd have in in the majors now.
Obviously cant see projections on him, but I'd be surprised if a 21 yo gains 10 points in range and 10+ in arm to become a real ML SS.

That said, if you want to wait until next year, I'd at least wait until after the 20 day window at the star to fhnext season to get an addiitonla season of team control. He look like a really nice player.  Love that he switch hits.

Hate the 2nd part of this.  Player is 21.   You have 10 full seasons of control.   If called up next season, at the beginning, you have him from 22-31.   ALL of his peak years.   If you expect to contend, screwing around with 20 games(10 of which are against your division) isn't very bright.   No big deal if you don't get him on the decline.   

Also, in the real world, 10 HBD seasons is 2 1/2 years in a world that rolls on Day 1 each season.   Who on earth knows what they'll be doing in April of 2016?

Do you really think he won't develop into a SS?

My college scout ($16mm) projected his defensive skills as 83 87 87 85
My adv scout ($14mm) projects his defensive skills as 84 87 89 90. My training budget this season is $18mm, but upping it to$20mm next season and I have a top FI currently. 


Separately could anyone also project out his offensive ratings aswell (strangely the college scout is more optimistic than the adv scout for offense despite it being the opposite on defense):

College scout: 66 100 82 78 93
Adv scout: 60 96 87 75 94

Should I really call him next season? Isn't that a bit soon? Thanks for all the help!

Posted by bglick on 10/3/2013 5:16:00 PM (view original):
Do you really think he won't develop into a SS?

My college scout ($16mm) projected his defensive skills as 83 87 87 85
My adv scout ($14mm) projects his defensive skills as 84 87 89 90. My training budget this season is $18mm, but upping it to$20mm next season and I have a top FI currently. 


Separately could anyone also project out his offensive ratings aswell (strangely the college scout is more optimistic than the adv scout for offense despite it being the opposite on defense):

College scout: 66 100 82 78 93
Adv scout: 60 96 87 75 94

Should I really call him next season? Isn't that a bit soon? Thanks for all the help!

Do you really think he won't develop into a SS?   Maybe for some depends on what you look for defensively.

My college scout ($16mm) projected his defensive skills as 83 87 87 85  I doubt he even gets to those ratings he is already 21.  But even if he does do you want him at ss at those ratings?

My adv scout ($14mm) projects his defensive skills as 84 87 89 90. My training budget this season is $18mm, but upping it to$20mm next season and I have a top FI currently. 

Should I really call him next season? Isn't that a bit soon?   Why not if hes the best option you have it will not hurt him.

My 2 current defensive SS are rated 91 87 89 95 and 91 89 94 89. However, both are awful hitters. Price should be a top level hitter no, and if he can pass as a SS, then it allows me to slide another good bat into the lineup. Or is a defense right at the guidelines of 80 85 85 85 too shaky to be a full time SS?

Posted by bglick on 10/3/2013 5:31:00 PM (view original):
My 2 current defensive SS are rated 91 87 89 95 and 91 89 94 89. However, both are awful hitters. Price should be a top level hitter no, and if he can pass as a SS, then it allows me to slide another good bat into the lineup. Or is a defense right at the guidelines of 80 85 85 85 too shaky to be a full time SS?

Those are decisions you will have to make.  Personally he would never play ss for me. 

nor me, and there is next to nil chance of him coming all that close to those projections.  Id be surprised if he added more then 5 to ALL of his ratings.  Meanwhile he needs between 10 and 14 on all of them just to make recommendations.  With that bat I would be willing to take a 5 pt haircut on all of the defense ratings, but not the 7-9 that he will likely come short on with them all.  Its too important a position to take that much of a shot on defense there.  Those 2 SSs you have currently are awesome, keep them!  

1) Many, many 21 yo college draftees gain 15 points in the major categories.  ESPECIALLY glove and AA, which often develop one more year after everything else stops.  (You don't see the full improvement on the player card, because the player card loses the draft day ratings after the first rollover and begins with the post-rollover ratings, so you don't see the improvement from signing to the end of the season in which the player was drafted nor the first off-season improvement.)  IMO, with a good fielding coach he's better than 50/50 to get over 85 in glove and AA, and over 80 in range.  If he gets where I think he will, he'll be a slightly below average SS, running a couple more (-) plays than (+) plays and a league average fielding pct.  The bat will more than compensate.

2) Given that you went from nowhere to 74-78 this season, you're probably going to contend next season, and you're not probably going to be a lock to win 100 games or more.  Agree with Mike and others that I'd play him in the majors on Opening Day.

21 year old CF drafted 9+ seasons ago:

http://whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=4252052

From draft day, which you can't see but is saved in my notes, this guy 9 points (from 80 to 89) in range at his peak, and 25 points (from 65 to 90) in glove.

To give you the other particulars:

Contact 44-54  (55)
Power 85-94    (100)
vL 54-68           (72)
vR 67-77          (86)
eye 69-76         (85)
Arm Strength 62-68   (68)
Arm Accuracy 41-57   (53)

The numbers in parenthesis indicate what my $14 mil in college draft scouting said he would turn out to be.  Same scouts said Range would be 83, glove would be 92.  For $14 mil in scouting, which is 12% less than your $16 mil scouting, I'd expect your scouting to be a little more accurate, my guess is he comes pretty darn close to those recs given his current skill set, but I'd venture that his arm strength ends up a shade shy of the recs for SS. 

Given his power and batting eye currently and just reasonable improvement in his contact and splits I wouldn't hesitate to play him at SS if you have a great bat capable of playing 3b as well down the road.  He doesn't have to be a SS today, he could play 3b in the majors next year and SS down the road once he develops on the defensive side.  He'd win a gold glove at 3b, he'll win multiple silver sluggers at SS.  To me the question of which position he plays depends on what options you have to play at SS or 3b.  If you have a gold glover at SS w/ 700 ops bat I'd play him at 3b.  If you have an average defensive 3b, but w/ a 900 OPS bat, I'd play him at SS.  If you had both of those guys on your team, plus that guy I'd play the gold glove SS at SS, this guy at 3b and the other out in RF.

Thanks for all the help guys! 

To be fair a bunch of my guys overachieved this which inflated my record. For example: Eugene Houston hit 35 homers, Olmedo Sierra had some insane numbers before the all star break (WHIP of below 1 and ERA below 1, until he regressed to mean in the 2nd half of the season), and even David Tarranga somehow threw a no-hitter.


For next season Here are my possible players with related to where I play Fred Price in MLB during his peak (direct links all at the bottom):

In the MLB already:

Eugene Houston 3B/2B/RF-  defense: 86 75 87 80, offense: all around low 50s, except power which is 83 (somehow he led my team in homers). 
Peter Poole 2B/3B- defense: 79 77 63 70, offense: 77 86 55 65 40
Adrian Taylor SS- defense: 91 87 89 95, offense: 58 44 18 40 51
Cesar Tapies SS- defense: 91 89 94 89, offense: 30 2 28 36 38  
Henderson Franco CF- defense: 90 77 60 60, offense: 71 59 59 51 70


And then I have one prospect who I could bring up next season too, #8 overall in the year before

Sam Ainsworth, 21 y/o in his 2nd year, my adv scout ($14) projects his ratings to be- defense:  78 77 80 75 (current: 67 68 66 58), offense: 53 91 81 86 60 (current: 47 85 74 61 59). He won't reach those obviously, but I think he might be able turn into a 3B or RF (he was listed as SS during the draft).

My thought/hope is to play Price at SS, Houston at 3B, Poole at 2B, Ainsworth in RF, Franco at CF. Obviously not next season as Ainsworth and Price need to develop their defense quite a bit to get to those positions.  

Or is it better to keep Taylor or Tapies at SS? Separately do I need to keep both of them? Taylor is going to be much more expensive to keep long term, is a better hitter than Tapies but I think probably slightly worse defensively.

 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Eugene Houston
 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Peter Poole
 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Adrian Taylor
 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Cesar Tapies
 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Henderson Franco
 Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Sam Ainsworth

Poole is left handed as such he'll committ more errors/negative plays than his skill ratings would indicate.  He's limited to 1b, LF, CF & RF.

Houston is a nice versatile defensive player, but his bat screams bench player.  A great guy to have off the bench, a guy that could back up at SS in a limited basis (defense won't be good, but to rest the starter in a blow out you can get away with it), 2b or any of the OF spots (again CF as a rest the starter/limited situation)  He'd be a gold glover at 3b, but he's going to be inconsistant w/ the bat.

Taylor is gold glove quality at SS, I'd platoon him vs Righties and as a defensive sub late in the ball game.  Tapies is also gold glove quality at SS, but he's bat is worse than Taylors.  I'd see if you can flip Tapies for something else, perhaps a reliever or something for someone looking for a good defensive SS.

Franco's glove will hurt you in CF.  He's bat is subpar, especially if you slid him over to a corner OF spot.  A decent bench player.

Looks like Ainsworth has solid potential.  I'd give him at least 1 more season in the minors to improve his defense and bat a bit more.  He's not quite a ML quality starter, but looks like he could develop into an all star w/ further development.  I'm guessing he develops into a 55/95/83/75/65 bat .  If the power ends up that good and his defense makes the recs of a 3rd baseman, he'd be an all star at that spot.  If that happens, he's my 3rd baseman, Price is my SS.  Taylor is the backup SS, occasional start.  I'd keep Brodway & Poole for power and versatility off the bench, I'd look to move the others and fill the other spots thru free agency/draft/trades/etc.