I do believe there's a point of diminishing returns. It's sort of how I set my 1200 AB minimum. I did my work before I bought into make-up being a big deal but I found that players tending to slow hitting development somewhere around 1200-1500 minor league AB. Of course, that could simply be because it takes 3+ minor league seasons to accrue that many AB.

I think jv was meaning a certain point where you are exposing a player to injury risk more than you are getting rating improvement.

Personally, that point comes when you play him tired... but that's just my feeling, and part of why I think low DUR players are always a disappointment.

I think that playing time matters, but from what I've seen I just think its a Yes or No thing for if they played enough that cycle to develop, or they didn't play and didn't develop. Inactives won't develop. If a guy gets 80 AB vs. 200 though, or is on the bench versus starting, I think they'd have the exact same improvement.

I set my minor league lineups and don't usually change them until someone drops below 0 then they hit the bench. I haven't noticed any changes in development from this. Usually guys develop really quickly first year and a bit (improve 2 points per category per cycle), then slow down to 1 per rating in year 2 to 3, and then pretty infrequently in year 4.

I guess if I wanted to be safe, and I believed that you only needed so many at bats for a guy to develop, I could play him 80 or so AB then deactivate him to prevent injury until the next cycle. I wouldn't bother doing that though. Not worth the effort to me.

And I'd disagree. You seem to think that minimal playing time will develop a player as much as maxing out his playing time. I'd almost bet that you're the only user on this site that holds that belief.

Quote: Originally Posted By silentpadna on 10/20/2009
I think it's one thing to not worry about performance or whether your team wins 50 or 90 games in the minors. It can be another matter (I think...) when there are teams that are literally 0-99 for the season and have perhaps 20 total wins across all 6 levels. I have a hard time thinking that's good for a world...

Of course it's not. But it's the friends of the guys trying to change the subject in this thread, or maybe some of these guys themselves, who pull such shenanigans. Don't expect to get much agreement with your very valid point.

1. I take care of my minors because I consider it to be part of the game and part of my "job" as manager of the team.

2. I don't care what others do with their minors UNLESS the league I am in has a rule about it. I prefer being in leagues that self-govern minor league abuse, but if the league doesnt care what others do, neither do I. There really isnt anything gained or lost to me by someone else tanking their minors.

Maybe. Its just what I've seen from my guys. The only time prospects seem to go up by 2 or 3 per rating is in their first couple of cycles of their first year after being drafted (barring injury). Then they usually go up by 1 until roughly year 4. I could test it by having 2 similar prospects, and start one as often as I could and have one come off the bench the whole time. Not sure if I have guys that fit that next season though. I haven't had issues with it though, even for pitchers. I have a relief prospect who I had at closer in Low A who threw only 42 innings last year (first full year). Was at 46-41-49 to start, Control -vL-vR, ended at 55-49-58 and projects to 70-65-75. He's 19. So I'm pretty happy with that anyways I don't know if he could have improved much more.

That may be his max IP to pitch(or near it). If he's a closer, his DUR/STM combo can't be that high. I don't think players/pitchers should be going at 88%.

He's not really a closer type I just had him there for whatever reason (probably saved recommendeds) Has 58 stamina, 26 durability.

K here's Davey Medina, who started and ended the year in Rookie (I promoted him after playoffs). He went up basically one per and played aevery day with 308 ABs.

Bob Witt developed one per as well. What's strange is that is that Medina has one more cycle than Witt though (is this because he was in Rookie?)

If the extra cycle is AB based, that also doesn't explain why Harry Damon has 4, with 571 ABs lead the Low A team, and Alex Brogna has 5 despite only have 434.

So ya, I may be wrong I just don't understand why there are these differences then. Why do some guys have an extra cycle?

Bad examples to prove your point.

Damon improved 5 points overall, Brogna improved 2.

Medina improved 3 points overall, Witt improved 2.

In both examples, the player with more AB improved more. Which side are you taking?

Medina got a promotion bump and that weird 5th cycle. If you don't count that in they were equal. I guess I meant that Witt's 3rd and 4th cycle match Medina's 3rd and 4th.

But why did one get a 5th cycle and one not get a 5th cycle? I don't think its ABs, which is why I listed Damon and Brogna. Damon also is, on average, further from his projecteds so I have no idea why one would get 5 and one would get 4.

Brogna's vR developed quite a bit, which is the only thing he has projected more than a few points over his current. I don't really have a true prospect who has very few at bats to show.

I can only count what I see. The players with more playing time improved more. Pretty simple. And what I think happens.

I haven't fully figured out the extra cycle if it's not related to promotions or post-season so I can't answer that.

Ok well that's understandable I guess. I can paste his projections but I don't have a true prospect who sat on the bench a whole year. I had to rest Mike Karl for a bit, and he got injured and developed well but it's not very useful.

Daniel Helton was a DITR and developed fully despite not playing that much in any season. He couldn't because of low durability, but still developed 9 in 1 year despite only having 282 ABs that year. I don't really have any examples of guys who could play everyday, yet I didn't for a full year and who had high projecteds. I'm happy with how my guys have developed so far though so, whatever works.

DITR are different animals. Their development is accelerated. Not exactly sure how they work with regards to development/playing time but I'm sure it's different.