Greetings,

Are there optimum numbers for players during Spring Training to get full development opportunity, like X number of at-bats, or innings pitched, or games played?

Is there any impact on readiness for the season...something like if a guy doesn't get 5 ABs he will start the season slow...or a pitcher who doesn't pitch in 3 games is more prone to injury...any of that type of stuff?

I think I've got all the settings good, like pitch counts, defensive replacements, and such. Just not sure why when I see lots of teams that just run out their regular Opening Day lineups.

Thanks for your input!

All they have to do is appear in the game. For example, 1 at bat in each spring training game for a specific player will earn them their max development. Same goes for their minor league development. Your main goal should be to get your best prospects to appear in as many games as possible.

There is no impact on readiness. If you have ML guys who are done developing, I'd recommend resting them for the entirety of ST as you are only risking them getting injured by playing them.

One caution for position players: Fatigue starts in spring training and carries over into the regular season. If a position player starts and plays most of every game in spring training you will see a drop in fatigue level (below 100) sooner during the regular season than if that player had only started and played in say 6 full games instead of 18.

Posted by dyoungquist on 2/1/2021 11:08:00 PM (view original):
One caution for position players: Fatigue starts in spring training and carries over into the regular season. If a position player starts and plays most of every game in spring training you will see a drop in fatigue level (below 100) sooner during the regular season than if that player had only started and played in say 6 full games instead of 18.

Most important thing IMO. You don't want your 30 year old CF with 82 DUR getting 30+ at bats in spring training. He'll fatigue much earlier in the season than he normally would have.

I'll give my big league vets maybe 10-15 ABs, and my top prospects around 20-25 ABs during spring training.

Hmmmm. Right now I set the Player Rest to activate at the 4th inning, whether winning or losing by 1 run, to get as many players in the game as possible. And the defensive subs in the 7th, by one run, to get another set of players in, to maximize games played.

Since there's no real way of resting an older position player like you can with pitchers (as far as I know), they all rotate thru the games. It seems this may not be the right approach because the vets can get injured. It seems the better way is for the managerial settings to be like a regular season game, and I need to set the lineups to include the kids, then change the lineup for the next game to feature other kids while the vets still sit out. Would also need to adjust the Player Settings so the kids don't get pinch hit for by a better vet late in the game. Sound right? Is there a better approach?

Friend, I guess you have not found the hidden 'Rest' section for players: the same for spring training as well as the regular season.

Go to the Manager Section and click on Line Up. You get the selected Line Up (headed on a black line) and below that the Bench (headed on a black line) guys. At the right-side end of that black line is a box "Open Rest Section". Click on that and below the bench listing is a new black line with "Rest". Just toggle the players in/out of there as you do to adjust the main line-up. I use it all the time for short time injuries that don't justify putting somebody on the DL and, usually later in the season, when somebody is showing a bit of fatigue.

Note, however, that if you want a player rested (maybe permanently for ST) you need to do this procedure on all four line ups (vs L no DH, vs R no DH, vs L with DH, vs R with DH). Putting a player on the DL gets them taken out of all four categories in one go. Once ST is concluded, players go back to their respective levels. If you let the AI run the minor teams it will sort out those from the rest section; in the ML you have to do it when setting your preferred big league lineups and rotation/bullpen.

If you have a player/pitcher at ST from any level below ML who you don't want to come in to any further ST games that season, just go to Roster Management, find the level, check box the guy(s) concerned and deactivate them. Only "active" listed players/pitchers can be called in to the ST squads. Even a 40-man rostered AAA (and lower level) guy who is not 'active' won't get a chance.

Hey, that's easier!!!! thanks!!!