Quick question for everyone.  What difference in growth does it make for your prospects to make deep runs into the post season while they are coming up thru the minor league system?  Does this mean that they are better prepared for the post season with the ML club when they arrive?  Do they get any additional ratings boost by playing in the post season? 

I know coaching has tons to do with development of a given player, but with all things being equal, would one player be better that another one in the long run because he saw more post season success than someone else?  Thanks for any feedback you might have.

More games = more at bats/innings pitched = more opportunity for development.

I've had several guys get their 5th development mark during the minor league postseason (though certainly some of that improvement would have occured at the tail end of the season and would have appeared in the next spring training line, or promotion line for the guys I promote at season's end.

I don't know that its a huge boost, maybe a skill point here and there at a player's peak, and of course there's still the risk of injury, but I always prefer my minor leaguers to play in the post season than not play.  I don't load my minors w/ AAAA players to garuntee it, but at worst I make sure each level has proper depth at each position to help with injury or players wearing down.  Often times, that enough to get you a look at the playoffs.  Considering most minor league teams have 1-3 legit ML prospects at best, its more work than some coaches are willing to do during the FA period to ensure their minors are propperly stocked, but I think its worth the effort.

If you believe a player needs 1500 AB(the number I like) to be BL ready, picking up a few hundred in minor league post-season play speeds the process.

Using these two players as examples, Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Morgan Coles was just short of 1500 minor league AB until I added in the 71 post-season AB.   Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Brandon Gray only had 1145 but, with the 89 post-season, he was over the 1200 minimum I use.

To these good points, I would like to add that playoffs boost the makeup of young players.  I read about it somewhere in the info sections recently, and then watched it happen to my minor leaguers between the end of last season and the beginning of the current one.  Since makeup affects player development, that growth should mean an extra point here or there in development.  The most I saw in one player was 3 points and it seemed not to affect players with 3+ years of experience, though.