Player Profile: Santo Moreno - Hardball Dynasty Baseball | WhatIfSports

If this link doesn’t work properly, the guys name is Tommy Rivers. He is my closer who keeps blowing games.

He looks so good, what is happening?

His right handed split is pretty average. Granted it's a small sample size but that might keep him from being a true relief ace or from having consistent success.

First, it's a 7 inning sample size. Second, do not use this player as a closer!

OVR is a "value" rating moreso than a pure talent rating. Much of this player's value is expressed by his very high combination of DUR + STAM. Set his inning available to 6 or 7 and his max pitch to 30 or 35 and he could pitch 2 innings maybe every 3-of-4 games or at least 2-of-3, which is 200+ IP. Then you won't stress so much about losing in fewer, higher-leverage spots like he is now the way you're under-utilizing him

Yeah, agreed. That player is much more useful as a multi-inning setup man. His ratings are quite good even with the relatively average VsR. The more he pitches, the more his results should level out. And having a RP like this, he does the work of two RPs... you can free up a roster slot for something else.

Thanks for the advice guys, please feel free to keep it coming anyone who disagrees or has a different take.

If I stop using him as a closer, who on my roster would you guys advise I use as closer?

I don't use a closer. My top short relievers are set as SuA and the others set to SuB. I feel the 6th and 7th innings are just as important as the 9th.

Yeah it's perfectly fine to not designate a closer. The only thing I've found is that if you don't the sim coach might just save your best guy for the end of the game anyway; it's how the sim coach is programmed.

It's counter intuitive but sometimes the guy you want closing is the guy with the obvious weaknesses. Like he has one good pitch and one bad one. Or he can't give you very many innings. But all he has to do is get three outs.

1) Average American League ERAs tend to run about 4.50 or so across worlds. Rivers is a very good pitcher-- but his only OK VsR and only fair GB/FB stop him from being great. In your park and world his ERA will run mid- to high- 3's, just a little better than his current career ERA. He's still really valuable given how many innings he can pitch at that level of effectiveness. I'd use him essentially exactly as pjfoster says, PC 25/30.

2) I only use a closer when a guy BOTH (a) is an excellent reliever and (b) has low enough ST/DUR that I only think I can get 60 IP out of him. On your team I might close with Hamlet Hunt-- but I might go with no closer.

Agreed. For future reference, sometimes you can find a cheap closer on the free agent list after the 8th spring training game. Sign him to a one year contract. Or check the trade block. All u need is a guy with slightly above avg splits, and either elite velocity or elite pitches. He only needs between 15-20 stamina. Anything more and he should be used as a setup.

Lots of good advice in this thread but don't lose sight of the small sample size.

As others have said, have him as a setup A or B, 6th inning, 30-40 pitch count. Dude will eat up a lot of innings for you. He's easily capable of 180+.

My pitching staffs are usually 5-man rotation, 2 LRs, 5 RPs (including maybe or maybe not a closer).

One time, one of my RPs became a DITR and his DUR/STA went to 63/49. He could easily go two innings two out of every three games. I had another good RP who would be available for the third game. Then I had my Closer. Three man bullpen instead of five. Really simplified things.

Epic advice all around. Thanks so much everyone. I’ve beeb using him in the new suggested role and had some success but he’s still been mostly disappointing. As many have pointed out, it’s a small sample size, so let’s keep our fingers crossed - maybe he will be clutch down the stretch! Haha

Yes. Those guys that have 40+ stamina and 70+ durability are extremely valuable if they have good peripherals. Gotta make sure to use them as SUA so you can get 180+ innings out of them.

In fact, a vet owner gave one of these type of guys a max contract a few seasons ago. His guy had splits in the 95+ range though.

Tommy Rivers: https://www.whatifsports.com/hbd/Pages/Popups/PlayerRatings.aspx?pid=8152455