Does anyone know the criteria Sparky uses on when to bring in a mop up?

I rarely use the mop up, but in one theme with a lower budget, I decided to use a 200K guy to eat up some garbage innings, and I made sure the "use mop up only when losing" box. So, I found it strange to notice that in 9 appearances, he is 0-3. How can he get a loss if he only comes in when losing?

Turns out two of the games were extra-inning games and presumably the other pitchers were all used or tired by that point. In the third game, I was behind by 3 runs in the 7th when moppy came in. I proceeded to take the lead in the 8th, then moppy blew the lead in the 9th. Why a closer or setup didn't come in at that point, I'm not sure, and 3 runs behind in the 7th doesn't really feel like a mopup situation to me in the first place.

However it turns out, more than a third of his innings have come in situations that are not "eating up garbage innings" as I had hoped. Maybe I just needed to be reminded of why I never use the mopup. What are your experiences of how he is used?

My personal experience is if I set the MOPs availability as 8th inning or later and check the use MOP only when losing it mostly works the way I want it to with the MOP coming in and pitching the 8th and 9th inning in games we're pretty much hopelessly behind.

There are exceptions to this such as you noted with extra inning type games where sparky is out of pitchers and a couple of other cases. This thread below has a bunch of info that might be useful.

As you noted if you take the lead sparky doesn't seem to realize he now needs to get the MOP out of there!

https://www.whatifsports.com/forums/Posts.aspx?topicID=452075

Thanks, combalt. I saw that thread, but seeing it was from 2012, I didn't know if there might be more updated information. I see now that there have been more recent replies.

I primarily like to use mopup pitchers early in the game when a starter has a terrible start and I'm basically giving up on the game. I don't want to use a series of quality relievers when I am 7 runs behind. For that reason, I usually put them available any inning with a 1 pull setting. I'll usually also have a Long A guy available starting the 5th inning for a less severe situation. I might have to reevaluate that strategy in light of the time he came in with a 3 run deficit in the 7th and his 1 pull setting kept him from being replaced by a better pitcher after we took the lead.

After reading the linked thread, there's still one question - does anyone have information on how far behind you have to be for Sparky to choose MOP over a better pitcher? Its not outside the realm of possibility that other relievers were fatigued and that was why moppy was brought in here, but I still would like to know.

The thread may be from 2012, but there haven't been any engine updates since probably longer ago than that, so nothing would have changed in how the game works related to mop-up guys. Any info there should still be good.

Make your Mop a pull 3. In a blowout Sparky is not quick to pull him. But at 1, Sparky will also not be quick to pull him if it gets close.

Posted by grizzly_one on 11/3/2016 12:05:00 AM (view original):
Make your Mop a pull 3. In a blowout Sparky is not quick to pull him. But at 1, Sparky will also not be quick to pull him if it gets close.

If your mopup is pitching in the first place, the score is almost definitely trending towards blowout and away from close.

Posted by ozomatli on 11/3/2016 2:18:00 AM (view original):

Posted by grizzly_one on 11/3/2016 12:05:00 AM (view original):
Make your Mop a pull 3. In a blowout Sparky is not quick to pull him. But at 1, Sparky will also not be quick to pull him if it gets close.

If your mopup is pitching in the first place, the score is almost definitely trending towards blowout and away from close.

But mattedesa was complaing about taking a lead and Sparky leaving the Mop in to lose the game. The 1 setting is why .