How useful is platooning?

[ANDYCOCHRANE]

When picking a roster for the season, how useful is it to platoon? Should you try and get as many players who are good against both sides or even just better against one side, say righties? Or should you always try and get as much strength as possible against both sides and have a number of platoons?
I ask this as I had a player last night who usually only plays against lefties, having to play due to injuries against a RHP. He hit a HR. Normally I wouldn't have him play so would it not be bettr to just play most players against both sides even if their stats tell you they should be platooned? Had I not had a platoon I could've spent more on a player who could play every day, even though he may be better against on side.

[LMBombers]

There is no right or wrong as to platoons or not. You don't want a whole team filled with them as you wouldn't have enough space on your roster for one thing. Sometimes I will use a platoon or two and sometimes I won't. Sometimes I go for a full time player in the AD and when I don't get him I feel the best way to fill that position is with a platoon.

I enjoy using a few platoons.

[paul.czarnecki]

I only use a platoon if I can't get a solid player at the position. If I end up with a bad draft and can't find anything that fits my situation on waivers, I'll look for a platoon solution.

[bleacher_creature]

IMO, it is especially great when you can protect yourself against LHPs with cheap players. Eric Byrnes in the 2005 card set is a good example of someone who could bat 2nd, 8th, or 9th in this year's set for $.72M or something like that.

[b:52c8ed458a]VS-L[/b:52c8ed458a]
OB: 37.4
TB: 39.2
HR: 2
BPHR: 2
*C stealing

2(0)e9 IN LF. I'll take that for the price.

[KEVINEHLE]

I realize it's hard to read, but below is my nearly all Platoon team. They are 58-53 right now due mostly to bad pitching. However, the hitting has worked. 7 of my positions are platoon. Center and Rightfield are the only positions I didn't platoon. I got middle tier priced players who are extreme on one side of the plate and put together this team. They are 3rd in scoring and I've only spent around $48 mil for the entire offense. I am playing Coors, but most everyone is hitting better than their season average. It's kind of fun to have 2 nearly completely different lineups.


Name B P Def AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS E BA OBP SLG BAL Release:
Mauer, Joe L C 2(-2)e4 235 33 68 14 1 3 21 17 34 5 0 5 .289 .336 .396 5R 4.31M
Molina, Jose R C 2(-2)e3 181 23 35 5 0 8 22 14 60 0 0 3 .193 .263 .354 6L 1.03M
Sweeney, Mark L 1B 4e17 296 52 96 14 1 13 46 48 88 2 0 1 .324 .417 .510 5R 4.38M
Easley, Damion R 2B 3e18 140 27 44 7 2 12 30 10 24 1 0 5 .314 .368 .650 6L 3.50M
Gonzalez, Luis R 2B 3e4 218 32 62 15 0 9 26 10 36 1 1 3 .284 .333 .477 5L 2.75M
Betemit, Wilson S 3B 3e20 347 50 106 12 4 5 23 18 83 3 2 6 .306 .340 .406 3R 3.18M
Branyan, Russell I L 3B 4e22 229 39 56 11 0 19 38 20 75 0 0 7 .245 .303 .542 9R 2.84M
Bell, David R 3B 2e23 160 21 53 15 1 3 17 9 16 0 0 2 .331 .372 .494 8L 2.07M
Atkins, Garrett R 3B 4e22 268 38 75 12 0 8 32 27 46 0 0 0 .280 .349 .414 E 1.12M
Lopez, Felipe S SS 4e21 259 42 84 23 4 11 41 30 64 4 2 10 .324 .392 .571 5R 3.85M
Uribe, Juan R SS 2e18 172 23 50 13 0 5 27 12 35 1 1 4 .291 .337 .454 4L 2.46M
Mench, Kevin R LF 3(-1)e4 170 32 44 12 1 12 32 22 19 1 0 0 .259 .344 .553 4L 3.25M
Dellucci, David L LF 3(+3)e10 310 49 73 11 5 22 65 66 97 1 1 5 .236 .370 .516 5R 2.98M
Granderson, Curtis L CF 3(+1)e3 430 74 120 14 10 31 78 35 121 4 1 1 .279 .331 .574 1L 4.27M
Dye, Jermaine R RF 3(-4)e10 348 53 93 20 0 16 67 16 79 2 2 5 .267 .316 .463 1R 3.38M
TOTALS 3882 606 1087 207 29 181 581 357 897 26 10 66 .280 .344 .488

Kev

[geekor]

Kev,

you pitching is bad because of 2 factors, the Coors factor, and the horrible Def backing them up factor.

[bleacher_creature]

[quote:0f05bd61f2="geekor"]Kev,

you pitching is bad because of 2 factors, the Coors factor, and the horrible Def backing them up factor.[/quote:0f05bd61f2]

LMAO. :lol:

[NFLed1]

I'm not a big fan of platoons in TSN/Strat but they can work. If the righty half of the platoon is a good value player who is very inexpensive then it can work but if you're spending 3 million on a batter who is used only 35% of the time that's too much $$ sitting on the bench in my view.

Also, the more of a hitter's park you are in the tougher it is on a platoon because you'll see more and more relievers and they can be right or left and give you a bad matchup on your platoon (even after a pinch hit appearance by the other guy); in a pitcher's park starters will probably last longer so platoons can have a slightly greater chance of working.

[worrierking]

When platooning, make sure the guys have little or no value against the side in which they don't play. That makes you more efficient, dollar-wise (but also more vulnerable to switches). Sometimes it is okay to be vulnerable, because you want the opposition to use up their pen quickly and get deep into their pens. You want to face their weaker guys. Also by game three many relievers may not be available.

Agree that it's easier in a pitchers park.

I usually like my platoons to be same-handed. You need reverse guys like this.

[KEVINEHLE]

[quote:72a5dbb963="bleacher_creature"][quote:72a5dbb963="geekor"]Kev,

you pitching is bad because of 2 factors, the Coors factor, and the horrible Def backing them up factor.[/quote:72a5dbb963]

LMAO. :lol:[/quote:72a5dbb963]

No doubt about the defense being a little suspect, Geekor. However, they pulled out a sweep last night, so I'm sitting at 61-53 with this team. I like trying these extreme teams just to see how they do. This team started the season horribly but has really been the best team in the league the last couple weeks or so. Also, don't be fooled, the defense is a little better than it looks. Wilson plays 2B vs. righties, and Gonzalez plays 1B vs. lefties and some other oddities in which you can't see the defensive ratings. Kev