Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

Been using this forum a lot recently. Great way for me to learn from the more experienced players on how to create better strategies to win.

My question today revolves around a team that just finished its season (links below). I went 78-84 with a +65 Run differential (second best in the league), but missed the playoffs by 7 games and my division by 10. I think the key is that I managed to go 17-33 in 1 run games and went 34-38 in my division.

Is there some way to help play better in the close games? Maybe my stadium? Any strategies or tips? I don't understand how my team could do so poorly in 1 run games, but blow out teams all year to achieve a +65 differential.

Standings Link: https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/expanded/439780
Team Link: https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1511933

I just went 78-84 also, and I had a +40 run differential, fourth best in the league. I finished six games behind a team with a -21 run differential.

Bottom line is it happens sometimes. It's luck. It's fun to credit yourself with "great managing" when it goes the other way, but it really isn't. So don't beat yourself up over it. With a little luck, your luck will be better next time!

I wish I knew the answer to that one--it happens often it seems---I asked the same question a while back--some guys then seemed to think it happens more to power teams than pitching or pitching park teams, but there has been no correlation for me anyway.

MforTurtle13 wrote:Been using this forum a lot recently. Great way for me to learn from the more experienced players on how to create better strategies to win.

My question today revolves around a team that just finished its season (links below). I went 78-84 with a +65 Run differential (second best in the league), but missed the playoffs by 7 games and my division by 10. I think the key is that I managed to go 17-33 in 1 run games and went 34-38 in my division.

Is there some way to help play better in the close games? Maybe my stadium? Any strategies or tips? I don't understand how my team could do so poorly in 1 run games, but blow out teams all year to achieve a +65 differential.

Standings Link: https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/expanded/439780
Team Link: https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1511933

Considering your team finished 4th in pitching there is some bad luck involved. However, I did notice this.
You had zero complete games. All of your RP are R1. This may have resulted in RP getting fatigued in tied and extra inning games. Your higher priced starters like Verlander should of been able to complete games giving your bullpen a rest. It will take work, but you can check your 1 run losses to see if the RP was getting fatigued (especially Perez). This was an $80M league -$6.25 is generally a lot to spend on a non-closer R1 guy.

I went for Perez after my only R2 pitcher, Reyes Moronta 4.10M, had a 6.50 ERA and 1.86 WHIP after 36 innings. I felt a need to overcompensate after my bullpen's horrific start to the season.

The 0 Complete Game theory and the Only R1 theories seem to make sense to me. Maybe I will tweak my Starter and Reliever settings next time I see this trend.

Also, it is hard to win with a - RD in pitching and hitting...

MforTurtle13 wrote:I went for Perez after my only R2 pitcher, Reyes Moronta 4.10M, had a 6.50 ERA and 1.86 WHIP after 36 innings. I felt a need to overcompensate after my bullpen's horrific start to the season.

The 0 Complete Game theory and the Only R1 theories seem to make sense to me. Maybe I will tweak my Starter and Reliever settings next time I see this trend.

NEVER drop a player who has a good card just because he is doing poorly when playing in a single-season (i.e., non-mystery) league. His card is no worse than the day you drafted him. Bad luck doesn't carry forward. If anything, you can expect his performance will almost certainly improve since he has so under-performed so far (although this isn't guaranteed).

Do your best to tweak your team before the season starts because the drop penalty will kill you. (Again, mystery leagues are the exception to all this.)

Look at Perez's rolls. He pitched too many innings fatigued (which pushes rolls to the hitters cards). Other than that, it's mostly bad luck, which should even out in the long run.

MforTurtle13 wrote:Been using this forum a lot recently. Great way for me to learn from the more experienced players on how to create better strategies to win.

My question today revolves around a team that just finished its season (links below). I went 78-84 with a +65 Run differential (second best in the league), but missed the playoffs by 7 games and my division by 10. I think the key is that I managed to go 17-33 in 1 run games and went 34-38 in my division.

Is there some way to help play better in the close games? Maybe my stadium? Any strategies or tips? I don't understand how my team could do so poorly in 1 run games, but blow out teams all year to achieve a +65 differential.

Standings Link: https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/expanded/439780
Team Link: https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1511933

I didn't know this was a Tourney team.
Interestingly my Event 1 team had close to the same team numbers as yours
https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1512185
ERA 3.59 WHIP 1.24
AVG .266 OBA .331 SLG .390
RD +38
89-73

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1511933
ERA 3.68 WHIP 1.22
AVG .255 OBA .332 SLG .388
RD +65
78-84

in a keeper league you can have the luxury of two or 3 stud relievers
I would alternate who got first max billing each series
i.e. Closer and Set up Edwin DIaz
second set up my number 3 pitcher (Will SMith) and back up closer was LeClerc
next series if DIaz had a lot of innings he and Leclerc flipped spots...

still didn't do as well in one run games as I thought I should luck and small sample size is always at work in these situations.