New to Strat-O- Matic

New to this game! I feel like this mode would be best applicable to me because I followed baseball a lot last year... does anyone have any general advice with drafts, etc, or what league I should join?

Learn the rules. Especially these. The settings aren't necessary and can be tricky so I wouldn't go overboard with them until you get more experience.

Setting Batter/Pitcher Prefences

To set individual player settings click on either "Batter Prefs" or "Pitcher Prefs" from under the "Your Team" menu.

For batters you will have the following options:

Avoid- If checked this will keep the player from pinch-hitting against LH/RH pitchers.
Sac Bunt- This setting increases the chances or prevents that the player will lay down a sacrifice or squeeze bunt in possible bunting situations. It does not affect the player's tendency to bunt for a hit.
Hit & Run- This setting increases the chances or prevents the player from attempting a hit & run play at the plate in possible hit & run situations.
Steal- This setting increases the chances or prevents the player from attempting to steal bases. This setting is general for all bases.
Don't PH for vs.- This setting keeps the player from ever being pinch-hit for when facing the corresponding type of pitcher.
Avoid PH in Blowouts- When this setting is active for a player, the computer manager will avoid bringing him in as a pinch-hitter in games with a score difference of 5 or more runs.
Rem. 4 def sub with lead- This setting will always remove the player from the game at the start of an inning if 1) it is the 8th inning or later, 2) his team is winning, and 3) he is due to play the field in the inning. He will be replaced with a suitable player from the bench with defense in mind, shuffling fielders around the diamond as necessary to find an optimal alignment.
PR for- This setting keeps the player from ever being removed for a pinch-runner when he's on base.


For pitchers you will have the following options:

Don't Rel. B4- For each of your pitchers, you can indicate that you don't want the computer manager to decide to "give him the hook" based on his overall game performance unless he has reached a certain Pitch Count Fatigue level. Note that there are ways that he may still leave the game before his designated fatigue level, including if he's set to Avoid Lefties or Avoid Righties, if the situation calls for another pitcher you've assigned to a matching Bullpen Role, or if the computer manager decides to pinch-hit for him.
Hook- When Quick Hook is active for a pitcher, the chance that he will be taken out of a game in a given situation is greater, in general. Although the pitcher will not be immediately removed when he runs into trouble, the chance increases that he will be removed. This applies to all situations. Quick Hook does result in earlier exits and fewer innings pitched for your pitcher on average, but on a per-game basis, there will be situations which will result in different decisions at different times. The above description applies to Slow Hook as well, with the contexts reversed.
Max IP/start- When this setting is active for a starting pitcher, he will be lifted from a game he's started no later than after 6 (or 7) IP, no matter how well he is pitching. An exception is if "Don't Relieve Before" settings are turned on, that setting overrides the Max IP setting.
IBB- This setting lowers the chances that the pitcher will issue an intentional walk in any given situation.


The below options are for relief pitcher's only:

Avoid- When this setting is active for a relief pitcher, he will avoid entering or staying in a game to face the corresponding type of batter. A switch-hitter is (intuitively) considered to be a lefty if the pitcher is a righty, and vice versa. This avoidance is rather strict as long as 1) there are other fresh, available options in the bullpen that are not otherwise restricted from being used in the given situation, 2) the game is relatively close, and 3) the game is in the later innings. This setting is ignored in otherwise lower-leverage situations.
Avoid Using Blowout- When this setting is active for a pitcher, the computer manager will avoid bringing him into games with a score difference of 5 or more runs. If the score is within 5 runs, or there aren't many other available bullpen arms, the pitcher will be considered for use as normal.
Avoid Using Before 6th/7th/8th- When this setting is active for a relief pitcher, the computer manager will avoid bringing him into games before the specified inning.
Max IP/rel- When this setting is active for a relief pitcher, he will be lifted from a game after he's pitched 1 to 2 (or 2 to 3, as the case may be) innings.


Setting Bullpen Roles


Bullpen Roles enable you to specify which pitcher you want to come in during certain game situations. When the computer manager decides to change pitchers the game will look to use these roles in priority order for a match. Once it finds a match that pitcher will be brought in as long as they are not tired.

Note that this means a pitcher won't always be called upon the instant a game enters a matching situation for his role - otherwise complete games would be very rare and your bullpen would be overworked. The game engine has to make the decision to pull the current pitcher first, before Roles are considered.

To add a bullpen role, click on the add button under Available Roles or drag the role into Your Current Bullpen Roles. Then use the drop-down menu to select the pitcher. Once you set up all of your desired roles, drag and drop them into priority order.

Available roles include:

Closer: Inning: 9+; Leading by 1-3 runs
Setup: Inning: 7-8; Leading by 1-3 runs
LH Specialist: Inning: 7+; Leading or trailing by 1-3 runs or tied; LH batters
RH Specialist: Inning: 7+; Leading or trailing by 1-3 runs or tied; RH batters
Tied & 9th+: Inning: 9+; Tied
Tied & Late: Inning: 7-8; Tied
Behind & Late: Inning: 7+; Trailing by 1-4 runs
Middle Man: Inning: 1-6; Leading or trailing by 1-4 runs or tied
Mopup: Any inning; Leading or trailing by 7+ runs
Closer vs. L: Inning: 8+; Leading by 1-3 runs; LH batters
Closer vs. R: Inning: 8+; Leading by 1-3 runs; RH batters

Wow! This is a really active forum and really helpful! I cannot thank all of you enough.
@Steve F: That forum was extremely helpful, especially those certain rules- I definitely will follow them all at least for my first draft, lol
@toronto 50: Amazing tips, but a question: what do you mean cards that do not produce? Does Strat O Matic not value players in the way they will produce (at least on a neutral field)? Are some cards better than others? If so, which?
@ george barnard: I can see haha
@milleram: Thank you- I could have definitely found myself panicking if all my players were under performing. I guess the closer to 30 teams=closer stats.
@Marc: How exactly would you make your closer do set up and close, though? Thanks again for advice.
@ScumbyJr: This is so helpful because I follow baseball but definitely am not up to speed on all this lingo- I did have Strat maybe 5,6 years ago but I did not play it much and it was the Web version not competitive.


For anyone: Is daily leagues more or less challenging than 2015? I feel like I would not be on top of things enough to decide how it would affect me.

Search the forums for almost anything started by Jpav. He is very good at talking general strategy and helping you devleop a game plan without having to say ok, draft this player.....

Then remember any strategy out there should just be a starting point. From there at some point to be good in my opinion you have to branch off and make the strategy yours for how you like to do things.

Setting Bullpen Roles


Bullpen Roles enable you to specify which pitcher you want to come in during certain game situations. When the computer manager decides to change pitchers the game will look to use these roles in priority order for a match. Once it finds a match that pitcher will be brought in as long as they are not tired.

Note that this means a pitcher won't always be called upon the instant a game enters a matching situation for his role - otherwise complete games would be very rare and your bullpen would be overworked. The game engine has to make the decision to pull the current pitcher first, before Roles are considered.

To add a bullpen role, click on the add button under Available Roles or drag the role into Your Current Bullpen Roles. Then use the drop-down menu to select the pitcher. Once you set up all of your desired roles, drag and drop them into priority order.

Available roles include:

Closer: Inning: 9+; Leading by 1-3 runs
Setup: Inning: 7-8; Leading by 1-3 runs
LH Specialist: Inning: 7+; Leading or trailing by 1-3 runs or tied; LH batters
RH Specialist: Inning: 7+; Leading or trailing by 1-3 runs or tied; RH batters
Tied & 9th+: Inning: 9+; Tied
Tied & Late: Inning: 7-8; Tied
Behind & Late: Inning: 7+; Trailing by 1-4 runs
Middle Man: Inning: 1-6; Leading or trailing by 1-4 runs or tied
Mopup: Any inning; Leading or trailing by 7+ runs
Closer vs. L: Inning: 8+; Leading by 1-3 runs; LH batters
Closer vs. R: Inning: 8+; Leading by 1-3 runs; RH batters

@Marc: How exactly would you make your closer do set up and close, though? Thanks again for advice.

You put your best reliever in both the closer role and setup role. You may further limit how early you want this reliever by clicikng the 7th inning or the 8th inning under "do not enter before".

@toronto 50: Amazing tips, but a question: what do you mean cards that do not produce? Does Strat O Matic not value players in the way they will produce (at least on a neutral field)? Are some cards better than others? If so, which?

I already gave my opinion on which players are better than others (see my first post), but as a reminder, don't forget that cards are not priced according to a neutral stadium, but according to the stadium that is the best fit for the player. So if you pick up Dee Gordon, who has no power whatsoever, and play him in a high-homerun stadium, he is likely to be way overpriced for his value. Some GM might feel that Dee Gordon's running and on-base could still justify his salary even in a high-homerun stadium, but I am a doubter on this one. With the same logic, players who have some pop on both sides (vs lhp and rhp) don't have their value fluctuate as much.

Thank you!

Just as a side note: if I want to buy the web game (the 40-60 dollar one), what does adding "player cards" give me? If I buy the one without it can I not see the players? Then what is the point?

Thank you!

Just as a side note: if I want to buy the web game (the 40-60 dollar one), what does adding "player cards" give me? If I buy the one without it can I not see the players? Then what is the point?

Hi, you mean the PC game I think?

If you buy the basic PC game, you don't have the ability to see the card images, it is an add-on charge (don't get me started) that is ONLY AVAILABLE AT INITIAL PURCHASE. You can't buy it as a separate add on later.

There is also an option to buy the PC game with the actual hard copy player cards, not sure if you meant that option.

Rob

Thanks so much! I was almost on the pathway to being really frustrated and possibly never playing Strat again! (They really should make the game modes more newbie friendly)

great advice here by at ton of smart people. couple things I can add. on the 4 or 5 man rotation I use either about 50/50. I didn't realize until a couple seasons ago that the 5 man can be pretty limiting if you don't carry a cheap 6th starter. I was approaching the playoffs and wanted to set up my pitching for the upcoming series. I had no wiggle room, and ended up starting the series with my #3 pitcher. I realized that having just 1 sp* gives you the flexibility to move things around, and if its a premium one you can pitch him every 4 days, taking starts from your weaker starters. this requires management in the per game starting pitcher section.
the other thing is lean on the graphs they started providing last year. I was about to quit this game out of frustration when they introduced them. I have since won 3 championships in about 10 seasons. on top of the graphs I am always checking the best teams in the leagues to see who the experts are fielding.
I also like to check out the teams in my division to determine if I match up well. ballparks and starting pitching can give you good info to know if you need waiver wire changes. my 1st two 2015 teams had almost entirely the same offense. I won a championship in the 1st and will miss the playoffs in the 2nd. I knew it before the opener but didn't act. the winning team mashed lefties, but I only had 2-3 in my division to go against in the 2nd season.

What graphs?

on each player card, under the strat card with rolls and outcomes, is a colored bar graph giving the exact percentage of each occurence on that card. I believe it is for a neutral ballpark, but someone else can verify that. strat experts ground these numbers out for themselves prior to this addition (and still probably do), but I was just never going to put that kind of time into it myself.