The Big Post for 2016

I can't say that I read this entire post, but I had four teams this year, 3 in the NLD Live draft with some top notch players and one AD team. All of them made the playoffs I'm happy to say. One won the finals. Not sure I'd done that ever before. Close, but never all my teams. Granted, it's only four.

So, the bargain players that I believe helped out:

All four teams had Carson Smith as the closer. Three of them paired him with Blazek. The other one used a combo of Socolovich and Fien. Robbie Ross was also on all four teams.

One team was 100 mil team so it had Chafin as well as Ross.

Archer was on two teams.

The Catcher combo of Lucroy and either Rupp or Susac was a good one.

Wallace was a good value at 1b.

Donaldson was on three of the teams as 3b wasn't all that great this tim around.

Eaton (DH) and Ethier and Den Dekker were good bargains in the OF.

LH platoon OF Smolinski was a good value and Van Slyke was OK with his OB and ability to play 1b. He at least didn't completely suck v RHP.

I went cheap at SS with Aybar (2), Andrus and A Escobar.

I liked Betts in CF on two of the teams.

Lost in Finals: http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1441015
100 mil champ: http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1435802
AD, lost in Semis: http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1434909
Live draft, lost in semis: http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1428453

Three teams in Target, one in Kaufman. Not a lot of power on these teams.

For what it's worth.

Joe,

How did you like the salaries this set? How did they align with how your own calculations came out? (Just generally, not necessarily specifically).

* Note to new players: Joe, like Marc, has a great ratings system if you need some help evaluating the cards. Send him a pm if you want to know more about it.

Hey J,

The salaries usually align pretty well, but there's a reason for that.

Here are my thoughts from the initial look at the final salaries:

think Casali is too high and Martin too low.

1b
Belt and Hosmer should be the same.

2b

Would have rather reduced Altuve than increased Kinsler

I also have Kipnis basically tied with Dozer.


SS
Gregorius and Tulo stick out as overpriced. They should also be closer to 4.

Ahmed still WAY off.

OF
I still think Heyward is pretty far off, being to high.

Can't find my comments on pitchers, but besides for the fact that I think backwards guys, in general, are over priced, I was fine with the pricing.

J, what did you think of the pricing?

* Note to new players: Joe, like Marc, has a great ratings system if you need some help evaluating the cards. Send him a pm if you want to know more about it.

Thanks for that. In fact, if anyone wants a free set of my ratings for the 2015 season, I'd be happy to send it to you (unless I get 100 requests!)

You can contact me at joethejet at iwon dot com or
joethejet4 at gmail dot com.

J, what did you think of the pricing?

It depends what exactly you mean. If you mean do I agree that the value of a hit is .xxxx, then I can say that I don't even care about the pricing. But I do care about the end result: What kind of stats should I expect my $x.xx to buy?

So like everyone else, I'm looking to buy value, but not because I've recalculated the value of the card, but rather because I've observed a card to produce certain statistics in actual gameplay. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, but I tend to bet in that direction.

For instance, there are many posts regarding underperforming players on the boards. To me, whether a guy should be priced at $6.94 or $7.94 is irrelevant if he is consistently underperforming. Just because I saved a buck in value according to a ratings system doesn't necessarily mean I gained anything tangible on the competition. Let's just say I have an irrational respect for HAL's love. If HAL consistently seems to mistreat someone, I avoid that guy as much as humanly possible, regardless if the math identies him as a "good value".

However. There are no absolutes here. Sometimes the analysis leads me to buy the "value". Then I have to relearn the lessons described above all over again.

J, what did you think of the pricing?

...If HAL consistently seems to mistreat someone, I avoid that guy as much as humanly possible, regardless if the math identies him as a "good value".


LOL, I love this statement, and I've always practiced it. I'll hear over and over again about card analysis, and how a certain player "should" perform. If I've been in a few leagues and see a player consistently under performing, I don't care about OBP vs righties, etc. I avoid him. Eyes on is the best analysis.

Yeah, but Jeep, what do you do for the first three months of the season before you have time to get "eyes on"?

And, what about guys like me that don't play a jillion teams???

Yeah, but Jeep, what do you do for the first three months of the season before you have time to get "eyes on"?

And, what about guys like me that don't play a jillion teams???

change the league number (I think it goes by 6's, or something like that) and look at other leagues to gather stats

Yeah, but Jeep, what do you do for the first three months of the season before you have time to get "eyes on"?

And, what about guys like me that don't play a jillion teams???

change the league number (I think it goes by 6's, or something like that) and look at other leagues to gather stats

Even so, early on you are dealing with SSS issues. AND, you have to factor in what park a player was in too. That takes a lot more time than I have to dedicate to this.

Yeah, but Jeep, what do you do for the first three months of the season before you have time to get "eyes on"?

And, what about guys like me that don't play a jillion teams???

change the league number (I think it goes by 6's, or something like that) and look at other leagues to gather stats

Interesting idea geekor!

So, to avoid any hints of low grade gamesmanship or rank hypocrisy (if I were forced to embrace a philosophy opposite that which I might lay out here), I'm going to sit on my hands and my opinion for a while longer while I listen to you other managers out there.

More insight on the way J-Pav? I've added this thread to your "annual overview" list in the Strategy Forum/Newbie Advice Thread.