Most overrated aspects of strategy and overspent money

I'd say in no particular order: 1) clutch hitting, 2) catcher throwing arms, 3) defense. I'd also say too much concern about walks on a pitcher's card is overblown if they give up few hits. Any others?

Home runs

Catcher arms do play a part in run prevention (though not as big as OF arms). They’re less important if pitcher hold is good, but putting a rag arm catcher out there with a pitcher with very poor hold can cost you a game or two. All arm ratings are about preventing extra bases. I wouldn’t put as much emphasis on it as OF arms, true. But anything +2 or higher I’d think about, especially when constructing a rotation. Speaking of Hold ratings prevent extra bases, too. Synergy between P/C is the thing. It certainly shouldn’t be ignored.

Agree on clutch hitting. Agree that Walks not a factor if pitcher hits are low. It’s all about WHIP.

Completely disagree on defense, unless you’re talking about the corners (and I wouldn’t put bums on all of them). Also: are you talking about range factor or e-rating? Anyway, this is part and parcel about run prevention, same with arms (and pitching, of course). Defense becomes more important if your staff is going to put runners on all the time (which teams with big hitters and crap starters are going to do).

There are lots of ways to win. Unfortunately, the way Strat works here, with massive player pool, and many park choices, we see a lot of the same thing—cheap starters, sluggers, ball parks that encourage the cheap HR, RPs who go 200+ innings routinely. Joel Pineiro and Atley Donald featured in every damned league. I guess it’s “sound strategy,” but it gets boring to see (over and over and over).

Honestiago said

“There are lots of ways to win. Unfortunately, the way Strat works here, with massive player pool, and many park choices, we see a lot of the same thing—cheap starters, sluggers, ball parks that encourage the cheap HR, RPs who go 200+ innings routinely. Joel Pineiro and Atley Donald featured in every damned league. I guess it’s “sound strategy,” but it gets boring to see (over and over and over).”

AMEN to that. That is a principal reason why I find themed leagues more appealing than wide open ATG auto draft leagues.

Join our league "Randomination" then, you will not see the same players...1000 random player pool generated and random ballpark assignment.

The reason some players like Pineiro and Duren are used so much is simply that they are significantly underpriced. That would be great to fix but there is no evidence that SOM has any interest in remedying this.

As far as what strategic elements are most overrated that depends very much on cap size and type of stadium. Any discussion of this issue needs to take into account both those variables.

Beyond that I will say only that part of the fun of the game is figuring this type of stuff out on your own and that years ago I might have offered my opinions on this, but now I prefer to keep them to myself.

Join our league "Randomination" then, you will not see the same players...1000 random player pool generated and random ballpark assignment.

Can you point me to your league rules? How do you handle free agents?

Join our league "Randomination" then, you will not see the same players...1000 random player pool generated and random ballpark assignment.

Can you point me to your league rules? How do you handle free agents?

It runs like any other league, except ballpark assignments are randomized. We draft from a randomly generated pool each season. Everything runs the same as any other league. We are in our 8th season, and are currently soliciting managers in this forum (4 slots left).

I'd say in no particular order: 1) clutch hitting, 2) catcher throwing arms, 3) defense. I'd also say too much concern about walks on a pitcher's card is overblown if they give up few hits. Any others?

This team would beg to differ about the importance of defense (and catcher arms + hold rating) ...

https://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1499802

Currently leading the league in wins, run differential, PITCHING (with a 16 mill staff on an 80 mill team), team defense, double plays turned, fewest stolen bases allowed.

There are many mispriced players although I think more on the pitchers side than hitters. One example someone explain to me why Hoffman is more expensive than Gagne. But that is the reason you see the same players being chosen.