Team Speed Really Does Matter

On a whim, to prove myself wrong or right depending on how you look at it, I built a team of absolute slugs and they couldn't score any runs because everything was station to station. Needed 4 singles to score a single run.

https://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1612975

The bottom line is that now more than ever, I'm convinced that speed kills.

A slug or 2 is ok in a singles park, but a team full of 'em... you're killin' me Rich!

The 976 runs your pitching gave up may have had a role in this. 800 runs scored on offense isn’t so bad, is it?

I go back and forth on this. Usually I want OBP and platoon match-up advantages over pure speed one-dimensional types -- but yes, of course, I prefer speedier guys who offer both OBP and match-up. It's a teamwide construct, some will, some won't, they play roles, which has the value? And, what does one value most in the given team/league context? It's all just a trade-off between speed and these other elements of offense in a small ball park (large parks moot on this question).

If you get an extra three bases a game at a cost of 20% outs that probably gives a couple of extra bases per game more than the average team (of course you do spend some outs). Plus throwing errors. Maybe some extra hits because your guys always have to be held on? And at least with runners advancing most of those are to third and home and hence run-producing or close. And in a low-power environment a lot of those runners would be stranded, anyway. I am not sure how exactly you quantity it but it's a healthy advantage. And it's hard to match those extra base hits by investing in doubles, say. I would be interested in someone else's thoughts on why it is advantageous.

I’ve had more success with lights out SP’s backed by an offense filled with cheap base stealers than I ever have with plodders. You have a team of players who can run, plus rack up 200+ differential in SBs (meaning a lot of singles are turned to doubles, basically), it can mitigate the lack of slugging %. Might end up with as many, or more TBs, depending on how committed to speed you are. I just know there are players I avoid if their in the 1-8, 1-9 range. Very hard to get those guys around the horn.