Strat-O-Matic's Shohei Ohtani problem

The ATG has had the Babe pitching cards for years. This is not a new problem. Ya either get em as a pitcher or hitter. Thats it. Sorry.

I see this as more a problem for keeper leagues, with, an easy fix.

You own Ohtani, you get both. Just need to make drops for when he pitches. Yes, this would mean leagues would prob need to play at max cap. And, every league would need to adopt an ohtani rule of some sorts.

But why shouldnt an owner be allowed to use him as close to how Maddon is using him? Sure, he cant pitch/hit in the same game, but oh well. IF he gets injured as a hitter, he cant pitch during that time either. Same as a pitcher, than you cant use him as a hitter.

If leagues say someting like, Ohtani can pitch every third series,that would give him roughly 23 starts, which is somewhere round where he'll finish Im guessing.
But with that, he would only get 108 games as a hitter. since he would be a carded pitcher for 54 games.

Ohtani pitching every 4th series, would be roughly 14 starts, and 121 available as a hitter, roughly.

Just know, that this is not a new problem. ATG has been dealing with this forever. Tho not many people care to use Babe as a pitcher, some do yes, but only in non DH leagues, usually.

Pricing the card/s is only part of the equation.

The rosters are affected: How do you count two roster spots? If you draft Ohtani first, let’s say, are you getting two number one picks then? (Answer: Yes, you are). How does the rest of the league view this? Should the cards be separated so that you have to draft him two times? Can he pitch against his own hitter card if taken by different teams?

The draft is affected: Do you still need 25 separate players by name on your team, even though Ohtani fills two roles? In effect, you are carrying one extra spot on your roster then.

The game play is affected: If he gets hurt, you are now short two roles at once, plus his pitcher’s card injury is tilted by a more prevalent hitter’s card injury.

This is just off the top of my head, I’m sure there are things I haven’t even considered.

Like the super-reliever “fix” there will be a bunch of unintended consequences. If managers have coding answers to all this in advance, it would probably be more helpful than simply banging shoes on the table.

How about they do it the way MLB does it? How about YES, he is one player, and yes he should be like 15 million. Why is this so hard?

J-PAV, seems to be trying to fix a "fairness issue",... yes, he's very valuable,... yes he is LIKE getting two players at once (price him accordingly), but he's just one player and he should be able to be used both ways.... ... We don't worry about fairness with other great players (because of the cap) so why would it matter HERE?

Again, does anyone even think Strat-O-Matic is even thinking about this?... Somehow I wouldn't be that surprised if they are not.

The problem is, you can't be the most realistic MLB simulation game if you can't even use Ohtani the way a real life MLB team is using him.... Usually the problem is we abuse usage, in this case he is being CRIMINALLY under-used.

I will be very sad if they have not fixed this problem with the next set of cards.

The MLB doesn’t conduct 12 team, 25 player drafts with a salary cap, RB.

What is so hard to understand? It’s not a fairness problem (not sure how you arrived at that), it’s a coding problem. If fairness is involved it’s in the ability to receive two picks at a spot in the draft when everyone else gets only one. How should that be resolved?

Shouting “Set a price!” doesn’t fix any of the draft, roster space or injury issues. Having recommendations about how to address all that would go a lot further than saying “Just make him $15 million.”

If it matters with the Ruth card (um, another great player), it should probably matter with Ohtani.

Again, does anyone even think Strat-O-Matic is even thinking about this?... Somehow I wouldn't be that surprised if they are not.

The problem is, you can't be the most realistic MLB simulation game if you can't even use Ohtani the way a real life MLB team is using him.... Usually the problem is we abuse usage, in this case he is being CRIMINALLY under-used.

I will be very sad if they have not fixed this problem with the next set of cards.

Of course they aren’t thinking about it as it’s only an issue in the online game. For the board game the owner would just have both cards and use it like they do the NL pitchers hitting cards. Easy peasy. We are the bastard step children of this hobby, always have been, and given the attention the online game gets from Strat, I’d guess always will be.

J-Pav wrote,

"The rosters are affected: How do you count two roster spots? If you draft Ohtani first, let’s say, are you getting two number one picks then? (Answer: Yes, you are). How does the rest of the league view this? Should the cards be separated so that you have to draft him two times? Can he pitch against his own hitter card if taken by different teams?"


I don't see anything about coding in your post. This is why I don't respect you (you are disingenuous and as I have proven over and over and over again, OVERRATED)...

I am not a coder either. The fact remains, you can not be the best, or even a good MLB sim game unless Ohtani can be used the way he is used in real life. It really is that simple...

But of course J-PAV is playing to the peanut gallery and worried about who knows what, so he says this is MY job to fix... This isn't my job to fix, I AM A CUSTOMER, I DON'T WORK HERE. It is not my problem to fix. Why would you think it is?


You are a mediocre thinker at best, and that is why I ALWAYS BEAT YOU... I Know it sucks for you, but it still isn't MY PROBLEM TO FIX. I AM NOT BEING PAID BY SOM....

J-Pav wrote, "Shouting “Set a price!” doesn’t fix any of the draft, roster space or injury issues. Having recommendations about how to address all that would go a lot further than saying “Just make him $15 million.”



Who's shouting? Do I work for SOM? Why is it my problem to fix? You are so disengenious. I get, I beat you every time and it sucks for you, but none of your word games make any sense. Why is it my job to fix? And how was I "shouting"?


Also, do you think it's realistic if Ohtani can not be used both ways? Are we really debating this?? Good luck with that argument.