DEF minimum suggestions

newbie (to online 365 version, not to SOM) here, thank you

from some recent posts and questions, i received some input regarding def pos ratings

I had already known that in some order, SS, CF, 2B, and maybe RF/1B were important (especially the arm strength for RF), so my question is this:

I know there will be varying answers, but I'm looking for a rough guideline as to what minimum rating is suggested for each position (for example DONT use a 4 at SS, or a 35+ error rating, etc.), while also if possible, giving any additional advice as to "what you may get away with" ? (example, sticking a 4-defender in LF or other, and/or putting a +2 arm in LF, etc.)

so for

C
1B
2B
SS
3B
RF
CF
LF

could anyone give suggestions as to the minimum DEF RATING, ARM STRENGTH, and ERROR rating (or any info helpful) for each of these, assuming these would be starters

to a further extent, alluding to the "what a team can get away with", as teams usually face RHP 2/3 of the time, and LHP 1/3 of the time, a RHB with a poor def rating would only see the field (as a starter) half the time (1/3 compared to 2/3) of his LHB counterpart, and it could therefore be argued that the LHB (seeing RHP more often) would be the priority regarding DEF ratings, and as such, it might be easier to hide a poor defender in that weak side of a platoon ?....anything like that, advice, or correction, would be most helpful and appreciated, thank you

In general:

C - I try for a 3 or better , low e (<6) , low T-rating (<9) and low pb (<8)- you can get away with + arm strength with SP negative hold ratings.
1B - 4 is OK for me, but try to get low e (<10)
2B - preferably 1, but 2 low e (<15) usually works out
SS - I always try to get a 1, but again 2 low e (<15) can work
3B - I'll hide bad defense @ third for a great hitter
RF - 3 or better, strong throwing arm
CF - 1 or 2 , can get away with a + rated arm here with - rated arms in RF and LF
LF - 4 or better - try to limit errors

awesome, thank u

great stuff, especially OF details......and hide away possible spots,

very much appreciated

In general:

C - I try for a 3 or better , low e (<6) , low T-rating (<9) and low pb (<8)- you can get away with + arm strength with SP negative hold ratings.
1B - 4 is OK for me, but try to get low e (<10)
2B - preferably 1, but 2 low e (<15) usually works out
SS - I always try to get a 1, but again 2 low e (<15) can work
3B - I'll hide bad defense @ third for a great hitter
RF - 3 or better, strong throwing arm
CF - 1 or 2 , can get away with a + rated arm here with - rated arms in RF and LF
LF - 4 or better - try to limit errors

I concur with the above, with the following additions/ variations:
C- vs Lefties I will venture out to 4 range and +2 if I'm getting extreme power for few $$, like Garver in 2022 set. The logic is that my batters will face less lefty pitchers and thus the 'poor defence' can be tolerated without big impact over the season.
1B- I will go with range 4 and error up to 20 if needed to get OBP and SLG I want
2B- Generally 2 range is all that I pay up for because it costs too much to get 1 range.
3B- I limit myself to 3 range or better but will let errors climb to around 15 to get a good hitter (e.g. Devers in 2022 set).
RF/LF - With a hitting lineup and in a home park with high HR rating, I would go out to range 4 at each position if required to get the slugging I want.

thank u, I am absorbing everything and mucho appreciated, excellent insights

However, sometimes if a bad defensive player is just a monster hitter , I dont mind a bad 1B, C or 3B in the right park.

for your infield positions, having a low e rating at the corners is more important than a low range. I would probably take a 3e15 at 3B over a 1e30 (for example). If you have played the dice and cards, you know that for the corners, there are lots of rolls that go to the e rating for those corner positions, so it really doesnt matter as much. For my middle infielders and CF, I try to get a 2 rating or better because of how important that range is.

TheStrategy Forum/Newbie Advice thread in the Discussion Board
https://forum-365.strat-o-matic.com/com ... bb4a385a01

Contains the Newbie Advice Thread (https://forum-365.strat-o-matic.com/arc ... 21&t=9842l) which is a great resource containing a lot of useful information and has this post about defense.

Homies
Veteran
Posted January 25, 2005 08:55 PM
Don't overlook defense. It was mentioned before to strengthen the middle defense and that is primarily where it is most important. Defense comes into play in various ways, but primarily fielders range and errors are checked when an X chance gets rolled from the pitcher's card. The number of X chances are set so that every pitcher's card has the same number of chances for SS as any other pitcher.

A quick explanation on range and the error number. A lower range means that the player gets to more balls. A "1" gets to every ball hit with an X chance. A "2" gets to most, etc. The errors are checked as well. The higher the number, obviously, the worse the defender is and the more errors that he will make. A rough rule of thumb is that a change of range of one (i.e. from 2 to 1 or perhaps a 3 to 2) will be equivalent to roughly 15 errors. That's a very approximate number and is slightly different for 3 to 2 from 2 to 1, etc., but it's close enough to give you a comparison between a 1e25 and a 2e5 (roughly equivalent but with the 2 probably a little better choice).

The most chances occur at SS. Because of this, it is usually best to get a SS with good defense. By good defense, a "1" is ideal and very important in pitchers parks where limiting the number of runners is more important. A "2" is acceptable. A "3" better hit well to make it worth it.

The next most chances are to 2B. There's only a few chances less for 2B than SS, so it's very important as well. If you use a "1" at one of the positions, you can get by with a weaker fielder like a "3" but it's still not ideal.

The next most important position is CF. The number of chances are the same as 3B and C, but the CF gets more balls since all fly(of) go to the centerfielder as well as fly(cf). With outfield, there is another concern: the arm strength. You may not need excessively strong arms across he outfield, but you don't want a whole outfield of weak "+" arms as well. That would be a free invitation for runners to take the extra base.

Beyond the middle defense (SS, 2B, CF), the next most important positions are 3B and C. With catcher, be careful of the different errors like T or PB ratings. My first team started with a C that had a T of 15. Needless to say, every time someone attempted to steal a base, a good portion of the time, they got third as well because of the error. Don't ignore those errors when comparing catchers. Also, a really weak arm gives away stolen bases.

You will never see the impact of bad defense or good defense (except perhaps in # of double plays). BUT, IT WILL HAVE A LARGE INFLUENCE ON YOUR RESULTS! DON'T OVERLOOK IT! A common theme between teams where pitchers are "outperforming their cards" are due to good defense. And when the pitchers are "underperforming their cards", it's usually bad defense behind them...

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I tend to err on the side a of strong defense. Here is a team from this year that has mostly 1s and 2s in the field except for Brown (3) in LF against RHP and Diaz (3) at 2B against LHP.

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1721955

Its X Out / X Tot = 0.83

huge thanks to everyone for such effort, time, and information......it's not like MLB where are GMS get together and discuss honestly and openly their individual team strategies.....I would think at some point, GMs (even here) wish to be cautious about giving away all secrets (the kitchen sink, etc.), but seemingly so many great points have been advised

much respected, much appreciated, thank you guys (and gals if so)

No minimum or maximum since it all has to be balanced by your roster, ballpark and offensive needs BUT my opinion after 40 years of strat-o-matic and damn near 20 in SOM online:


C - 4 (it makes little difference, arm strength and throwing more important)
1B - 4 (if he's a slugger, don't worry about the defense
2B - 2 (3 is going to be a problem...only field a 3 if he's a Julio Franco type)
SS - 2 (as above, although in the modern game there are so many 1s with power that if you can, try to get a 1)
3B - Similar to 1B
RF - 2
CF - 2
LF - 4

Now speaking broadly, I usually only field ONE 4 on a roster. So if you have a 4 at 1B, you should try to get 3s at the other slug spots.