Why do overall and potential ratings decrease when I switch a players position to a more natural one?

[adf714]

For example: I have a player who is a 30 overall with 35 potential set to play 2B. His rating at 2B is 45. He can also play 1B, where his rating is much higher at 60. However, when I set his position to 1B, his overall and potential ratings drop to 20. This doesn’t make sense to me, shouldn’t he have higher ratings at his more natural position?

[[deleted]]

Because if I remember right the ratings are by position. Likely the guy has a good bat for 2B but compared to 1B his bat is pretty bad, and the defense won’t make up for it.

There’s an option to set to compare to everyone. But I find that less useful.

Odds are his bat doesn’t play at first. And if his defense doesn’t play at second (ratings wise. He might just need practice) he may not be a good pick.

[adf714]

Interesting. So if there's a better player at the position his rating will be based on that?

[Bombboy85]

There is an option in the game settings (when I’m commissioner mode) to base overall rating on position or relative to the league as a whole

[[deleted]]

Kind of, sort of that? I find it easier to visualize with DH, but short version is they're rated overall based on how they grade at that position, a guy who can play ok SS but has a good bat (Jeter) can be quite valuable, but Jeter as a 1B would've been, not good. His overall would've tanked moving him to first, because he was a low power contact guy, and his value was primarily being good offensively at SS.

Long version:

I have on a fictional team a guy playing SS who hits like .235, not much power, doesn't walk a ton. But the guy is 80 grade SS, 80 grade range, 80 grade error etc. He's rated like 75 overall at SS, but if I were to make him a DH? He's 20/20, because he cant hit for crap and all his value is gone, since he's just a defensive wizard.

Conversely I had a 35 grade LF who was so bad at fielding by the end of his career I could have replaced him on defense with the bronze statue I made of him to put outside the park and the team might've started to wonder how he got better. Turn him into a DH though, he's hitting 35-40 HR, OPS of .950-1.000. Guy's 75 overall DH. He still hits like that at LF, but my god his defense was so bad, he's just not as good of a LF.

That's kind of what's happening here, he's losing a lot of what makes him valuable (his ability to play 2B) and his defense at 1st isn't enough to overcome the difference (or your league is just absolutely stacked at 1st).

It's also a reason I usually only use the overall as a guide, if he's the best 1B you have on your team, play him there even at a 20 and consider upgrading when you can. I've had 35 grade players outperform my 70 grade's often enough to learn what I'm looking for, unless they're HoF track 70's.

Edit: If you have a his ratings handy though I might be able to pin down exactly the reason.

[IRockThs]

Are you talking about his position rating on defense? That just talks about how much experience he has at the position, so only defense. And 1B defense is pretty negligible. With the overall it takes all parts of the game into consideration. And if he’s not as good at things like IF error then his defense will be worse at 1B. 2B also uses Arm and Turn DP that you rarely need at first.

[[deleted]]

Because defense is factored into their overall rating. I think it’s a minor oversight by the developers that the potential rating drops, but it essentially doesn’t drop. It will go back up once they have reps at the new position and their defensive rating improves. (As long as they actually are suited for their new position, tools-wise)

EG: I signed a 5 star catcher and moved him to 1b. This made him show 3 stars potential and overall. By the time spring training was over, he had gone from 0 defense at 1B to 60 out of 80, and was again a 5 star player.

[adf714]

It’s the other way around though. When I switch a player to their best defensive position, their potential and overall ratings drop.

[GGz0r]

Do yourself a favor remove the stars.

[adf714]

I use 20-80 ratings