Suggestion for [More] Accurate Strikeout Totals

[WinnieThaPujols]

For the longest time, I've struggled with getting accurate strikeout totals in this game. The key, to me, seemed to be in CPU Swing Frequency. I would put the slider too high, and my groundball pitchers would be striking out guys like there was no tomorrow. If I put it too low, though, I'd be lucky to get more than a couple of K's a game guys who rely on fastball/change-up combos.

Recently, I started messing around with something. The idea is a little extreme, but the work it takes is very minimal, and I'm very satisfied with the results.

What I did is went through and found the career K/9 rates for every pitcher on my major league roster. Next, I assigned a CPU Swing Frequency rates for varying K/9 rates:

If the pitcher's K/9 is less than 5, CPU Swing Frequency becomes -20.

Greater than 5, less than 6: -10

Greater than 6, less than 7: 0

Greater than 7, less than 8: 10

Greater than 8, less than 9: 20

Greater than 9: 25

So essentially, every time I bring a new pitcher in, I simply open the slider menu and make a change. I'm just throwing this out there as a recommendation for anyone who is frustrated who struggles as much as I did trying to find realistic K numbers.

While you may consider this "cheap," it actually works pretty well. To me, it accurately simulates "stuff." Pitchers with "good" stuff well get pitches -- even fastballs -- chased outside of the zone for swinging strikes, even early in the count. I initially thought this would be a huge hassle, but it's actually very minimal and it takes so little time that the potential burden is basically negligible.

Again, I'm just tossing this idea out there to anyone else who's been as frustrated as I have been for the past couple years of playing this game. I genuinely believe the pitching system is broken in this game -- it favors breaking balls way too much, and there's simply not enough swinging-and-missing on fastballs/changeups on MVP difficulty. This is the first time and MONTHS I've been able to start a franchise and not want to quit right away because of inflated / severely crippled strikeout numbers.

[lautrec]

I've struggled mightily with these K's and walks. I almost have to intentionally walk a guy, to get a walk. No matter what, the CPU rarely swings at a pitch outside of the strike zone. These seems reasonable and should work fine.

What i've been doing, is simming the first 7 or 8 innings, jumping in there, and playing out the game. It gives me real good stats and makes the games a lot faster. The only thing you miss is some of your starters, so, occasionally, I"ll pitch a game with them.

[dannyt]

What datafile are you using?

[superciuc]

It's quite easy to strike people out without tweaking the sliders. Here's a post that i made a year ago

First, for make Ks you have to know your pitcher, let's see, an example, Randy Johnson: he has a nasty slider and the batter will probrably swing and miss. So, throw the best pitch as strike 3. The best thing to do is to make the batter fish.

First pitch is usally a fastball, down in the zone.

Second pitch, the count is 1-0 or 0-1

1-0: throw another fastball down in the zone (you can trow a 2 seamer or a cutter too)

0-1: now, you have 2 things that you can do: a changeup at the corners or a good pitch outside. What pitch? well, a splitter is good. if you don't have the splitter throw some good pitch that can fool the batter (usually a breaking pitch).

0-2: now, you can pitch a good breaking ball outside and try the batter fish or, better, a big splitter.

2-0: you have fall behind, BIG BOY, try a changeup at the corners.

1-2: it's time to your best pitch now, cutter, slider, splitter, knuckleball, it doesn't matter. You can throw it inside or just a little outside.

3-0: big troubles here. let's see, this guy will swing on a 3-0 count? No, good, a fastball right down the middle. If this guy is a great power hitter walk him.

2-2: trow a breaking ball for strike 3. Lights out see ya.

3-1: ok, remeber, this is the hitter's pitch. There's a reason if it's called the hitter's pitch: they know that you will trow a strike and they will probably hit this one out of the park. I usually walk a power hitter but if this hitter is weak try a fastball at the corners.

3-2: the last pitch. This is the time where you will pitch the best pitch in your arsenal. Use it.

Remember, know the pitches of your pitchers. If you don't know them you'll probably get hammered.

[WinnieThaPujols]

It's quite easy to strike people out without tweaking the sliders. Here's a post that i made a year ago

Thank you for the post, but getting more strikeouts is not what this thread is about. I'm talking about getting more accurate strikeout totals, based on who you have pitching.

I can get 8 K's a game with Jeff Suppan, but I can only get 3 a game with guys who rely on fastballs and changeups. It's simply (in my opinion) a flaw in the game engine (there is a bias towards breaking balls). That's stupid. That kills the experience for me.

What datafile are you using?

Honestly, I don't even know anymore. I'm pretty sure either Kumala's or KSM's; regardless, I've done a lot of tweaking to them (tweaking that I don't even remember, so I couldn't tell you what it is).

I've struggled mightily with these K's and walks. I almost have to intentionally walk a guy, to get a walk. No matter what, the CPU rarely swings at a pitch outside of the strike zone. These seems reasonable and should work fine.

Yeah, as far as walks go, I have a really tough pitching meter (and it's on MVP, so it's fast to begin with). I also set Human pitch control to -35, otherwise it seems like I have pinpoint control with anyone.

The thing I like about my method is that it allows you to be "effectively wild." If you got a young fire-balling pitcher with good stuff but poor control he can actually still be of some use.

[wichart]

I'm with you, brother. It seems to me that the base settings (zeros) should allow for relatively accurate strikeout numbers at each level of difficulty. However, in Rookie mode I had a couple of pitchers close to 300 ks each year, and ERAs near zero (Jason Marquis gave up one earned run the whole season). Conversely, in All-Star mode I'm lucky to get even the league's best pitcher over 100 ks for the season. I almost never walk anyone unintentionally, so I guess the reduced number of strikeouts is the compromise I have to make.