OOTP Baseball:Important Game Concepts/The Player Model/Baseball Ratings/Pitching Ratings

All players have a set of three basic batting ratings: Stuff, Movement, and Control. Each of these has a matching potential rating. (See Current vs Potential Ratings for more information on the distinction between the two.) Additionally, pitchers are rated for each individual pitch they can throw. Pitching ratings can be seen on the Player Profile, the Ratings page, or in any list of players using the Pitching Ratings view. They are also available on the Scouting Reports page.

There are also four additional ratings that do not have corresponding "potential" ratings: Stamina, Ground Ball %, Velocity, and Hold Runners. Pitching ratings are used by the game engine to determine the outcome of a pitch.

Stuff

Stuff is a measure of a pitcher's ability to strike out batters. The Stuff rating directly affects the number of strikeouts a pitcher gets per at bat. Stuff is calculated based on a combination of a pitcher's individual pitch ratings.

The Stuff rating for a starting pitcher is influenced most by their best three pitches, while the Stuff rating for a relief pitcher is influenced most by their best two pitches. Relief pitchers receive a small bonus to the Stuff rating, to reflect the fact that batters get fewer looks at their pitches and have less of a chance to adjust to them. You can see the change in a pitcher's Stuff rating if you change the player's position from SP to RP/CL and back.

Movement

Movement is hybrid rating of a pitcher's ability to avoid hits and home runs, incorporating the Home Runs Allowed rating and the Pitcher BABIP rating. Pitchers with higher Movement are likely to allow fewer hits and home runs. Movement is calculated based on factors including Raw Movement, ground ball % and Pitcher BABIP.

Home Runs Allowed

• Home Runs Allowed rates a pitcher's ability to avoid home runs. The Home Runs Allowed rating is influenced by two ratings which are only visible in the Player Editor, "Raw Movement" rating and the "Groundout %" rating. The underlying Raw Movement rating in the editor is on a 1-550 scale and the Groundball% rating is 1-100 (See below for more details on GB%)

Pitcher BABIP

• Pitcher BABIP is a rating of a pitcher's ability to avoid hits on balls hit into the field of play. The underlying Pitcher BABIP in the editor is on a 1-250 scale that translates into a batting average in the editor.

Control

Control is a measure of a pitcher's ability to avoid walking batters. Control directly affects the number of walks a pitcher allows per at bat. The underlying Control rating in the editor is on a 1-550 scale.

Velocity

Velocity is a measure of how fast a pitcher throws, in miles or kilometers per hour. While Velocity does not directly affect any specific outcomes, it will affect the ratings of individual pitches, which in turn affects the Stuff rating. Velocity is not measured according to the standard rating system, but rather is measured in miles per hour. The Velocity rating has more influence on some pitch ratings than others--for example, a fastball is heavily dependent on Velocity, while a knuckleball is not.

Arm Slot

Arm Slot indicates the angle the pitcher's arm travels through during his pitching motion: submarine (arm is at a sub-90 degree angle to the pitcher's vertical plane), sidearm (arm is more or less horizontal), normal 3/4 (somewhere between a sidearm and pure overhand delivery), or over the top (arm is close to being vertical.) The vast majority of pitchers use the normal delivery. In the game, arm slot primarily affects left-vs-right performance: the lower the angle of the arm, the more significant the difference between the pitcher's performance against a left- or right- handed batter.

Stamina

The Stamina rating influences how many pitches a pitcher can throw before tiring, as well as how many days they take to recover after they pitch. Tired pitchers are more likely to walk batters or give up hits, and less likely to strike batters out. Starting pitchers with higher stamina are able to pitcher deeper into games. The underlying Stamina rating in the editor is on a 1-250 scale, with a pitcher requiring at least 50 Stamina to be recognized as a starting pitcher in the game.

Hold Runners

The Hold Runners rating is a measure of a pitcher's ability to hold runners on base. It is harder for runners on base to steal against pitchers who have high Hold Runners ratings. A combination of a pitcher with a good Hold Runners rating and a catcher with a good arm can significantly reduce the chances of opponents attempting stolen bases. The underlying Hold Runners rating in the editor is on a 1-250 scale.

Groundball/Flyball Tendency

Groundball/Flyball Tendency is a general description of a pitcher's tendency to allows ground balls versus fly balls. This is expressed as Extreme Groundball, Groundball Pitcher, Neutral, Flyball Pitcher, Extreme Flyball. It is based on the "Groundout %" rating, which is visible only in the editor. The underlying Groundout % rating is on a 1-100 scale.

• Extreme Flyball Tendency: 43 and below
• Flyball Tendency: 44-48
• Neutral Tendency: 49-58
• Groundball Tendency: 59-63
• Extreme Groundball Tendency: 64 and higher

Individual Pitch Ratings

Each pitcher in OOTP can throw an assortment of different pitches, displayed in the Player Profile or on the Player Ratings page. Just as with other pitching ratings, pitchers have "current" and "potential" rating for each pitch. Higher individual pitch ratings mean a higher likelihood of getting hitters out. Additionally, a pitcher's repertoire has a strong impact on the role in which the pitcher will be successful. Typically, a pitcher (with the exception of knuckleballers) needs at least three solid pitches to be an effective starting pitcher in a major league. The lower the league level, the fewer pitches a pitcher needs to compete.

The Player Profile or Player Ratings pages also contain a Projected Role drop-down, which can be used to check a pitcher's suitability for starting at any level of play. This drop-down menu will classify a pitcher as a Starter, Borderline Starter, Emergency Starter, or Bullpen pitcher at any level of play you select.

Players may also learn new pitches over time. Players are most likely to learn now pitches in the minor leagues, or during Spring Training. The older a player is, the less likely they are to learn new pitches.

Lefty-Righty Splits

Just like hitters, pitchers also perform differently depending on the handedness of the batter they are facing. These "split" ratings are displayed on the Player Ratings screens "VS LHB" (versus left-handed batters) and "VS RHB" (versus right-handed batters). These split ratings are not visible on the Player Profile. Be sure to consider this information when making pitching decisions!

Certain types of pitches are particularly effective against hitters on the same side of the plate. In particular, if you are looking for a left-handed reliever who specializes in getting left handed batters out (a LOOGY), look for pitchers with a good slider. If you want a right-handed reliever who can handle lefties and righties equally well, look for someone with a good cutter.