Playing Out Of Position & Position Changes

Playing out of Position

When a player plays out of their "natural" position, their defensive skills will be diminished.
  • Their Range (RN) and Glove (GL) ratings are adjusted based on the difficulty of the "other" position.
  • Their Arm (AR) rating remains constant regardless of position changes.
  • Note that a non-Catcher playing as a Catcher is handled differently.

Positions are ranked in order of difficulty from left to right:

SS -> 2B -> CF -> 3B -> LF/RF -> 1B

  • Playing out of position has a greater impact on current range and glove ratings as you move towards the left of the difficulty chart.

(Harder Position)

  • 1 step left: -10%
  • 2 steps left: -19%
  • 3 steps left: -27%
  • 4 steps left: -34%
  • 5 steps left: -40%

(Easier Position)

  • 1 step right: -8%
  • 2 steps right: -6%
  • 3 steps right: -4%
  • 4 steps right: -2%
  • 5 steps right: 0%

Example:

  • If a Center Fielder (CF) moves two spaces left on the chart to Shortstop (SS), their Range and Glove skills will be reduced by 19%.
  • That same Center Fielder moving two spaces right on the chart to Left Field (LF) would result in a 6% reduction.

Permanent Position Changes

  • Making a permanent position change has the same impact on actuals as above, but also has an impact on potential ratings.
  • When a player's position changes permanently, their actual and potential ratings in Range and Glove will reflect the new position.
  • Moving to an easier position will increase potential ratings, depending on the relative difficulty. This allows young players who switch from skill positions (like SS or 2B) to non-skill positions (such as LF/RF) to recover some of the lost skills over time.
  • If a player will be playing out of position extensively, it might be wise to permanently change their position.

(Harder Position)

  • 1 step left: -8%
  • 2 steps left: -14%
  • 3 steps left: -20%
  • 4 steps left: -26%
  • 5 steps left: -30%

(Easier Position)

  • 1 step right: +8%
  • 2 steps right: +14%
  • 3 steps right: +20%
  • 4 steps right: +26%
  • 5 steps right: +30%

There are some exceptions to permanent position changes:

  • Left-handed players cannot change to 2B, 3B, or SS.
  • No player can change to Catcher.
  • When a player's position changes permanently, their actual and potential ratings in Range and Glove will reflect the new position.
  • Moving to a more difficult position results in smaller reductions in potential ratings compared to actual ratings, indicating the player's ability to learn the new position over time.
  • Moving to an easier position may increase potential ratings, depending on the relative difficulty. This allows young players who switch from skill positions (like SS or 2B) to non-skill positions (such as LF/RF) to recover some of the lost skills over time.

  • Note: Players no longer automatically switch positions after a certain number of games played. Position changes can only be made using the "Change Position" tool on the player card, which takes immediate effect.

Left-handed players in specific positions

In professional baseball, it is uncommon to see a left-handed player at 2B, 3B, SS, or C.

  • BaseHit does not allow left-handed throwing players to permanently switch to these positions.
  • You can still put a left-handed player in the lineup at one of these positions, but they will experience defensive penalties to their Range (-20%), Glove (-10%), and Arm (-40%).

What about catchers?

  • Non-Catchers cannot change positions to become a Catcher.
  • You can place non-Catchers in the lineup as Catchers if you choose to do so, but they will always be considered non-Catchers playing as Catchers.
  • Non-Catchers who play as Catchers will experience significant penalties to their Range (RN), Glove (GL), and even higher penalties to their Arm (AR) ratings.
  • Catchers moving to other positions are considered one step to the right of 1B on the difficulty chart.

Related Links

Fielding Ratings