HOW TO: Depth Charts

Ever wish BaseHit had a cheat sheet? Some place you could go for advice on how to evaluate players or build a winning team? Maybe you’re thinking about making some major changes to your roster and aren’t sure how to go about it. Well you’re in luck, because all of that and more is explained in the new 'How To' pages.

Setting up depth charts


The depth chart page offers the following guidance: "Edit your depth chart by selecting the player at each position. Your depth chart can go three players deep for each position. Players can be used in multiple slots in the depth chart, and for multiple positions. Players not listed in the depth chart still can be selected as substitutes; if no one is available in the depth chart, the computer manager will make its own decision on who to use as a substitute."

What it Means (courtesy of jellyinsd)


The way to think about this chart is that the sim is going to read it from left to right in order to make substitutions for any particular position. If the player in column 1 is tired and unavailable, the sim will try to use the guy in column 2 unless he's already playing elsewhere or tired himself. So this is a list of descending checks for the sim to do in order to try to create a legal lineup when guys are tired.

Setting up your depth chart can be a little tricky, so here are some suggestions.

  • There are 14 hitters on your active roster. Think of your starting lineup as players 1-9 and your 5 bench players as players 10-14.

  • In the first column, put your starter at each position. Do not duplicate anyone. So the first column should have players 1-9 going down vertically.

  • Now look at the first row (DH). You've got player #1 in the first column. You can put any other player in column 2. I recommend player #10, your next best hitter. In the third column, I'd put player #11, your next-next best hitter.

The key here is that it must be three unique players in any one row. No duplicates.

  • Moving down to the next row (C). You've already got your starting C in column 1. If you have a backup C, he goes in column 2 (call him player #12). Then maybe you stick the good hitter #10 in the third catching column.
  • Backup 1Bs maybe get the two good hitters again (#10 and #11).
  • 2B should have your best backup fielders. Let's say they're #13 and #14. So the full row reads 4, 13, and 14 across.
  • 3B a little less important for defense, so maybe you flip the order and go 5, 14, and 13.
  • SS gets the same treatment as 2B, other than the starter. So you're at 6, 13, and 14.
  • Keep going down the OF list. Worry less about defense at the corners than you do in CF.

Here's an example of a legal depth chart that has some logic behind it:

Pos.       |       Player 1       |       Player 2       |       Player 3       
DH       |       1       |       10       |       11       
C       |       2       |       12       |       10       
1B       |       3       |       10       |       11       
2B       |       4       |       13       |       14       
3B       |       5       |       14       |       13       
SS       |       6       |       13       |       14       
LF       |       7       |       10       |       11       
CF       |       8       |       14       |       13       
RF       |       9       |       10       |       11       

Remember: duplicates in a column are fine. DUPLICATES IN A ROW ARE NOT FINE.