Gap Between RBI and Real Life Value

[Nacho]

Which player has the biggest gap between how good they are in RBI and how good they were in real life? Looking in either direction.

I'm thinking maybe Ruppert Jones for the guy who was great in RBI while only having a decent career.

The other side of it's harder. Lots of guys with amazing careers who aren't very valuable in RBI. Maybe Galarraga, who wasn't very powerful or speedy in the game but who later went on to have several great (probably steroid-enhanced) years?

[BeefMaster]

I'm thinking maybe Ruppert Jones for the guy who was great in RBI while only having a decent career.

My pick for that would be Tom Brookens.  One of the most powerful hitters in RBI, but check out his Baseball-Reference page - career OPS of .663, only hit double-digit homers twice (the 13 in his RBI year were a career high).  And even with the personal record in homers in '87, his rate stats were basically right in line with the rest of his career.  At least Ruppert had a few 20-homer years throughout his career to justify that near-900 power rating.

[Shooty]

But Galaraga only got good well after RBI came out so can't blame the makers there.

The guys like Gwyn and Molitor who were great in real life get screwed in the game since RBI is so weighted towards the home run.

But Puckett is the guy that also comes to mind regarding how shitty he was made given how good he was at the time and what his stats are in the game.

[Nacho]

I'm thinking maybe Ruppert Jones for the guy who was great in RBI while only having a decent career.

My pick for that would be Tom Brookens.  One of the most powerful hitters in RBI, but check out his Baseball-Reference page - career OPS of .663, only hit double-digit homers twice (the 13 in his RBI year were a career high).  And even with the personal record in homers in '87, his rate stats were basically right in line with the rest of his career.  At least Ruppert had a few 20-homer years throughout his career to justify that near-900 power rating.

Yeah, good call. Totally overlooked Brookens. Jones had about twice as many career RBIs.

[Nacho]

Puckett's power numbers could be higher, but he has outstanding contact and good speed. I think he's pretty close to being appropriately rated.

[Brookensrules!]

Kind of mandatory for me to say Brookens.  He's a #8 hitter with unbelievable power.

[Shooty]

Puckett's power numbers could be higher, but he has outstanding contact and good speed. I think he's pretty close to being appropriately rated.

28 HR with a 822 power rating.  Compare that to Boston's guys:  Rice, Evans, Burks, Henderson.  All between 15 to 26 HR, with 879 power or greater. 

[Nacho]

But Puckett's contact rating is great, which leads to plenty of home runs.

[Darky]

Agree with all the players mentioned. Puckett was robbed big time, that's for sure. Gwynn, Molitor and Brett were also screwed big time. Tom Brookens - unanimous mismatch.

[Darky]

But Puckett's contact rating is great, which leads to plenty of home runs.

He has a great contact rating but he could have power in the 860 - 880 range to match real life. He's actually not that bad in watch mode or in player mode, but in watch mode, he can disappear and doesn't hit the homeruns. He can have big hit games in watch mode, but because of the contact-power ratio, the ball just doesn't come off his bat in a way that generates bombs. There's something in the power to contact ratio that makes the ball come off the bat a certain way as well as affecting the ball's flight. I've noticed players with a power rating in the low 800 range and a contact around 20, hit just as many homeruns and get just as many or even more hits than guys with high contact ratings and power in the 820-840 range. Brett should be raking in Fantasy RBI, but he just doesn't.

Anyways, nice thread and discussion.

[ultimate7]

Tony Armas

[fknmclane]

This is a good thread.

Brookens is the clear winner. Armas is right there with him.

[BeefMaster]

Armas and Reggie Jackson both got stats from previous huge home run years, which makes their situations weird - neither were great in '86, but both have power ratings that match up with their stats in the game.

Finding Armas on Boston's bench for the first time was a pretty amazing thing, the RBI equivalent of finding a hidden 1up in Super Mario Bros.

[GDavis]

Sandberg

[BeefMaster]

Sandberg

I'm kinda disappointed I didn't think of him.  Some lack of power isn't THAT ridiculous, since he hadn't had his 30-40 homer seasons (he's actually tied for the most powerful non-Tengen hitter in RBI 3, which was more strictly based on stats), but the fact that he had the same power as Tommy Herr, with even less speed, was pretty awful.

[Gantry]

Wow, that is terrible. 

[GDavis]

Power-wise Sandberg should've been at least on par with Whitaker.  He has less power than Steve Lombardozzi.

[Nacho]

Yeah Sandburg has surprisingly low power but at least has decent speed. I don't even think he starts in FRBI.

[BeefMaster]

Not only doesn't he start, but he just got released and no one's bothered to pick him up yet.

[Brookensrules!]

Power-wise Sandberg should've been at least on par with Whitaker.  He has less power than Steve Lombardozzi.

Less than Lombardozzi?  That is odd.  I'm always torn about pulling him since I'm a huge fan.