With an array of baseball games now available, from Out of the Park Baseball to MLB '12: The Show, Chris Sanner and Caley Roark go for a quick five-on-five on which of the games available stand above the rest.

Both Chris and Caley agree, 2K12 has the better pitching system.

1. Which game has the better pitching mechanics?

Caley Roark: As much as I like the new Pulse Pitching, I don't think it quite reaches the challenge that 2K has incorporated into their unique system. Sure, there its not a perfect system, but I feel that the payoff for throwing a well-executed strike still beats anything from the timing (or even analog) system offered in The Show.

Chris Sanner: Pulse pitching is an improvement, but it's basically a system designed around NOT being analog pitching. MLB 2K12's analog pitching is still the most fun/logical way to replicate pitching with a controller. Having to hit the analog motions perfectly to execute a perfect pitch is (as of right now) a feat in baseball games which hasn't been topped. Don't get me wrong, Pulse Pitching is good -- it's just that analog pitching is better.

The Show seems to capture both Chris and Caley's heart when it comes to hitting.

2. Which game gives you more control at the plate?

Chris: I like The Show's options personally. It seems to me that The Show represents the tension and guessing game of the Pitcher/Batter duel better than MLB 2K12. I suppose it can be summed up that 2K12 is simply an easier game to hit with for me, while MLB: The Show is a continual cerebral battle. Perhaps I'm overthinking it, or perhaps The Show simply captures it all better. As far as the question, I like the control offered to me from The Show moreso than 2K -- I feel like I can do more with The Shows control scheme.

Caley: I agree with Chris, and I think it's due to the fact that The Show's batting interface is much more customizable than 2K's. It's probably not as organic, but it does offer a greater degree of control and personalization.

Knight's rosters are fantastic. But they only improve a game already ahead of the curve.

3. How would 2K12 stack up to The Show if Knight didn't release rosters?

Caley: Looking at the total package, I think The Show still comes out on top, regardless of any community rosters (even those as good as Knight's). My review didn't factor in the rosters, and I don't know that they are inherent to the game's quality. They simply add a sense of realism that developers can't due to licensing agreements.

Chris: As Caley said, our reviews don't take into account community rosters -- it's pretty clear The Show is the better game by a pretty large margin still. MLB 2K12 has been making big time strides, don't get me wrong -- but the overall package is simply no competition for The Show. There are aspects of 2K12 which it does do better, but the sum of MLB 2K12's parts is not nearly as good as the overall package you can get from SCEA's hardballer.

Neither The Show or 2K12 can compete with OOTP's statistical depth.

4. From a realistic standpoint, which sim engine performs the best (text sims welcome!)?

Chris: Of the big two, I prefer MLB: The Show's. Overall? Both Out of the Park Baseball and Baseball Mogul stand toe-to-toe with The Show and 2K. Mogul is incredibly easy to simulate multiple seasons and I look at it like a sandbox type of game. You can do some truly crazy things just to see what might be possible. But at the end of the day, there is a reason OOTP is ALWAYS reviewed highly here at OS. The stats generated from the simulation engine make The Show and 2K blush at their inadequacy. If you are a baseball fan and you love stats, and if you haven't played OOTP yet ... well I'm not sure what else I can say except just do it.

Caley: I'll second the overall vote for OOTP. The other games, especially the console games, seemed plagued by some inconsistent stat production. OOTP sometimes produces strange results too, but if you dig deep enough, there's usually a reason a player under/over performed. It's also more accurate simply because it factors in so many more elements of the real sport.

If you enjoy the business aspect of baseball even a little bit, it's impossible to find fault with OOTP.

5. Which MLB game is the best purchase?

Caley: Balancing cost, quality of gameplay and replay ability, my clear winner here is Out of the Park 13. At around $40, you can experience being a manager, GM, or even league commissioner. You can simulate nearly any season from history or create your own league. If one were to lock me to a more traditional (console) answer, I'd pretty heavily lean toward MLB: The Show. Still, given the "desert island" scenario, I'm taking OotP 13.

Chris: I agree 100 percent with Caley. The best purchase if you are a baseball fan with a statistical/business mind then quit playing the franchise modes of The Show and MLB 2K and buy OOTP. If you want to actually be a part of the game and try your hand at the batter/pitchers duel and such then the clear winner is in MLB: The Show. But if you don't own a PS3, and if you can't afford one or don't want one (understandable), MLB 2K12 is worthy enough that it's worth the purchase especially as it's price drops.