Best Pitch Types

[KBLover]

Re: Best Pitch Types

Gotcha. In general, I've liked using my 4-seam FB and slider as a power pitcher, but I'm looking to have a pitch or two to really change timing/speed.

I guess it would probably be best to have my curve somewhere in the middle with my circle velocity bar all the way to the top making it very slow, that way I would have different speeds for each pitch to make timing more difficult. Thoughts?

Also, thanks for your quick responses, you're awesome!

What's your slider? If you have a really power slider (high-80's, low 90's), then your curve and change at low 80's would be nasty. Close enough velocity to not give away which pitch and the break could let you throw all three in the same initial location. The circle change will fade away, the curve either straight down or down/away (I'd go straight down so 12-6 since I don't have a sinker) and the slider will break opposite.

If you have more of a 95-85 sort of mix with your heat and slider, then a 70's curve and change would be a good mix. That would give you a high, medium, low type of mix.

[bselken]

Re: Best Pitch Types

What's your slider? If you have a really power slider (high-80's, low 90's), then your curve and change at low 80's would be nasty. Close enough velocity to not give away which pitch and the break could let you throw all three in the same initial location. The circle change will fade away, the curve either straight down or down/away (I'd go straight down so 12-6 since I don't have a sinker) and the slider will break opposite.

If you have more of a 95-85 sort of mix with your heat and slider, then a 70's curve and change would be a good mix. That would give you a high, medium, low type of mix.

I'm still very early in my RTTS, and I'm considering starting a new one as I made some colossal mistakes in terms of pitches chosen and early development points.

I'm more making a plan to strive to reach with the development of the new guy over time.

[JPCaveman13]

Re: Best Pitch Types

EDIT: I'm thinking something along the lines of this:
4-seamer: 95-100 MPH
Slider: 90ish MPH
Curve: 75-80ish MPH
Circle change: 70ish MPH

The only thing wrong with this is that the velocities are tied to each other. The way it's set up is the changeup will only be between 5 and 12 mph slower than your fastball.

So factoring in the way you want to set it up, you'll be looking at:

4FB: 95-100 mph
Slider: -8 mph
Curve: -20 mph
CCH: -12 mph

That's with either a maxed out velocity or maxed speed differential. With my pitchers who have either slider/curve and high velocity, they ended up looking like this:

4FB: 100 mph listed (99v), 99-102 mph in-game
Slider: 92 mph listed (99v), 90-94 mph in-game
CCH: 89 mph listed (99v), 89-92 in-game

and

4FB: 98 mph listed (94v), 97-100 mph in-game
CCH: 87 mph listed (99v), 87-90 mph in-game
12-6: 80 mph listed (30v), 78-81 mph in-game

Hopefully that helps you on how you want to set up your new pitcher.

[bselken]

Re: Best Pitch Types

The only thing wrong with this is that the velocities are tied to each other. The way it's set up is the changeup will only be between 5 and 12 mph slower than your fastball.

So factoring in the way you want to set it up, you'll be looking at:

4FB: 95-100 mph
Slider: -8 mph
Curve: -20 mph
CCH: -12 mph

That's with either a maxed out velocity or maxed speed differential. With my pitchers who have either slider/curve and high velocity, they ended up looking like this:

4FB: 100 mph listed (99v), 99-102 mph in-game
Slider: 92 mph listed (99v), 90-94 mph in-game
CCH: 89 mph listed (99v), 89-92 in-game

and

4FB: 98 mph listed (94v), 97-100 mph in-game
CCH: 87 mph listed (99v), 87-90 mph in-game
12-6: 80 mph listed (30v), 78-81 mph in-game

Hopefully that helps you on how you want to set up your new pitcher.

Interesting. That does change things. Thank you!

[JPCaveman13]

Re: Best Pitch Types

Interesting. That does change things. Thank you!

Not a problem. Even though most of the differentials are close, it's still pretty easy to get an off-balance swing on a changeup or curve if you mix them right.

I want to say I throw maybe 10-15 changeups in a 110-120 pitch outing, and I can get about 5-7 front-foot swings. It's just a matter of when you decide to pull the string, like the first pitch of a middle-order hitter with runners on or go inside-inside-outside with a 2-seamer and then outside with the circle changeup.

That big, looping curve can get some front-foot swings but I get more reliable results getting hitters to chase it breaking out of the zone or dropping it in on the corner.

For what it's worth, I picked up my latest SPs again and at this point, one is a 3-pitch pitcher with a 4FB, CH, and the slurve. Velocities are 100 mph, 91 mph, and 88 mph. With the velocity on the change and slurve being close enough, I can get hitters to chase more if the pitches appear to be staying near the zone. Throwing 75-80% fastball tends to get an off-balance swing on the off-speed stuff. The other SP is a lot slower though. But this one uses the cutter/2-seam to create outs. They have identical velocity and break (89-90 mph and the same rating for break), but running them off of each other can wreak havoc. Add in the 81-82 mph changeup for a change of pace and the big, looping 72-mph, 12-6 curve, and it's not a bad repertoire to get hitters off-balance.

[docdaddy]

Re: Best Pitch Types

For RTTS, I have found my sweetspot is the following:

1. 4sm FB. I max the speed and control on this one ASAP
2. Changeup. Just the regular change. I focus on the break and control and then secondarily the speed.
3. Sinker.
4. Slider

My approach is to hit the low inside or outside corners with the 4sfb as the first pitches. My first pitch strikes stat is usually 70% or higher. I'll often drop a sinker so that it hits the low corner as a second or 3rd pitch. More often than not I'll get to 1-2, and then I'll either throw a 99 MPH 4sfb slightly high and inside, which, if I don't go too high, often results in a strikeout, or I'll throw a change low and outside or low and in the zone but the outside of the zone. Those usually get the strike out. I'll sometimes use the slider outside as a strikeout pitch if the batter is on the side of the plate where the slider break away from him.

The sinker is often a game saver when I've got people on the bases and need a double play to get out of the inning. Same for a low change, but the sinker in the right location at the right pitch count, e.g. batter is behind in the count and trying to defend, and has to swing at a low sinker.

[consecutive27]

Re: Best Pitch Types

I am loving the sinker this year for my RTTS pitcher. It works equally well against righties and lefties, is not hard to control, induces weak contact much of the time, but can also get a decent amount of swings and misses. Of course my pitcher is a beast, so that helps, but the sinker and four seam are my go to pitches until I get two strikes. Once I get two strikes I use my other pitches a bit more.

[docdaddy]

Re: Best Pitch Types

Yeah, for my 4smfb RTTS pitcher, with a very high speed FB, I've found a FB on the low corner, followed by a sinker that starts outside the zone and then drops into the low corner of the zone gets me a very quick two strikes on a lot of battters. And when I get a monster of a batter up, with a solid red strike zone, the sinker starting outside the zone and dropping into the low corner is a nice starting pitch: they will often take it for a strike, and even if they swing and make contact it is rarely for a hit, and if it is, it is never a huge hit.

[HighCmpPct]

Re: Best Pitch Types

Favorite strikeout pitches in order:

1. Slider- Favorite spot is middle of the zone but off the plate away.

2. Splitter- I will absolutely carve up cpu batters with Tanaka with this pitch low in the zone.

3. 4-seam/2-seam FB- I put them together because to get K's I throw them both up and in

4. Curve- This can be a very effective strikeout pitch, the key to it being one though is getting it involved early for strikes then getting batters to chase it out the zone.

5. Cutter- Same as the other fastballs, but if it's not coming in on a hitter, or the pitcher doesn't have a good one I wouldn't throw it for K's.

[Vtownwaves]

Re: Best Pitch Types

With the last 2 builds, Ive followed a Noah Syndergaard/Jake Arrieta mold, but left handed. I've used both orders and found that this trio of pitches is DOMINANT.

First Career was Sinker Slider 4sm like Jake Arrieta, 2nd time it was 4sm sinker slider like thor. You can easily strike out 15 batters a game on the lower difficulties from the very beginning. I set up the pitcher with 5 velocity and 3 break. The first setup is better to start but the 2nd one develops better in the long run. Most people I see dont build break on the 4sm so for it to start at 55 means its already slightly above average. Now every pitch has good movement if you're picking pitches that move for the last 4.

But all I ever really have to do wth this guy is pitch down and in for strike one, down and out for strike 2 and up and in for strike 3. Because Im a lefty, I throw the slider down and in against righties and the sinker down and in against lefties. I do the opposite pitch for strike 2 on the bottom outside corner. Strike 3 is the heater up and in. They cant keep up with it because they've seen a 92 mph sinker or 86 mph slider, then the other one, followed by a 98 mph heater.

I literally struck out 20 batters in my first AA game on beginner. I know thats not so amazing when difficulty is taken into account but its not like its easy to strike that many out on any difficulty. Its the most dominant setup Ive ever used, especially once you add a screwball or 12 6 curve that goes 77mph. Throw that 5-10 times a game against people with cold zones in the lower corner of your pitching hand side, thats a strike if its in the zone when sprinkled in...

[docdaddy]

Re: Best Pitch Types

Yeah, in a similar approach (at a higher difficulty level) I've also found low outside corner (usually 4sm) low insider corner (4sm or sinker) then 4sm high and tight is often a consistent strike out combo. With a good batter who holds up on the high tight 4sm, or if I throw it too high, more often than not with that 1-2 count a change low and outside will have them looking silly for strike three.

[Calum34]

Re: Best Pitch Types

In my Red Sox franchise in 2021, a lefty reliever I drafted has an amazing fastball - slider combo. He also features a changeup but I rarely use that. I use him almost exclusively vs LHH and use his wicked two seamer inside on the hitters early in the count to back them off and then drop an Andrew Miller like slider down and away, and it always ends in Whiffs, so this guy is a K machine.

Slider is definitely my best strikeout/Whiff pitch. I can't get the same effects with any curveball, the hitters seem to be able to lay off it. Changeups are pretty good, but I have noticed that I have a habit of leaving them up in the zone and those tend to get punished.

Also, with guys who throw in the high 90s or into 100mph I love the fastball up and inside. Very rare that a hitter can do anything with that pitch.