Directional Hitting Guide

[fatleg3]

Directional Hitting Guide

For the most part, yes.

The biggest change to look out for is the new importance of contact. Not only does it have more impact this year, but it also controls a new factor: bat exit velocity floors. Power still impacts the bat exit velocity ceilings.

This means that by using a pull swing, you are opening up both the bat exit velocity ceiling and floor, making it even more of a double edged sword.

In summary: contact has been buffed, effecting both solid contact more and bat exit velocities.

In terms of directional, this means the pull swing has been nerfed, and the up swing has been buffed. So far my playtesting has confirmed this. I'm actually about to integrate the up swing into one of my players usual approaches, so I'll have better confirmation at a later date.

Pull swing is still good for pull hitters, but it is no longer the be all end all swing for getting power.

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Quick question. Matt Duffy for the Rays has been my most consistent hitter out of all players for all teams since I started using directional and this guide last year, and that has continued into ‘19. I can’t recall any homers but I’m always hitting grounders and line drives through the gaps in the infield for mostly singles. I always use push swing with him no matter what.

My question is why am I so successful with Duffy using nothing but push swing? What part of his ratings makes him a prime candidate for using push swing?


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[dubplate]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Patience really is the key to hitting just as it is in real life.

Years past I used to get so anxious when one of my power hitters was at the plate and I’d wind up swinging at everything.

The past year or so I’ve gotten very zen at the plate and have learned to take bad pitches and either work the count in my favor or wait for a good pitch to hit.

You won’t be rewarded all the time, but if you can be patient you’ll see better results consistently.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Quick question. Matt Duffy for the Rays has been my most consistent hitter out of all players for all teams since I started using directional and this guide last year, and that has continued into ‘19. I can’t recall any homers but I’m always hitting grounders and line drives through the gaps in the infield for mostly singles. I always use push swing with him no matter what.

My question is why am I so successful with Duffy using nothing but push swing? What part of his ratings makes him a prime candidate for using push swing?


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Best guess is it's something to do with his swing animation. They are also a factor in this varied stew of factors. That's just a guess though, the reality is, I have no idea.

[Jaysguy44]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Why are you guys pressing buttons to hit? Don't you want a more natural way of hitting? Well as natural as you can get until SDS makes this game into VR, so do Analog Stride....so weird hit with pressing a button. Hitting should have a motion involved.

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[Armor and Sword]

Directional Hitting Guide

Why are you guys pressing buttons to hit? Don't you want a more natural way of hitting? Well as natural as you can get until SDS makes this game into VR, so do Analog Stride....so weird hit with pressing a button. Hitting should have a motion involved.

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I do that 6 days a week in real life.

On my couch I simply like to play the video games pressing my buttons and let my virtual players ratings coupled with my eyes, timing and approach give me the result.

Old school baby.


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[moTIGS]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Why are you guys pressing buttons to hit? Don't you want a more natural way of hitting? Well as natural as you can get until SDS makes this game into VR, so do Analog Stride....so weird hit with pressing a button. Hitting should have a motion involved.

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Until someone can hit a baseball 450 feet with their thumb, there’s nothing inherently more realistic about flicking a joystick.

[ML]

Directional Hitting Guide

PS the down influence is still kind of OP. In fact, it might be even more powerful. I've been using (abusing) it a lot.

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Hit and runs are back, baby!




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[stormchaserck19]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

I do that 6 days a week in real life.

On my couch I simply like to play the video games pressing my buttons and let my virtual players ratings coupled with my eyes, timing and approach give me the result.

Old school baby.


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I’ve been buying MLB The Show for years now but have always been more of a RTTS guy. Around the time of the World Series last year I discovered your slider thread Armor and tried using them. I loved them and badly want to give this years set a try actually playing through a franchise for once. I can’t wait to watch you stream Saturday when you start testing. I think directional is the way to go with hitting if you’re looking for realistic numbers.

[StancedAE86]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Really great guide thank you for this.

[Rmiok222]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

I’ve followed this guide for a couple years. It’s fantastic. I’ve always preferred directional and this has improved my hitting so much. Thank you [emoji1317]


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[KBLover]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

My question is why am I so successful with Duffy using nothing but push swing? What part of his ratings makes him a prime candidate for using push swing?

What's his spray chart percentages? Are they high/even to his opposite field?

In past games, IIRC hitters did better if their timing aligned with their hit chart (though their overall ratings still mattered a lot). If Duffy has a decent percentage to his opposite field, that might be at least a positive in his/your favor.

[KBLover]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

The biggest change to look out for is the new importance of contact. Not only does it have more impact this year, but it also controls a new factor: bat exit velocity floors. Power still impacts the bat exit velocity ceilings.

This means that by using a pull swing, you are opening up both the bat exit velocity ceiling and floor, making it even more of a double edged sword.

In summary: contact has been buffed, effecting both solid contact more and bat exit velocities.

.
.
.
.


Pull swing is still good for pull hitters, but it is no longer the be all end all swing for getting power.

This is the kind of info I'm looking for trying to decide if to take the plunge on this game - the physics-like/BIP behavior on swings and how exit velocity is handled this year, etc. Guts type stuff.

I'm liking the sound of all of this.

[Rmiok222]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

I have a question. I’ve been following this perfectly and have had some great results. The only thing is, I’ve noticed if I’m pulling and it’s on outside pitch it’s almost an automatic out. Is that just the nature of the beast?


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[TheWarmWind]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

I have a question. I’ve been following this perfectly and have had some great results. The only thing is, I’ve noticed if I’m pulling and it’s on outside pitch it’s almost an automatic out. Is that just the nature of the beast?


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Yes and no. Depends wildly on various factors, but in general yes you will have less success on outside pitches and more on inside pitches.

Elite batters will still be able to regularly pull outside pitches, especially elite pull hitters, but for pitches right on the edge of the zone or further, you're taking what is an already low percentage swing and making it even lower.

It is a double edged sword though, as you are also doing the opposite for inside pitches. Low percentage swings on the inside get buffed a little higher.

There are two factors you need to consider that are having a major impact on your results in this scenario. One is that the further away from the center of the strike zone that the ball is, the tighter the timing window gets in that direction (outside=later, inside=earlier). Combine that with the way push and pull swings effect the timing window as covered in the errors and omissions section, and yes, you're going to have generally worse results on pitches on the outside of the zone, because the ideal timing for the swing is in a lower percentage timing slot then if you had a push or even no influence swing.

Good timing will still help you adjust to those pitches, but if you notice a pattern in the way a pitcher is pitching to a particular batter, then go ahead and pick a swing influence that will get you better results.

For example: On my team, Eric Hosmer gets the extreme shift played against him, and for good reason, he's an excellent pull hitter. One pitcher was staying entirely outside on him all day, denying me my high percentage swings. About halfway through his second AB I swapped to a push/down hybrid swing. I went 2 for 3 against that pitcher with him, just focusing on taking advantage of the fact the pitcher was pitching on the outside edge only and beating the shift.

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[Rmiok222]

Re: Directional Hitting Guide

Yes and no. Depends wildly on various factors, but in general yes you will have less success on outside pitches and more on inside pitches.

Elite batters will still be able to regularly pull outside pitches, especially elite pull hitters, but for pitches right on the edge of the zone or further, you're taking what is an already low percentage swing and making it even lower.

It is a double edged sword though, as you are also doing the opposite for inside pitches. Low percentage swings on the inside get buffed a little higher.

There are two factors you need to consider that are having a major impact on your results in this scenario. One is that the further away from the center of the strike zone that the ball is, the tighter the timing window gets in that direction (outside=later, inside=earlier). Combine that with the way push and pull swings effect the timing window as covered in the errors and omissions section, and yes, you're going to have generally worse results on pitches on the outside of the zone, because the ideal timing for the swing is in a lower percentage timing slot then if you had a push or even no influence swing.

Good timing will still help you adjust to those pitches, but if you notice a pattern in the way a pitcher is pitching to a particular batter, then go ahead and pick a swing influence that will get you better results.

For example: On my team, Eric Hosmer gets the extreme shift played against him, and for good reason, he's an excellent pull hitter. One pitcher was staying entirely outside on him all day, denying me my high percentage swings. About halfway through his second AB I swapped to a push/down hybrid swing. I went 2 for 3 against that pitcher with him, just focusing on taking advantage of the fact the pitcher was pitching on the outside edge only and beating the shift.

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I see what you’re saying, thank you for the great response too. I’ll keep pluggin away! Thanks again


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