Pitching - approach

[callmetaternuts]

How do you attack hitters in an at bat? Hit zone based? How do you factor in pitch confidence? Does method (meter vs classic etc) change any of this?


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[countryboy]

Re: Pitching - approach

I use meter pitching so I can only speak from that angle.

The number 1 rule for me when pitching is DO NOT PITCH IN PATTERNS! That is extremely important. If you continue to pitch the same sequence each hitter and the same pattern to each hitter, the AI is going to recognize and adapt leading to hard contact.

As silly as this sounds, I stick with what is working. If my slider isn't working then I stay away and use it as a show me pitch to get him off a pitch.

Like hitting, pitching is all about having a plan of attack and doing your best to execute that game plan each at bat. If I want to get a hitter out low and away, I will go there for 2 or 3 pitches, then maybe throw something up and in or just in to change his eye level/where he's looking/what he sees. Then maybe go out again. Or say the count is 0-2, I may bust him up and in with a fastball that I intend to throw for a ball and then throw maybe a change up low and in just to make him have to "think about/consider" that location. Then go back outside.

There really isn't a fool proof do this and you'll be successful approach to pitching. It's adapting to the hitters, the situations as they come up throughout the game and forming a plan to get out. And its ok to walk a batter now and again. If you get in trouble, don't think I've got to get out of this fast and start throwing everything for strikes, continue to try and make pitches. If you give up a run, then that's a hell of a lot better than 3 or 4 because you stopped pitching and started throwing.

[Drty_Windshield]

Re: Pitching - approach

Countryboy hit on some good pointers, but with the classic interface the pitchers ratings play a major role in the outcomes given that you pitch with smart tactics. All of the other user interfaces can be manipulated to give you far better results if you know what you're doing. Basically, classic is ratings based and all others are player skill based.

[mlblover15]

Re: Pitching - approach

Meter based here. have been for what seems like my entire life as long as it has existed in games.i see a few online guys using it and they don't have a true grasp on how to make it work better... don't ever allow the moving line to go above into the orange and red...

at that point, you lose all control over the pitches location. sure you get velocity and more movement but you sacrifice control.. which to me is WAY more important than the other two factors

I don't know if many of them played MVP at all but they tell you in one of the tutorials there how to make the perfect pitch.. just like tiger woods golf... three clicks... one to start then one at the top yellow line then as close to the bottom line as you can if not right on it.

[Drty_Windshield]

Re: Pitching - approach

Meter based here. have been for what seems like my entire life as long as it has existed in games.i see a few online guys using it and they don't have a true grasp on how to make it work better... don't ever allow the moving line to go above into the orange and red...

at that point, you lose all control over the pitches location. sure you get velocity and more movement but you sacrifice control.. which to me is WAY more important than the other two factors

I don't know if many of them played MVP at all but they tell you in one of the tutorials there how to make the perfect pitch.. just like tiger woods golf... three clicks... one to start then one at the top yellow line then as close to the bottom line as you can if not right on it.

In theory, if every pitch you made was perfect on the meter then every type of ball that you throw in a given location would be the exact same speed. The whole point of a pitcher is to throw off a batters timing by changing speeds and location. I mean do you, I'm just saying.

[stealyerface]

Re: Pitching - approach

Adding on to an informative post above^^^^

I am a Classic Pitching guy, so no meters, no aiming, and clean screen.

1. Do not be afraid to throw a ball. Up 0-2 on a batter? The next pitch should not even be in the mailing zip code of the strike zone. The game seems to reward pitching with guile, so if you are ahead in the count, don't allow yourself to make a mistake in the zone. The batter should be more aggressive, protecting the zone, so do not be afraid to get him chasing something that is un-hittable. Throw a fastball at his shoulder level, or throw a slider a foot outside. The reward of setting up a hitter, and watching him chase a bad pitch is worth an occasional passed ball.

2. Mix speeds. If you are a Meter guy, use the entire meter. If you are a classic guy, press the button longer. A tap-curveball versus a Press-and-hold curveball can mean a strikeout or a bomb. Utilize the ability the game gives you to pitch the same pitch with different speeds. Makes a huge difference.

Pitch to contact when you need to, and pitch to the defense you are playing. So you decided to play an Extreme Right Shift to Bryce Harper? DO NOT throw sliders off the outer edge, and allow him to slap the ball down the third base line for an easy stand-up double. If you are going to shift toe tendency, pitch to the shift. Extreme Pull? Okay, off speed stuff on the inner half and sliders in under the hands. Make the batter roll over the ball, and send it to where your defense is playing. So rewarding to play a hard pull, and take a way a base hit.

3. Use Hot and Cold Zones in your scouting report. Up against a power guy who has a dark blue zone down and away? Live there. First base on a walk is better than a cruise missile into the bleachers.

4. See above^ Pitch around guys that have damage stats, and roll the next guy into a DP. Don't get beaten by their best guy.

5. Use the confidence info provided. If you guy is not feeling the breaking ball on a particular start, scrap it. Don't ever get beaten on your fourth-best pitch.

6. Use Max effort with relievers and closers in the 8th and 9th. The fastballs are faster, the sliders are nastier, and Gnarly Uncle Charlie will buckle their knees...

~syf

[shark547]

Re: Pitching - approach

Not sure about how good the computer is at recognizing patterns. I alternate the same 4 patterns over and over and outside of when my pitcher starts missing spots out of no where or the infinite foul off guy I rarely give up any runs.

[Caulfield]

Re: Pitching - approach

early on I like to pitch to contact then the second time through the order I like to give the other team my best stuff. with any luck on offense, if I have a lead, the 3rd time through is off the plate as much as I dare, even if it means walking a batter or two. with more luck, I can really mix those three strategies around with my bullpen the last 2 or 3 innings. as bad as I am offensively, that still greatly dictates my pitching strategy

[moemoe24]

Re: Pitching - approach

Meter based here. have been for what seems like my entire life as long as it has existed in games.i see a few online guys using it and they don't have a true grasp on how to make it work better... don't ever allow the moving line to go above into the orange and red...

at that point, you lose all control over the pitches location. sure you get velocity and more movement but you sacrifice control.. which to me is WAY more important than the other two factors

I don't know if many of them played MVP at all but they tell you in one of the tutorials there how to make the perfect pitch.. just like tiger woods golf... three clicks... one to start then one at the top yellow line then as close to the bottom line as you can if not right on it.

My go to strikeout pitch has always been upper inside corner of zone....meter all the way to the end of the red.

[BIGROC]

Re: Pitching - approach

How do you attack hitters in an at bat? Hit zone based? How do you factor in pitch confidence? Does method (meter vs classic etc) change any of this?


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I use metered pitch mechanics. Try working within the batter, and your pitchers best pitches. If I'm using Wainwright, you're going to get a steady dose of sinkers... But I also mix in a lot of off speed stuff... Curve balls, change ups, 4 seam fastballs... Try to work the cold zones and mix your pitches, and pitch speed up.

[mlblover15]

Re: Pitching - approach

I'm not saying EVERY pitch I make is perfect. in theory, if you were to hit both spots on the meter it would be a perfectly executed pitch as long as you can hold the stick where you want it to be all from start to finish of the pitch.

my approach is to keep everything in the very bottom of the zone on the corners. the only pitch I throw high is a four-seam fastball and only when I have two strikes on the batter.

I also while in the windup will only hit the button twice... I will hold the button down at the start until it hit top yellow. then release and hit it again at the bottom.

While in the stretch I do the three press method...


I also use QC and at the start of an inning, most of your hitters are at a 1-1 pitch. which means I will throw my triangle pitch first and go around from there until and out or walk. once that happens whatever pitch I just threw, whatever the count is I will count from that last pitch and throw whatever pitch in the wheel if you will that that count lands on.

for example...

say I have a five-pitch pitcher and I threw my second pitch which would be a circle. next batter starts with a 2-1 count that would take me through the R1 button and my first pitch would be my X button to that batter

[decga]

Re: Pitching - approach

i use meter based every since it's been implemented in video game baseball. I go on the pitcher repertoire and the shift that I am playing the current player. Yes! I am one of those people.... LOL...

I do follow the advise of the catcher, but will overrule him 65% of time. If I am throwing with a pitcher who's FB doesn't exceeds 92 mph. I will not throw an elevated 4SFB or 2SFB any where around the dish.

It's been working well so far this season. Team ERA 3.06 2nd best in the NL to the Dodgers.
But I love the pitching aspect of the Show. You can control, more so than hitting.

Great topic!!!!

[RogerDodger]

Re: Pitching - approach

Not sure about how good the computer is at recognizing patterns. I alternate the same 4 patterns over and over and outside of when my pitcher starts missing spots out of no where or the infinite foul off guy I rarely give up any runs.

They get better at it as you move up to Legend difficulty.

[Mattchu12]

Re: Pitching - approach

Live on the corners with my fastball, don’t be afraid to throw breakballs for strikes on the bottom corners of the zone, don’t give the hitter too much credit if you’ve got less than three balls and see if he will chase inside and up.

[BIGROC]

Re: Pitching - approach

i use meter based every since it's been implemented in video game baseball. I go on the pitcher repertoire and the shift that I am playing the current player. Yes! I am one of those people.... LOL...

I do follow the advise of the catcher, but will overrule him 65% of time. If I am throwing with a pitcher who's FB doesn't exceeds 92 mph. I will not throw an elevated 4SFB or 2SFB any where around the dish.

It's been working well so far this season. Team ERA 3.06 2nd best in the NL to the Dodgers.
But I love the pitching aspect of the Show. You can control, more so than hitting.

Great topic!!!!

When MVP initially brought the metered pitching mechanic I fell in love with that way to pitch. One other thing I'd really like to see be added from MVP is how the ball would flash a certain color for a millisecond at the release point. That gave the hitter the ability to "read" the pitches. Like red was a fastball, green was a slider, blue a curve etc... You still had to be prepared and adjust, and didn't know where the pitch was going to end up. But it gave the hitter (the player) the ability to "read the seams". I thought it was a great mechanic, and a useful tool when in the batters box.

The fact that it was such a quick thing, it didn't make pitching or hitting overpowered. It felt like it gave the hitting a different take. With the way the pitching/hitting interface is in the show, it's all guesswork. Especially when playing online. Not knowing the pitch, or the location outs hitters at a disadvantage (relative to the way MVP did it). It's certainly not a game breaker, but it's something I think could add to the game.

I used to play a ton of 2k baseball when they made the game well... The last 2 or 3 years they released 2k baseball it got to be atrocious. MVP was a great game that definitely added to the baseball "genre"... Even with it's flaws it was a great game. Same thing with High Heat (for those who remember) and The Show. Even this year's iteration has flaws, but because of how well rounded the game is, it's a lot easier to overlook. (Except for the crazy dives in the OF... Oh how that drives me nuts!)