Defensive Position (dpad down)

[knich]

Guys..the OF shifts are too extreme and/or the batters who are pull or extreme pull hitters aren't pulling enough balls. Several times a game when the OF is shifted left or right the batter will hit the ball down the opposite field line. This is simply unrealistic. We know that because that is why we have extreme shifts in MLB today...batters who pull can't stop pulling.

I have tried to figure out how to set the defensive position of all batters and individuals but it is very confusing to me. Has anyone seen/worked on a tutorial for this?

I know I can manually shift, but that is time consuming because you would have to do that with every drag bunt/double play/guard line situation in addition to pull hitters. My preference is to set default defensive position (OF normal, shallow or deep and straight up) for each batter except for when runners on base or late game, etc special circumstance)

Appreciate any insights.

[TonyMoraco15]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

Hey man, I always use the defensive shifts and I can tell you It works but only if you pitch accordingly. So lets say you have a RHP on the mound and you have a LHB at the plate who has lets say a 50% plus to his pull side (right field), what I do is move my infield right, and my SS alone to Extreme Right, and only my RF deep (if he is a power hitter) then what you have to do is try to set him up with low and inside with offspeed so he can 90% of the time hit it towards the shift.

The batters will always try to beat the shift, just like we do when we see the shift.

Hope it helps.

[stealyerface]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

Also, for a left-handed Pull-Hitter, set your infield to either Pull or Extreme Pull (depending on the scouting report), but set your third baseman to either guard the line, or shift left. This will protect against a batter taking you opposite field for an easy double, and you will be amazed at how many balls, especially with your pitchers who have 93+mph fast balls, will be swung at late, and go right to your third baseman you have perfectly played.

I let the CPU do the first shift, but then adjust for each batter, and each scenario.

~syf

[Therebelyell626]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

Hey man, I always use the defensive shifts and I can tell you It works but only if you pitch accordingly. So lets say you have a RHP on the mound and you have a LHB at the plate who has lets say a 50% plus to his pull side (right field), what I do is move my infield right, and my SS alone to Extreme Right, and only my RF deep (if he is a power hitter) then what you have to do is try to set him up with low and inside with offspeed so he can 90% of the time hit it towards the shift.

The batters will always try to beat the shift, just like we do when we see the shift.

Hope it helps.

Disagreed. I do pitch accordingly. I.E. on pull hitters I will try and jam them with the inside pitch. To often they are late on the pitch and will hit a jam blooper for the opposite field hit. I notice it happens more frequently when I am perfect through 7, they will “miraculously” get the needed opposite field bloop even if they are jammed up. It’s not game breaking but definitely happens more often then it should

[knich]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

Hey man, I always use the defensive shifts and I can tell you It works but only if you pitch accordingly. So lets say you have a RHP on the mound and you have a LHB at the plate who has lets say a 50% plus to his pull side (right field), what I do is move my infield right, and my SS alone to Extreme Right, and only my RF deep (if he is a power hitter) then what you have to do is try to set him up with low and inside with offspeed so he can 90% of the time hit it towards the shift.

The batters will always try to beat the shift, just like we do when we see the shift.

Hope it helps.

I understand the concept. The reality is if the hitter is a dead pull hitter who is eg a RH batter he should be pulling the ball even if the pitch is far outside..they usually roll over them or bloop them. What the batter shouldn't be doing is hitting a perfectly placed late swing down 1st baseline...time and time again.

This is a little off topic. I would like to know how to use the defensive position setting. When you dpad down, there is a triangle you push that allows you to set assignments for each batter to stick each time that batter comes to the plate. As it stands now, I have to remember to make the OF play normal each time.

Disagreed. I do pitch accordingly. I.E. on pull hitters I will try and jam them with the inside pitch. To often they are late on the pitch and will hit a jam blooper for the opposite field hit. I notice it happens more frequently when I am perfect through 7, they will “miraculously” get the needed opposite field bloop even if they are jammed up. It’s not game breaking but definitely happens more often then it should

Exactly.

[stealyerface]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

Here's the problem.

I have gone through the entire opposing lineup, and using the D-pad and the triangle, set my defense for every batter.

These guys are pull hitters, protect the bunt against this guy, slap hitter in the six hole... etc...

This is awesome, and allows you to focus on the hitters hot/cold zones, and make the best decisions for the batter...

Yeah, awesome.... until it isn't.

You know that Benentendi is a pull hitter, but he is up with no outs after JBJ hits a single.

So, you have told your defense that when Benny is up, to play an extreme pull. Which they do. With JBJ on first and one out. When they should be holding the runner on, and playing for the double play.

So you have a first baseman not holding on the runner, and the defense shifted in the wrong defense. Every Time.

So my advice is before each batter, press D pad down, and hit the Triangle, and take the 8 seconds it takes to access the information, the situation, who is at the plate, and how you plan to attack him. Then, move the defense as that algorithm dictates.

If you want to win games this year, take the time to set your defense, and go batter to batter.

Otherwise, let them do it automatically, play out of position (or without situational awareness) and get abused.

Here's an example. I am not going to pitch to Bryce Harper. Ever. He can take a walk, or he can swing at something out of the zone. And by out of the zone, that means outside. Far outside.

So, on the odd chance my pitcher makes a mistake and the ball leaks into a hittable zone, I am going to play my defense in an Extreme Pull, but move my third baseman to guard the line. If he goes the other way, it'll be a hit anyway, so I am going to protect against the double.

If he tries to pull mu outside pitches, yes, he may roll over it, and be an easy grounder to second, but he may also take an offspeed pitch down the left field line.

I'll play the percentages, and protect that double.

~syf

[knich]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

Here's the problem.

I have gone through the entire opposing lineup, and using the D-pad and the triangle, set my defense for every batter.

These guys are pull hitters, protect the bunt against this guy, slap hitter in the six hole... etc...

This is awesome, and allows you to focus on the hitters hot/cold zones, and make the best decisions for the batter...

Yeah, awesome.... until it isn't.

You know that Benentendi is a pull hitter, but he is up with no outs after JBJ hits a single.

So, you have told your defense that when Benny is up, to play an extreme pull. Which they do. With JBJ on first and one out. When they should be holding the runner on, and playing for the double play.

So you have a first baseman not holding on the runner, and the defense shifted in the wrong defense. Every Time.

So my advice is before each batter, press D pad down, and hit the Triangle, and take the 8 seconds it takes to access the information, the situation, who is at the plate, and how you plan to attack him. Then, move the defense as that algorithm dictates.

If you want to win games this year, take the time to set your defense, and go batter to batter.

Otherwise, let them do it automatically, play out of position (or without situational awareness) and get abused.

Here's an example. I am not going to pitch to Bryce Harper. Ever. He can take a walk, or he can swing at something out of the zone. And by out of the zone, that means outside. Far outside.

So, on the odd chance my pitcher makes a mistake and the ball leaks into a hittable zone, I am going to play my defense in an Extreme Pull, but move my third baseman to guard the line. If he goes the other way, it'll be a hit anyway, so I am going to protect against the double.

If he tries to pull mu outside pitches, yes, he may roll over it, and be an easy grounder to second, but he may also take an offspeed pitch down the left field line.

I'll play the percentages, and protect that double.

~syf

That is my exact problem. I think there is a way to set for each hitter and have the CPU default to specific alignment when a batter is on base or when you need to hold a runner, as an example. This is why we need a tutorial. Oh I long for those tutorials I never used to read.

Yes I am using same workaround you reference but it is a pain in the butt and sometimes I forget and get burned.

[stealyerface]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

That is my exact problem. I think there is a way to set for each hitter and have the CPU default to specific alignment when a batter is on base or when you need to hold a runner, as an example. This is why we need a tutorial. Oh I long for those tutorials I never used to read.

Yes I am using same workaround you reference but it is a pain in the butt and sometimes I forget and get burned.

Yes. If you don’t set the defensive scheme to “Batter” and you leave it on “Lineup”... your Extreme Right Shift will still be there when the power hitting righty comes up next...

I’ve trained myself to just deal with it, and make pre-batter adjustments every batter.

Which isn’t always a bad thing. Covering a bunt on a guy that has two strikes on him, you should go into the defense and move him back. Don’t want an easy ground ball screaming by your third baseman who is standing half way to home...

~syf



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[TheWarmWind]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

I rarely use more than the slight infield shift and almost never use the outfield shift. A guy had to have less than 20% in a certain fields to convince me a shifted outfield is a good idea.

What I will do against some heavy pull guys is set the pull field outfielder to play deep. Gives your guy more effect range on liners.

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[bacon96]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

I'd like to see them re-do how shifts are done entirely.

Have it ask you if you want to save the shifts you made and keep them locked on with each player unless they are saved over.

I'd also like some sort of drag/drop feature where you can move any fielder from any position to any portion of the field. So if I want 4 outfielders vs Joey Gallo or 5 infielders when the bases are loaded with nobody out in extras, let me maneuver my defense however I want to.

[knich]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

I rarely use more than the slight infield shift and almost never use the outfield shift. A guy had to have less than 20% in a certain fields to convince me a shifted outfield is a good idea.

What I will do against some heavy pull guys is set the pull field outfielder to play deep. Gives your guy more effect range on liners.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Operation Sports mobile app

So do you use have auto adjust off and make manual adjustments or do you pre-set defense for each player at the beginning of the game?

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

So do you use have auto adjust off and make manual adjustments or do you pre-set defense for each player at the beginning of the game?

I use auto adjust just so I can get things like double play depth and 3B drag defense automatically, and I've just gotten into the habit of pressing the buttons to set the shift duration to batter. I can pump out the proper shift pretty fast now.

I don't remember what they were, it's been a while, but I found a few issues with pre-setting defenses.

The system clearly needs an update, but adding in all the things that I would want would be a pretty big undertaking.

[knich]

Re: Defensive Position (dpad down)

I use auto adjust just so I can get things like double play depth and 3B drag defense automatically, and I've just gotten into the habit of pressing the buttons to set the shift duration to batter. I can pump out the proper shift pretty fast now.

I don't remember what they were, it's been a while, but I found a few issues with pre-setting defenses.

The system clearly needs an update, but adding in all the things that I would want would be a pretty big undertaking.

Thanks. Yeah there are definitely bugs with this system. One major one is once you set a specific player it is near impossible to cancel it.