Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

[Will I Am]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

One thing I like about classic is that you can actually watch the pitcher throw the ball instead of staring at a meter.

[gigemaggs99]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Hope this helps. Classic is a lot of fun. It almost seems like the knuckleballers of MLB players. I even turned a few friends into classic people. Remember, you'll never master it...

Thank you! Since the servers were down today for whatever reason I popped MLB the Show 14 in and tried classic pitching. It's wild how it actually has tips, it explained tapping the throw button for more accuracy and holding it down for more velocity and less accuracy. Would be nice if MLB the Show 18 explained the same things, maybe it does but I don't see if, maybe I have tips turned OFF or something, but the Show 14 helped as did your responses, thank you!

[Guys_WhoGame]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Classic is random in a sense, but you can get it to work in your favor for the most part. If i use someone like Chris Sale i can go max on most of his pitches. Why? his control rating is so good on them. the only time I use max is when I'm down 3-0.

[stealyerface]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I switched a few years ago, and have never looked back.

Remember that Classic Pitching is a perfect time to take your warm ups with your relievers and closers, and figure out where the release point is that gives you the best return. The last thing you want to do is bring in a guy with a nasty slider, press the pitch button too long, and bend one around the dish and send the batter to first with a HBP. Use the warm ups, and figure out where the sweet spot is.

Also, learn where that spot is using visual clues. When you use David Price, if you let go just as his front knee gets to the highest point, you can usually get a perfect release. With Kimbrel, just before he pushes off the rubber, that release point will get you his filthy curveball.

Learn where each pitcher's position A is, and that will help you tremendously.

Also, don't be afraid to use a set up pitch, and if you are going to show the batter a 2-seamer outside the zone, and not hittable, don't use the max press on that one. Save the energy, show him a waste pitch, then bury Uncle Charlie with a full-press vibration rattle and send him back to the pine.

The announcers will actually give you some props by using said pitches as well. I threw Stanton a fastball that was two feet high, and the next pitch, I stuffed a change up into the dirt.

DeRo said, "Now THAT is classic pitch sequence there. Set him up with a fastball out of the zone, then come back with something soft and change his eye level."

Nice shout out for working the zone.

Have fun, once you get hooked, you'll never watch a meter again.
~syf

[wisdom less13]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I switched a few years ago, and have never looked back.

Remember that Classic Pitching is a perfect time to take your warm ups with your relievers and closers, and figure out where the release point is that gives you the best return. The last thing you want to do is bring in a guy with a nasty slider, press the pitch button too long, and bend one around the dish and send the batter to first with a HBP. Use the warm ups, and figure out where the sweet spot is.

Also, learn where that spot is using visual clues. When you use David Price, if you let go just as his front knee gets to the highest point, you can usually get a perfect release. With Kimbrel, just before he pushes off the rubber, that release point will get you his filthy curveball.

Learn where each pitcher's position A is, and that will help you tremendously.

Also, don't be afraid to use a set up pitch, and if you are going to show the batter a 2-seamer outside the zone, and not hittable, don't use the max press on that one. Save the energy, show him a waste pitch, then bury Uncle Charlie with a full-press vibration rattle and send him back to the pine.

The announcers will actually give you some props by using said pitches as well. I threw Stanton a fastball that was two feet high, and the next pitch, I stuffed a change up into the dirt.

DeRo said, "Now THAT is classic pitch sequence there. Set him up with a fastball out of the zone, then come back with something soft and change his eye level."

Nice shout out for working the zone.

Have fun, once you get hooked, you'll never watch a meter again.
~syf

Lost a game the other day spiking a pitch with bases juiced. On HOF this year, no human pitching changes and getting good numbers. If only my pen wasn't so bad...

[VTWiseGuy]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I found this on Armor And Sword & Marino’s Classic Pitching/Directional Hitting Simulation Sliders thread.

When pitching in classic, you have about a 1 second time period before you get the controller vibration (i.e. max-effort). The following are my observations...

Max effort pitches (holding the button down till the vibration) result in the following:
More velocity
Less control
A sharper break on breaking pitches
Pitches tend to rise more


Minimum effort pitches (tapping the button) results in the following:
Less velocity
Better control
"Loopier" breaking balls (especially curves/sliders
Pitches sink more (due to lower velo) - changeups will pretty constantly wind up in the dirt
In many cases, an "intermediate" duration is optimal. However, you can vary this from pitch to pitch (i.e. like a pitcher adding/subtracting from the speed of the pitch). This is a tremendous way to keep hitters off-balance to help to avoid them getting solid contact/timing.

Does this hold true still? I feel like it does since I play on classic.

[wisdom less13]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I found this on Armor And Sword & Marino’s Classic Pitching/Directional Hitting Simulation Sliders thread.

When pitching in classic, you have about a 1 second time period before you get the controller vibration (i.e. max-effort). The following are my observations...

Max effort pitches (holding the button down till the vibration) result in the following:
More velocity
Less control
A sharper break on breaking pitches
Pitches tend to rise more


Minimum effort pitches (tapping the button) results in the following:
Less velocity
Better control
"Loopier" breaking balls (especially curves/sliders
Pitches sink more (due to lower velo) - changeups will pretty constantly wind up in the dirt
In many cases, an "intermediate" duration is optimal. However, you can vary this from pitch to pitch (i.e. like a pitcher adding/subtracting from the speed of the pitch). This is a tremendous way to keep hitters off-balance to help to avoid them getting solid contact/timing.

Does this hold true still? I feel like it does since I play on classic.

The idea of it, yes. The execution? Man, I can't tell you. I've been getting my lunch this year. I love it...

[Rocky2018]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Amazing thread! I read through the whole thing as I am making the change from meter to classic, tons of useful insight, tips and strategies. Thanks to all


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[hitmanwa]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I'm glad you mentioned the strikezone/LS vibration because this is a very important part of the interface and your success/failure will rely on how you interact with the strikezone itself.

Aiming the cursor to a vibration point definitely impacts pitch accuracy. This is why I largely aim the ball in points of the zone that don't rumble a good chunk of the time. Player ratings will move the ball closer to the black/further in the zone on their own. Aiming to the corner too often (IE nibbling) will be your biggest downfall if you're not careful.

Now, once my confidence is up, all bets are off! At that point my control is so good that I can embarrass fools with perfectly placed pitches. Sometimes aiming the ball to the vibration points is very sound strategy so you have to kind of choose which approach is best for the situation at hand.

Confidence changes the parimeter where the rumble starts, correct?

[KBLover]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I found this on Armor And Sword & Marino’s Classic Pitching/Directional Hitting Simulation Sliders thread.

When pitching in classic, you have about a 1 second time period before you get the controller vibration (i.e. max-effort). The following are my observations...

Max effort pitches (holding the button down till the vibration) result in the following:
More velocity
Less control
A sharper break on breaking pitches
Pitches tend to rise more


Minimum effort pitches (tapping the button) results in the following:
Less velocity
Better control
"Loopier" breaking balls (especially curves/sliders
Pitches sink more (due to lower velo) - changeups will pretty constantly wind up in the dirt
In many cases, an "intermediate" duration is optimal. However, you can vary this from pitch to pitch (i.e. like a pitcher adding/subtracting from the speed of the pitch). This is a tremendous way to keep hitters off-balance to help to avoid them getting solid contact/timing.

Does this hold true still? I feel like it does since I play on classic.

Tapping and max have those effects.

The "intermediate" effects have always been harder for me to see. It could be my sliders.

I always get better results mixing tap and max effort based on pitch, pitcher, and intended location.

All the other intermediate approaches like matching the delivery (which for some pitchers doesn't work because you get the rumble before the pitcher drives/releases), have never seemed to do anything that max or tap doesn't do.

Not to say it's not there - but for me, tap and max effects are there, observable, represented in metrics/stat results I get, and consistent, so that's what I go with.

[hitmanwa]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Rumble inside the strike zone...is it telling you that at your worst w that particular pitch and the control you have of it, it will be a ball? So w a fast ball if you put it just before it rumbles at worst it will be borderline? Does not include break...just straight ball location?

[KBLover]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Rumble inside the strike zone...is it telling you that at your worst w that particular pitch and the control you have of it, it will be a ball? So w a fast ball if you put it just before it rumbles at worst it will be borderline? Does not include break...just straight ball location?

The rumble just indicates the pitcher will throw will full effort. He'll "put a little extra" on it. The pitch will (attempt to) have more velocity and movement and may have less command and/or more prone to hang/misfire.

Whether or not it's a strike/ball/put in play and the result depends on other factors.

[hitmanwa]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Sorry, I meant the location. Pitch placement will rumble in certain areas. It changes with pitch type and confidence I believe

[Cliffking]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Tapping and max have those effects.

The "intermediate" effects have always been harder for me to see. It could be my sliders.

I always get better results mixing tap and max effort based on pitch, pitcher, and intended location.

All the other intermediate approaches like matching the delivery (which for some pitchers doesn't work because you get the rumble before the pitcher drives/releases), have never seemed to do anything that max or tap doesn't do.

Not to say it's not there - but for me, tap and max effects are there, observable, represented in metrics/stat results I get, and consistent, so that's what I go with.

Hey Kb,

I appreciate this breakdown of your pitching strategy. I've been having a lot of issues figuring out exactly when to use max effort and when to tap for a few seconds, etc. So do you always use max effort with 2 strikes? Or does it always depend on the pitcher you're using?

[KBLover]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Hey Kb,

I appreciate this breakdown of your pitching strategy. I've been having a lot of issues figuring out exactly when to use max effort and when to tap for a few seconds, etc. So do you always use max effort with 2 strikes? Or does it always depend on the pitcher you're using?

Depends on pitch, pitcher, confidence levels, and the hitter.

Typically:

Pitch type: Offspeed
Out of the zone - I'll usually tap as I just want them to chase and it stay out of the zone. Sometimes, if confidence is high, I'll max effort it, especially with no one on base and down.

In the zone - I'll usually max effort since deception is what I want. If it's going to be a strike, it will have to be a deceptive one to either freeze the hitter or make him swing through it.

Pitch type: Breaking
Either in or out of the zone, I'll mix it up. I probably tap more than max effort, especially in the zone or front door. I want the location first and foremost. Away, I'll do more max effort. Hope to get that bite that either makes it look outside and then nip the corner or look middle then bite away after the hitter commits.

Pitch type: Fastball/Sinker
Usually I'll max effort out of the zone (try to get the movement to induce a chase) and tap in zone (focus more on location and rely changing locations and speeds if this is a pitcher with different speeds on his fastballs).

Pitch type: Knuckleball and Knuckle Curve
Usually max effort. Nothing worse than a knuckler that doesn't move. For the knuckle curve, I think it needs that tight movement to be worth it. Otherwise, it's just a lazy sweeping curve - and I think that's bad.

Pitch type: Forkballs (forkball, splitter, vulcan change)
Usually max effort except for forkballs. They are fine if they just "tumble" as long as they end up out of danger. I'll use them as "slow sinkers" more than anything else.

From there, I vary by hitter Vision and Discipline

High VIS, High DISC
These are annoying hitters and I will tend to just tap and go for location. I'm probably not going to fool them, and if I do, it's probably because of the pitcher's ratings. Last thing I want to do is make a mistake to a hitter that won't miss it and won't chase. I'll work in and out of the zone and hope for the best.

High VIS, Low DISC
For these, I stay out of the zone and max effort. They might make contact, but I can fool them into using that contact on pitches off the plate or that aren't ideal for them to hit.

Low VIS, High DISC
I'll do max effort a lot in the zone against these hitters, hoping to freeze them and if not, the VIS should minimize damage unless it's a total fail of a pitch. This is especially true if my pitcher is a high K/9 and Movement pitcher. Out of the zone is mostly taps, hoping to get a close enough but mostly those are "show" pitches against high DISC hitters (they probably aren't chasing).

Low VIS, Low DISC
Not many of these but usually I'll just tap and move in and out of the zone. #1 thing here is try to avoid the super mistake pitch that could let them do damage easily.


I'll also consider my pitcher.

I mostly look at BB/9 and K/9 with so many types in my franchises,

(for me, low = under 45, avg = 55-75, high = over 85)
High BB/9, high K/9
Not many to go around - one, Boeve my now aging ace in my Year 14 franchise, was probably the best one I ever had. Sale is close. I pretty much just tap except when working fastballs out of the zone (want more movement)

Low BB/9, Low K/9
I try not to keep any of these guys around, but if I have to use one it's mostly all taps.

High BB/9, Low K/9
Mostly taps. Probably won't get many K's unless they freeze guys with location, which is where the taps come in - try to leverage the command the pitcher relies on.

Low BB/9, High K/9
Max effort all day every day. Command is potato no matter what so might as well maximize velocity and movement and hope for the best. Go for that "effectively wild" approach, since that's what those ratings say to me.


Lastly, confidence - I use the lower of pitch or pitcher confidence. So if pitcher confidence is high but that pitch's is low, I'll use the low rules.

Average/Normal confidence - use the usual strategy

Low confidence - more tapping than usual, just want the pitch/pitcher to try to get on track.

High confidence - more max effort than usual, pitch/pitcher is on so he'll likely execute location even when being greedy with his pitches.