CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

[FavreDollaFootlong]

Overall decent game, way better than last years but it's starting to piss me off that the CPU never swings at Balls. even on 0-2 counts with strikeout pitchers against players like Mark Reynolds, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Howards (who strikeout 100+ times a year) and even utility players. they all turn into Tony Gwynn. has anyone else been annoyed by this or have any thoughts or slider adjustments to help me out?

[spit_bubble]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

I can get them to swing, but it seems it's usually on pitches that are somewhat borderline and never really all that far outside the zone.

[tiedyed]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

Overall decent game, way better than last years but it's starting to piss me off that the CPU never swings at Balls. even on 0-2 counts with strikeout pitchers against players like Mark Reynolds, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Howards (who strikeout 100+ times a year) and even utility players. they all turn into Tony Gwynn. has anyone else been annoyed by this or have any thoughts or slider adjustments to help me out?

I have been able to get some to chase sliders and curve balls that drop out of zone,but never get them to chase fastballs.

[Dirty Turtles]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

If I hit the spots my catcher is calling for out of the zone they swing 75% of the time. I've gotten them to swing at unintentional pitches out of the zone as well (curves, sliders, etc.).

[DontHateOnNumber2]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

I get high fastball strikeouts plenty.

[swaldo]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

Overall decent game, way better than last years but it's starting to piss me off that the CPU never swings at Balls. even on 0-2 counts with strikeout pitchers against players like Mark Reynolds, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Howards (who strikeout 100+ times a year) and even utility players. they all turn into Tony Gwynn. has anyone else been annoyed by this or have any thoughts or slider adjustments to help me out?

Are you keeping an eye on the Inside Edge data? It tells you their swing & miss % for every zone. Try throwing more into their high percentage areas and see if that makes a difference.

[RGmoney]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

I have been able to get some to chase sliders and curve balls that drop out of zone,but never get them to chase fastballs.

About the same for me. I have gotten some out with a fastball just off the plate also.

PC version using BigJoe's sliders.

[FavreDollaFootlong]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

Are you keeping an eye on the Inside Edge data? It tells you their swing & miss % for every zone. Try throwing more into their high percentage areas and see if that makes a difference.

Yeah i bought all of them and use Mauer who's highly rated in that regard. I was trying to throw a perfect game on legend but after awhile i switched down to pro to see the difference and if they swing more freely and so far their not but maybe i just need to mix it up more. starting to get them to bite on sliders but never any fastballs and my Mussina-esque knuckle curves get crushed down and away for home runs on 3-2 counts after a 100mph fastball. so then i switched to a power then 12-6 and same thing. never fools them and i have an 80-90 rating on most my pitches.

i gotta hit that mini-strike zone within the larger strike zone any time i want them to swing otherwise i'm averaging about 6-7 walks a game with control pitchers. i mean i'm playing with the Twins and we get the long ball hit against us for sure but not a ton of walks and my control is just wack. even switched to classic style pitching to see what happens when i hit my target every time on but same problems. have had a couple perfect game bids broken up in the 7th or 8th cuz i get them down 0-2, try to nibble and then they hit that low curve or slider for a texas leaguer cuz i gotta hit the corner. almost broke my tv

[peigone]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

I haven't really noticed this, but I always play with the AAA and AA teams who have lower ratings in all catagories. Must be their lowered K or Eye ratings really do have an affect on how much they go out of the strikezone, which is very cool.

[elfdutch]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

Strange, i find that the CPU does swing on pitches outside the zone.
Really like that in this game.

I have had them swinging on nasty curves and sliders, and even on fastball outside the zone which are not borderline.

[ambizytl]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

Overall decent game, way better than last years but it's starting to piss me off that the CPU never swings at Balls. even on 0-2 counts with strikeout pitchers against players like Mark Reynolds, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Howards (who strikeout 100+ times a year) and even utility players. they all turn into Tony Gwynn. has anyone else been annoyed by this or have any thoughts or slider adjustments to help me out?

I wouldn't say never, but those strikeout guys you mentioned don't swing at out of zone pitches often enough.

[peigone]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

I wouldn't say never, but those strikeout guys you mentioned don't swing at out of zone pitches often enough.

A couple things to keep in mind. First, it could be their IE hot/cold ratings have something to do with when they swing. If you're pitching to a hot zone area, could it be the hitter is more prone to take outside pitches than he would if you were targeting his cold zone areas? I don't know.

The other thing is the player ratings are simply wrong and way too high. B.J. Upton for example has Eye ratings in the high 70's and low 80's, even though he was second in the AL in K's last year. His Eye ratings should be in the 10's and 20's. But the developers won't do that because... and I've said this many times over the past several years regarding 2K's games... the ratings are calculated to ensure CORRECT SIM STATS, and not necessarily REALISTIC GAMEPLAY.

[ambizytl]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

A couple things to keep in mind. First, it could be their IE hot/cold ratings have something to do with when they swing. If you're pitching to a hot zone area, could it be the hitter is more prone to take outside pitches than he would if you were targeting his cold zone areas? I don't know.

The other thing is the player ratings are simply wrong and way too high. B.J. Upton for example has Eye ratings in the high 70's and low 80's, even though he was second in the AL in K's last year. His Eye ratings should be in the 10's and 20's. But the developers won't do that because... and I've said this many times over the past several years regarding 2K's games... the ratings are calculated to ensure CORRECT SIM STATS, and not necessarily REALISTIC GAMEPLAY.

I think it's probably the ratings like you said. There are lots of ratings that just don't make sense to me; for example, Ubaldo Jimenez doesn't have a two-seamer in the game--and that was his most often used pitch last year!

Anyway, nothing is perfect and it's all about having fun for me, and in that case I win.

[peigone]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

Anyway, nothing is perfect and it's all about having fun for me

That's the way I feel as well, yup.

[KraZe]

Re: CPU never swings at pitches outside k zone

I haven't delved into pitching much with 2k11 yet (working on My Player until the fatigue bugs are fixed up for Franchise mode), but what I used to do with 2k10 was put myself in the batter's shoes. If you see a pitch starting out as a ball, chances are you're going to lay off of it. If its starting as a strike, you're going to have a tendency to swing away. If I want the batter to swing at a ball out of the strike zone, I started my pitch on the inside/outside of the plate and had it tail off out of the strike zone using a cutter or slider, or start in the strike zone and drop out if it's a change-up or sinker. I also had a lot of fun spotting a 6-12 curve high and out of the zone and dropping it across the heart of the plate as the batter simply watched it the whole way.

Obviously you have to mix up your pitches well if you plan on pulling something like that, but it worked out well for me most of the time. (I did get caught a few times with the 6-12 curve... oops)

I just wanted to add, a lot of people make the mistake of saying, "I can't get him to swing at any balls"... wrong mentality. You're trying to get the hitter to CHASE pitches, not simply swing at something that isn't in the strike zone. If a batter swings at a pitch that would be a ball, he either had his mind set on a different pitch (ie: Expecting Curve ball cutting into the strike zone, but he gets a fastball outside instead) or he read the pitch wrong (ie: Fastball on the outside, close to the strike zone). That's where your speed and movement play a big part. If you hammer the outside of the plate with fastballs to the point that he misses, then fouls one off, your next pitch should be some sort of off-speed or breaking ball to mess with his timing, and generally placed on the inside part of the plate. Also, if you've been drilling lower pitches, throw one higher in the zone. Chances are the batter will be so fixated on the lower half of the strike zone, he'll swing right under it.

Again, think like a hitter when you're on the mound... "If I was at the plate right now, what would really screw me up..."