Stealing

[Baseball Purist]

Can anyone give some tips on stealing? In past games, i could take a one step lead and have pretty good success. Thos year with a one step lead i am getting thrown out at a good clip with guys who have good speed. Ive tried a 2 step lead but its almost an automatic pickoff by the computer.

[ezevthokie9]

Re: Stealing

I never steal on guys who throw 95+. I also try to steal in off-speed counts (0-1, 1-2, etc). Check the pitch confidence too; if he's really confident on off-speed pitches then he'll throw more of those outside of predictable situations.

When you slide, use the head-first slide to the far side of the bag. I have been beat by the ball (split second) and that slide has helped me avoid the tag.

Hope this helps!

[Baseball Purist]

Re: Stealing

I never steal on guys who throw 95+. I also try to steal in off-speed counts (0-1, 1-2, etc). Check the pitch confidence too; if he's really confident on off-speed pitches then he'll throw more of those outside of predictable situations.

When you slide, use the head-first slide to the far side of the bag. I have been beat by the ball (split second) and that slide has helped me avoid the tag.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the advice. How do i control the slide? The computer seems to dictate which way i slide most of the time.

[dougdeuce]

Re: Stealing

I never steal on guys who throw 95+. I also try to steal in off-speed counts (0-1, 1-2, etc). Check the pitch confidence too; if he's really confident on off-speed pitches then he'll throw more of those outside of predictable situations.

When you slide, use the head-first slide to the far side of the bag. I have been beat by the ball (split second) and that slide has helped me avoid the tag.

Hope this helps!

I'd throw in try to time your jump. I get the extra step lead if the pitcher will allow it, and then trigger the steal by tapping L2. Then try to hit L1 half a second before the pitcher comes to the plate. That'll get your player going to the bag quicker.

It's dangerous though, because if you jump too soon the pitcher will just step off and throw in front of you. But if you practice enough and pay attention to the pitcher when you've got runners on, you can generally get a good idea.

[mrsaito]

Re: Stealing

Thanks for the advice. How do i control the slide? The computer seems to dictate which way i slide most of the time.

For a headfirst slide, push the left stick forward. For the slide described (headfirst and outside of bag) push left stick forward and a bit to the right, say
one or two o'clock.

[PhlliesPhan6]

Re: Stealing

I'm having the same frustration of stealing. If I take a big lead I'm pretty much automatically picked off. If I don't take a lead I'm not even close. It seems like even pitchers with a slow delivery to the plate my baser runner will wait until he's almost finished his wind up to take off.

[Therebelyell626]

Re: Stealing

What I have been doing lately that's been helping, is immediately pressing R1 to go back to first if I get a bad jump. The catcher will throw to 2nd 99.9% of the time giving you a safe slide back to first. You have to do it fairly quickly after the attempt though or they will have enough time to pick you off if you don't make the choice until your halfway through the steal attempt.

I am one of the people to doesn't just tap R2 and let my guy take over. I hold R2 and try and time the jump myself. The problem is the jumps seem completely random this year and user input has no effect whatsoever. The good news is you should know right away if you have a bad jump or not. If your guy is not already headed to second when the pitcher makes his initial move to the plate you will not make it to second. So if your base runner doesn't make the jump the second the pitcher makes his initial move, just jam on the R1 button and you'll be back safe at first 99.9% of the time.

[bcruise]

Re: Stealing

Can anyone give some tips on stealing? In past games, i could take a one step lead and have pretty good success. Thos year with a one step lead i am getting thrown out at a good clip with guys who have good speed. Ive tried a 2 step lead but its almost an automatic pickoff by the computer.

If you're stealing in predictable situations, it may be that the CPU is using a slide step on you. Those deliver the ball with the pitching motion of a pitchout (so it comes out quicker), but with a hit to accuracy. Even the fastest guys can get thrown out on a slide step fastball, because it's not very different from a pitchout. If you catch a pitcher in his full stretch motion, even 50-60 speed guys can swipe a bag (depending on the catcher's arm)

And...don't take more than a 1 step (1 L1 press) lead. You're begging for the CPU to pick you off.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Stealing

I'm having a rough time this year too. I had a pretty solid and steady method that worked for years, including 2016. But this year, I just went through a stretch where I was caught about 15 or 16 out of 20 tries.

Not slide steps or pitch outs, just regular pitches. Some of them sliders and changeups low and either inside or outside. And the mediocre catcher will throw out my runner with 70+ speed.

It does also seem that the runner seems to have made it to the bag before the tag about a third of the time, and is still called out. Nothing I can do about it. So far, I only every succeed with a steal when the throw to the bag is either high or to the side. If its right to second base, I'm always out.

To try and balance things, I've increased the steal slider almost to the point of maxing it out, and somewhat increased baserunner speed too. We'll see if it works.

[countryboy]

Re: Stealing

Are you guys pre-loading your steals or choosing to steal by pressing the L2 button when the pitcher starts his windup?

I always pre-load my steal (press L2 after taking one step lead) and it has allowed me to steal bases. I still get thrown out at times, but nothing on the side of me thinking that stealing needs to be adjusted. I've stolen with Sierra who is quick and have a steal with Matt Carpenter who isn't the most fleet footed player.

[wizfan2]

Re: Stealing

Are you guys pre-loading your steals or choosing to steal by pressing the L2 button when the pitcher starts his windup?

I always pre-load my steal (press L2 after taking one step lead) and it has allowed me to steal bases. I still get thrown out at times, but nothing on the side of me thinking that stealing needs to be adjusted. I've stolen with Sierra who is quick and have a steal with Matt Carpenter who isn't the most fleet footed player.

Will this work with "classic"baserunning or just default?

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Stealing

Are you guys pre-loading your steals or choosing to steal by pressing the L2 button when the pitcher starts his windup?

I always pre-load my steal (press L2 after taking one step lead) and it has allowed me to steal bases. I still get thrown out at times, but nothing on the side of me thinking that stealing needs to be adjusted. I've stolen with Sierra who is quick and have a steal with Matt Carpenter who isn't the most fleet footed player.

Yes. I preload before the pitcher starts his windup. Then, I try to time it to take an extra step away from the bag when he starts to throw towards the plate as well.

Generally speaking, I mostly attempt to steal on counts that are 0-1, 1-1, 1-2 or 2-2, and most of the time its also part of a hit & run should the ball be in the zone.

[countryboy]

Re: Stealing

Will this work with "classic"baserunning or just default?

I'm honestly not sure as I don't use the classic buserunning controls.

I want to say yes it should be again, I use the default baserunning.

[countryboy]

Re: Stealing

Yes. I preload before the pitcher starts his windup. Then, I try to time it to take an extra step away from the bag when he starts to throw towards the plate as well.

Generally speaking, I mostly attempt to steal on counts that are 0-1, 1-1, 1-2 or 2-2, and most of the time its also part of a hit & run should the ball be in the zone.

That's what I do. I don't know exactly what my success rate is, but I would say its around 60%. I would have to check stats when I get home.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Stealing

That's what I do. I don't know exactly what my success rate is, but I would say its around 60%. I would have to check stats when I get home.

For many years, I would say that my success rate was between 60-70% for average players. Much higher for elite base stealers like Dee Gordon, who were more like 95%.

However, this year its been more like 20%. So I made some slider changes and we'll see what happens.