Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

[michfan16]

The most fun game is playing on HOF with no guess pitch. I

[damarsh1]

This is great advise and I need it. I just got done going through spring training with my rookie and I think I led the league in strike outs...Rookie League here I come.

[The Gird]

Let me preface by saying I have been playing video game baseball for 15 years and always start off on the highest difficuIty.

I got the game and system last Monday. Had to start of on Vet. My first 10 AB's I struck out 8 times. And 13 out of 15 outs recorded were K's. I was flabergasted. I actually turned the pitch speed all the way up, for me, its easier hitting that way. By my third full game on Vet, I was able to score 5/6 runs, on 8-12 hits, mixed in a few bombs. However was still strking out 8-12 times a game I went 2-1. Then I decided to bump it up to All-Star (currently still there), and DL'd some sliders.

My first game I won 1-0 in extra innings and a HR. Then, I finnally got the hang of things. Scored 13 runs with Oakland, (7 HRS that game, wind blowing out bigtime.) Beat the Yankee's 7-0 with Minnesota, (15 hits, 3 HR's)., still struck out 12 times. Then I lost 6-5 to ATL with the Stro's, still had 10 hits, Oswalt just didn't have it. However this time only struck out twice.

My point is the more you play, the easier it becomes. However you have to know count, situation and pitcher. Check your previous AB's, they pitch certain guys the same way the whole game. Some guys they will only throw away, hard stuff. Some guys they will only throw soft and low. That allows you to have a plan of attack knowing where to guess and what kind of pitch to look for. Knowing the pitcher is really helpful. If your facing a guy like Joba Chamberlin, he loves to challange you and then throw his slider or curve out of the zone. You know you are going to get alot of challange FB's up in the zone, so I would guess for that, then adjust.

All in all, hitting in this game takes: Time, pratice, PATIENCE and plate discipline. Along with having a plan for every AB. If you go up hacking at everything, your not going to be successful. It really is the beauty of the game. Hope this is helpful.

[Shinyhubcaps]

Do not take 3 straight on a 3-0 count because a surprising amount of the time, the pitcher will suddenly find his composure and strike you out.

[chuckm1961]

Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

I was disappointed by this article.

When I saw the title, I expected it to be about the things that get discussed a lot on this forum: the pros and cons of Guess Pitch, the way the PCI works, how to time your swing and the movement of the left stick, the purpose and use of the left stick versus the right stick, game changes you can make to make hitting easier or harder including sliders, views and such.

My two.

P.S. The article is essentially a primer on how to work the count in real life. Which says a lot for what SCEA has accomplished here.

[Braves Fan]

Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

Let me preface by saying I have been playing video game baseball for 15 years and always start off on the highest difficuIty.

I got the game and system last Monday. Had to start of on Vet. My first 10 AB's I struck out 8 times. And 13 out of 15 outs recorded were K's. I was flabergasted. I actually turned the pitch speed all the way up, for me, its easier hitting that way. By my third full game on Vet, I was able to score 5/6 runs, on 8-12 hits, mixed in a few bombs. However was still strking out 8-12 times a game I went 2-1. Then I decided to bump it up to All-Star (currently still there), and DL'd some sliders.

My first game I won 1-0 in extra innings and a HR. Then, I finnally got the hang of things. Scored 13 runs with Oakland, (7 HRS that game, wind blowing out bigtime.) Beat the Yankee's 7-0 with Minnesota, (15 hits, 3 HR's)., still struck out 12 times. Then I lost 6-5 to ATL with the Stro's, still had 10 hits, Oswalt just didn't have it. However this time only struck out twice.

My point is the more you play, the easier it becomes. However you have to know count, situation and pitcher. Check your previous AB's, they pitch certain guys the same way the whole game. Some guys they will only throw away, hard stuff. Some guys they will only throw soft and low. That allows you to have a plan of attack knowing where to guess and what kind of pitch to look for. Knowing the pitcher is really helpful. If your facing a guy like Joba Chamberlin, he loves to challange you and then throw his slider or curve out of the zone. You know you are going to get alot of challange FB's up in the zone, so I would guess for that, then adjust.

All in all, hitting in this game takes: Time, pratice, PATIENCE and plate discipline. Along with having a plan for every AB. If you go up hacking at everything, your not going to be successful. It really is the beauty of the game. Hope this is helpful.

Yeah when they say this is the most realistic game ever it's not just talk, it really is. If you don't go up there with a game plan it's going to frustrate you beyond belief. You aren't going to get a lot of pitches down the middle unless you work the count and force them to come to you. Even then they still might choose to walk you instead of giving in.

You better be prepared to walk in this game or you are going to strike out a ton.

[HechticSooner]

One thing that I would also say is that you have to at least understand the basics of the physics behind batting. You can attempt to just hit the ball dead center on a low and outside pitch, but for the most part that means you are just going to hit it at the SS or 2b. If you hold back and wait with your hitting zone pushed down and out you can pull the ball through the gap, or you can go a little early and and pop it over the gap. If it is up in the zone you are going to pop it up unless you learn that you want to go a little early at that pitch trying to slap it the other way.

This game at the plate shines for the way they have really brought hitting into the game for real.

As far as approach at the plate this article does give very good techniques for the first time real batter. As you get farther into the game and you start to really think about different pitchers, different hitters, and such you well have to learn how to develop a game plan for not just each player, but each situation, each pitch, location, count, how many on, the score, inning, it really does take it all in.

Great article, even better game.

[derekh8]

so the Batting Practice must be fore ps3 cant find it on ps2 ..

[Imnus]

Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

The most fun game is playing on HOF with no guess pitch. I

I play Legend but with Guess Pitch = No Feedback Mode.

[Imnus]

Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

so the Batting Practice must be fore ps3 cant find it on ps2 ..

Sorry no batting practice on PS2.

[LAWS77]

Re: Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB 09: The Show

great job with this. i think if everyone gives this a fair shake by sitting there and taking this whole thing in, it'll finally put to rest all the useless threads declaring this game as "broken."

very well done.

[snydeman55]

Here's my problem with the game this year: It's TOO hard. I'm 37 and I don't have perfect reflexes. I can't pick up an 85 mph slider vs a 92 mph fastball coming out of a pitcher's hand, because I DON'T play major league baseball and never have. With last year's version, things were pretty balanced for a guy like me. I won some, lost some, and did pretty well.

This year, more often than not I want to throw the controller through my TV. Needless to say, this is not entertaining. No matter how I adjust the sliders on ROOKIE level, I'm not hitting the ball. Even WHEN I catch the pitch in the middle of the plate, I get some ball hit right to a defender. Please don't even ask about homeruns...I'm not even sure what one looks like anymore.

No, wait, I see them all the time...from an AI opponent who jacks them out on me because no matter what I do my pitchers always have an inning where nothing I throw comes anywhere close to where I aim. For shiites and giggles I pushed up the sliders on control and consistency to the max, and you know what happened? Nothing. No change. I created a guy with maximum stats just to test things out...I mean, MAX in every stat. He still had the same control problems. (I use classic pitching, by the way. Slow old-timers and meters, well...)

Ok, so before anyone flames me...YES I know baseball can be like this. But every game? And I know the strategy of what a batter should do when he comes to the plate; I've grown UP on this sport.

I'm just starting to feel that nothing I change in the sliders will actually let a guy like me play the game anymore. A guy who doesn't have hours to spend in batting practice - I have a two year old and another on the way - and a guy who doesn't have the sharpest eyes or reflexes. A guy who just wants to sit back and play a good, fun game of baseball that ISN'T made by 2k sports.

Maybe I need to go back to last year's version...but man, this year's looks SO nice.

*sighs* Anyone else out there have any suggestions, besides advice on how a batter should bat in the big leagues?

'Cause I ain't in the big leagues.

For the record, I use:
Guess pitch off

Rookie hitting (Please, timing a ball and deciding if it's in the strike zone is challenging enough for me, though I did ok at veteran level last year)

Pitch speed all the way down, timing about 80% up. That worked GREAT for me last year.

[WalkMan99]

Great Write Up Helped me a lot!