[Ryan97]

You need to change your mindset like I had to. I use to change locations with pitch types. That dosent work.

The slider is effective because the batter needs to think its fastball, the changeup is effective cause it looks like a fastball and breaks down. The curve is effective cause it starts out high enough the batter thinks its going high out of the zone. Point is your junk needs to be thrown in the same spots you locate your fastballs. Throwing fastballs in one spot and throwing your junk somewhere else dosent work.

"How can I make it look like the pitch I just through but be different ?" Dont worry about changing speeds cause that naturally happens with pitch selection.

You should be focused on being visually deceptive. I want to work a curveball into my game I better establish some high strikes If I want them to swing or some high balls if I want them to take it. Or both if I want to mess them up. Your slider is useless if your starting it somewhere the fastball hasnt already been and change up as well. If you haven't thrown any low strikes than the chance of them biting on a change up is slim.

Point is simple if your pitching to certain parts of the zone try to "start" your pitches in the same spot to fool them. Everything needs to start with your fastball. This opens two approaches early in the game. You can focus on really moving your fastball around to establish the later at bats. Or you can gradually expand your zone during the game as you work to get guys out early as quick as possible by working the locations you establish in that at bat. Than you open up new sections in the following at bat.

Once you have gone through the lineup once you need to start to change it up. So batter (A) you started with a fastaball for a strike high. Start him with a curveball that started in the same spot as that fastball. Now you have told them your not just throwing first pitch fastballs for strikes.

Dont purposely throw for balls unless it is to get them to chase because your making them think its something else. Balls will happen when you miss the targets and the pitch will has served a purpose.

I have no idea if any of that rambling made any sense. But I try to be visually deceptive thats what I focus on.

I may start a fastball on the outer edge and miss I wont then change speeds for a strike. I may try to hit the same spot again hoping they are taking cause I just missed that spot.

You need to throw your junk for strikes too. There is a reason the game tracks strike percentages with every pitch. The AI uses this too. If your missing all day with your change up I would forget about it and try to throw it later for a strike when the AI is no longer use to seeing it. Some games you just have to let it go. When you get good with the fastball slider combo it really helps. One of the toughest pitches for people to have success with in this game is the slider. You have to find that sweet spot where it will land on that corner then your golden when working it off the fastball.