The MLB the Show series is one of the most realistic sports simulations available. Pitching can be challenging, but these tips should help you become a better pitcher in your Road to the Show or regular season mode
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Main Elements
The main elements to improving your pitching effectiveness include varying locations, changing speeds, setting batters up, determining the power of your pitches, not over relying on any pitches or cold zones, keeping most pitches down, using the batter analysis as you get deeper into the game, and most importantly of all, patience.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Fastball
It is essential that you utilize your fastballs and change ups. Don’t get cute by using all of your pitches equally. This can work with off speed pitches, but your fastball should be your main pitch. According to the in-game strategy itself, it recommends that two-thirds of your pitches be fastballs. This is because it is the hardest pitch to adjust to because of the speed. At least fifty percent of your pitches should be fastballs to keep the computer from expecting off speed pitches. If the computer expects off speed, they’ll crush it.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Change Up
Don’t overuse the changeup. Just because you have Johan Santana doesn’t mean you should use his change up over fifty percent of the time. The change up is supposed to be the deceptor to the fastball. If the computer starts looking for the slow stuff, consequences ensue. At most, a change up should be used around 20-25% of the time to keep the computer off balance. The change up is probably the most effective pitch in the game if used properly along with the low and away slider on 2 strike counts.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Curve Ball
The curve ball is one of the toughest pitches to master in MLB the Show because of locating it. It’s great to freeze betters with two strike counts when used sparingly. If you strike out an opponent early in the game with a curve ball and his meter becomes full for that pitch, it becomes an effective strikeout pitch depending on its attributes. If the meter isn’t full, don’t use it more than 10-15% of your pitches. Hitters will crush a curve when they expect it.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Cold Zones
In some games, you just pitch at the cold zones. This won’t work in MLB the Show. If a player expects a pitch is going to a certain area, expect it to be smoked. Vary your locations. The comfort zone in this game is the low outside corner of the plate. Mix some fastballst up and in and it will make that part of the zone more effective. By attacking the low outside corner, mostly keeping the ball down, and using cold zones, you’ll get more batters out.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Setting Up Hitters
There is no money way of setting batters up. While there are effective methods, if you keep repeating the same patterns, the computer catches on. If you have a fastball and curve ball, you can attack the batter by going high with the fastball and throwing in a curve, or vice versa. If you have fastball that breaks opposite of the slider, these two can be a dominant tandem. Even having a cutter and 2-seam fastball can be effective in freezing the batter.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Pitching Meter
Don’t overpower your pitches. This eliminates stamina and decreases location. A perfectly located pitch that is 3mph slower is much more effective than any pitch hanging over the plate. Never pitch full power on the first pitch of an at bat; you want to get the first strike on a batter. The worst case scenario is they get a hit on the first pitch. Theoretically, 7/10 times that is not going to happen and they may force themselves out on a one-pitch at bat. Strikeouts are sweet, but 1-pitch at bats are better for your pitchers longevity and when you see batters later in the game. Let them be impatient.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Scouting
This next recommendation takes patience, but it’s strongly encourage: Review what you have pitched to each batter before they come to the plate. This increased my productivity in the final three innings of a game. I realized that when guys saw me for a third or fourth time, they knew what I would pitch them. I noticed that for some batters I may have never thew them a change up during that game yet, so I use that more against them. Often, I see that I have pitched them in the same area, so I changed my locations. This takes time, but it’ll produce better results after the sixth inning.
MLB the Show Pitching Tips: Patience
Don’t get frustrated; the game seems to punish players for rushing things.Found this helpful? Check out some of my other MLB the Show Tutorials at my website.
