For all the emphasis placed on hitting, pitching is half of what MLB The Show 23 has to offer. More and more gamers are taking the lead for Shohei Ohtani and doing both. It's the one way that gamers get to experience every aspect of the game.
Some players might understandably retreat after getting knocked around a bit in MLB The Show 23. But pitching is a fine art and there is ultimately a way for gamers to pitch regularly shutouts even on the toughest difficulty setting with a bit of practice and some strong advice.
Favor Control
Gamers should be empowered to play the way they would like. Velocity and breaking ball pitchers are perfectly valid. But early on in the journey and all the way through the end of the game, there is no substitute for a high control attribute.
The best starting pitchers can decide where a ball goes and reliably get it close to their spot. Without control, velocity and break pitchers will wind up throwing pitches in the dirt, above the catcher's head, or, worst of all, right down the middle.
Always Target Corners
For two of the three hitting settings, it's impossible to target the corners on a pitch. For the third one, zone hitting, the reticles will still round off, meaning hitting at the corners will always be weaker than hitting down the middle or on the sides.
There will occasionally be instances where the player has a "blue" zone down the middle and red hitting at the corners. Disregard this entirely. This is more due to the "surprise" of a pitch down the middle and not being ready for it than an ability to hit this particular location.
Walks Are Fine
Of course, nobody wants to walk players and it should only be encouraged if first base is open with a threat at the plate. However, on three-ball counts, it is much wiser to throw a close pitch and potentially walk the batter than to tighten up the zone.
Sometimes balls will happen and players won't swing at them. That's just how it goes. But throwing up a home run ball is exactly what all modern ballplayers are looking for. The best first basemen will take advantage of this at the plate, don't give in, make them swing at junk or be a harmless baserunner.
Selecting Pitches
With five total pitch slots, pitchers can fill up their arsenal and keep hitters guessing. It's smart to have at least two pitches that look alike and are close to the same speed. For example, a two-seam fastball and a cutter fastball will be about identical in speed but cut toward opposite sides of the plate. This can result in some bad contact,
A slider is a smart choice because it cut diagonally, giving opponents two vectors (vertically and horizontally) that they can miss. Finally, throw in a nice and slow breaker. This tends to make hitters excited. Throw it low and watch them miss or ground out weakly.
Sidearm Delivery Against Human Opponents
AI opponents don't have to "visualize" pitches as they come in to the plate, but human opponents do. With a traditional windup or stretch motion, the opponent gets a good look at any early indication of the pitch's motion.
Siderarm throwers can often be some of the best closers in the league because the ball won't appear to break at all until the last moment (if it breaks at all). Use a sidearm delivery to make human opponents look terrible on their swings.
Switch Out Pitchers Frequently
In most modes, there is no penalty for switching out pitchers frequently. Keeping a fresh arm in the game keeps the pitches snappy and accurate. As soon as there is even a hint of weariness, pull the pitcher for a fresh one.
Batters go up there looking to hit home runs and constantly putting in different pitchers will keep them from being able to guess the pitch. Against scary hitters, check to see if they are weaker against a specific handedness. Don't be shy about putting in a pitcher to face just one hitter, the big league managers do this all the time.
Check Batter Cards & Zones
One of the best hitting tips players can receive is to check out the pitcher's strengths and weaknesses. With the same button (R2 on all console controllers), pitchers can get a detailed breakdown of the batter's hot spots and ability to hit with power and contact.
It's foolish not to utilize this tool. Some batters have such specific weaknesses that it's rather easy to throw strikes they simply can't do anything with. Target that area until they strike out. If they start fouling these pitches off, toss a few outside of the zone near the areas they are actually good at hitting.
Changing The Pitching Settings
Players might specifically find they have a single pitching setting that works for them. Pinpoint is great for hardcore gamers but meter and analog pitching have their place as well. For most pitchers, there will be one to use before switching over to another.
As a player's control or velocity improves, removing the element of human error can be beneficial. On the flip side, low-control pitchers will find they can make up for this with greater human control. It's something to set and then revisit after a while.
Low Against Power, High Against Contact
Players who make a perfect custom batting stance understand that not all stances can hit everything equally. Some specialize in hitting low or high pitches. Because of the way the three reticles work for types of swings, it's impossible to power swing on balls in the low corners well and it's likewise impossible to contact swing against balls on the high corners.
Target corners that oppose the hitter's preference. Unless they have a stance that counters it, make power and contact hitters try to swing at balls that are on the opposite corners of what they want.
Equip Appropriately
Looking over the best equipment for each kind of player, pitchers are lucky in that they only have a few pieces to focus on. But these pieces make a huge difference, potentially getting a regular pitcher over that 99 rating cap.
Gamers who don't want to open up their wallets should learn the method for farming stubs that works nicely. Even casual gamers can earn all gold or better gear with just a couple of hours of gameplay.
MLB The Show 23 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.