It goes without stating that pitching is a pivotal part of the game of baseball. Elite pitchers can shut down opposing bats by blowing away the batters with incredible power and velocity, or pinpoint the ball and put it in places that make it extremely difficult to hit. If you need help with pitching in MLB The Show 22, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s go over what you need to know for pitching in MLB The Show, whether it’s interfaces, settings recommendations, or even some tips to get you going.
Types of pitching interface styles
There are four main pitching styles in MLB The Show 22: Meter, Pure Pulse, Analog, and Pinpoint Pitching. With all four, users will be able to pick a pitch that shows up on the screen. Press the button that corresponds with the pitch, and then locate it with the left stick. That’s it as far as the similarities between the four go.
Here are the main differences between the four:
- Meter – Hit A/X to start the meter, hit it again at the top either at the front (for more accuracy) or the back (for more effort), and then tap one more time in the middle, yellow line to pinpoint it
- Pulse – Tap the pitch button again right when the larger circle gets small, to the point where it aligns perfectly with the smaller circle
- Analog – Pull the right stick down to start the windup, pull it up and align it with the red cursor at the top, and then pull it down again and align it with when the pitcher releases the ball
- Pinpoint – Move the analog stick in the required motion, with the right speed, to hit the top circle. Then, pull it down again to align with the second circle on the bottom.
Which settings and interfaces should you use?
As far as camera settings go, that’s up to you. Pick one where you are comfortable with aiming the ball with the left stick, in order to set up the ideal pitch. Some prefer to use the one that is in the outfield and faces directly to the back of the pitcher. Others tend to pick the Strike Zone view, the one that is used heavily by more competitive MLB The Show 22 players for hitting.
And as far as which of the four pitching interfaces go, it really depends on your comfort level. Meter is the easiest to learn but is the worst of the four from an accuracy and precision standpoint. Pulse and Analog are in the middle of the pack in terms of accuracy, and difficulty to use. Pinpoint Pitching is probably the hardest to learn but is by far and away the one used by semi-competitive and competitive players. That’s because Pinpoint Pitching offers the most precision, as it is the best for aiming the baseball in a particular spot and having it actually land there.
While Pinpoint might be the hardest to learn, it really isn’t all that hard in reality. In fact, if you played the old MLB 2K games, this system is actually very similar to the Pitching interface from those titles. If you need a better explanation of how to use Pinpoint Pitching, check out our guide on it down below.
Related: How Pinpoint Pitching works in MLB The Show 22
Kinds of pitches
Before we get into the tips, let’s talk a bit about the types of pitches. Here’s a breakdown of the major pitches, and what those look like when thrown:
- Four-Seam Fastball – Straight, fastball.
- Two-Seam Fastball – Similar to four-seam, but generally rears toward pitcher’s arm side (ex. moves to the right for right-handed pitcher).
- Cut Fastball (Cutter) – Similar to four-seam, but a bit slower and veers toward pitcher’s glove side (ex. moves to left for right-handed pitcher).
- Sinker – Generally has same velocity as four-seam, but has a bit of sink and is tougher to square up and hit hard.
- Changeup – Straight coming in, but generally has a bit of dip toward the plate. This pitch is slower than a fastball.
- Slider – Looks like a fastball coming to the plate, but breaks and sharply shifts toward the pitcher’s glove side.
- Curveball – The ball has a sharp break down toward plate. Some pitchers will also utilize a 12-6 curve, which breaks up and then down in a straight, vertical line.
Related: MLB The Show 22: Best pitches to use in Road to the Show
Now, we should note that there are other pitches that are not listed here but are in the game. Knuckleballs, seen very rarely, have little to no spin, making a pitch that can move very erratically and is extremely difficult to pick up. Forkballs look very similar to changeups and splitters, both of which tend to break down. And then there’s the screwball, a pitch that breaks to the opposite of a traditional curveball.
But, most of the time you should expect to see the pitches listed in the bullet points.
Tips
Now, let’s go over a couple of tips that you should know for pitching in The Show:
Work on tunneling
Tunneling is the concept of throwing pitches in the same area of the plate. But, in order to tunnel successfully, one needs to throw pitches that look similar. An example is using a sinker and changeup down in the zone. Both have downward movement, but the former is generally faster than the changeup. And in some cases, the difference in velocity could be as much as 10-20 MPH, although those are very extreme cases.
Work on trying to set up tunneling the baseball. Several combos that can work well include the aforementioned sinker-changeup combo, fastballs and sliders, cutters and sliders, and fastballs and changeups.
Mix up the pitches
It’s a good idea to not get predictable when pitching on the mound. Let’s go back to the example mentioned previously with sinkers and changeups. Sure, it might sound like a good idea to throw a sinker down low, and immediately follow it up with a changeup in the same spot. It might work in your favor two or three times in a row, especially if the opponent is uber-aggressive. But, it’s also wise to expect an adjustment.
Don’t get stuck in one mindset, and do the same thing over and over again. Make sure to mix up the pitches, and how each one is used in certain situations and counts. For another example, use a slider or changeup to start off a batter every now and then, as opposed to a fastball or sinker. If you use a particular pitch at the start of every count or throw a pitch in a certain spot every time in a particular situation, expect the opponent to pick that up.
Look for the stamina
Keep a very close eye on a pitcher’s stamina. The reason is that stamina affects the pitcher’s ability to control and command the baseball. If you have a pitcher that is tired on the mound, get that player out of there.
Watch the opposition
Keep a close eye on what the opponent is hitting, and what the other play is not on. If, for example, a player can’t hit a sinker inside, pick up on it and exploit it. But, make sure to not overdo it and use it in that spot too much. Otherwise, an adjustment will be made. Even if there is a glaring weak spot, use caution and still mix up the pitch selections and locations.
Don’t hang those breaking balls
One last piece of friendly advice: don’t leave curveballs or sliders up and in the zone. Those pitches, if left up, can be big meatballs. This is especially true if the opponent is expecting one to be thrown. While breaking balls left up might not be driven far in some situations, curveballs and sliders are at a much more enhanced risk of being pounded on.
Related: MLB The Show 22: Beginner’s guide to hitting – Controls, tips, and more
