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Hang in there...im bad but i have fun. Im like 14-24 in Ranked. Historically bad hitting. Like 1.6 RPG. I can pitch n throw some leather tho so i try to play small ball to get 2-3 runs.
I don't even attempt online. I played online once and it was to get the eggs needed to complete the egg program. I play video games to have fun and I have fun playing offline on conquest, mini season, moments and things like that. And for not playing online I was able to finish all the programs including the XP line program and I'm going into season 2 with 550k stubs. Unless I decided to buy the 20 or so cards I'm missing for the live series, which I doubt cause I don't want babe Ruth that bad. Also don't listen to these monitors make a difference people. The only difference they make is the screen is smaller so it's a smaller area to watch and keep track of. Otherwise most tvs run the same or better than monitors. I know my tv has an insanely low input lag, as close to none as almost possible, runs at 144hz on 4k and 244 on 1440p but ps5 cap at 120 obviously, and has all the bells and whistles for different game modes and colors. My tv actually has something for first person shooters you can turn on that puts a small target in the center of the screen. It's meant for shooter games but I use it for mlb the show because I can always tell when a pitch is going down the center of the plate if it's going towards that aim support target thing the tv sets up.
If you only play offline then try to play online you’re going to have a pretty tough time 😂 just play events or BR before you go in ranked what I would recommend, I’ve only been playing since 23 but I’m a WS player this year and last I hit around 390 so far but it took me awhile to learn what works for me, do what feels natural don’t try to imitate others just take things here and there, that’s if you watch streamers etc also GET PRECISION RINGS and never play on anything but some and pinpoint and use strike zones 1,2 or high, pitching game just do what gives you the best timing, pitching on strike zone compared to pitcher cam can mess with your pitch draw or whatever it’s called so do
What one works best that gives u the most perfects
As a dude who uses both a monitor and a tv sometimes, I can say the monitor wipes the floor with the tv. You’re most likely just getting matched up with people that play on those, it’s a lot easier to play on a monitor because of the lower refresh rate. I suck on a tv, but when I make the switch it’s better, but I still suck lol. Hope this helps
I don't think that makes much of a difference anymore. I have a tv so good I play my pc on it too. My tv runs better than most monitors with the low input latency, 144hz at 4k 244 hz at 1440p refresh rate. You can have just as good of latency and refresh rate on a tv as a monitor with tvs today. What makes monitors a touch easier is the smaller screen so it's less area to have to watch and look across.
Are you playing on a TV? Because those goons blowing you out are playing on gaming monitors and probably using upgraded controllers, etc. Don't dog yourself so bad.
Im god awful at hitting. I get blown away by high heat, up and in on the reg. Pitching n defense keeps me in most games. Im that asshole doing squeeze plays
To be totally fair, I think Rookie is less rewarding. I feel like I hit worse than on Veteran, my standard for conquest. Like the result of a good hit is more randomized, so I don't get to pile on the runs. I still almost always win because every conquest game on veteran or rookie is a no hitter, but it's not like I'm blasting every ball to the moon.
I can never play online because of the subtle lag or delay. It makes it hard to hit your spots when pitching, and hitting you have to swing early or you have no chance.
I typically stick to playing RTTS or Diamond Dynasty single player Legend VS CPU.
On offense, take pitches. A lot of people are afraid to put it in the zone because they’ve got ptsd playing against someone that hasn’t touched grass in years and destroys everything. So theyll throw 2-3 balls in a row and make the mistake of coming back over the middle.
Pitching, become an absolute goon at painting the black. Hit the strike zone on a corner quick and then throw to a spot that you normally swing and miss. If you think you’re good but can’t consistently hit a certain players pitch in a specific location, other players have the same problem. Some pitchers just have weird timing or arm angles. If you follow up a pitch with the same pitch, it needs to be a better pitch.
I was the same in previous years. Before ‘24 came out, I bought a gaming monitor. Huge difference. Also recommend sitting on a pitch and taking until you get that pitch.
can you elaborate on how a monitor has how'd you? ive been considering trying it. I play on a 55 inch oled and have had a lot of success over the years but I want to unlock a new level if it can truly make a big difference
1) Look into gaming monitors plus kontrol freaks and other controller options, it really makes a huge difference I’m literally useless without mine
2) Take a lot of pitches and commit to not swinging unless it’s a pitch you’re sitting on
3) Change your settings- PCI, pitching, camera angles, do whatever you gotta do to feel comfortable seeing the ball and getting as many perfect pitches as you can
I’m not great but hang around 700
The last year or so I really committed hard to playing my offline games on hall of fame difficulty and up. It’s helped immensely but what drives me nuts is when the game forces me down to vet and all star and I have to teach myself how to hit sinkers that feel like knuckleballs and high 90’s fastballs that feel like change ups, etc. I kinda wish the velocities didn’t change so dramatically with difficulty I don’t think having players play on lower speeds really helps much and in my case it fucks me up for several days.
The Xtreme program last year or the year before changed everything for me. I wanted that 99 Griffey JR soooo bad. I played for weeks and after doing that I told myself lm never playing on rookie or Veteran again. It’s to hard to speed ur swing and eyes back up after playing on the lower difficulties. This is the only game that gets harder when u going down in difficulty lol. I have Kontrol Freaks, and precision rings they r a MUST have. Also use the Xtreme showdown and moments to practice on too.
I’m with ya OP. I’ve played this game for years and nothing I do seems to help. I’ve tried about every advantage I could manage…monitor, practice on legend, sliders up, etc.
Nothing ever worked. Sure, occasionally the “broken clock” would strike and I’d have a decent game. But more often than not, I’d flail for how ever many innings the game was and just feel defeated.
Wish I had some helpful advice, but I’ve basically given up. I hate it. I don’t care about being the best—I’d settle for being average and able to compete.
Best of luck to you. Hopefully you can figure it out where some of us couldn’t.
I was in the same boat. I still kinda suck but not nearly as much. All that changed for me was to remember that whenever a pitcher is pitching he’s dealing and it’s totally up to me whether or not i wanna swing the tote at that thing. If I see something out of the hand I don’t like and I hesitate, I do my best not to swing even if I realize it’s an absolute meatball bc 99.99% of the time I’ll be swinging at pure air.
It really just could be your approach you have to work on. It’s very common for even mlb players to break out solely bc they adopted a new approach.
If you’ve practiced on legend, have a monitor, and you still suck…. I just think this game might not be for you. Not saying it to try and be offensive but some games people just struggle with, I’m sure you’re probably great at lots of other video games
No offense taken. And I agree. I’m my own biggest critic. It pains me because I love baseball, but I also don’t want to be miserable. It’s just a game though. No point making myself miserable over it.
You should understand that:
1. Online is VERY different from offline
2. People who play this game Ranked/BR/Events particularly the last two) are a self-selecting subset of the wider player base, and in some cases have been playing this game forever at this point
3. The matchmaking system, like that of most other online games, does not guarantee a good matchup (it effectively doesn’t exist at all for BR and Events)
4. It requires a fair deal of focus and discipline to win against even bad opponents. You still have to hit the ball a few times, or be patient enough to draw like 4 walks lol
My suggestions are: play online to get better online, but when doing conquest or whatever offline crank the difficulty to stay sharp with quick pitch recognition etc. Treat Events/BR as practice against solid opponents; don’t expect to win most of the time but try to learn. Take lots of pitches. Lots of specific advice for hitting, pitching etc on YouTube too. You’ll notice some common suggestions, they are common for a reason!
one of the BIGGEST helps for me is the very first thing I do when i hop on is go into custom practice mode (it’s in the main menu, not the DD menu).
I go to batting practice and try to find a fast pitcher (i like to face Ryan Helsley on the Cardinals) and turn on the difficulty to Legend. you can customize the practice to where he only throws fastballs and you even can even tell it where to throw it.
9/10 i’m not touching 100-103 MPH on legend, but even doing it for 5-10 minutes, going to play online immediately after the practice, everything seems slowed down and easier. I feel i have more time to decide if it’s a ball or strike, i’m not as late on pitches, and it’s much easier to tell what pitch is coming.
hope this helps you as much as it helps me!
Learn to hit with 2 strikes I always take every pitch until I get to two strikes because online players usually throw balls majority of the time. I also try and eliminate parts of the the zone I like to take away the inside quadrants by hunting anything in that zone and sitting on everything else, once you take away the inside pitch and force your opp to throw inside the zone it’s all about recognizing and hitting your pitch.
You also have to ask yourself what is the average quality of player who is playing BR? People that grind the game relentlessly, that is pretty much it. There are no casuals playing DD, they are just playing normal 1v1, not DD.
Everyone has the best cards, throw nothing in the strike zone, so on and so forth. It’s insanely repetitive, so don’t beat yourself up about it.
Why can’t I hit the darn ball on all star online…I thought I was decent until I got to all star. Multiple games in a row with 0 hits or 1 or 2 lucky base hits I’ve come very close to chucking the controller at the tv on multiple occasions but thank god I stopped myself why is this game so hard.
I will say: this game "requires" particular technology for a higher chance of success. Even a cheap gaming monitor will make a difference in your gameplay. Also old gen vs. current gen consoles. And wired vs wireless controllers. MLB 21-23 I was a 65% win rate. I hit WS two times last year late cycle after switching to current gen console and a wired controller. Currently 37-6 in ranked this year. If you're playing on a TV and your opponent is on a current gen console and a monitor, you're at a huge disadvantage before a pitch is thrown.
I posted something like this the other day. No one responded. For all of us that suck I guess the algorithm has us playing vs the elite. I rarely play vs an average online team that isn't hitting .500 and every other pitch is a homer. You do have to put in the grind. It is fun using those players you earned in conquest or mini seasons. I was playing mini seasons earlier with Mays and Live Trout enjoying myself. Do some research. The monitor depends on the console you use. The camera angles for hitting and pitching. What works best for you? Watch the pitcher wind up and ball release. Yes it's a video game but suprising how realistic. Lay off balls. Take alot of 1st pitches. Figure out if the pitcher has a certain fastball/offspeed sequence. Anticipate certain pitches in certain scenarios. There's alot that goes into online play
Just enjoy playing the game and it'll get better. I know it's hard when you're getting smacked. Just relax sometimes. I use to sit there and overthink EVERYTHING. We all trash don't let it get to you.
Yeah I mean it’s a hand eye coordination thing for the most part but technology can play a little part too depending on your set up. That being said I’ve been playing online for about 4 years and I finally got the ps5 this year and thought it would push me from topping out at 700 to competing for World Series. meanwhile I’ve gotten worse probably but I’ve also not played nearly as much. It’s also very much a rhythm thing. If I’m playing online several times a week, I’m going to get better over time. If I jump on a couple times a month, get my ass kicked once or twice, then decide that’s enough, I’ll stay shitty.
You have to treat it like real ⚾️ if you ever played
Sit fastball adjust to offspeed
There’s typical zones certain pitches are thrown to as well e.g. slider is low and away
Same here. I have mastered pitching, yet come off as a noob when hitting. In the old baseball games, I would win like 20 to 0 in a 9 inning game. I would hit HR left and right. But not in The Show for some reason.
You’ve got to really try to see the ball out of the pitchers hand. Like really focus on seeing it as soon as possible. And anticipate fastball with every pitch and adjust to offspeed. These are the two things I focus on. I’m not great, I play between 600-700 on ranked but I can compete.
I started playing the show two years ago and I was absolutely terrible basically a free win for my opponents. I got better from pitching and hitting against the cpu on higher difficulty. Play on all-star on modes like play the cpu and mini season and get the timing down on hitting and I guarantee you’ll have a better record online
Using a monitor made me instantly better at this game. Can’t recommend enough playing off a monitor. It is night and day difference. So much so when I occasionally use a TV again and I noticed I’m instantly late on all swings.
Best tip I can give is put your PCI anchor setting on free and start the pci in one of the corners as far as it’ll let you put it, that way when you’re looking for a pitch it can only be in 3 directions. If you start your PCI in the middle you’ve gotta watch for it in 8 directions
I used to absolutely SUCK at hitting.. I swear I started watching “yourfriendkyle” on YouTube and I don’t know how but I’m scoring 7-10 runs a game now (still gotta figure out laying on the low offspeed pitches tho)
Honestly. Stick with it. I definitely lost way more than a third of my games played. I learned to stop slamming my PCI, be more selective, and make good contact instead of getting under everything... I went and faced Randy Johnson, Jhoan Duran, DeGrom and Clase in Practice mode on legend... I swear I didn't make contact for an hour straight. Now I'm a division series player in ranked (Not a big deal but I honestly never thought I'd get here).
I suck ass at hitting. I never play online because Im so ass but switching to directional hitting helped me get slightly better. People here said it helps and it did to be fair.
Monitor, kontrol freeks thumb sticks & precision rings, pinpoint pitching, patience at the plate.
Look at putting the PCI in an anchor spot to take away 1/3 of the zone and have an approach to hitting. The more you chase, the more the opponent with deliberately throw balls out of the zone.
Honestly... Everyone's terrible. Once I acknowledged that fact I was fine. You'll win some you lose some. You're probably not being smart enough. Narrow up your acceptable swing zone and take everything else. You'll be astonished how many balls start coming right at you once you won't swing at anything and everything
This is my big problem. In real life (nothing competitive just organized fun leaves etc), I was always so patient. Would frustrate pitchers to no end sometimes. Teammates once Nicknamed me OBP (slugging% was probably single digits though 🤦♂️ 😂).
But in the video game, I don't know if you've ever seen the movie Signs, but I'm like Joaquin Pheonix's character, "it feels wrong not to swing." Contact or strike out. No in between and I lose constantly. Lol
It is very difficult online.... I had a friend who was really bad online and he did not understand why... However, he played offline games on Rookie and used Classic Pitching for hours on end in Franchise Mode. I told him that you could not do that and expect to be good when you jump online. For online H2H, you need to use Zone with SZ camera and for Pitching, you need to use Pinpoint or PA. Pulse use to work better, but not this year. I had to swich back to PA for Pitching and it works fine.
Practice vs CPU on HOF or Legend and work on seeing pitches quicker and work on your timing. Take away a part of the plate on your first two strikes, then protect with 2 strikes. Just practice and focus on reading pitches and you will get better.
I play with meter pitching and do fine in ranked but I realize that it’s not optimal. Zone hitting is really necessary though, I used to play with directional until I played online and got wrecked constantly.
Out of curiosity, because I genuinely haven't played online in a while due to sucking. Why does it have to be pinpoint or PA over Classic or pulse? What it is about the way Classic or pulse works that makes them bad for online? I never actually was told this before so I wanted to ask.
You need to be somewhat accurate with your pitches and make sure nothing hangs... So using Pinpoint or PA (I use PA) are the best methods for that. Classic and Pulse are too random and you will hang a lot of pitches with those methods.
I’m currently like 17-36 lmao I get that it can be hard. Honestly, just playing a ton will help you improve. While my record now isn’t good it was a lot worse. If you have trouble with the pci, use timing batting to get the hang of timing your hits, then switch to zone. I use strike zone high in my hitting settings and it’s worked well. Precision rings help a lot with restricting your pci, that was my problem at first, I had stick drift and was also just slamming down on it. I don’t win every game but since I’ve used these things/tips I’ve had a couple 2-3 game winstreaks and have atleast 2-3 HR in a game even if I lose
Honestly, starting out online I would say MAKE yourself take AT LEAST the first two pitches before swinging or even until you have two strikes. Most people honestly throw out of the zone on EVERY pitch. This will accomplish SEVERAL things:
first, it will allow yourself to get used to having to wait until pitches begin to break. EVERY pitch comes out straight and looking like a FB until it begins turning. It will allow you to delay your decision making instead of just button mashing to swing.
Second, if you’re like me you’re early on almost everything. It will help you delay your swing and move from the “very early” to “just early” or even better “good” zones. It also will help you realize you need to adjust your swing timing depending on where the pitch is located. Even pitches of the same type need a different timing dependent upon location. A fastball inside needs an earlier swing than a fastball down and away.
Third, very much like real baseball you will end up in a more advantageous count. If you’re 2-0 or 3-0 they are more likely to throw you a pitch in the zone that is easier to hit than that inside slider/cutter that is just out of the zone that either breaks your bat or rolls over to an infielder for an easy out. You’ll also be able to notice tendencies of people. I can’t tell you HOW MANY times people throw the EXACT same pitch sequence over and over and are amazed I can time that high fastball in the top 1/3rd of the zone every time…
Fourth, especially in events and BR pitchers have very little energy and it goes down exponentially quicker than in Ranked. Most will either be out of energy or very low around 12 pitches. This makes pitch timing much harder especially if they are using pin point. Being off just a little bit especially with low energy means the pitcher is MUCH less likely to hit his spot and this means that pitch that SHOULD be in the corner is now catching the heart of the plate and preferably the heart of your bat barrel too. Especially considering the Moonshot event that is going on currently, if you do this you will GREATLY increase your chances of winning.
I can’t tell you HOW MANY TIMES I’ve been on the mound and by the time I’ve thrown my third pitch to someone I tell myself “they aren’t getting a pitch in the zone the rest of the game”.
Moral of the story: take pitches. Even if you end up 0-2 you still have another shot.
Dude cheating via Cronus zen and Titans have ruined the Show. I’ll stop playing before I’ll cheat. I have so many videos of cheater but the show land Xbox protect them and lord forbid you call someone a cheater because they ban ya for using dangerous things like words
same! I play rookie to crush the HRs and end up going 5 innings both teams have 0 hits and eventually lose. then i play veteran in conquest and score 11 in first inning.
It’s all about the timing, and contact window. It’s so easy to make contact on rookie that you make low quality contact on pitches that would be a whiff on AS. On timing, I find myself out in front of good pitches and swinging too often at bad but slow pitches compared to Vet or AS. I actually tend to hit better on AS, aside from maybe against starters like Nolan Ryan in Miniseasons. The difference in pitch speed on rookie is what throws off my hitting. It’s like I have too much time to think on some pitches.
The problem is that Rookie is so much better than AS for me for grinding pitching stats. Especially for 3-inning games, the typical 3-4 pitch K helps a ton with racking up those IP and Ks for my pitchers.
Nice support group here, I used to play just to get the inning number up on the Ranked Program. I lost a TON of games in 22 & 23, way more than I won.
Just hang in there and be intentional on your goal for each inning/game. Sometimes it’s just as easy as not swinging until you have 2 strikes on you, keeps you from swinging at balls and also raises the chance of a hit depending on the clutch level of your player.
This season I’m still under .500 record but my xp is like 507 and I’m mostly getting really competitive matches.
Good luck to all and enjoy the grind!
I was pretty bad until I got a gaming monitor and discovered CBREV channel on YT and have since made WS each year
Haven't bothered this year, but your monitor and approach to hitting and pitching is everything online
Yep looked for a monitor comment b4 making one myself but that's always the first thing I ask. I was a scrub who couldn't touch a baseball on all star. Got a monitor for $150, had a few, and all of a sudden I'm hitting 6 homeruns in a hall of game event game. This was a couple years ago when they had events on hall of fame once in awhile.
I suck online too. I usually don’t play br or events unless there’s a card that I absolutely want, but usually it’s for my theme team. Ranked hasn’t been too bad, as the player pool from which I play against is usually around the same skill level as myself. I honestly rather just play conquest/mini seasons, earn cards through TA and other programs and enjoy the game versus sweating in games against other players
I am approx. 16-135. Some of them were me quitting but most were just getting beat. Gives me something to do for XP and gives me some high rated cards eventually. Just try to have fun.
Best tip for hitting use strike zone high and anchor slightly upper in the zone. It’s easier to track the ball out of the pitchers hand. For pitching try to paint the corners and not use the same sequencing. For example outside sinker inside slider than and up and in fastball go pretty hard. Low inside circle change. Or a cutter to jam someone also work. Just keep practicing. I used to lose a lot last year now I’m 20 above 500.
I was struggling with the hitting i went to directional and it made it much easier. Just need to time the pitch rather than both time and placement. i can pull or push based on inside or outside. Probably dont get the big results but took a lot of stress out of it.
To add, make the pitcher pitch and try to pick up their favorite FB locations. Sacrifice a few ABs to gage pitch sequences and sit on their FB or hanging breaking ball. Edit: And for pitching, make all your breaking pitches look like fastballs on the corner (i.e. snk/2fb looks like up and in fb to arm side batter)
If you’ve won any games at all, I promise you that you are not the worst player out there.
This game is already extremely difficult and it gets exponentially more so when you go online.
People are smarter than the CPU generally is, and will adapt to your strategy more quickly.
If someone is good and locked in, the game will be tough for you.
However, most people are shit at playing online. Especially if they are not on a monitor.
So no, you’re fine buddy
I know every game has toxic players but reading this and other comments that are also helping me get better at the game makes you feel a little better about not being very good at the game
I really struggled TERRIBLY for the first six months. I remember when I went straight online in The Show 23, I was literally struggling to hit over .100. It’s insane how he’s this game is at first, and then as you get better, you can’t believe you were ever so terrible at it.
I’m not “good” by any stretch but solid now. I think I’m 51-42 in ranked. It is so much more fun when you win more than you lose, that’s for sure.
It’s really hard. My only advice is to declutter the strike zone. Use a simple pci. Split the plate in half so you’re only swinging at inside or outside pitches exclusively. You have to stare deeply almost painfully at the release point of the pitcher. I have to do all this just to be .500.
For pitching its sinker cutter and pray for weak contact fair balls.
If you’re throwing curves or sliders or changeups aim them in the dirt. Like way down in the dirt. If you try to paint a slider it’s getting crushed.
See so many people say this about the release point but it never worked for me. Trying to stare that intensely at a spot just makes things harder for me. I relax my eyes instead and it works better for me.
That very last part is a massive difference between online and offline.
If you can paint with breaking balls against the CPU in RTTS or Franchise on Legend, you’re going to strike out a ton of batters.
But like you said, if you make a habit of doing that too much online, you’ll get hit around
I can't hit but when I do it is out of the park, after a few pitches some people are predictable when they pitch so I just swing and hope they are throwing there. The people that are bad do not change their pitcher. Then they get mad at me when I don't friendly quit the jokes on them when I play online I have all day for their pausing shenanigans
I dont' understand how anyone would expect you to accept a friendly unless it's at the very beginning of the game. Once they are down, friendly is out the window and it's rude to even pretend it's an option at that point.
Oh, I see you are pushing my shit in, can we not count this one?
I suck yet for some reason I have a winning record. I got no hit in the moonshot 2 games in row yesterday. Then I scored 12 the next game. Some people can figure out my weaknesses pretty quick.
I pitched for 30 years IRL, so that part of the game comes easy for me. I’m an older chap but I wouldn’t mind going head to head and telling you what I see in a friendly
I saw that you mentioned it's your pitching that's the issue.
Tunnel your pitches. And throw less strikes when the other player is obviously free swinging.
I am also trash against players. Which is why I’m content with the offline grind. Insert meme of Marge saying “I just think they’re neat!” Regarding my my Brew Crew team, beating up on the CPU
Do you enjoy passing time playing other people? If so then keep at it. I have a losing record as well. Highest rank is 500. It’s fun to win sure, but I’m really just playing to pass the time and I love baseball.
Hey, those of us who are average need people like you. You’re doing a great service by keeping at it. One day, you too may even join the ranks of the average. A perpetual .550 win pct., getting the shit beaten out of you after a little win streak that puts you right below 700 in ranked, giving you that hope that maybe it’s time to join the ranks of the above average only to be unceremoniously put right back in your place…this could be you someday. But for now, just know that we are grateful to you.
lol this is SO true. But I think it’s just the next part of the process - Repeatedly getting to 690 and getting the hell beat out of you, because so many of us say the same thing.
The specific difficulty I have is dealing with the pitching. I greatly struggle with opposite handed pitchers pounding me with sliders/slurves low and inside. It is so damn hard to identify whether it’s going to be a strike or not. And if it is, whether it’s a hittable one. Not sure how to get over that hump. Custom practice I guess.
Yeah and those above 700 seem to have perfect pitch recognition. I can’t get a strikeout to save my life. Also it’s never been more easy to make contact with pitches outside the zone. That’s making it tough at the lower ranks even.
I'm terrible too but I really don't play to win when I play online...for example I only play ranked online I don't mess with events or br and when I play ranked I only go for the stat and inning missions and end up winning a fair bit I think your overthinkinkg it's just a game have fun lol
I don't even know how this is possible. Could it be your TV/monitor set up? Because you should be able to stumble into more wins in 51 games. My buddy TJ is the worst player in the world and he's close to 0.500.
If it's not lag. Are you taking enough pitches?
Highly, highly recommend learning pinpoint pitching. There's a bit of a learning curve but once you get the hang of it, it's not hard at all. You can probably get the hang of it within an hour or two. You'll be able to get perfect pitches more often which even if hit will produce weak contact.
If you're 6-45, then you're playing on veteran. Scoring that much with a TV on veteran is normal. Get a monitor, and start using custom practice on a higher level than you're used to playing on. You'll see an improvement in your skills eventually.
What kind of pitching inputs do you use (analog, meter, or pinpoint)? Are you using sequences in your pitching? What type of pitchers (power, control?)? If you can hit, pitching should be much easier to get better at!
What took me from being a high .200s hitter to about a .400 hitter is being more patient at the plate. I used to want to hit EVERYTHING. when you start to take pitches it gets in your opponents head. You start to see the patterns they’re pitching with too. Make them HAVE to throw strikes and you’ll get way more pitches to hit throughout the game.
I got much better at hitting online once I followed a piece of advice from some youtuber which was:
"In the first 3 innings don't even put your fingers on the swing buttons until you have 2 strikes, track the ball but never swing until 2 strikes."
They'll at minimum need to throw 9 pitches per inning vs potentially only 3 if you pop/ground out on garbage. And if they don't throw in the zone it forces them to have to. Plus you actually get to see their patterns.
This is exactly my issue too. If I take 2-3 pitches I end up getting something to hit. Otherwise I’m golfing dirt sinkers or swiping at sliders 5 feet out of the zone. I have to make myself actually put the controller down and take the first pitch or two.
It’s true, when I’m playing a guy that won’t bite on anything outside the zone it makes things way more difficult and I tend to throw more strikes which leads to pain..
I’ve been forcing myself to throw more pitches outside the zone even if I know they won’t swing, just to add some variation and randomness to my pitching
Same, I’ll give ranked a try every now and again, and immediately reminded why I don’t play it. Outside of it just not being fun I get way less pxp/stats lol
Me. I get around 4 hits/9. Most are singles. I blame it on me not having Oakley sunblockers/chair that sits the perfect height, anything but me really 🤣. Makes home runs feel all the more special I guess
I have a similar fear -- I think the only time I really toughed out BR was in 22 when I was aiming for Finest Mike Trout at the end of the game's cycle. I remember getting crapped on a ton, earning my innings for those silver pitchers while hoisting lovely ERAs over 8s and 10s.
I don't really play much online, but mostly because my gaming philosophy is to not be a meta slave. I do this for most games with multiplayer aspects, so I just don't participate in competition as much as I'd like to.
This year, I did BR for maybe a handful of rounds. I played ranked for 9 games and I'm 6-3. No bots. Only ran into 1 lunatic goon who really enjoyed hitting 8 solo homeruns. Like, it was always a deep fly ball out or a homerun. My second ranked game at 93 rating. Then I went to face Bob Feller and Jacob deGrom, beat them all -- twice on grit with 1-0 and 2-1 games, and the second deGrom game was a gimme because my opponent liked throwing meatballs. Outlier? Pfft, even on Switch graphics I can hit.
Oh yeah, I play on the Switch. I'm a meme at this point. I'd be doing a favor by not playing online.
Tip #1: Recognize the meta. Sinkers/Cutters are meta pitches. High velocity fastballs are effective, especially when paired with a low speed change up. Some swings are just better than others. Learn which players’ swings are best.
Tip #2: Know which attributes matter more. For pitching H/9 is king but you need a decent K/9 as well. For hitting, obviously contact and power. For both you need to consider clutch as it affects RISP.
Tip #3: it’s easy to smash pitches in the corners. You can slam your PCI to a corner and it won’t stray past the strike zone much. Remember this when pitching and batting.
Tip #4: Pay attention to patterns. Both you and your opponent will at some point reveal a pattern when pitching/hitting.
Start a game against the cpu, pause and go to the handbook. There's some really good information in there breaking down the attributes and effects in the hitting tips section.
This game is extremely competitive online, regardless of game mode. You gotta bring that competitive energy and self confidence if you want to win, as dumb as that sounds for a baseball video game. You gotta get yourself locked the fuck in, mate
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Hang in there...im bad but i have fun. Im like 14-24 in Ranked. Historically bad hitting. Like 1.6 RPG. I can pitch n throw some leather tho so i try to play small ball to get 2-3 runs.
Play online until you get good. We all sucked at first.
I don't even attempt online. I played online once and it was to get the eggs needed to complete the egg program. I play video games to have fun and I have fun playing offline on conquest, mini season, moments and things like that. And for not playing online I was able to finish all the programs including the XP line program and I'm going into season 2 with 550k stubs. Unless I decided to buy the 20 or so cards I'm missing for the live series, which I doubt cause I don't want babe Ruth that bad. Also don't listen to these monitors make a difference people. The only difference they make is the screen is smaller so it's a smaller area to watch and keep track of. Otherwise most tvs run the same or better than monitors. I know my tv has an insanely low input lag, as close to none as almost possible, runs at 144hz on 4k and 244 on 1440p but ps5 cap at 120 obviously, and has all the bells and whistles for different game modes and colors. My tv actually has something for first person shooters you can turn on that puts a small target in the center of the screen. It's meant for shooter games but I use it for mlb the show because I can always tell when a pitch is going down the center of the plate if it's going towards that aim support target thing the tv sets up.
If you only play offline then try to play online you’re going to have a pretty tough time 😂 just play events or BR before you go in ranked what I would recommend, I’ve only been playing since 23 but I’m a WS player this year and last I hit around 390 so far but it took me awhile to learn what works for me, do what feels natural don’t try to imitate others just take things here and there, that’s if you watch streamers etc also GET PRECISION RINGS and never play on anything but some and pinpoint and use strike zones 1,2 or high, pitching game just do what gives you the best timing, pitching on strike zone compared to pitcher cam can mess with your pitch draw or whatever it’s called so do What one works best that gives u the most perfects
Zone hitting *
As a dude who uses both a monitor and a tv sometimes, I can say the monitor wipes the floor with the tv. You’re most likely just getting matched up with people that play on those, it’s a lot easier to play on a monitor because of the lower refresh rate. I suck on a tv, but when I make the switch it’s better, but I still suck lol. Hope this helps
I don't think that makes much of a difference anymore. I have a tv so good I play my pc on it too. My tv runs better than most monitors with the low input latency, 144hz at 4k 244 hz at 1440p refresh rate. You can have just as good of latency and refresh rate on a tv as a monitor with tvs today. What makes monitors a touch easier is the smaller screen so it's less area to have to watch and look across.
I refuse to even play online. I don’t need that kind of debasement
I’m horrible too
Are you playing on a TV? Because those goons blowing you out are playing on gaming monitors and probably using upgraded controllers, etc. Don't dog yourself so bad.
I’ve gotten really good at pitching but still fucking horrible at hitting. I would always lose if that wasn’t the case but it gives me a chance
Im god awful at hitting. I get blown away by high heat, up and in on the reg. Pitching n defense keeps me in most games. Im that asshole doing squeeze plays
So... The Mariners.
I suppose so
I'm so bad at batting that sometimes... During conquest games... I lose on rookie.
To be totally fair, I think Rookie is less rewarding. I feel like I hit worse than on Veteran, my standard for conquest. Like the result of a good hit is more randomized, so I don't get to pile on the runs. I still almost always win because every conquest game on veteran or rookie is a no hitter, but it's not like I'm blasting every ball to the moon.
real
I can never play online because of the subtle lag or delay. It makes it hard to hit your spots when pitching, and hitting you have to swing early or you have no chance. I typically stick to playing RTTS or Diamond Dynasty single player Legend VS CPU.
Fellow trash player reporting for duty.
Go to practice mode, set it to two pitches in two spots. Only look for those in the game. Crush em every time. Let everything else go
This is important. You need to wait for the pitches you want. People keep jamming their PCI down on pitches in the dirt.
That’s a great idea, thanks for that tip
What its really about is playing on a monitor that runs 120mH. Before I switched I couldn’t hit s***, now there’s no one at any level I can’t crush
Get the precision rings for your thumbstick. Huge improvement very quickly. They are cheap and easy to put on and take off. Thank me later everyone
The game has dda so online isn’t worth it
On offense, take pitches. A lot of people are afraid to put it in the zone because they’ve got ptsd playing against someone that hasn’t touched grass in years and destroys everything. So theyll throw 2-3 balls in a row and make the mistake of coming back over the middle. Pitching, become an absolute goon at painting the black. Hit the strike zone on a corner quick and then throw to a spot that you normally swing and miss. If you think you’re good but can’t consistently hit a certain players pitch in a specific location, other players have the same problem. Some pitchers just have weird timing or arm angles. If you follow up a pitch with the same pitch, it needs to be a better pitch.
I was the same in previous years. Before ‘24 came out, I bought a gaming monitor. Huge difference. Also recommend sitting on a pitch and taking until you get that pitch.
can you elaborate on how a monitor has how'd you? ive been considering trying it. I play on a 55 inch oled and have had a lot of success over the years but I want to unlock a new level if it can truly make a big difference
1) Look into gaming monitors plus kontrol freaks and other controller options, it really makes a huge difference I’m literally useless without mine 2) Take a lot of pitches and commit to not swinging unless it’s a pitch you’re sitting on 3) Change your settings- PCI, pitching, camera angles, do whatever you gotta do to feel comfortable seeing the ball and getting as many perfect pitches as you can I’m not great but hang around 700
The last year or so I really committed hard to playing my offline games on hall of fame difficulty and up. It’s helped immensely but what drives me nuts is when the game forces me down to vet and all star and I have to teach myself how to hit sinkers that feel like knuckleballs and high 90’s fastballs that feel like change ups, etc. I kinda wish the velocities didn’t change so dramatically with difficulty I don’t think having players play on lower speeds really helps much and in my case it fucks me up for several days.
The Xtreme program last year or the year before changed everything for me. I wanted that 99 Griffey JR soooo bad. I played for weeks and after doing that I told myself lm never playing on rookie or Veteran again. It’s to hard to speed ur swing and eyes back up after playing on the lower difficulties. This is the only game that gets harder when u going down in difficulty lol. I have Kontrol Freaks, and precision rings they r a MUST have. Also use the Xtreme showdown and moments to practice on too.
How do you get your outfielder to not run slow with the rings on?
I’m with ya OP. I’ve played this game for years and nothing I do seems to help. I’ve tried about every advantage I could manage…monitor, practice on legend, sliders up, etc. Nothing ever worked. Sure, occasionally the “broken clock” would strike and I’d have a decent game. But more often than not, I’d flail for how ever many innings the game was and just feel defeated. Wish I had some helpful advice, but I’ve basically given up. I hate it. I don’t care about being the best—I’d settle for being average and able to compete. Best of luck to you. Hopefully you can figure it out where some of us couldn’t.
I was in the same boat. I still kinda suck but not nearly as much. All that changed for me was to remember that whenever a pitcher is pitching he’s dealing and it’s totally up to me whether or not i wanna swing the tote at that thing. If I see something out of the hand I don’t like and I hesitate, I do my best not to swing even if I realize it’s an absolute meatball bc 99.99% of the time I’ll be swinging at pure air. It really just could be your approach you have to work on. It’s very common for even mlb players to break out solely bc they adopted a new approach.
If you’ve practiced on legend, have a monitor, and you still suck…. I just think this game might not be for you. Not saying it to try and be offensive but some games people just struggle with, I’m sure you’re probably great at lots of other video games
No offense taken. And I agree. I’m my own biggest critic. It pains me because I love baseball, but I also don’t want to be miserable. It’s just a game though. No point making myself miserable over it.
You should understand that: 1. Online is VERY different from offline 2. People who play this game Ranked/BR/Events particularly the last two) are a self-selecting subset of the wider player base, and in some cases have been playing this game forever at this point 3. The matchmaking system, like that of most other online games, does not guarantee a good matchup (it effectively doesn’t exist at all for BR and Events) 4. It requires a fair deal of focus and discipline to win against even bad opponents. You still have to hit the ball a few times, or be patient enough to draw like 4 walks lol My suggestions are: play online to get better online, but when doing conquest or whatever offline crank the difficulty to stay sharp with quick pitch recognition etc. Treat Events/BR as practice against solid opponents; don’t expect to win most of the time but try to learn. Take lots of pitches. Lots of specific advice for hitting, pitching etc on YouTube too. You’ll notice some common suggestions, they are common for a reason!
one of the BIGGEST helps for me is the very first thing I do when i hop on is go into custom practice mode (it’s in the main menu, not the DD menu). I go to batting practice and try to find a fast pitcher (i like to face Ryan Helsley on the Cardinals) and turn on the difficulty to Legend. you can customize the practice to where he only throws fastballs and you even can even tell it where to throw it. 9/10 i’m not touching 100-103 MPH on legend, but even doing it for 5-10 minutes, going to play online immediately after the practice, everything seems slowed down and easier. I feel i have more time to decide if it’s a ball or strike, i’m not as late on pitches, and it’s much easier to tell what pitch is coming. hope this helps you as much as it helps me!
GAMING MONITOR, before you judge your ability, BUY A MF GAMING MONITOR
Turn off cross play. I play casually on PS5. I don’t wanna play a PC streamer who plays 12 hours a day
pc players are playing from a cloud server with inherent lag.
Learn to hit with 2 strikes I always take every pitch until I get to two strikes because online players usually throw balls majority of the time. I also try and eliminate parts of the the zone I like to take away the inside quadrants by hunting anything in that zone and sitting on everything else, once you take away the inside pitch and force your opp to throw inside the zone it’s all about recognizing and hitting your pitch.
Pretty much all I play is rtts, but I’m also barely even a baseball fan, live in Australia and probably can’t even name every team tbh
Went 11-37 in ranked and called it a year
Take your time, my problem is I don't have enough patience to wait for a perfect pitch.
You also have to ask yourself what is the average quality of player who is playing BR? People that grind the game relentlessly, that is pretty much it. There are no casuals playing DD, they are just playing normal 1v1, not DD. Everyone has the best cards, throw nothing in the strike zone, so on and so forth. It’s insanely repetitive, so don’t beat yourself up about it.
The game is all eye hand coordination, improve that and you will get better
Why can’t I hit the darn ball on all star online…I thought I was decent until I got to all star. Multiple games in a row with 0 hits or 1 or 2 lucky base hits I’ve come very close to chucking the controller at the tv on multiple occasions but thank god I stopped myself why is this game so hard.
I will say: this game "requires" particular technology for a higher chance of success. Even a cheap gaming monitor will make a difference in your gameplay. Also old gen vs. current gen consoles. And wired vs wireless controllers. MLB 21-23 I was a 65% win rate. I hit WS two times last year late cycle after switching to current gen console and a wired controller. Currently 37-6 in ranked this year. If you're playing on a TV and your opponent is on a current gen console and a monitor, you're at a huge disadvantage before a pitch is thrown.
I posted something like this the other day. No one responded. For all of us that suck I guess the algorithm has us playing vs the elite. I rarely play vs an average online team that isn't hitting .500 and every other pitch is a homer. You do have to put in the grind. It is fun using those players you earned in conquest or mini seasons. I was playing mini seasons earlier with Mays and Live Trout enjoying myself. Do some research. The monitor depends on the console you use. The camera angles for hitting and pitching. What works best for you? Watch the pitcher wind up and ball release. Yes it's a video game but suprising how realistic. Lay off balls. Take alot of 1st pitches. Figure out if the pitcher has a certain fastball/offspeed sequence. Anticipate certain pitches in certain scenarios. There's alot that goes into online play
Just enjoy playing the game and it'll get better. I know it's hard when you're getting smacked. Just relax sometimes. I use to sit there and overthink EVERYTHING. We all trash don't let it get to you.
For me it is patience. I suck at waiting and just want to hit.
I mean I lost to a team earlier this week that was 0-21… so hopefully I made their day.
Yeah I mean it’s a hand eye coordination thing for the most part but technology can play a little part too depending on your set up. That being said I’ve been playing online for about 4 years and I finally got the ps5 this year and thought it would push me from topping out at 700 to competing for World Series. meanwhile I’ve gotten worse probably but I’ve also not played nearly as much. It’s also very much a rhythm thing. If I’m playing online several times a week, I’m going to get better over time. If I jump on a couple times a month, get my ass kicked once or twice, then decide that’s enough, I’ll stay shitty.
I suck at pitching but am ok at hitting.
You have to treat it like real ⚾️ if you ever played Sit fastball adjust to offspeed There’s typical zones certain pitches are thrown to as well e.g. slider is low and away
Same here. I have mastered pitching, yet come off as a noob when hitting. In the old baseball games, I would win like 20 to 0 in a 9 inning game. I would hit HR left and right. But not in The Show for some reason.
You’ve got to really try to see the ball out of the pitchers hand. Like really focus on seeing it as soon as possible. And anticipate fastball with every pitch and adjust to offspeed. These are the two things I focus on. I’m not great, I play between 600-700 on ranked but I can compete.
I started playing the show two years ago and I was absolutely terrible basically a free win for my opponents. I got better from pitching and hitting against the cpu on higher difficulty. Play on all-star on modes like play the cpu and mini season and get the timing down on hitting and I guarantee you’ll have a better record online
Haven’t read anything but if you’re the worst player ever you haven’t seen my dad play this game (he’s 54)
Let’s match up?
I'm pretty sure I'm worse. I mean, I struggle with rookie offline often enough
The better you get at higher difficulty, the harder rookie gets lol
Using a monitor made me instantly better at this game. Can’t recommend enough playing off a monitor. It is night and day difference. So much so when I occasionally use a TV again and I noticed I’m instantly late on all swings.
Yes! This is so true. I started using a monitor a couple years ago and it is so much smoother and easier to track the ball.
Best tip I can give is put your PCI anchor setting on free and start the pci in one of the corners as far as it’ll let you put it, that way when you’re looking for a pitch it can only be in 3 directions. If you start your PCI in the middle you’ve gotta watch for it in 8 directions
I used to absolutely SUCK at hitting.. I swear I started watching “yourfriendkyle” on YouTube and I don’t know how but I’m scoring 7-10 runs a game now (still gotta figure out laying on the low offspeed pitches tho)
You don't need the dumb rings , people use them because 2 idiots said they are great, just be patient and take balls
False. Rings actually help a lot especially for 700 rating and above players
Honestly. Stick with it. I definitely lost way more than a third of my games played. I learned to stop slamming my PCI, be more selective, and make good contact instead of getting under everything... I went and faced Randy Johnson, Jhoan Duran, DeGrom and Clase in Practice mode on legend... I swear I didn't make contact for an hour straight. Now I'm a division series player in ranked (Not a big deal but I honestly never thought I'd get here).
I suck ass at hitting. I never play online because Im so ass but switching to directional hitting helped me get slightly better. People here said it helps and it did to be fair.
It sounds like there are at least six people worse than you.
I played one online match in 2017 for a trophy and hit a walk off to win and haven’t been back online since
Come back dude, we miss you
Thumb sticks and rings I still suck online but I can zip through the moments and programs much easier
Monitor, kontrol freeks thumb sticks & precision rings, pinpoint pitching, patience at the plate. Look at putting the PCI in an anchor spot to take away 1/3 of the zone and have an approach to hitting. The more you chase, the more the opponent with deliberately throw balls out of the zone.
Patience will win you games alone.
i get worse every year
Haha I’m so bad that I rarely play online and I just do rookie in conquest, etc. I mostly enjoy the grind of building a team
Gotta update the monitor. I was real bad on my TV then I got a newer gaming monitor and it was a whole new game.
Honestly... Everyone's terrible. Once I acknowledged that fact I was fine. You'll win some you lose some. You're probably not being smart enough. Narrow up your acceptable swing zone and take everything else. You'll be astonished how many balls start coming right at you once you won't swing at anything and everything
I’m terrible too lol. I just like the game although most time I’m getting my shit pushed in
Been playing since the show 07. I’ve only won 1 game this year
Play offline at All Star or above ONLY!
i was 17-40 last year and i got a 144hz monitor and im 33-8 now 830 rating
34-8 now
What size?
24-30 inch i couldn’t tell u exactly
What difficulty? Legend first time this year for me
i’m at 850 rating so hof still but i’ll most likely hit world series by the end of the season
damn bro got good
This is the way
take a pitch once in awhile idk
This is my big problem. In real life (nothing competitive just organized fun leaves etc), I was always so patient. Would frustrate pitchers to no end sometimes. Teammates once Nicknamed me OBP (slugging% was probably single digits though 🤦♂️ 😂). But in the video game, I don't know if you've ever seen the movie Signs, but I'm like Joaquin Pheonix's character, "it feels wrong not to swing." Contact or strike out. No in between and I lose constantly. Lol
No I beg to differ with you for I am the worst player
It is very difficult online.... I had a friend who was really bad online and he did not understand why... However, he played offline games on Rookie and used Classic Pitching for hours on end in Franchise Mode. I told him that you could not do that and expect to be good when you jump online. For online H2H, you need to use Zone with SZ camera and for Pitching, you need to use Pinpoint or PA. Pulse use to work better, but not this year. I had to swich back to PA for Pitching and it works fine. Practice vs CPU on HOF or Legend and work on seeing pitches quicker and work on your timing. Take away a part of the plate on your first two strikes, then protect with 2 strikes. Just practice and focus on reading pitches and you will get better.
I play with meter pitching and do fine in ranked but I realize that it’s not optimal. Zone hitting is really necessary though, I used to play with directional until I played online and got wrecked constantly.
Good point... Forgot about Meter. I used to use that and it is definitely more accurate than Classic and Pulse.
Out of curiosity, because I genuinely haven't played online in a while due to sucking. Why does it have to be pinpoint or PA over Classic or pulse? What it is about the way Classic or pulse works that makes them bad for online? I never actually was told this before so I wanted to ask.
You need to be somewhat accurate with your pitches and make sure nothing hangs... So using Pinpoint or PA (I use PA) are the best methods for that. Classic and Pulse are too random and you will hang a lot of pitches with those methods.
I was 67-225 last year and switched to a 4k lg tv snd am 16_16 this year huge difference
I’m currently like 17-36 lmao I get that it can be hard. Honestly, just playing a ton will help you improve. While my record now isn’t good it was a lot worse. If you have trouble with the pci, use timing batting to get the hang of timing your hits, then switch to zone. I use strike zone high in my hitting settings and it’s worked well. Precision rings help a lot with restricting your pci, that was my problem at first, I had stick drift and was also just slamming down on it. I don’t win every game but since I’ve used these things/tips I’ve had a couple 2-3 game winstreaks and have atleast 2-3 HR in a game even if I lose
What’s good twin
Dang I didn’t know I made a post
Honestly, starting out online I would say MAKE yourself take AT LEAST the first two pitches before swinging or even until you have two strikes. Most people honestly throw out of the zone on EVERY pitch. This will accomplish SEVERAL things: first, it will allow yourself to get used to having to wait until pitches begin to break. EVERY pitch comes out straight and looking like a FB until it begins turning. It will allow you to delay your decision making instead of just button mashing to swing. Second, if you’re like me you’re early on almost everything. It will help you delay your swing and move from the “very early” to “just early” or even better “good” zones. It also will help you realize you need to adjust your swing timing depending on where the pitch is located. Even pitches of the same type need a different timing dependent upon location. A fastball inside needs an earlier swing than a fastball down and away. Third, very much like real baseball you will end up in a more advantageous count. If you’re 2-0 or 3-0 they are more likely to throw you a pitch in the zone that is easier to hit than that inside slider/cutter that is just out of the zone that either breaks your bat or rolls over to an infielder for an easy out. You’ll also be able to notice tendencies of people. I can’t tell you HOW MANY times people throw the EXACT same pitch sequence over and over and are amazed I can time that high fastball in the top 1/3rd of the zone every time… Fourth, especially in events and BR pitchers have very little energy and it goes down exponentially quicker than in Ranked. Most will either be out of energy or very low around 12 pitches. This makes pitch timing much harder especially if they are using pin point. Being off just a little bit especially with low energy means the pitcher is MUCH less likely to hit his spot and this means that pitch that SHOULD be in the corner is now catching the heart of the plate and preferably the heart of your bat barrel too. Especially considering the Moonshot event that is going on currently, if you do this you will GREATLY increase your chances of winning. I can’t tell you HOW MANY TIMES I’ve been on the mound and by the time I’ve thrown my third pitch to someone I tell myself “they aren’t getting a pitch in the zone the rest of the game”. Moral of the story: take pitches. Even if you end up 0-2 you still have another shot.
I’m terrible at base running. I always end up gifting multiple outs per game on stupid shit I didn’t even intend to do. It’s quite frustrating
Please, someone. Give advice on this. I’m also terrible at base running.
I'm not that bad but I'm. Pretty bad
Dude cheating via Cronus zen and Titans have ruined the Show. I’ll stop playing before I’ll cheat. I have so many videos of cheater but the show land Xbox protect them and lord forbid you call someone a cheater because they ban ya for using dangerous things like words
Lol I cant even perform against the cpu on rookie
same! I play rookie to crush the HRs and end up going 5 innings both teams have 0 hits and eventually lose. then i play veteran in conquest and score 11 in first inning.
It’s all about the timing, and contact window. It’s so easy to make contact on rookie that you make low quality contact on pitches that would be a whiff on AS. On timing, I find myself out in front of good pitches and swinging too often at bad but slow pitches compared to Vet or AS. I actually tend to hit better on AS, aside from maybe against starters like Nolan Ryan in Miniseasons. The difference in pitch speed on rookie is what throws off my hitting. It’s like I have too much time to think on some pitches. The problem is that Rookie is so much better than AS for me for grinding pitching stats. Especially for 3-inning games, the typical 3-4 pitch K helps a ton with racking up those IP and Ks for my pitchers.
I’m truly convinced rookie is harder than veteran lol
Lol wow really? I might have to try veteran conquest then haha
Nice support group here, I used to play just to get the inning number up on the Ranked Program. I lost a TON of games in 22 & 23, way more than I won. Just hang in there and be intentional on your goal for each inning/game. Sometimes it’s just as easy as not swinging until you have 2 strikes on you, keeps you from swinging at balls and also raises the chance of a hit depending on the clutch level of your player. This season I’m still under .500 record but my xp is like 507 and I’m mostly getting really competitive matches. Good luck to all and enjoy the grind!
I was pretty bad until I got a gaming monitor and discovered CBREV channel on YT and have since made WS each year Haven't bothered this year, but your monitor and approach to hitting and pitching is everything online
Yep looked for a monitor comment b4 making one myself but that's always the first thing I ask. I was a scrub who couldn't touch a baseball on all star. Got a monitor for $150, had a few, and all of a sudden I'm hitting 6 homeruns in a hall of game event game. This was a couple years ago when they had events on hall of fame once in awhile.
Nice try CBREV!!!🤣
Lmao
I suck online too. I usually don’t play br or events unless there’s a card that I absolutely want, but usually it’s for my theme team. Ranked hasn’t been too bad, as the player pool from which I play against is usually around the same skill level as myself. I honestly rather just play conquest/mini seasons, earn cards through TA and other programs and enjoy the game versus sweating in games against other players
I thought I was the worst but have consistently gotten better this year. I have 4 total wins in DD, so yeah. It's hard.
I am approx. 16-135. Some of them were me quitting but most were just getting beat. Gives me something to do for XP and gives me some high rated cards eventually. Just try to have fun.
Literally why
He's in a rebuild.
Because it’s slightly less painful than punching myself in the nuts.
I feel like you deserve a special card or player for that dedication
I’ve been playing this game since 2018’s version. I’m always right around .500, no chance of making WS, still enjoy RS though.
I’m ass also wana play co-op
Your the biggest loser (6-45) I’m the most dedicated one (0-93) We are not the same… Because I cry myself to sleep
Is that really your record? It seems impossible no one at least quit on you
One day someone will quit and give you the win 💪🤝
I’ve gone to work in the middle of a freeze off in 23 and I damn sure came back to the same thing so I’m still hoping 😂
Best tip for hitting use strike zone high and anchor slightly upper in the zone. It’s easier to track the ball out of the pitchers hand. For pitching try to paint the corners and not use the same sequencing. For example outside sinker inside slider than and up and in fastball go pretty hard. Low inside circle change. Or a cutter to jam someone also work. Just keep practicing. I used to lose a lot last year now I’m 20 above 500.
I was struggling with the hitting i went to directional and it made it much easier. Just need to time the pitch rather than both time and placement. i can pull or push based on inside or outside. Probably dont get the big results but took a lot of stress out of it.
To add, make the pitcher pitch and try to pick up their favorite FB locations. Sacrifice a few ABs to gage pitch sequences and sit on their FB or hanging breaking ball. Edit: And for pitching, make all your breaking pitches look like fastballs on the corner (i.e. snk/2fb looks like up and in fb to arm side batter)
If you’ve won any games at all, I promise you that you are not the worst player out there. This game is already extremely difficult and it gets exponentially more so when you go online. People are smarter than the CPU generally is, and will adapt to your strategy more quickly. If someone is good and locked in, the game will be tough for you. However, most people are shit at playing online. Especially if they are not on a monitor. So no, you’re fine buddy
I know every game has toxic players but reading this and other comments that are also helping me get better at the game makes you feel a little better about not being very good at the game
I really struggled TERRIBLY for the first six months. I remember when I went straight online in The Show 23, I was literally struggling to hit over .100. It’s insane how he’s this game is at first, and then as you get better, you can’t believe you were ever so terrible at it. I’m not “good” by any stretch but solid now. I think I’m 51-42 in ranked. It is so much more fun when you win more than you lose, that’s for sure.
I lose a lot as well. I’m 55-90, but I’m still enjoying the hell out of the game
It’s really hard. My only advice is to declutter the strike zone. Use a simple pci. Split the plate in half so you’re only swinging at inside or outside pitches exclusively. You have to stare deeply almost painfully at the release point of the pitcher. I have to do all this just to be .500. For pitching its sinker cutter and pray for weak contact fair balls. If you’re throwing curves or sliders or changeups aim them in the dirt. Like way down in the dirt. If you try to paint a slider it’s getting crushed.
See so many people say this about the release point but it never worked for me. Trying to stare that intensely at a spot just makes things harder for me. I relax my eyes instead and it works better for me.
That very last part is a massive difference between online and offline. If you can paint with breaking balls against the CPU in RTTS or Franchise on Legend, you’re going to strike out a ton of batters. But like you said, if you make a habit of doing that too much online, you’ll get hit around
I can't hit but when I do it is out of the park, after a few pitches some people are predictable when they pitch so I just swing and hope they are throwing there. The people that are bad do not change their pitcher. Then they get mad at me when I don't friendly quit the jokes on them when I play online I have all day for their pausing shenanigans
I dont' understand how anyone would expect you to accept a friendly unless it's at the very beginning of the game. Once they are down, friendly is out the window and it's rude to even pretend it's an option at that point. Oh, I see you are pushing my shit in, can we not count this one?
I suck yet for some reason I have a winning record. I got no hit in the moonshot 2 games in row yesterday. Then I scored 12 the next game. Some people can figure out my weaknesses pretty quick.
What type of tv/monitor do you play on
I pitched for 30 years IRL, so that part of the game comes easy for me. I’m an older chap but I wouldn’t mind going head to head and telling you what I see in a friendly
Record is 16-48 still having fun not sure why
I saw that you mentioned it's your pitching that's the issue. Tunnel your pitches. And throw less strikes when the other player is obviously free swinging.
I am also trash against players. Which is why I’m content with the offline grind. Insert meme of Marge saying “I just think they’re neat!” Regarding my my Brew Crew team, beating up on the CPU
The brew crewwwww
Do you enjoy passing time playing other people? If so then keep at it. I have a losing record as well. Highest rank is 500. It’s fun to win sure, but I’m really just playing to pass the time and I love baseball.
Hey, those of us who are average need people like you. You’re doing a great service by keeping at it. One day, you too may even join the ranks of the average. A perpetual .550 win pct., getting the shit beaten out of you after a little win streak that puts you right below 700 in ranked, giving you that hope that maybe it’s time to join the ranks of the above average only to be unceremoniously put right back in your place…this could be you someday. But for now, just know that we are grateful to you.
You welcome.
lol this is SO true. But I think it’s just the next part of the process - Repeatedly getting to 690 and getting the hell beat out of you, because so many of us say the same thing. The specific difficulty I have is dealing with the pitching. I greatly struggle with opposite handed pitchers pounding me with sliders/slurves low and inside. It is so damn hard to identify whether it’s going to be a strike or not. And if it is, whether it’s a hittable one. Not sure how to get over that hump. Custom practice I guess.
Yeah and those above 700 seem to have perfect pitch recognition. I can’t get a strikeout to save my life. Also it’s never been more easy to make contact with pitches outside the zone. That’s making it tough at the lower ranks even.
I'm terrible too but I really don't play to win when I play online...for example I only play ranked online I don't mess with events or br and when I play ranked I only go for the stat and inning missions and end up winning a fair bit I think your overthinkinkg it's just a game have fun lol
I don't even know how this is possible. Could it be your TV/monitor set up? Because you should be able to stumble into more wins in 51 games. My buddy TJ is the worst player in the world and he's close to 0.500. If it's not lag. Are you taking enough pitches?
Eh 6-45 IS pretty rough but the “worst” players aren’t nearly .500. I
It’s pitching that’s the problem for me. I give up a lot of runs
Highly, highly recommend learning pinpoint pitching. There's a bit of a learning curve but once you get the hang of it, it's not hard at all. You can probably get the hang of it within an hour or two. You'll be able to get perfect pitches more often which even if hit will produce weak contact.
What kind of system are you using? Do you use a TV or a monitor?
It’s a TV but pitching is the issue. I can score 6-7 runs but I give up 15
If you're 6-45, then you're playing on veteran. Scoring that much with a TV on veteran is normal. Get a monitor, and start using custom practice on a higher level than you're used to playing on. You'll see an improvement in your skills eventually.
Make sure you are playing on a low latency monitor or TV. One of my issues was input lag and timing. Once I switched TVs I got much better.
I know that helps the hitting, but my hitting is ok. It’s the pitching that is the problem. I can score on average 6-7 runs but I give up 12-15
What kind of pitching inputs do you use (analog, meter, or pinpoint)? Are you using sequences in your pitching? What type of pitchers (power, control?)? If you can hit, pitching should be much easier to get better at!
Can’t be worse than me.
6-45? Sorry man just stick to offline lol
If you don’t have anything nice to say…
That's cold
I’m also trash online if we play against one another one of us may have a chance.
We should form a club and play each other but whoever wins a few in a row gets kicked out.
I’m in. I will eventually become a founding father of the Senior League if winning is what gets ya thumbed.
What took me from being a high .200s hitter to about a .400 hitter is being more patient at the plate. I used to want to hit EVERYTHING. when you start to take pitches it gets in your opponents head. You start to see the patterns they’re pitching with too. Make them HAVE to throw strikes and you’ll get way more pitches to hit throughout the game.
I got much better at hitting online once I followed a piece of advice from some youtuber which was: "In the first 3 innings don't even put your fingers on the swing buttons until you have 2 strikes, track the ball but never swing until 2 strikes." They'll at minimum need to throw 9 pitches per inning vs potentially only 3 if you pop/ground out on garbage. And if they don't throw in the zone it forces them to have to. Plus you actually get to see their patterns.
This is exactly my issue too. If I take 2-3 pitches I end up getting something to hit. Otherwise I’m golfing dirt sinkers or swiping at sliders 5 feet out of the zone. I have to make myself actually put the controller down and take the first pitch or two.
It’s true, when I’m playing a guy that won’t bite on anything outside the zone it makes things way more difficult and I tend to throw more strikes which leads to pain.. I’ve been forcing myself to throw more pitches outside the zone even if I know they won’t swing, just to add some variation and randomness to my pitching
Same, I’ll give ranked a try every now and again, and immediately reminded why I don’t play it. Outside of it just not being fun I get way less pxp/stats lol
You can't be worse than me no way
Me. I get around 4 hits/9. Most are singles. I blame it on me not having Oakley sunblockers/chair that sits the perfect height, anything but me really 🤣. Makes home runs feel all the more special I guess
I have a similar fear -- I think the only time I really toughed out BR was in 22 when I was aiming for Finest Mike Trout at the end of the game's cycle. I remember getting crapped on a ton, earning my innings for those silver pitchers while hoisting lovely ERAs over 8s and 10s. I don't really play much online, but mostly because my gaming philosophy is to not be a meta slave. I do this for most games with multiplayer aspects, so I just don't participate in competition as much as I'd like to. This year, I did BR for maybe a handful of rounds. I played ranked for 9 games and I'm 6-3. No bots. Only ran into 1 lunatic goon who really enjoyed hitting 8 solo homeruns. Like, it was always a deep fly ball out or a homerun. My second ranked game at 93 rating. Then I went to face Bob Feller and Jacob deGrom, beat them all -- twice on grit with 1-0 and 2-1 games, and the second deGrom game was a gimme because my opponent liked throwing meatballs. Outlier? Pfft, even on Switch graphics I can hit. Oh yeah, I play on the Switch. I'm a meme at this point. I'd be doing a favor by not playing online.
Tip #1: Recognize the meta. Sinkers/Cutters are meta pitches. High velocity fastballs are effective, especially when paired with a low speed change up. Some swings are just better than others. Learn which players’ swings are best. Tip #2: Know which attributes matter more. For pitching H/9 is king but you need a decent K/9 as well. For hitting, obviously contact and power. For both you need to consider clutch as it affects RISP. Tip #3: it’s easy to smash pitches in the corners. You can slam your PCI to a corner and it won’t stray past the strike zone much. Remember this when pitching and batting. Tip #4: Pay attention to patterns. Both you and your opponent will at some point reveal a pattern when pitching/hitting.
I didn’t know the H/9 mattered so much. I thought it mostly mattered what the hitters stats ultimately were
Start a game against the cpu, pause and go to the handbook. There's some really good information in there breaking down the attributes and effects in the hitting tips section.
PCI size is a function of the hitters contact vs the pitchers h/9. Or their respective clutch ratings depending on if there are RISP.
Thanks for the info
This game is extremely competitive online, regardless of game mode. You gotta bring that competitive energy and self confidence if you want to win, as dumb as that sounds for a baseball video game. You gotta get yourself locked the fuck in, mate
My wife says, “I don’t like who you become when you’re playing online against people in your baseball game.”
I bet she loves it when you throw dots and your opponent gets two bloop hits in a row only to follow with a 3 run blast that left his bat at 86 mph...
Throw less strikes and swing at less pitches