MLB The Show 21 is now out for players who chose to pre-order and have thus acquired the game in Early Access. The game combines a lot of intriguing mechanics with each other and it can therefore be qutie hard for players to learn all the pitching and hitting controls alongside their generally complex interfaces. As such, we have a list of tips and tricks for MLB The Show 21 that should help you out in your quest for stardom.
Whether you’re batting or pitching, there are particular mechanics you need to always consider before you take your first swing. To add further complexity, most pitches in the game are astronomically different from each other. So, your strategies might not always translate in each match. Therefore, improvisation is the key.
Hitting, Batting and Pitching Tips
When it comes to the game, the most complex parts are arguably Batting and Pitching. Both of them require intense practicse and have an extremely high skill curve. So, you won’t be hitting home runs on your first few tries but eventually you’ll be able to pull out a decent score without striking out! We’re going to be giving you a few key tips on both Batting and Pitching for MLB The Show.
Batting Tips
Start Identifying Pitches
As soon as you start playing the game, start taking mental notes of the pitches being thrown at you in MLB The Show 21. As you get accustomed to the game, you’ll be dialed enough to identify what pitch is being thrown at you no matter what the speed.
To look at all the available pitches a pitcher has in a given match, press the right trigger (on the PS4 / PS5 / Xbox) to look at a comprehensive list. If you’ve whiffed your shot and want an idea of what the pitch was, you can press the same button after the pitch has been thrown to get its name and where it landed.
Related: How to Update the Player Rosters in MLB The Show 21
Once you can identify pitches, start making a game plan of what you need to do once the ball’s coming at you. After some practice matches, you should be able to nail some out of the park with a good swinging routine.
Swing with a Plan!
While this may sound quite obvious, you should not be swinging at pevery paitch you see. If you keep going at it, there’s a high chance you’ll develop a very bad habit of swinging at every pitch which ensures that your score won’t be as high as it could’ve been if only you practiced some restraint.
However, try not to go on the opposite side of the spectrum and not take pitches at all. Even if you do get some strikes, it is important to understand the mindset and mentality of the pitcher. Once you are dialed in, you’ll be able to consistently score tons of runs. However, in order to do so, you’ll need to pick your shots very wisely!
Pitching Tips
Master Pinpoint Pitching
The newest addition to pitching in MLB The Show 21 is a completely new interface known as Pinpoint Pitching. As the name suggests, you’ll be able to throw your ball in an extremely precise manner by practicing the hard control interface. However, learning the interface can be extreemly challenging.
To throw a good ball, you’ll need to master both your gesture and timing. If even one of these key factors are off, your pictch will be going wildly out of the zone. Try to watch the example gesture you are provided with each pitch a few times and follow exact speed and motion closely. You can then use the two shrinking blue circles as a guide for the perfect final downward flick.
Start Practicing your Pitches
You probably don’t want to hop into a live match only to masterfully fail at throwing a good pitch. As such, the developers have now added in a practice mode which lets you safely test out things until you are comfortable enough with the mechanics with no real affect to the game whatsoever.
In order to enter Practice Mode, you need to go down to the main menu until you reach Custom Practice. Over there, select a team to practice with and one to practice against. You can then select your batter and even if you want a batter present at all. If you are a beginner, we recommend spending a few minutes warming up and practicing before you hop into your matches to add more precision to your aim.
That’s all the tips we have for you about Hitting and Pitching in MLB The Show 21. Do you want to learn more about a particular mechanic? If so, voice your opinion in the comments down below!
