Defense has definitely improved in MLB 15: The Show, thanks to many new motion-captured fielding animations, plus a longer period of user control before your player finally gets locked into his automated catch sequence. A few new defensive mechanics have also been introduced this year, and here is the best way to utilize those tools:

Slide Step Delivery

Any time a man is on base, your pitcher can hold R2 and press X to throw the ball with an abbreviated "slide step" release, which will significantly shorten his windup animation. The ball will come out of your hurler's hand with less accuracy and velocity than usual -- because he's not going into his normal windup -- but the slide step is still a great way to keep speedy baserunners in-check this season. I definitely prefer using it over pickoff attempts, which still result in way too many wild throws over the baseman's head, or pitch outs, which will always result in a ball against the mind-reading CPU. Slide steps allow pitchers to keep throwing strikes without conceding an easy stolen base to the offense.

Manual Cutoffs

MLB 15: The Show finally allows your infielders to cutoff throws that are coming from the outfield and going towards a base. All you have to do is hit L1 while the ball is airborne to intercept it. This tactic will stop your opponent from turning a single into a double if you accidentally preload a throw to home plate and it has no chance of catching the runner who's about to score. Also keep in mind that you can always cancel out of a preloaded throw before it leaves your fielder's hand by simply tapping the throw button a second time.

Quick Shifts

Defensive shifts have been in The Show for several years, but they're easier than ever to do, now that you only have to press down on the d-pad to bring up the menu. The "Bunt Defense" shift is excellent at countering sacrifice and suicide attempts. Shifting your fielders to the left/right is also useful against hitters who have a strong tendency to pull/push the ball. To find out the current CPU hitter's swinging tendencies, just pause the game and glance at his color-coded hit chart, located in the bottom-center of the screen. You can also setup specific shifts for each individual player in the opposing lineup by selecting the top-right panel ("Defense Positioning") on the pause screen.

Bullpen Management

This last topic hasn't changed much since MLB 14, but it's something that I always see beginning players neglect, so it's worth mentioning in a tips/tricks article. Pressing up on the d-pad will display the opponent's three upcoming hitters, giving you a good idea of who on your pitching staff should be getting loose in the bullpen for that inning. Try to combat power hitters with pitchers who have excellent ball movement and deception; save your high-speed hurlers for the batters who lack power, since any fastballs they do connect with won't be going very far.

Handedness is hugely important in baseball, so make sure to scout out any opportunities where a lefty might have a major advantage over a righty (or vice versa), as many hitters are strong against one style of pitcher but weak against the other. On that same menu, you can also take a peak at the other team's bullpen, to figure out what kind of batters you might want to substitute into your lineup.

By far the most important option on this pop-up screen is "Mound Visit," which gives your current pitcher a slight confidence boost, and grants your bullpen some extra time to warm up, if you're ever forced to insert a new pitcher before his arm is ready. Pitchers who aren't properly warmed up will come into the game with reduced velocity and accuracy.

What tips do you have to utilize the defensive options in MLB 15 The Show better?