Hitting with superstars

[Kearnzo]

Been having issues ever since I got the game when it comes to hitting with superstars (Miggy, Braun, etc.).

I just started a fantasy draft franchise and grabbed Cabrera with my first pick. For my franchise, I am playing one game with my ace, summing through his next start, then playing with my #2, summing through his next start, etc.

Well, through three games with Cabrera, I've struck out seven times and had a total of zero hits with him. I know, I know. You guys are thinking that I'm swinging at everything with him and pressing, but that's just not the case. I've drawn a few walks with him. I know you are also thinking "sample size". I agree, maybe I'll turn it around with him.

My concern lies with how he's being pitched. Guys turn into Greg Maddux when I hit with him. I'm playing a game right now up against Volquez, who has been ALL over the place so far. Well, except against Cabrera. I just went down for the second time on three pitches with Miggy. Both times started out with foolishly placed sinkers low and away, which is the one pitch that Volquez has absolutely no confidence in so far, yet locates with ease suddenly. Now that I'm in a hole, he starts dropping changeups on the very bottom of the strike zone. I know they're coming, as it's his best pitch despite the fact that he hasn't been able to locate it against anyone else. But again, he drops two straight perfectly on the low outside corner, where I can't even begin to make contact.

I've noticed this trend in a number of Show Live games as well. Superstars seemed to get pitched to the corners too much. And I understand pitching to the corners to good hitters, it makes perfect sense to be cautious. The alarming part is that most of these pitches are perfectly on the black, either low and away or high and away, not just off the plate.

I don't know, maybe I'm crazy. Just getting a little frustrated, as I feel like I should just sit Miggy on the bench when I play at this point. Simming, he is on fire, hitting .400 with 5 bombs through 12 games. That would be a heck of a lot higher if I could hit at all with him .

[RecordBreakerCF]

You struggle with Miguel Cabrera? That's not normal.

[Scott]

You're probably trying to press too much

[MGoBlue777]

I've had this same issue hitting with Miggy (I know, I know...). I'm playing a Tigers franchise (All-Star with Zone hitting, playing every game), and through 21 games I'm hitting .233 with only 4 extra base hits (1 HR). I've only drawn 7 walks (that's on me) but have only struck out 7 times, so I'm not just free swinging (and also lead the league in fewest team strike outs).

I've found the pitchers to raise their game against him, hitting corners and the bottom of the zone to induce weak toppers to the mound and in front of the plate, and harmless fly balls to right/right center. This happens with other batters too, but noticeably more with Cabrera. What's the secret to hitting successfully against pitches in these locations as that's pretty much all he's seeing?

By comparison, I've had tremendous success with Fielder (.366, 6 HR's) and Infante (.380), and have been OK with most of the team. But when it comes to Miggy, I've had very little success. Any tips/suggestions would be appreciated as I'm getting fairly frustrated by now (which is probably part of my problem now.....)

[vinny_pizza]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scott

You're probably trying to press too much

Agreed. We all do it and sometimes just need to take a pitch of two to work the count. First few games out of the gate with Bautista I struggled, now at the midway point he's batting .390 with 36 homers. Work the counts.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[ptbnl]

Actually, I've noticed the exact same thing as the OP in the game.

And it's not just against star hitters that pitchers find their control.

I've struggled with Robinson Cano at times because of it, but something else I've noticed is that even in hitters' counts, pitchers always remain in control. They never have to throw a hitter a good pitch.

Instead, they paint the corner with a change up or another offspeed pitch. Now, I don't have a problem with them trying that on 2-0, 3-0 or 3-1; it can be a good strategy to keep hitters from crushing you and real major league pitchers do it, too.

But far too often when they go for the corner, they get the call, even when it's clearly a ball or even if they've walked four guys in the first inning already. The pitchers are never forced to throw one they know will catch the zone, or to give up on their secondary stuff for the sake of getting a strike.

2-0 and 3-1 are hitters' counts for a reason. I can't remember the last time I walked on a 3-0 or 3-1 that wasn't an IBB. They always get a strike to go to 3-2 and you usually have to foul off a bunch of pitches before walking.

The computer knows it can throw a sinker to the corner for a strike and get back in the count.

[G3no_11]

Quote: Originally Posted by ptbnl

Instead, they paint the corner with a change up or another offspeed pitch. Now, I don't have a problem with them trying that on 2-0, 3-0 or 3-1; it can be a good strategy to keep hitters from crushing you and real major league pitchers do it, too. But far too often when they go for the corner, they get the call, even when it's clearly a ball or even if they've walked four guys in the first inning already. The pitchers are never forced to throw one they know will catch the zone, or to give up on their secondary stuff for the sake of getting a strike. 2-0 and 3-1 are hitters' counts for a reason. I can't remember the last time I walked on a 3-0 or 3-1 that wasn't an IBB. They always get a strike to go to 3-2 and you usually have to foul off a bunch of pitches before walking. The computer knows it can throw a sinker to the corner for a strike and get back in the count.

I'm going to have to disagree with this part. Generally when I get into a 3-0, 3-1 count I am going to get a pretty decent pitch to hit. Either that, or I am going to get a ball.

Obviously sometimes there are exceptions and you will see them paint a corner in a hitter's count but that happens in real life as well.

It's really all about being patient. A lot of times I will end up chasing a 3-1 pitch because I think it's going to be fat, but really I should've laid off of it and took the walk OR just took the pitch and took my chances with a 3-2 count.

I think this can also be altered with sliders. I was playing with a custom slider set and was really struggling in RTTS. Hitting around .230, but it was because I hardly ever got anything decent to hit. I made a slider tweak and the pitch locations were much more realistic. Pitchers weren't just laying fat pitches in there for me to crush.. I still had to be patient and work the count to get a solid pitch. But there were also times where I would get a first pitch, "get it over" fastball that never happened with my previous sliders.

[ML]

The surplus of low pitches is because you want to keep the ball low at all times especially against big hitters, but the painting of the corners seems odd. In my opinion the way the game should work is only the best of the best can consistently paint the corners and make it look effortless. Nolan Ryan has the most career strikeouts but also the most career walks because everything was on the corners

speaking of corners idk if its just me but i feel like the cpu also manages to get way more close calls than I do