MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

[spaceg0st]

If this was done similar to mvp baseball where it's like a more user friendly mix between zone and timing, then it would be awesome. Instead, it's poorly done. Experienced baseball player here, who the hell would want to intentionally hit ground balls. If I'm lookin down and in, I'm looking to turn on it and jack it to left. I'm not looking to try and squeeze and grounder between short and third.

Once again, the tools are there but the devs swing and miss.

[bcruise]

Quote: Originally Posted by spaceg0st

If this was done similar to mvp baseball where it's like a more user friendly mix between zone and timing, then it would be awesome. Instead, it's poorly done. Experienced baseball player here, who the hell would want to intentionally hit ground balls. If I'm lookin down and in, I'm looking to turn on it and jack it to left. I'm not looking to try and squeeze and grounder between short and third. Once again, the tools are there but the devs swing and miss.

Fast runners. Batters trying to move a runner from 2nd to 3rd, or to an infielder playing back, conceding a run.

[sink4ever]

Wow, I'm not sure where all this hate for directional hitting is coming from, the reasoning seems bizarre at best. Has anyone ever watched Jeter inside-out a pitch to right field? With directional hitting we finally have the opportunity to approach at-bats in a somewhat similar fashion, trying to influence the direction of a hit regardless of pitch location.

I think it's been instituted quite well, it certainly doesn't seem overpowered. Your success is still very reliant on the timing of the swing and hitter tendencies.

As to why you would want to hit the ball on the ground? Ever hit and run? Now you can try to shoot the ball through the vacated spot (they do need to stop having runners slide when that happens, but that's a whole different discussion). Also, if I have a speedy player with low power (Billy Hamilton or Dee Gordon for example), you can be darn sure I'm trying to shoot a grounder between short and third.

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by spaceg0st

IExperienced baseball player here, who the hell would want to intentionally hit ground balls.

You mean like hitting behind the runner for example?

[videogameprojr]

Wouldn't pushing the left stick down and to the left with a righty influence it to the LEFT side of the diamond, not the right like the writer said?

[nemesis04]

Quote: Originally Posted by videogameprojr

Wouldn't pushing the left stick down and to the left with a righty influence it to the LEFT side of the diamond, not the right like the writer said?

Yes, you are correct.

[NC12]

Quote: Originally Posted by bcruise

Fast runners. Batters trying to move a runner from 2nd to 3rd, or to an infielder playing back, conceding a run.

Exactly......

[Speedy]

Ohh...I thought flipping the stick in a certain direction meant my batter was looking in a certain zone for a pitch? I guess that's what guess pitch is for.

I do kindly wish the "look for THIS zone" was implemented as the swing influence ability has been in the game for a while...I love how the camera shifts so I can have my player focus on a certain zone and simply time my swing up from there.

As an example, Miggy gets a lot of pitches down in the zone so it makes more sense if I can have my player look at the knees and just crank a rope somewhere. However this system seems to be counter-productive to that scenario and my desired output, right?

Let's say I have a slow catcher on 3rd with 1-out, IFs are in and I want to hit a fly ball. I know the pitcher will be throwing fastballs or breaking balls at the knees to get me to ground out so my FOCUS should be down in the zone as it's likely that's where I'll be getting pitched but my REQUESTED OUTPUT is a flyball. If I shift my view to the bottom of the zone, I can see that low pitch better using this sytem but the application interprets my input that I rather want to hit a grounder which is not what I want.

...maybe it's me but this isn't ideal and could've been better implemented as again, I love the shift of the camera is great and really makes the AB feel more intense.