MLB 15 The Show News Post

MLB 15 The Show: Directional Hitting Guide

10:59 AM - April 11, 2015 by RaychelSnr

MLB 15 The Show’s directional hitting has taken me back to MVP ’05, where moving the left stick in a direction would attempt to influence the ball to go that way. It’s a system that’s pretty confusing if you’re locked into zone hitting, but once you wrap your head around it, it can be very useful in key situations. The fact that your swing will revert back to a timing-based version if you don’t pick a direction, complete with hitting stats based on each player, means you still have a viable way of making contact if a particular at-bat isn’t going your way.

Game: MLB 15 The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS Vita / PS3 / PS4Votes for game: 31 - View All

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# 1 BaylorBearBryant @ 04/11/15 01:24 PM

I have no idea what they were thinking with all the changes to hitting this year. They add this crummy mode and take away the best one. What gives?

# 2 nemesis04 @ 04/11/15 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaylorBearBryant


	I have no idea what they were thinking with all the changes to hitting this year. They add this crummy mode and take away the best one. What gives?

Out of curiosity what makes it "crummy"? The system adds another layer to timing which makes it more interactive.

# 3 BaylorBearBryant @ 04/11/15 02:04 PM

To me it seems cheap, rather gimmicky. With zone hitting you can still look for pitches you want to drive the other way, and based on your swing timing can influence them to do so. If you want to pull a hit, look for an inside fastball and swing earlier.

They take away the most realistic hitting mechanism in the game, pure analog zone, in order to include this??? That's why it's crummy. Let's take two steps back and one forward... It'd be like if EA NHL suddenly took away shooting with the right stick and went back to button pressing. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's still a great game, but I'm not a fan of this decision.

# 4 nemesis04 @ 04/11/15 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaylorBearBryant


	To me it seems cheap, rather gimmicky. With zone hitting you can still look for pitches you want to drive the other way, and based on your swing timing can influence them to do so. If you want to pull a hit, look for an inside fastball and swing earlier. They take away the most realistic hitting mechanism in the game, pure analog zone, in order to include this??? That's why it's crummy. Let's take two steps back and one forward... It'd be like if EA NHL suddenly took away shooting with the right stick and went back to button pressing. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's still a great game, but I'm not a fan of this decision.

The two items you are referring to are really two separate entities. Directional hitting had nothing to do with the redesign of analog controls. The game has had timing as an option for quite a while, now there is more to it. The analog change was brought on by lack of use with the mechanic. From the responses here it sounds like all the users of pure analog are in this forum. Anyway you can still use zone with analog in its reimagined state.

Directional is not for everyone, I am a zone player myself. I think it is not accurate to say the inclusion of directional brought on the demise of pure analog.

# 5 bkrich83 @ 04/11/15 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaylorBearBryant


	They take away the most realistic hitting mechanism in the game, pure analog zone, in order to include this???

How did you come to the conclusion they were related? Makes zero sense.

# 6 bigbuckeyeboi @ 04/11/15 02:38 PM

This game is great! Period

# 7 bcruise @ 04/11/15 02:49 PM

Directional (or basically timing with the ability to slightly influence hit direction) isn't really my thing unless I want ratings to mean more than everything else, but I did play my first game with it on launch night. I basically treated it as timing hitting for the whole game, save for one at-bat where I was intentionally trying to move a runner from 2nd to 3rd.

It's very well balanced IMO, much better than past attempts at a similar system (which are overdone IMO and tend to let you place a hit exactly where and how you want it). As usual, there's enough hit variety in this game to give you the feeling that anything can happen once the ball leaves the bat.

# 8 spaceg0st @ 04/11/15 02:59 PM

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.

# 9 bcruise @ 04/11/15 03:03 PM

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.

# 10 sink4ever @ 04/11/15 03:05 PM

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.

# 11 bkrich83 @ 04/11/15 04:32 PM

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?

# 12 videogameprojr @ 04/11/15 06:00 PM

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?

# 13 nemesis04 @ 04/11/15 06:16 PM

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.

# 14 NC12 @ 04/11/15 06:19 PM

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......

# 15 Speedy @ 04/11/15 07:27 PM

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.

# 16 KennyJ1976 @ 04/11/15 10:45 PM

Man, how many posts for MLB 15 The Show are you guys gonna write? Next, it gonna be one about how to run the bases or which camera angle do you use for hitting, pitching, and fielding or which licensed shoes look the best etc. Must be a slow period in the sports gaming world. And before anyone says something, I have the game so I'm not knocking it.

# 17 spaceg0st @ 04/12/15 03:49 AM

Yes, I'm aware of hitting behind the runner when a runner on first, however, in no way does that concept need a dedicated hitting mode where holding down influences ground ball hits. Poor decision

# 18 Black59Razr @ 04/12/15 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoltzie


	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.

You nailed it on the head! I found this article because I couldn't figure this feature out. Then, I realized, this feature is bass-akwards.

In previous versions, when I was trying to hit a flyball, I would move my PCI slightly down. Reason being, I want to get my bat under the ball.

Alternatively, if I wanted to hit a ground ball, I would move my PCI slightly up, making my bat get on top of the ball.

The same would be for trying to hit the ball the opposite way. I would actually move my PCI slightly inside. And slightly outside if I was trying to pull the ball.

Now, this new feature is counter-productive in that aspect; especially with the new camera shift feature (which I think is a great idea, by the way! Maybe by next year, it can be thought out more).

So, by using this years method, I would always press down with my super fast leadoff hitter. I wanted to put the ball on the ground and let his legs do all the work. He has no power, so I don't want to put the ball in the air. However, I kept hitting fly ball after fly ball. The same was true for my power pull hitters. They were hitting everything the opposite way.

This is what I believe needs to change to make this feature work. Moving the PCI should, in fact, move your solid hits. However, it should not induce flyballs, groundballs, pulling or going opposite field. Those results should come from the pitch location, the player's attributes and timing of the contact. Directional hitting, or moving the PCI, should only move your solid hit zone. And the camera shift should only make it easier for the human player to sit on what he is looking for.

Now, is that what is already going on here? Because, in my small sample size, that is not what's going on here. When I press down to sit on a low pitch and hit a grounder, with the contact button, I repeatedly hit 250 foot lazy fly balls, on thigh high pitches.

# 19 adamjsav @ 04/12/15 05:08 AM

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.

You've missed the point. If you are looking down and in, with directional you move the stick up and to hit a fly ball to right (LHB).

# 20 adamjsav @ 04/12/15 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamjsav


	You've missed the point. If you are looking down and in, with directional you move the stick up and in to hit a fly ball to right (LHB).

You've missed the point. If you are looking down and in, with directional you move the stick up and in to hit a fly ball to right (LHB).

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