For anyone coming to the series fresh, MLB The Show 23 offers an overwhelming number of ways to pitch. Though there aren’t any new pitching interfaces this year, it can still be tough to decide which one is best for how you want to play the game. They each offer an approach that comes with upsides and drawbacks. Some are best utilized in competitive play because they rely the most on stick skills. Others might be better off being employed only in franchise play, as they yield the most realistic results. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of every pitching interface, including how they work, their degree of difficulty, and which modes would make for an ideal match with each interface.
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Classic
Degree of Difficulty: 1
What Is It? The classic interface has you select a pitch, aim where you want it to go, and then deliver it to the plate with the push of a button. You can hold down the button longer for more velocity/break while sacrificing accuracy or tap it instead to prioritize accuracy. Whether or not it hits your target though is determined almost entirely by the attributes of your pitcher (and maybe a little RNG).
Pros: It’s obviously very easy to perform, what with only needing a single push of a button and all to deliver each pitch. This interface also ensures the most realistic outcomes in terms of control on every pitch because attributes are the only factor. That means you can expect to concede a healthy number of walks, especially with pitchers who habitually can’t find the strike zone in real life.
Cons: In short, it could be boring. It can feel more like you’re watching a game rather than being involved in it when you’re on the mound and pushing a button over and over. It’s the worst possible option in online play because of how little influence you’ll have in hitting the corners consistently.
Best Mode: Franchise mode, for die-hard stat nerds who want their pitchers to have the most true-to-life stats possible.
Pulse
Degree of Difficulty: 3
What Is It? A timing-based method where the goal is to hit the button when the rapidly shrinking circle is at its smallest if you want your pitch to be as accurate as possible.
Pros: It shouldn’t take too long to get accustomed to using the interface and have you able to consistently nail the precise timing required. The one click involved to deliver a pitch is only a third (check my math) of the number of clicks involved compared to using meter.
Cons: The common complaint about pulse is that, even if you’re adept with the interface, pitches can still tend to not go exactly where you want. If you’re not receiving “good” feedback from the interface, you can expect to cruise a lot of pitches over the heart of the plate for what should amount to batting practice for hitters.
Best Mode: Diamond Dynasty offline only, if it’s your preferred interface.
Meter
Degree of Difficulty: 4
What Is It? The OG pitching interface of MLB The Show, it’s a 3-click method that starts with having you input power and then tasks you with nailing the timing if you hope to be accurate with your arsenal of pitches.
Pros: There’s a reason that it’s been around for so long now and that’s how well its rhythm approach can mimic a pitcher finding a groove on the mound. The way the accuracy window increases when a pitcher is really dealing is a nice representation of a pitcher getting into the zone.
Cons: For anyone who has played the MLB The Show series since its early days, they’re bound to be at least a little tired of using the interface at this point. It can be deceptively challenging as well to continuously hit your desired mark with that final click, particularly when to shrinks down to just a sliver for a struggling pitcher.
Best Mode: Franchise mode, for those who want a decent level of realism but also would like to retain at least some amount of input into where their pitches end up.
Analog
Degree of Difficulty: 5
What Is it? As you’d expect with its name, the interface involves moving the analog stick back to begin your pitch and then forward at both the right moment and angle to hit your desired location.
Pros: Combining timing with stick skills, the risk/reward when using analog is fairly decent and should lead to good command if you don’t mess anything up within the interface. It’s less involved than pinpoint pitching because you don’t need to worry about tracing various shapes for different pitches like you do with pinpoint.
Cons: Because you’re not needing to do as much on the sticks as you do with pinpoint, the results, as you might expect, are pitches that are just slightly less accurate based on your input. There’s a good argument to be made for jumping in and learning how to use pinpoint pitching if you prefer the analog stick, especially if you’re going to be playing online at all.
Best Mode: Diamond Dynasty offline if it’s your preferred interface but only take it online if you’re really good at it.
Pinpoint
Degree of Difficulty: 7
What Is It? Pinpoint pitching has you maneuvering the analog stick in different ways for each type of pitch, influencing a pitch’s ultimate location based on both the timing and how precise you are with that analog stick.
Pros: Pinpoint likely gives you the best chance at putting a pitch where you want it, provided you’re able to regularly produce perfect feedback from your movements. It’s also incredibly involving, constantly keeping you on your toes with replicating the required intricate stick maneuvers of those like the dreaded circle changeup.
Cons: It can take a while to get the hang of pinpoint pitching and, until you’re familiar with what’s required from the interface, it can be frustrating when you continuously hang meatballs over the plate or lead a parade of walked batters.
Best Mode: Diamond Dynasty online, where your stick skills and presumably your ability to paint corners with them will serve you well within its competitive realms.
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