Okay, so I wanted to talk about my time figuring out pitching in MLB The Show 23. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing at first, let me tell ya.
When I first jumped into the game, I just kinda stuck with whatever the default was, I think it was Meter pitching? Seemed simple enough. You hit the button, stop the meter, hit it again. Easy, right? Well, yeah, sometimes. But man, online, or even against the CPU on higher levels, I was getting rocked. Felt like I couldn’t hit my spots consistently. That little meter window felt kinda random sometimes, especially trying to get that perfect release.
Trying Different Things Out
So, I figured I had to switch it up. I went into the settings and started messing around. Here’s what I went through:
- Classic Pitching: Tried this one first. Super basic. Pick pitch, pick location, throw. Felt like I had almost zero control over the actual pitch accuracy. It was all just hoping the game decided I hit the spot. Nah, moved on quick from that.
- Pinpoint Pitching: Heard everyone saying this was the ‘meta’, the best one for control. Looked complicated with those stick movements. Gave it a real shot, spent time in practice mode, trying to learn the patterns for different pitches. Honestly? It was tough. My timing was all over the place, especially for breaking balls. Felt like I needed insane concentration for every single pitch. Sometimes I’d nail it, other times it’d be a meatball right down the middle. Just wasn’t clicking for me, felt too much like work and not very fun when I kept messing up.
- Pure Analog Pitching: This one caught my eye. Using the right stick felt… well, more like pitching, kinda. You pull back for power, push forward for release and aim. It took a bit to get the hang of the timing and direction, making sure I wasn’t yanking the stick off target.
Finding What Worked
I started spending more time with Pure Analog. It felt like a good middle ground. It wasn’t as simplistic as Classic or Meter, giving me a better sense of control over location and release. But it wasn’t as demanding or complex (for me, anyway) as Pinpoint. I could actually feel when I made a good pitch versus a bad one based on my stick movement.
Here’s what I liked about Pure Analog:
- It felt more intuitive after some practice.
- Gave me decent control over where the ball was actually going.
- The timing felt more forgiving than Pinpoint, but still rewarded good execution.
- Felt less like a mini-game and more connected to the pitching action.
It wasn’t perfect instantly. I still hung sliders and missed spots sometimes, especially when trying to paint corners. But my overall consistency got way better. I started getting more strikeouts, inducing weaker contact. The game just felt less frustrating on the mound.
So, What’s the “Best”?
Look, I know lots of folks swear by Pinpoint, and if you can master it, power to you. It probably does offer the highest skill ceiling. But for me, trying to actually play the game and have a decent time without pulling my hair out, Pure Analog hit the sweet spot. It gave me the control I felt I was missing with Meter, without the steep learning curve and pressure of Pinpoint.
So yeah, that’s my journey. Spent some time trying stuff out, got frustrated, practiced a bit, and landed on Pure Analog. It just works better for how I play. If you’re struggling, maybe give it a whirl yourself. Can’t hurt to experiment!
