Power Pros Forum

I have a few strategies that I go by, but I'm not entirely convinced that what I'm doing is effective or if it's just all in my head. I thought I'd share what I'm doing and see if you guys can comment. Usually, it's some combination of:

a. Pitch away from the bat. Typically the computer batter adjusts his stance the moment before the ball is thrown. I try to pitch as far away from the bat in the strike zone as I can, to maximize the distance the bat has to move to make contact.

b. Vary fastballs and offspeed pitches. This is the typical fastball-changeup routine.

c. Place movement pitches so that it moves across AS LITTLE bat as possible. The batter's bat is parallel to the ground when swinging through the middle of the strikezone, is elevated away from the batter when swinging above the strikezone's midline, and lowered when below. I try to angle my movement pitches to be as "perpendicular" to the bat as possible. For example, if you're a right-handed pitcher pitching to a right-handed batter, you'd pitch a curve to the upper right corner of the strikezone; or you'd pitch a sinker or screwball to the lower right corner.

All that'll net me about 6-12 Ks per quality start.

I still don't have a good strategy for making the computer swing at pitches outside of the strikezone.. it seems to have really good plate discipline.

Also, still haven't figured out how to use sliders and cutters with any great results. My best strikeout pitches seem to be curveballs.

Can any of you correct, add to, or confirm any of this?

My strikeout pitches tend to be mostly... sliders or fastballs. Very rarely will I get a sweeping curve for a K ("he fouled it off his foot!").

Don't run a pattern, even from batter to batter or to the same batter on different at bats. Your style needs to be fluid to change as the batters catch on.

Paint the corners. I love dropping the first pitch curve out to snag the edge or bottom of the strike zone (and the batter goes ><" and glares at the ump).

Don't be afraid of using your fastball. Esp. if your a hurler, place those fastballs all over the edges of the plate (and occasionally off the plate). If you have a slider, you can pitch the fastball just inside/ouside and I've gotten him to swing at it as if he's anticipating me dropping the slider/sinker in.

Attack when ahead. Be aggressive with pitch selection and come after the batter. I've only hit a handful in a gobload of games, so to back them off the plate sets you up for the sweeper outside.

My best places are up and in, and down and in on the batter. Up and away is deadly, and down and away can be caught up with if the batter is good.

Yes, the AI is REALLY good at mapping the strike zone. But if you're just as hot at painting the corners, and not giving the batter anything to swing at... they'll start going for them.

Currently I'm at All-Star, CPU batters are at lock-on 2 (normal) and I'm getting 5-10 K's a game (usually striking out avg of 1.66 per inning until the 5th, then it significantly falls off). I don't use the strike zone overlay and I let the computer see the spin of the pitch as it comes in (not that it matters?!?).

One of my favorite pitches is a high, inside fastball out of the zone. It only really ever works when there are 2 strikes. Pitch it as high as you possibly can. If you pitch it too low they might get a nasty hit.

The AI will swing at it at least half the time if not more. Most of the time they simply miss and you get a nice, clean strikeout. If they actually manage to make contact with it, then it's almost guaranteed to be a little popup to the catcher or at worst a foul ball.

They'll almost never swing at it though with less than 2 strikes so don't bother before that.

I always pitch the AI like a live hitter, and my favorite method is taken from Greg Maddux. Even if you have an average fastball, if you have a great change and curve, it will work. Drop the fastball in on the righthanded batters, and mix in changes. Drop a curveball right off the outside corner close enough that the call could go either way. Most hitters will take a swing at it to not risk watching strike three go by.

With a good righthanded pull hitter (power hitters mostly) change the formula up a bit. Go offspeed inside and throw the curve low and away. Most good pull hitters have weak zones low and away, and have a hard time holding up on those kind of pitches. Think Craig Biggio. Get them thinking breaking ball away, then dump a fastball in on the hands for the strikeout.

For lefties, I usually go do the same thing, but use the curve as a backdoor pitch since the ball will break in on the hitter.

I find a high fastball to be the best strikeout pitch.

i used a 2-seam fastball & a curveball. i struckout 9

i fast gamed a game and ended up with 26 strikeouts a new record

I've noticed that the computer is confused by knuckleballs a lot. When I use Wakefield he'll usually get about 14-18 Ks.

yeah, my own knuckler was impossible for the AI to hit.

I agree. Knuckleballers absolutely mow through AI lineups.

OK -- I think I know how strikeouts work now: it's all about the batter's anticipation. If you've played the success mode and have used the psychic goggles, you see that the batter anticipates either a fastball or a breaking ball before every pitch. Generally, when the batter anticipates a breaking ball, he'll swing later, and lower than the initial pitch location target. When the batter anticipates a fastball, he'll swing earlier, and more or less directly at the initial pitch location target.

All that happens in season mode as well.

If you pitch the opposite of what the batter is anticipating 100% of the time, you can get close to a 100% swing and miss rate.

When anticipating breaking balls, batters swing at high (out of the zone) fastballs, and take low fastballs. They'll also swing below most hard sliders, cutters, and sinking fastballs.

When anticipating fastballs, batters swing through (ahead of the pitch) and above most breaking balls. Slow, dropping pitches work best against batters anticipating the fastball. These include DCBs, changeups, and most especially, knuckleballs. Knuckleballs are far slower than changeups.

Though you can't know what the batter is anticipating in season mode, you can place pitches strategically. It's possible to strikeout most every batter if you're willing to pitch balls and run up the pitch count, but by doing so you'll burn through your starters.

when i get two strikes on a guy i'll bounce changeups off the plate until he whiffs.

4SFB low and in. 2SFB same place. SCB high and away for strike three.

After a while you get a feel for what they will or won't expect. Sometimes it's a breaking ball as the first pitch, then two fastballs. Sometimes it's the opposite. Also depends on if you have a speedy guy at first and is threatening to steal, you might be obliged to throw more fastballs in case you need to throw him out at 2nd.

I usually paint corners with fastballs and breaking balls. It's really erratic for me. Usually a curve ball is my strikeout pitch, and every once in a while a slider.

One of the deadliest pitches is the Knuckle Curve. Deadly. Either hit it out or hit an out!
It does play close to real life. If a batter is cold, you have a better chance of getting a fastball by him. Also righty/ lefty matchups and hot zone hitting will help determine weather or not a batter can hit a pitch. Alternate inside outside pitching. Change speeds. Also set up the strikeout. If a righty batter is up against a righty pitcher, try an inside high and low fast/ offspeed combo then throw the high slider outside so it moves away from the hitter. OUT!! Keep splitters breaking low out of the strikezone or start high and let them hit the top of the strikezone. Paint the corners inside low and outside high with curves and don't overdo the fastballs. Most major leaguers can hit it and it can burn out your pitchers. Most of my Mets can do 7 inns standing on their head if I let them pitch and use the increase speed button sparingly. Remember the High Cheese (Fastball high) you will see many hitters go after it.