Eric Davis 44 wrote:
Yes: 4SFB, 2SFB and SIFB.
No: CUT, SNK, HSNK, etc.
No: CUT, SNK, HSNK, etc.
Everything, but SNK, HSNK. Cutter if you want.
This is what I think.
The original fastball is 4SFB.
4SFB is basically thrown by anyone throwing higher than 98mph or someone who seriously sucks. The point of 4SFB is to overpower the opponent. Most/All good pitchers have some kind of movement on their fastball. It is really rare to find someone who throws are 4SFB with no movement at all. Just pure 4SFB. This is the start.
Result: Yes, you don't have a choice
SIFB is MLBPP's version of a rising fastball.
Alot of pitchers uses this pitch. Halladay, Hamels, Mussina. This pitch looks like a 2SFB, but is slightly slower, but is sharper and has more sideways movements. Good pitch for groundballs, jamming up batters and scrappy the outside corner.
Result: Yes
2SFB is a 4SFB with downward movement.
Standard pitch. Generally this pitch is used instead of 4SFB to avoid the sweetspot of the batter. Alot of pitchers has this pitch. Beckett, Halladay(Again). This can be used as a inside pitch that will break downwards, back into the strikezone or a backdoor pitch that causes a groundball.
Result: Yes
4SFB that breaks sharply into the batter is a CUT.
We all know what a cutter is. A cutter breaks into the batter and jams them up. Many pitchers can add cut on their fastball, its not take hard. However, a true cutter is breaks even sharply. It is not that hard to tell the difference between a ball with cut and a pure cutter.
Result: Mabye, good out pitch if there is good break.
Fastball with that breaks downwards quickly is a H-SNK.
MLBPP really screwed this pitch up. Its nearly impossible to throw a H-SNK above 90mph for a regular guy like Oakley. This is a pitch used by groundball pitchers. Brandon Webb and Wang uses this pitch mainly. This causes the batter to not get the bat under the ball which causes groundballs. However, sinkers are prone to bunts.
Result: Absolutely not.