Power Pros Forum

Sliders, hard sliders, sinking fastballs, shuutos.

Is it just me or are these pitches much less effective than comparably rated curves, changes, and sinkers? It seems like a slider needs to be at something like level 5 to be as effective as a curve at level 3. Am I missing something here or am I just misusing these pitches?

That is what it seems like to me. Even if they are locked on a fast ball, they can easily adjust to these pitches because they stay pretty much horizontal.

Horizontal breaking pitches, for me, can be just as effective as a verticle breaking pitches, but it depends on placement and use. I'd agree that they can be just as likely, or even more likely, to wind up in play as a hit or (worst case) home run.

For sliders, if you've got a guy with a really good one, it seems like if you can...

Work from outside of the strike zone to just inside, it can make a tough pitch for the CPU to adjust to. Particularly if you're aiming furthest away from the batter to just off the outside plate. I've gotten some strikeouts and a lot of foul pop-ups from these kinds of pitches.

Also, work from the middle left of the strike zone to the the middle right (or vice versa)--staying inside the strike zone the whole time. I know, it sounds weird, but it seems be fairly successful at getting guys out either through a strikeout or poor contact.

For guys with decent a SIFB...

I try and aim for the very inside the strikezone, so when the pitch is thrown it moves just outside the zone (or vice versa). I typically try and keep these pitches as close to the batter as possible. I get some strikeouts with this pitch, but a lot more weak contact or foul-outs.

For cut fastballs...

For me, this is by far the toughest pitch to throw effectively. I tend to use them a lot like SIFBs, but occasionally the CPU will still take them for a homer.

(FYI- I play the game and all settings on All-Star level. If you haven't before, it can be rediculously hard at times to get through an entire game with less than 3 runs scored by the CPU. In fact, I think I've only thrown a shutout once in probably 50 or so games! At this level, the CPU's batting is incredible and can either foul off, bloop hit, or home run just about any pitch you throw.)

I like to use horizontal breaking pitches to jam hitters, making them break inside but still over the plate. They will swing and foul it off their foot or something. with a good level (level 3+) the pitch will be almost impossible to hit solidly. Still, my bread-and-butter pitch is the CB.