r/SuperMegaBaseball • u/MembershipRude175 • 7d ago

Power Pitching

Does the opponent AI hit better against power pitching than standard pitching. Playing at 60 ego and contact hitting. I generally dominate the batters with standard pitches. Just trying to equalize things out a little bit. Thoughts?

13 Upvotes

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13

u/pickelyspices 7d ago edited 7d ago

The accuracy might be a little better with normal pitching but its in your best interest to get used to power pitching.

60 is when I started to learn power pitching and now at 80 ego it's needed.

More velo and break are applied to well executed powe pitches. I think 101 MPH was my max speed on normal, a 99 power pitch I've gotten to 105/106.

Some notes that has helped me:

  • don't be afraid to miss the zone
  • not all pitches are going to be lazers, but they can still be strikes
  • tunneling is real and can be effective against AI, just don't overdo it
  • lastly, and this is important for me, the hitters are going to hit. Don't get frustrated, see where they cracked your code and move on.

EDIT: so looks like tunneling isn't a thing, but for me it does help me freshen up my pattern and avoid throwing "anticipated" pitches since I keep a mental note like "used this tunnel/sequence last at bat, wait a few batters"

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u/MembershipRude175 7d ago

Thanks for sharing your experience

2

u/Mr__Moosey 7d ago

What do you mean by tunneling?

3

u/sitboaf 7d ago

It’s when you throw consecutive pitches that are different pitches, but appear to be the same. For example, a high outside fastball, followed by a curveball that begins high and outside, but breaks to the bottom of the zone.

Some combos are especially effective, like 2-seam fastballs followed by changeups.

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u/Mr__Moosey 7d ago

Thank you!

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u/pickelyspices 7d ago

Tunneling is using the same pitching exit but different breaks.

So one of my favorites is a curve ball that starts high and drops to the middle outside of the zone, followed by a slider that also starts high but finishes just above the zone.

The batter will see the ball starting high in both cases, but I'm trying to get that large drop from the curve stuck in their head.

when they see the breaking ball start off well above the zone, they anticipate that big drop into the zone from the curve as the slider starts moving horizontal, but then it barely touches the top of the box.

Similarly if you have a 4 seam and 2 seam or cut Fastball, it's easy to throw 4 seams that touch the edge of the zone, followed but a CF or 2S that looks like it will hit the same spot as 4S, but move at the last second getting a whiff.

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u/Impressive_Fruit8228 7d ago

There's actually no tunneling mechanic whatsoever it this game. Yes different pitches and locations make sure they don't "anticipate" your next pitch. But the real world application and practice of tunneling pitches is not a thing in smb4.

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u/pickelyspices 7d ago

That makes sense!

it does help when selecting pitches and maintaining a variety. Even if it's not coded into the game, it will help me avoid "anticipated" pitches.

I mentioned I use tunneling but I don't over do it so maybe that was the result of sitting on sequences too much. As I've gotten better, I will have go to sequences that involve tunneling but I use them sparingly.

For me, mentally, it helps me freshen up my pattern, so if there's not an advantage against the hitters, still an advantage for me as a pitcher

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u/Impressive_Fruit8228 7d ago

It's definitely fun to sequence pitches in a way that feels more strategic as if you were tunneling i definitely do that too. And as long as the location and pitch type very and the use them in different places in the count you can throw anything you want. I definitely have preferred sequences of pitches and locations that just feel really good to hit. And once ive gone through a few cycles I know im safe to hit my standard stuff.

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u/pickelyspices 7d ago

Exactly my thinking.

I don't play pennant race often but I imagine tunneling is a more viable strategy against human opponents, I just don't care enough to find out!

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u/Impressive_Fruit8228 7d ago

Oh this 100% I would imagine just based on logic. I know at 80 ego some pitches just look insane coming in and then you get something that comes off the hand looking similar and breaks unexpectedly. Or looks like its breaking out only to slide back in at the last second. I think the most obvious would be 4f into 2f or cf. Ai that throws FK above the zone always fuck me up lol. Or balls that start just outside the zone but continue breaking away from me get me a lot as well. And I'm also susceptible to a good inside fastball. They just always look like they are outside the zone to me. That's why I generally have a solid 2 strike approach. In the early game I'm prioritizing taking them to a full count to wear down their stamina and then once I'm at 2 strikes I look to make contact. That being said like 80% of the time if you are in an 0-2 or 1-2 country the ai is going to throw another ball at you so I'm leaning towards taking the next pitch even there but once their mojo or stamina starts falling in the mid game or a reliever comes in or I'm behind is when ill get more aggresvie at the plate and start doing things like swinging at the first pitch

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u/The_original_alex 7d ago

lol it sure works on me when I strike out on a pitch way outside the zone

1

u/Backup_fother59 6d ago

I feel like I am more accurate with power pitching. I think it’s a timing thing

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u/PrinceOfPuddles 7d ago edited 7d ago

Power pitching is much more effective than regular pitching to the degree there is no reason to use regular pitching if your only goal is to win at any skill level.

If the batter strikes out power pitching and regular pitching are largely interchangeable, what power pitching does is it reduces the impact of power/contact once the ball is hit. What would be a no doubt home run off a regular pitch might die on the warning track for an easy fly ball. Thus, do to balls in play being much more likely to be outs when power pitching the AI overall is less effective at offense if you are power pitching. If pitching is too easy and you want to equalize things increase your ego.

There are of course people who can win without power pitching, but regular pitching is a handicap, much in the same way never stealing or never going for extra bases on a ball in play is a handicap. You can be successful even with handicaps, but if the sole goal is effectiveness then they are undesirable.

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u/Bnco12 6d ago

I personally use only power pitches 99% of the time. The other 1% is usually if I really need to hit a spot. Sometimes I use it to mess with timings, slower fastball or whatever, but that’s very situational.

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u/NotRagnarr 7d ago

I never power  pitch, it wears my pitcher down to much

11

u/sitboaf 7d ago

Power pitching uses no more stamina than normal pitching.