MLB The Show 19: How To Hit Home Runs

There are a lot of exciting moments in the sport of baseball, but few are more enthralling than a home run. Home runs get the crowd going and can absolutely change the tone of a game from the first at bat. Home runs are not exactly easy to hit in MLB The Show 19 though, so we are here to give you some tips on how to better your chances of hitting a home run.

How To Hit Home Runs In MLB The Show 19

As we detailed in one of our other guides, hitting is never an easy thing in MLB The Show series. Just stringing together a few base hits in a row can be a tough task, and hitting home runs are even harder.

For those that just want to mash home runs all day long, MLB The Show 19 of course returns its Home Run Derby mode, but that’s not what we are talking about in this guide. First of all, the difficulty level you have chosen will have an impact on how easily you can hit home runs.

Similar to hitting in general, you need to try and work yourself into good pitch counts that are most conducive for home runs. These typically are counts where the pitcher has to throw a strike or give up a walk, so say a 3-2 count or 3-1 count. Usually it’s best to hold off on a 3-0 count, since it’s best to see if they can even throw a strike.

You are also going to want to look for certain areas in the zone specifically as well, as some areas are better than others for hitting home runs. The middle of the strike zone is obviously going to be the best option, but that is a spot that pitchers typically avoid. Typically, you are going to have the best lucky when hitting balls in the upper half of the strike zone. These are already elevated and easier to knock out of the park as a rule, especially if the pitcher hangs a breaking ball in one of those spots. You can still hit home runs from lower in the strike zone, but it’s much more rare.

Hitting home runs can also be affected by your hitting interface selection as well, as the game has a few different options. I tend to stick with Directional or Zone hitting myself, but Analog can also work as well. If using Directional or Zone, this means you will be using one of three buttons to swing, X for a regular swing, Square for a power swing, and Circle for a contact swing, with Zone adding in the ability to move the cursor for where you aim your swing.

You may think that using the power swing is the instant way to get home runs, but that is not the case. It definitely is your best chance at hitting home runs with great contact. However, it is also harder to make great contact with the power swing. This will instead cause you to pop up quite a bit. Typically, the power swing is best reserved for a hit right down the middle of the plate or just above it so that you don’t get too under the ball. You can also use the regular swing to knock it out of the park in the right spots, with you having better chances of also getting a regular base hit or extra base hit instead.

If you are trying for nothing but home runs, the power swing is definitely going to be your best bet as long as you know just when to use it. Even saying that, I tend to typically stick to the regular swing unless I have one of my best hitters at the plate and a pitch is coming right down the middle of the plate.  You will have to figure how what works best for you, but hopefully these tips can help you at least increase your home run rate.