MLB The Show 19: How To Get Strikeouts

Pitching is half of the experience in MLB The Show 19, with there being multiple different ways to get an out. You can go for ground ball or fly ball outs, but the most exciting of all is the strikeout. The strikeout can be very useful when in a jam with runners on base or just exciting when the bases are totally clear. This guide will give some tips on how to strike out the opposition.

How To Get Strikeouts in MLB The Show 19

While it would be assumed that most anybody playing MLB The Show 19 knows what a strikeout is, we’ll start there anyways. A strikeout is when you get an out on a batter by throwing three strikes in one at bat. This can be easier said than done though.

Learning the pitches that you have in your arsenal is very important to start, with each pitcher potentially having different pitches to work with. Most pitchers in the game will at least have a four-seam fastball and a changeup, with other pitches like the two-seam fastball, slider, and curveball also being pretty common. Each pitch have different speeds and breaks on them, with the latter being shown on screen when you are targeting the location for your pitch.

As a rule, you want to try and stay away from the center of the strike zone, as that is a prime location for a hit. Instead, your best bet is to try and paint the corners of edges of the strike zone instead. I personally try to start off low in the strike zone with my early pitches, as that is going to keep the ball low to hopefully prevent an extra base hit.

It is always good to get ahead of the count as well, so you will probably want to start with a pitch that you can more readily rely on getting in the strike zone, such as the four-seam fastball. Mixing up your pitches is also very helpful, so following a fastball with an off-speed pitch like a changeup or curveball can really throw the batter off, often leading to them swinging wildly.

Keeping an eye on the pitch count is vital for trying to get strikeouts, because you need to remember that you have three free balls to work with before walking a batter. If you are ahead in the count 0-2, 1-2, or even 2-2, you have at least one throwaway pitch to work with. You can just go after the batter and try to get that strikeout inside the zone, but this is where the throwaway pitch can be useful. Try to throw a pitch, preferably one with a good break on it, just outside of the strike zone. You want the pitch to look good coming at the batter and then it will be too late for them to turn back when it breaks outside of the zone. You obviously do not want to do this if you already have a three ball count, as that would mean a walk if they do not swing at it.

Pitching in the strike zone is always going to mean that batters could swing at it, so there’s no surefire way to get strikeouts. However, using some of the above tips should help you to get more in position to get strikeouts instead of continually pitching to contact. Also, if you are playing online with Guess Pitch turned on, definitely change up your strategies, as they will quickly learn just what you are trying to do every at bat.