MLB 12 The Show: which pitches work well together

[BPBlues]

Here are my RTTS Pitch Type information I found useful.

Right-handed pitchers clean up with a Cutter (CUT) against Right-handed batters, focus on using it down and away, since it moves away from the batter.

Running fastballs (RFB) are the fastest ball in the game, and if you are a Righty throwing against a Righty, run up on him in the upper corner ... deadly.

Knuckleballs are fun if you are roleplaying with them, but they are miserable things, as you tend to need to place them in the lower-middle section of the plate to keep them in. They are rarely homer balls, though. Knucklers are VERY hard to raise CONFIDENCE meter against ... at least for me.

Try a Knuckle-Curve (KNCV) instead, it's got more control, and the error tends to be on a single axis. It's a nice alternative to a curveball. Lots of movement on them and they keep your arm from falling off if you use lots of fast stuff.

If you do dabble in Sliders, keep them low and in the corners. They are about the most crushable ball in the game, if you hang them up over the plate.

Right-handed pitchers benefit from Two-Seam Fastballs (2SFB), they are just generally hard as hell for batters to hit, but are KO-magnets vs Lefties if they are placed extra low and away on 0-2 counts (they'll drift a little).

If you want to be the pitcher who racks up crazy KOs through 7.1 innings, but then needs to get a little luck because he's gassed, try these:

2SFB, CUT, RFB, CH, KNCV ... you'll need CH and KNCV to bail you out in later innings for sure, but mix them in every few pitches, and even start a batter up with a low-and-away CH here and there ... almost never gets swung at or homered, at least.

Thoughts? Has your mileage varied, found the above to not be true? I'm curious.

[PowerofRed25]

My RTTS pitcher has RFB, Cutter, Circle Change and I just added a Sweeping Curve in 2015. Absolutely deadly combo.

The RFB and Circle Change are my K pitches, the Cutter is my set up pitch. Use it away to righties and then comeback with a RFB or change on the corners. Use it in on lefties to back them off the plate and then run the fastball or change right back in over the inner half.

I wanted everything I threw to have horizontal movement and then vary speeds. Nothing I throw is straight. That's why I skipped a 4 seam fastball, a straight change and a 12-6 curve. I have no clue what my eventual 5th pitch will be. I like the idea of a 2 seam fastball. Maybe a screwball even.

My RFB sits around 96-97 and I've gotten it up to 99. It also moves from the middle of the plate to about 4 inches off the inside to a RHB. My circle change is around 85 but I struggle commanding it. My cutter sits around 92 and I use it basically as a really hard slider. It doesn't move as much as I want. I just got my sweeping curve, love the movement but it isn't too effective yet.

I will always prefer that group of pitches. It is just so much more effective to have horizontal movement and then a pitch with both horizontal and vertical movement off it.