MLB The Show - General Discussion

[Gabriel]

How do you all handle base stealing? Typically, I'll only steal if I have a force-out situation that could end the inning and my lead runner has a combined Speed/Stealing rating of 120 or higher.

If I'm desperate for runs, or if my team is ranked ridiculously low in stolen bases on the year, I will still use that as a guideline, but I'll be more flexible with it. Sometimes I'll drop the combined rating requirement to 100, or I'll go in an odd situation.

I used to hate base stealing, but I have a better grasp of how it works now and figured out that I wasn't actually doing it properly for years.

[Meacon Keaton]

I usually only have one, maybe two (guy off the bench) who is fast enough to steal, so I almost never do it. When I do, it’s always situational (7th inning or later, less than two outs). I don’t give a crap about where we’re ranked because it’s usually the bottom or close to it. I build my teams more on discipline and clutch-ness, so if I get someone on first, I’m expecting the next guy to move him on the paths than hope for a steal. 
 

Hit and run on the other hand, I love. In fact I’d wager 99% of my steals are from failed hit and runs.  

[The Buscher]

Sometimes I'll just put CPU baserunning on and it's actually fun because it forces me to think on my feet at the plate.  I hear "RUNNER RUNNER RUNNER!" and have to make the split second decision on whether to let the runner go for it or try to swing.  Generally I let the runner go for it since the CPU normally only attempts to run with Amed Rosario who is fast, or Brandon Nimmo who is kinda fast but has good stealing numbers so he gets a nice jump.  Once in a while a slower guy will take off and that's my queue to swing.

On the flipside, sometimes I'll get held up at third needlessly or thrown out at the plate by a mile, in which case I get mad at the virtual 3B coach just like I do in real life!

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

In my RTTS, the Jays traded Bo Bichette to the Yankees, who then traded him to the Orioles. I don't know which is worse. Biggio also ended up on the Marlins and Danny Jansen ended up on the Rangers. All of this makes me sad and it's just a video game. 

[Gabriel]

27 minutes ago, Mx. Canadian Destroyer said:

In my RTTS, the Jays traded Bo Bichette to the Yankees, who then traded him to the Orioles. I don't know which is worse. Biggio also ended up on the Marlins and Danny Jansen ended up on the Rangers. All of this makes me sad and it's just a video game. 

Granted, I'm still playing 19, but Vlad Jr was the last man standing on Toronto in regards to the core group of young stars we have right now in real life. Everyone else got traded away.

...and then Vlad went and signed with the Yankees.

[Toe]

16 hours ago, Mx. Canadian Destroyer said:

In my RTTS, the Jays traded Bo Bichette to the Yankees, who then traded him to the Orioles. I don't know which is worse. Biggio also ended up on the Marlins and Danny Jansen ended up on the Rangers. All of this makes me sad and it's just a video game. 

This is why I turn CPU trades way down in the sliders. 

[Gabriel]

I would like an option to play a Franchise with just one team, but still be given the same privileges that you get with 30 Team Control. I want to play as Toronto, but be able to make the trades and signings for each team without needing the 30 Team Control.

In fact, I'd love it if they could include something where "Team Owners" from the other 29 teams might send you a message saying that they are in need of some kind of move, with their wants stated. "The Yankees would like to trade for a Starting Center Fielder, as theirs will be out for the season with an injury"... or "Baltimore has fallen way behind and has opted to go into sell-mode."

Whether or not you make the moves is up to the player, but then I can go into Baltimore's page, look at their roster, contracts and prospects... get an idea of what to do and start looking for trades. Obviously, I don't want full power here. I still want the CPU to decide whether or not the trades being offered are legitimate.

[Meacon Keaton]

I suppose you could do 30-team control and set manual for what you want and auto for the stuff you don't. I can't imagine many people would want to do that though. Part of the fun for me is not knowing if I'm going to be getting that free agent I really want or the player in the amateur draft that I think I've unearthed. 

[The Buscher]

Blake Snell, Joey Gallo, Bo Bichette, Jeff McNeil, Dwight Smith Jr, and Ian Happ have all clinched spots in the Players League playoffs, which will air on ESPN and FS1 due to the complete lack of sports to watch.

Two spots left.  Gavin Lux is at 19-10 and has a magic number of 1, needing a loss by Lucas Giolito or Tommy Kahnle (both at 18-10) to clinch.  Trevor May at 18-11 and Amir Garrett at 17-11 are the only other ones still mathematically alive, tiebreakers are based on runs scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez went 2-27.

[Maxx]

I have found the lack of IRL baseball really killed my interest in playing The Show this year.  Makes me sad 

[Gabriel]

11 minutes ago, Maxx said:

I have found the lack of IRL baseball really killed my interest in playing The Show this year.  Makes me sad 

I have been the exact opposite. I'm probably averaging between 2 and 4 games per day over the past month of quarantine.

[The Buscher]

Blake Snell wins the Players League.

He’s one of the biggest gamers in the league and I think the Players League was his idea in the first place.  He backed it up with the best record in the league and the title.

[Toe]

Playing as the Orioles. 

Going into season 2, I just wanted the give my prospects time to develop so I signed veterans to short deals. Tanaka and Roark in the rotation, Marwin Gonzalez, Ji-Man Choi and Billy Hamilton in the field. I had added Franmil Reyes at the trade deadline in season one since the Indians were not playing him at all. 

Now, at the season two deadline, my team is second in the AL East with a commanding 10 game lead on the first wild card. The middle of my line up (Reynold, Mancini, Reyes, and Choi) are crushing it, and my rotation has been very solid with Tanaka being a fringe Cy Young contender. 

My only real issue with the team was the infield. Marwin Gonzalez fell off the cliff and his production was putrid. Rio Ruiz had turned into a good defender and solid lefty bat, but I lost Hanser Alberto to a broken hand and everyone else (like Richie Martin and Pat Valaika) had struggled. So, I made two deals. I picked up Tommy Edman from the Cardinals and Niko Goodrum from the Tigers. Both are solid defenders who can play all over the infield and a little outfield too. 

The moves didn't cost me much and really solidified my defence. I also moved Billy Hamilton because he was hitting .180 and Andrew Velazquez had taken over his spot in centre. 

 

Here's what my starting line-up looks like... (vs. RHP)

CF - Andrew Velazquez

LF - Bryan Reynolds

RF - Troy Mancini

DH - Franmil Reyes

1B - Ji-Man Choi

3B - Rio Ruiz

2B - Tommy Edman

C - Adley Rutschmann

SS - Niko Goodrum

 

On the bench we have Travis Jankowski, Pat Valaika, Pedro Severino, and two other guys that I'm forgetting at the moment. 

[Meacon Keaton]

How did you get Bryan Reynolds? Seems like it'd cost a bit in a trade and I didn't know the Orioles had enough to do that. 

[Toe]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Meacon Moneybags said:

How did you get Bryan Reynolds? Seems like it'd cost a bit in a trade and I didn't know the Orioles had enough to do that. 

I know the package included Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins. Both players with potential that I didn't really like using in the game.

[JasonM]

I decided to pick up MLB20 after I had so much enjoyment with the freebie MLB19. Also looking to get into Diamond Dynasty which seems a lot less toxic than FUT and MT from what i've read about it.

Anyone got suggestions to give me?

[Meacon Keaton]

Never played DD. Pretty much just Franchise and the occasional RTS game for me.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

My favourite part of Diamond Dynasty is Conquest mode, which is basically a board game.

[JasonM]

3 hours ago, Mx. Canadian Destroyer said:

My favourite part of Diamond Dynasty is Conquest mode, which is basically a board game.

I have been playing Conquest in DD, and I am definitely enjoying it. Also appreciate that the game hands out a player card even if you lose a match, even if they're not the best cards 9/10, it makes you feel you're having a little bit of progression every time you play.

Right now I am good at shutting teams out, but I am absolute garbage at scoring runs myself. Part of it is the lineup being weak at these early stages, but I definitely notice myself having very poor batting discipline compounded by lots of fly balls and lack of smacking it through the gaps. The lack of hitting makes me do worse at the plate because I start trying too much and raking at stupid pitches.

I picked Junior as my legacy gift, and he's hit a few dingers for me, but the production is way too spotty to give me consistent wins over the AI, even on rookie.

I can shut down high tier AI easily, but they'll shut me right back down and it becomes a battle of attrition. I had a 3 inning game drag out into 13 innings where I only won because the AI Cubs ran out of bullpen and I could smack some super weak meatballs for a one run win.

 

[Toe]

23 hours ago, Jasonmufc said:

I have been playing Conquest in DD, and I am definitely enjoying it. Also appreciate that the game hands out a player card even if you lose a match, even if they're not the best cards 9/10, it makes you feel you're having a little bit of progression every time you play.

Right now I am good at shutting teams out, but I am absolute garbage at scoring runs myself. Part of it is the lineup being weak at these early stages, but I definitely notice myself having very poor batting discipline compounded by lots of fly balls and lack of smacking it through the gaps. The lack of hitting makes me do worse at the plate because I start trying too much and raking at stupid pitches.

I picked Junior as my legacy gift, and he's hit a few dingers for me, but the production is way too spotty to give me consistent wins over the AI, even on rookie.

I can shut down high tier AI easily, but they'll shut me right back down and it becomes a battle of attrition. I had a 3 inning game drag out into 13 innings where I only won because the AI Cubs ran out of bullpen and I could smack some super weak meatballs for a one run win.

 

It takes a lot longer to get the feel for hitting in MLB The Show. I've been playing since MLB 09, and I still find myself fiddling with the different views and batting controls to try and find something I'm comfortable with. I'll go for weeks were it feels great, then I'll have a 4 game streak where I can't hit anything.