The is an art to clobbering home runs inMLB The Show 21. Gamers with loads of fans in their livestreams can crank the difficulty to the Hall of Fame level and put on dazzling performances that would make Babe Ruth blush. Five-hundred-foot home runs, grand slams in clutch moments, games with multiple moonshots; these all combine to create a feeling that makes the entire game worth it.
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So, how do these players manage to smack so many long balls over the fence inMLB The Show 21? If it were easy, then it wouldn’t be as rare and exciting. The art takes time, practice, maybe some fiddling with the settings, and a whole lot of knowledge. Gamers can mess around with the sliders and difficulty at their own discretion, but here are some tips that will help with any level of experience.
Updated on September 5th, 2021 by Hodey Johns:There really is nothing quite like seeing a home run sail over the fence. Home runs are so rare that even the best players in the league only send one over the fence every three or so days. Thankfully, video games offer a fantasy experience, allowing for players to become better than what is realistic. Designing the right character and build can enable gamers to swat balls over the fence like never before seen. This guide has been updated with even more tips and tricks to help with maximum amounts of power displays. Make sure to equip some great home run celebration animations, because they’ll be appearing on screen a lot after following this advice.
Craft The Perfect Stance
Contrary to the batting stance animator appearing in the “appearances” screen, this actually matters on a statistical level; this is not just for looks.One-handed swings have greater Power and less Contactthan two-handed swings.
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The forward foot will direct the direction of hit balls.If too many balls are being pulled foul, move the front foot toward the plate.If too many balls are being fouled to the opposite field, move the front foot away from the plate.
After a few games, if balls higher in the zone or lower in the zone are more problematic, adjust the height of the stance.Taller stances hit high pitches better while a squatted stance will do better with balls lower in the zone.
Equip For Power
Equipment is a simple way to smack balls with more velocity and ideal trajectories. Power is a given, butBatting Clutch will further increase Power in high-pressure situations. The right gear takes a slugger from good to one ofthe best players in the game.
Choose The Right Archetype
Evenpitchers who have added a fourth pitch to their arsenalcan’t account forthe Slugger specialty, which will add 30 to power against righties and lefties. After this selection, there are a few minor specializations.The Power specialty will boost Power but decrease a few other attributes. It’s worth it, just select a few attributes that aren’t too much of a difference-maker.
Come back to the archetype section frequently. By accomplishing goals associated with the Power specialization, players will gain access to improved Power cards and more slots with which to equip them. Eventually, gamers will get access to four mini specialization slots along with the Slugger archetype spot.Equipping all these spots with Power cards can yield a Power attribute that is well over the usual 99 cap.
Junk Stats
No statistic inMLB The Show 21is truly “bad” since they all contribute to player OVR. But most of the cards will ask gamers to sacrifice a little bit from some statistics to gain a lot in others. Obviously, Power L and Power R are the most important. Buttry not to sacrifice Contact L, Contact R, Clutch, or Durabilityeither. Contact provides a bigger sweet spot, Clutch gives bonuses with runners on base, and Durability allows athletes to play more games before getting benched, all of which help out with home run totals.
However,all pitching, fielding, and baserunning attributes are available for decrease without damaging home run totals. For hitting,Vision and Discipline are mostly unnecessarysince the player will be controlling the hitting and deciding when to swing. Lastly,Bunting and Drag Bunting are also uselessfor sluggers.
Get Into Position
It’s possible that playing a slugger in the “wrong” position won’t be an issue, but it can be. Sometimes players are cut or traded away from their ideal situation simply because the game’s general managers don’t want a slugger in that particular spot; they’d prefer a speedy shortstop or a second baseman focused on defense.
To avoid being traded out of the perfect spot,choose either first base, second base, catcher, left field, or right field. The game recognizes that sluggers belong in these positions on the diamond.
Is the character already made but in the wrong spot? It is possible tochange positions after making the character. Now, if everything seems to be working out fine, it’s alright to stay in place, but just be aware that sometimes the team’s wacky AI will trade a 99 player if they are technically “out of position.” Just something to watch out for.
Maximize Home Field Advantage
For Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty gamers, pick a stadium and home team that compliments the long ball strategy.Coors Field is a smart choice because of how homer-friendly it is, but U.S. Cellular Field and Great American Ballpark are also solid selections.
Look At Each Pitcher’s Pitches
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It’s hard to tell the difference between a curveball and a changeup, but if a pitcher only has one of these two pitches, users can tell exactly which one is being released. Fastballs can also travel left-right and right-left, and these pitches will be revealed with the quick click of a button.
Actual Perfect Timing
Despite the way it sounds, a “perfect” swing timing score can often result in a very imperfect foul ball.By swinging a little bit early on inside pitches and late on outside pitches, players can hit home runs all over the park.
Even with a pitch right down the middle, swinging early or late can be preferable.Center field is the deepest part of the parkand aiming for the closer fence (left or right) makes for fewer pop-outs on the warning track.
When To Swing For Power
Players who use the power swing all of the time are going to be in for a rude awakening;power swings at pitches high in the zone will result in fly ball outs to the infield.
Power swings are best used for pitches down in the zone, turning grounders into monster home runs. Home run hitters have to have their fingers ready to click either button when the pitch comes in.
Don’t Swing At Junk
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While it is possible to hit home runs on balls outside of the zone, the likelihood is drastically reduced. Even a ball close to a sweet spot won’t have much hope of being anything except a ground out or a pop fly.
Aside from this,high-ball counts mean the pitcher is more likely to throw pitches closer to the middle of the plate. The is the proverbial wheelhouse of the power hitter and more of these pitches means more home runs for the batter.
Swinging at the first pitch is wise, but ensure that the first pitch is a nice, meaty strike before unloading.
Be Aggressive
Speedy baserunners might feel compelled to let several pitches go by so they can work the count and get a walk or a lucky single. Letting the first pitch go is great advice for such a player, but the slugger should do exactly the opposite. Oftentimes, the player with a power hitter hasdisabled baserunningso they can focus exclusively on batting.
The first pitch of the at-bat has a higher likelihood of being a fastball that is closer to the middle of the plate. Stay disciplined if it’s a garbage pitch, but do not feel any obligation to let hittable pitches go by. Some of the best sluggers in baseball history made careers off of the first-pitch fastball, and this possibility is alive and well inMLB The Show 21.
Foul Balls Off
Even the perfect stance and timing can’t hit a home run off of every single pitch, even in the strike zone. High and inside and low and outside pitches are common kryptonite for athletes with a tendency for clout.
With two strikes, swing at these tough pitches too early or too late intentionally. Make the pitcher throw a better ball or miss with a pitch, then send it out of the yard.
Move Up The Lineup Card
Players can’t hit as many home runs if they don’t have more plate appearances. Plenty of gamers are disappointed when their stacked dude hitting monster home runs is batting seventh or eighth in the lineup because of a sub .250 batting average.
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Don’t be afraid tosmack a few easy singleswhen the situation calls for it.Adding speed and base stealingwill also convince managers to place the player in the team’s first four spots on the lineup instead of the last five.
Hitting for contact also increases the size of the area that is considered solid. That means more room for error and will expand size just enough to put more balls over the fence that would have been fly-outs to the outfield.
Hitting 500+ Foot Home Runs
By following most of this advice, players will be able to hit plentiful home runs. But for some gamers, the goal isn’t just to hit lots of homers, it’s to hit tape-measure shots. Balanced sluggers who follow the above advice will probably never hit a home run over 500 feet. Even 450 feet is an accomplishment. So how does one go about hitting balls, not just over the fence, but out of the ballpark?
The goal here is to pick a specific location on the plate and wait for it. By following the stance advice earlier, pick a player who is made to hit and area. For this example, let’s use low and inside. Bring the stance down low and open up the stance so the front foot is far away from the plate.Bring the arms way back, use a one-handed swing, and the highest leg kick.
Pitchers will see this and try to avoid the danger zone.Foul off and strikes not in the magic spot by swinging too late or too early. Eventually, they’ll either miss or give up and throw to the batter’s strong spot. Distances of over 540 feet have been recorded by using this technique. The announcers go bananas in the booth and it’s fun to see the ball land in areas outside of the stadium.
