Alright, so I wanted to get better at stealing bases in Road to the Show in MLB The Show 24. I’ve been playing for a bit, and my player’s fast, but I kept getting thrown out. It was super frustrating!
Figuring Out the Timing
First thing I did was just mess around in a game. I’d get on first, take a lead, and just try to bolt for second. Sometimes I’d go on the first movement of the pitcher, sometimes I’d wait. Basically, I was just guessing and getting nowhere.
I figured there had to be a better way. So, a lot of it comes down to reading the pitcher.
Reading the Pitcher
- Watch their tendencies: Some pitchers are super quick to the plate, others have a slower, more deliberate windup. I started paying attention to how long it took them to start their delivery after coming set.
- Look for the “tells”: I noticed some pitchers do little things right before they throw to first. Like, maybe they’d glance over a certain way, or their shoulder would twitch. The key is to find that one thing that shows their next move.
- The First Move: Most people say to go on the pitcher’s first move towards home plate. This is the big one. If they move towards first, you’re toast. If they move towards home, you gotta be ready to run.
Getting the Jump
Once you get a better handle on what the pitcher’s likely to do you really need to improve your jump.
- Lead Off: The game lets you take a bigger lead by holding L1 (on PlayStation, might be different on Xbox). I used to just tap it once, but holding it for a bit longer gets you a bigger jump. Just don’t go too far, or you’ll get picked off.
- Pre-loading the Steal: I found out you can actually “pre-load” your steal by holding L2. It gives you a little boost right when you take off.
- Timing the Button Press: This is the tricky part. You have to press the button to steal (L2, then let go) right as the pitcher starts their motion towards home. Too early, and you’re picked off. Too late, and the catcher’s already throwing you out.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Honestly, the biggest thing was just practicing. I kept playing games, focusing on reading pitchers, and getting my timing down. Slowly but surely, I started getting more successful steals. I’m still not perfect, but I’m definitely getting thrown out a lot less!
My Key takeaways:
- Learn to read the pitcher.
- Take a good lead, but not a dumb one.
- Nail the timing.
It’s all about getting a feel for it. Keep at it, and you’ll be swiping bags like a pro in no time!
