Infield Defense has superhero reflexes
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I thought there was going to be a big emphasis on defense and reaction time this year. I dont like where its at right now. Its frustrating to hit a 116 mph line drive up the middle and the shortstop have time to take 4 steps and catch it.
Even the best MLB pros would not have the time or reflexes to see a 116 mph line drive off the bat and run 3 or 4 steps to catch it before it gets through the infield.
The players in the game, move at speeds so different in scale to the ball, it makes the infield play even smaller than it is...and its too small already....hence the pitcher blocking 50% of balls up the middle. This is a huge reason contact hitters are often unusable.
Its frustrating and makes hitting far more "Home Run on nothing" than it should be.
I hope the SDS team takes a look at this issue.
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I'm going to disagree with this. Watching a lot of actual MLB games as well as playing a lot of RTTS games, I think SDS has hit the mark on this. Today's big league players do have "super hero reflexes." The state of defensive skills in baseball today is the one area that is vastly higher than it was even 20 years ago, and certainly better than before then.
Players in the 1990's at defensive positions like shortstop who used to stand out for their defensive skills would be considered average today. This is a huge reason why batting averages are down and why the focus is put on launch angle and exit velo. Those who analyze baseball play agree that trying to score through a rally of base hits on grounders is a fool's errand -- the odds are stacked against scoring runs that way. There are many dozens of players stuck forever in AA and AAA who have all the hitting skills to excel on an MLB team but they are not excellent defensively.
Therefore, the calculation is that the odds of scoring are higher by getting one or two runners on base and then hitting a homer. Increased strikeouts is considered an acceptable tradeoff for that approach. This is because there are two offensive plays in baseball for which there is no defense -- a walk and a homer.
The reason for all this is the improved scientific method of training that now goes all the way down to little league baseball, combined with a truly worldwide talent pool. Gone are the days of the out of shape outfielder who can't track down fly balls, and long gone are the infielders who are veritable statues where if the ball isn't hit within arm's reach it gets through. Today's game demands that all nine players in the field can field at a high level.
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Agree with OP. I’m ok with certain players that have high speed and fielding (Elly) robbing me of hits but not every single common/bronze player. It feels like they pushed CPU fielding stronger while made player fielders slower and games feel like you’re in 2 different universes with different understanding of how physics work.
In no universe should a mediocre (60ish) rated shortstop throw an underhanded laser to first while all momentum is heading towards shallow LF. The amount of diving grabs these CPU fielders make every single game is unreal too.
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I'm still seeing enough grounders with eyes slipping between a diving third baseman and a diving shortstop to convince me that the current game code is properly modeled. First, I have never seen a truly underhanded throw zip across the diamond from short to first. Sidearm throws yes, underhand no. So, frankly, that comment seems clear to me to be a full on exaggeration.
SDS has one overarching mandate -- to replicate the state of today's professional baseball game as close as possible, and let users select custom difficulty and slider settings to achieve the nuances desired. Due to the universal DH, each team will carry one huge bat who can't field at an elite level, but that's about it. Nearly all the bench players excel defensively, as do the starters who play positions.
The state of baseball today is obvious. Due to intense training, worldwide talent pool, careful study and selection of rosters, today's baseball game has almost eradicated the presence of the six hit rally where grounders result in first to thirding a team "to death." That reality from the eighties Cardinals is gone away and isn't coming back.
Today, Ozzie Smith would be considered an above average shortstop but not one who stood alone. This reality is what SDS was asked to mimic and I think they did. Yep, driving grounders through the infield and into the outfield is tough and rare. That's baseball today, folks, and it isn't a bug that SDS replicated it.
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The ball boy defense skills are un
matched . -
Also, the Texas league bloopers that seem to be caught everytime by outfielders but yet when you smash one they are always plenty deep enough to go get it. The disparity and edge they give to the defense is incredible and not realistic at all. Seems like the outfield AI system moves based on where you hit the ball right at contact. The AI cheats.
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