<![CDATA[The Curveball problem]]>This game has always had a curveball (and any slow pitch) problem. Many pitchers made their whole career on the curve - and its a devastating strikeout pitch in real ball. In this game, it is borderline unusable - maybe throw it twice a game, but you better make sure it isn't anywhere in the strike zone.

The problem is that good batters can almost always pick up curve out of hand - and then the game is over, drop the hammer and blast it. Even bad hitters just foul off most curve balls because theyre way early - this would be a swing and miss in real ball, but theres a skill problem....strikeouts would be insanely high in this game if you made batters swing and miss more on early timing. So, theyre not going to do this.

The solution is - there needs to be more "weak in-play contact" - curveball and breaking ball timing window needs to be tighter - bad timing punished with weak in play contact.

Then nerf the sinker, and this starts looking a lot more real.

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/topic/83867/the-curveball-problemRSS for NodeWed, 15 Jul 2026 05:35:35 GMTTue, 07 Jul 2026 14:34:27 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:09:07 GMT]]>I play on ws or higher usally and I find Sonny grey’s sweeping curve disgusting. Normal curves tho just don’t play slurves and sweeping curves are my favourite.

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/770144https://forums.theshow.com/post/770144Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:09:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Wed, 08 Jul 2026 03:17:29 GMT]]>@rubicante23_PSN its hard enough to hit in this game as it is. And curveballs thrown correctly are not easy to hit in this game. Mix them in correctly and hit your spots. Its not a pitch meant to be spammed. And this isnt real baseball. Its a video game. It will never be real baseball, it will never play like real baseball.

Sinkers definitely need to be nerfed. That ill agree with you on..

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/770107https://forums.theshow.com/post/770107Wed, 08 Jul 2026 03:17:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Wed, 08 Jul 2026 01:41:35 GMT]]>@rubicante23_PSN also not wrong. I haven’t had too many issues with it, but I’m also a far better pitcher than hitter online- I mix things up with speeds and locations so I get away with it.

But yeah you’re also not wrong.

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/770099https://forums.theshow.com/post/770099Wed, 08 Jul 2026 01:41:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Wed, 08 Jul 2026 01:14:08 GMT]]>I do fine with curveball pitchers. You just can't expect to be successful spamming it like an idiot. Pick your spots, mix in your other pitches and hit them with a curve in a random location when theyre least expecting it, and watch the strikeouts pile up

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/770087https://forums.theshow.com/post/770087Wed, 08 Jul 2026 01:14:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:57:04 GMT]]>@PrestoFoxx_MLBTS the timing windows are stupid, you can smash a ball up the middle and get "just late" timing.

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/769952https://forums.theshow.com/post/769952Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:57:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:52:59 GMT]]>@Sarge1387_PSN
The timing windows make hitting feel like RNG. It is all over the place.

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/769950https://forums.theshow.com/post/769950Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:52:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:51:56 GMT]]>@Sarge1387_PSN you're not wrong, but good luck with "curve in the dirt."

Its not getting a swing against most good players. There is a sweet spot just under the strike zone where it can work - but lordy, if it hangs a hair too high, its tattooed to tater town

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/769949https://forums.theshow.com/post/769949Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:51:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The Curveball problem on Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:32:22 GMT]]>

@rubicante23_PSN said:

The solution is - there needs to be more "weak in-play contact" - curveball

There is…it’s the curve in the dirt. 12-6 down the middle but below the zone, and the 1-7 down and in.

@rubicante23_PSN said:

Then nerf the sinker, and this starts looking a lot more real.

I agree with this. Sinkers, especially one high in the zone need to flatten out a great deal more than they currently do.

@rubicante23_PSN said:

breaking ball timing window needs to be tighter

I think they need to revert the timing windows to ‘25 and prior, they’re so screwed up this year especially online.

]]>https://forums.theshow.com/post/769945https://forums.theshow.com/post/769945Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:32:22 GMT