A serious gameplay issue that has been affecting competitive play for years, and it needs to be addressed: the tempo animation exploit.
Right now, the batter’s stride/leg‑kick animation changes BEFORE the pitch is released, depending on whether the pitch is a fastball or an offspeed pitch. This means hitters can identify pitch type early without reading the ball out of the hand. That is not skill — that is an animation tell.
This is a game-breaking problem because:
• Fastballs trigger a noticeably faster load animation
• Offspeed pitches trigger a slower load animation
• The hitter receives information the pitcher cannot control
• It creates an unfair advantage in competitive modes
• It rewards animation-reading instead of actual pitch recognition
This is not “realism” and it’s not “timing skill.”
It’s an unintended visual exploit caused by inconsistent animations.
