Reading Opponent Tendencies in MLB The Show 25: The Secret to MLB The Show 25 Stubs Outsmarting Any Pitcher
When you face human opponents in MLB The Show 25, you’re not just battling velocity and break — you’re facing another brain trying to outthink you. The best hitters don’t just react; they read. They look for patterns in pitch choice, location, and sequencing, then use that information to predict what’s coming next.
Mastering the art of reading tendencies is like having the pitcher’s signs — without breaking any rules. It lets you get better swings, force mistakes, and control the tempo of the at-bat.
1. Why Reading Tendencies Matters
Against CPU pitchers, patterns are coded. If you’ve played enough, you know that certain counts produce certain pitch types. Against humans, patterns aren’t pre-programmed — but they do exist. Every player has habits, whether they know it or not.
When you learn to spot them, you gain two huge advantages:
Anticipation: You can prepare your timing and PCI movement before the ball is released.
Psychological Pressure: Pitchers who realize you’ve “figured them out” often panic and start making mistakes.
This mental edge can turn a close, competitive game into a lopsided win.
2. The Three Main Categories of Opponent Tendencies
When reading an opponent, break their tendencies into three categories:
Pitch Type Patterns – What pitch they throw most often, and in which situations.
Pitch Location Patterns – Where they like to throw in the strike zone.
Sequence Patterns – How they combine pitches to set up hitters.
You can track these mentally during the game or even jot them down between innings if you’re playing competitively.
3. Tracking Pitch Type Patterns
Start by paying attention to what your opponent throws:
Fastball Frequency: Do they use it to get ahead in the count? Do they trust it in full counts?
Offspeed Reliance: Some pitchers spam sliders or sinkers because they think they’re hard to hit.
"Out" Pitch: This is the pitch they rely on when they need a strikeout — usually two strikes.
Example:
If you notice they throw a high fastball on almost every 0–2 count, you can sit on cheap MLB Stubs that pitch when you’re behind, possibly fouling it off or even turning it around.
Pro Tip: The first 2–3 innings are “data gathering time.” Don’t get discouraged if you make early outs; you’re collecting intel.
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