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Comparing Diving and Sidearm Pitchers in MLB The Show 25
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Both diving and sidearm pitchers offer unique challenges to batters in MLB The Show 25. Understanding the differences between these two pitching mlb stubsstyles can help players effectively utilize them in gameplay.
Mechanics and Delivery
Diving Pitchers: Utilize a submarine-style delivery, releasing the ball from a near-horizontal plane. This extreme arm angle creates pitches with sharp, late movement, making them difficult for batters to track.
Sidearm Pitchers: Deliver the ball from a low, sidearm angle, presenting a unique challenge for batters. Their arm slot allows for pitches with horizontal movement and late break, effective against both left-handed and right-handed batters.
Strategic Advantages
Diving Pitchers:
Diving or submarine pitchers are most effective at inducing ground balls. Their pitches often come with a heavy downward trajectory, making it hard for batters to elevate the ball. This leads to more double plays and weak contact. Additionally, their rarity makes them especially effective online, where many players are unaccustomed to facing them.Sidearm Pitchers:
Sidearmers offer a balance of deception and movement, particularly horizontal movement that sweeps across the strike zone. This makes them especially effective at jamming opposite-handed hitters or getting swing-and-misses on pitches that tail away. Their versatility allows them to fill middle relief, setup, or matchup specialist roles.Use in Different Game Modes
Diamond Dynasty:
In online modes like Diamond Dynasty, these pitchers become valuable tools to disrupt human opponents. A strong bullpen mix that includes a sidearmer or submarine pitcher can throw off the timing of even experienced players.Franchise Mode:
Over the course of a 162-game season, using diving and sidearm pitchers in your bullpen can preserve stamina for your main relievers and offer unique matchups against CPU-controlled lineups. Their stamina usually limits them to shorter outings, but their efficiency in generating outs can be crucial.Road to the Show:
Creating a sidearm or submarine pitcher in Road to the Show offers a distinct player experience. You’ll often find the CPU struggling more against your pitches due to their unfamiliar trajectories, making it a fun and potentially dominant career path.Notable Differences in Pitch Arsenal
Diving Pitchers:
Sinker
Slider
Changeup
Curveball (less common but highly effective from a low release)
Fastball (rarely used at high velocity)
Sidearm Pitchers:
Sinker
Two-Seam Fastball
Slider (most lethal pitch in sidearm arsenals)
Changeup
Cutter (less common but effective for jamming)
Player Customization Options
MLB The Show 25 allows users to create a custom pitcher with either sidearm or submarine delivery styles. This opens creative doors for players to develop niche archetypes. By adjusting velocity, control, and break, players can fine-tune their pitcher into either a ground-ball machine or a strikeout artist using deception and angles.
Player Development Tips
Submarine Pitchers:
Focus on control and break. Since velocity is rarely a strength for diving pitchers, it’s more important to ensure that your pitches stay in the strike zone but with late movement. Focus on the sinker, slider, and changeup.Sidearm Pitchers:
Build around your slider and sinker, and develop decent velocity to complement them. A slider that moves across the plate is especially effective when you can set it up with a two-seam fastball running in the opposite direction.Conclusion
Diving and sidearm pitchers offer MLB The Show 25 players tactical depth, variation, and a chance to outsmart the competition. Whether in online competitive play or franchise mode, they add a distinct rhythm and strategy to pitching that few traditional overhand pitchers can replicate. Understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and optimal usage can provide a meaningful edge both online and offline.