Best Hitting Difficulty and MLB The Show 25 Stubs Feedback Settings
Hitting Difficulty: Set by Mode

Online difficulty is locked by Ranked Seasons, Events, or BR.

Plate Coverage Indicator: ON

Always required.

Swing Input Feedback: ON

This helps analyze your timing and adjust during the game.

Vibration: OFF

Vibration disruption affects timing; turn it off entirely.

Best Controller Settings for Hitting
Input Type

Button Accuracy Off

Button Interface (Tap X for PCI discipline)

Controller Sensitivity

Analog Stick Deadzone: Standard or Small

PCI Sensitivity: -2 to 0

Lower sensitivity improves micro-adjustments on the PCI.

Hitting Meta Strategies You Need to Master

Now that you’ve optimized your settings, let’s break down the mechanical habits and in-game strategies that define elite hitting in MLB The Show 25.

1. Sit Fastball and React to Offspeed

The core hitting rule still applies:

Always hunt fastballs. React to everything else.

If you sit offspeed:

You will be late on high heaters

You’ll whiff on cutter/sinker combos

You’ll lose the count early

This year’s timing penalty for “very late” is brutal.

2. Use the 70/30 Rule for PCI Coverage

The best players cover:

70% of the time: High and inside

30% of the time: Low and away

This is where pitchers attack most often, especially in two-strike counts.

Cover up-and-in until the pitcher proves they can hit the low corner consistently.

3. Recognize Pitch Spin Early

You can identify pitches by rotation:

Fastball:

Smooth spin, no tilt, straight trajectory.

Slider:

Sharp diagonal spin, sweeping away from the hitter.

Curveball:

High vertical arc, exaggerated top-to-bottom drop.

Sinker:

Slight downward drift with horizontal tilt.

Changeup:

Soft spin and subtle “floaty” movement.

Spend each at-bat identifying pitch tendencies early and adjusting PCI ranges accordingly.

4. Don’t Move Your PCI Until You See the Pitch Plane

Most players move the PCI by guessing. Top players let the pitch declare itself before reacting.

How to practice:

Keep PCI centered

Track the pitch path for 10–15 frames

React late and smooth, not early and jerky

This prevents PCI overcorrection—one of the most common hitting mistakes.

5. Use Contact Swing More This Year (It’s Buffed)

MLB The Show 25 buffed contact swing in two ways:

Larger PCI

Better foul-ball protection

Use contact swing:

With two strikes

Against pitchers running outlier

When protecting the plate

In clutch at-bats with runners on

You’ll extend more ABs and force mistakes.

6. Learn Pitch Tunneling From the Batter’s Perspective

Recognizing tunnels helps you anticipate movement.

Example:

High fastball → Slurve away

Inside cutter → Slider off the plate

Low sinker → Changeup in dirt

Once you identify a pitcher’s rhythm, punish predictable patterns.

7. Use Zone + PCI Anchor for Extreme Scenarios

If someone spams sinker inside or cutter outside:

Anchor PCI in that direction

Wait for a miss over the middle

Lift for elevated xBHs

This dramatically increases barrel consistency.

8. Aim for Middle-Out for Power, Middle-In for Contact

The power meta today favors:

Opposite-field home runs on outside pitches

Pull-swing home runs on inside heaters

Don’t try to pull low-and-away sliders.
Don’t try to go the other way on 102 mph inside.

Hit pitches where they’re thrown.

Final Thoughts: Master the Meta, Master the Plate

The hitting meta in MLB The Show 25 rewards:

Smart pitch tracking

Clean PCI movement

Situational discipline

Well-optimized settings

A fastball-first mentality

Combine elite hitting settings with buy MLB Stubs these meta strategies and you'll see:

Higher exit velocity

More consistent barrels

Fewer strikeouts

More clutch hits

Higher ranked ratings