MLB The Show 21 is another solid entry in what many consider to be the premier sports simulation franchise, once exclusive to PlayStation platforms. The game is full of different modes and experiences both veteran and new fans of the MLB enjoy. Whether it's Diamond Dynasty or Road to the Show, there are multiple ways to get that professional baseball fix.
The latter is a career mode that sees players start at the bottom in AA and AAA baseball and work their way up to the MLB. It can be time-consuming, but knowing how to get that call-up as soon as possible can make the mode much more entertaining and enjoyable.
10 2-Way Or Not?
It will be touched on later, but the first major decision players must make in Road to the Show is whether they want to be 2-way players or not. The idea of pitching and playing positional sounds fun on paper, but the time investment might become too much to handle.
There are certainly pros and cons to either being a 2-way player or picking a specific position and it just comes down to the individual. Just know that the game offers several chances to change to the other, regardless of which initial path is chosen.
9 Batting & Pitching Options
The moment someone starts up MLB The Show 21 they're greeted with all of the settings and accessibility options the game has to offer. It does a great job at letting players explore what version of pitching or batting they find most comfortable.
Not only is it important to find what works well to do well in regular game modes, but being comfortable with pitching and batting will make the chance of success in Road to the Show much more likely. They're always there, as well, so if something doesn't feel right there's always a chance to go back and re-explore all the options.
8 Learn How To Take An At-Bat
A glance on social media seems to showcase that most veterans and newcomers to MLB The Show 21 find pitching to be a lot easier to learn and get competent at than batting. This is likely due to the player's desire to swing at every pitch. Reading a pitch and understanding where it will likely land above the plate takes practice and a lot of patience.
Once a player can consistently make contact with the ball, it can open up plenty of doors and the stat sheet will begin to fill up game after game. The result will be a call-up to see if they can take their batting excellence to the next level.
7 Manipulate Batters With Pitch Location
Fans often become enamored at high-speed pitching that sees 100mph fastballs zoom across home plate, but high-level pitching relies on the off-speed stuff, as well. Good pitching comes down to switching up pitch speeds at the right time, but also taking advantage of pitch location.
Knowing how the ball tends to come off the bat when pitched in certain areas can help a pitcher play into a double play or retire a batter to a sky-high fly ball. Don't be afraid to paint the zone and play the corners a bit. If you walk a batter, just look to the next one to get the outs and move on in the game.
6 Be Patient & Improve
Baseball in general is a game about patience and understanding. It's a sport that focuses on steady constant improvement and the development of the players is crucial to its longevity.
Modern society centers on immediate gratification, so it's hard to wait and let things come as they may. In Road to the Show, it forces the player to be somewhat patient in an attempt to accurately reflect the trials and tribulations real-life professional baseball players have to endure to reach their dreams of playing baseball in the MLB at the highest level.
5 A Team In Need
Now, some people hopping into Road to the Show want to live out their dream of playing for their favorite team. For those individuals, this tip won't be relevant to the experience they're trying to have. For everyone else, do a little homework and find out what team needs the position you want to play.
By doing so it makes the journey to their MLB roster much easier when the guy that's currently in the roster spot isn't a high overall. It should also be noted that a team could very well trade to fill that need while the user is still playing in the AA or AAA ballpark.
4 Dynamic Or Set Difficulty
Among many of its solid settings and features, MLB The Show 21 allows players to either set batting and pitching to a set difficulty, or use one called dynamic difficulty that changes based on the performance of the player. It does this in an attempt to provide the best balance of challenge and ease of use.
When looking at Road to the Show it might be best to set the game to a lower difficulty, and then change it to the dynamic setting the moment they make it to the MLB. Tailoring the game to make AA and AAA success inevitable may be lame, but certainly effective.
3 Play Every Game
This may sound like a no-brainer, but playing every game possible without simulating is the best approach. By doing so players are giving themselves plenty of opportunities to post solid stats, but it's also necessary to get better at batting and/or pitching.
Players will also be able to get a feel for the pitchers they face as many of the same teams will come around in the schedule. The more you simulate, the longer it will take to get to the MLB, and no one wants to be a 28-year-old rookie playing in their first-ever MLB game.
2 Ease Into The Difficulty
Earlier the discussion of dynamic vs. set difficulty was discussed and how choosing between them could drastically affect how quickly MLB baseball will come calling. Some people feel that setting it to an easier difficulty is cheating, but in reality, it's in the player's best interest to perform exceptionally.
This allows them not to spend most of their time playing mid-level baseball in a small town in some random state. Once the MLB call-up is made, then the difficulty can be placed more appropriately to provide an accurate and perfectly challenging experience.
1 Focus On One Position
Though it may be enticing and feel challenging to try and make it to the majors as a 2-way player, it may be in the player's best interest to focus on one position. Not only does this allow them to put all of their efforts into working on getting better as either a batter/fielder or a pitcher.
However, it will cut down on the time needed to invest in making it. Also, if a player changes their mind and eventually wants to be a 2-way player Road to the Show offers several opportunities to return to it via discussions with a manager in the clubhouse.