Game Tactics
The same squad can get different results depending on the Operator's decisions. This page covers the calls you can make during a game, team-wide hitting and pitching strategies, and opponent scouting reports.
In-game calls
In Manage Live, you can make a call at every plate appearance. Full Game mode shows every pitch, down to balls, strikes and fouls, while Highlights mode shows only the deciding pitch of each plate appearance, so it moves faster.
Offense
| Call | When to use it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Sacrifice bunt | Late in a close game, runner on 1st or 1st and 2nd with no outs, when you badly need one run | You're giving up an out. It's a losing play with a strong hitter at the plate. |
| Squeeze | Runner on 3rd with one out, when one run wins it | If it fails, the runner on 3rd is out. Only for hitters who bunt well. |
| Steal | A fast runner, a pitcher with a weak pickoff move, a catcher with a weak arm | Judge by the Stealing stat. It's a different stat from Baserunning (speed). |
| Hit-and-run | A good contact hitter, when you're worried about a double play | If the hitter swings and misses, the runner is in danger. |
| Pinch hitter | When the hitter's handedness (L/R) matches up badly with the pitcher, or at a key moment with runners in scoring position | The pinch hitter takes over the replaced hitter's defensive position. If it's poorly suited to that position, your defense gets weaker. |
| Pinch runner | When a slow runner reaches scoring position | A unit that has been replaced can't come back. |
Defense
| Call | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Pitching change | When stuff has dropped as the pitch count piles up, or when the opposing lineup has adjusted to the pitcher |
| Infield in | When you need to cut down the runner from 3rd at the plate. Balls in play turn into hits more easily, though. |
| Outfield in | When you need to stop a short single from scoring the winning run. It leaves you vulnerable to extra-base hits over the outfielders' heads. |
| Play for the double play | Runner on 1st with no outs or one out, with a ground-ball pitcher on the mound |
| Defensive shift | Against a strong pull hitter |
| Intentional walk | When 1st base is open and the next hitter is much weaker, or when you're looking for a double play |
Factors that swing a game
- Pitch count and battery — Stuff drops as the pitch count rises. Pitchers with a low Battery stat run down faster.
- Timing adjustment — A hitter who faces the same pitcher several times in a game gets its timing down. The starting pitcher is at a growing disadvantage each time through the order.
- Output stability — When a hitter keeps reaching base, its output stability rises.
- Errors — Increase as the Defense stat and positional suitability go down.
- Space weather and the ballpark — Solar wind, gravity currents, heat index and fence distance change how far batted balls travel. See the ballpark characteristics.
- Tuning, uptime and clutch — With runners in scoring position, the hitter's Clutch and the pitcher's Composure come into play.
- Rival matchups — When rival units face each other, their processing focus rises.
Team hitting strategy (Strategy Lab)
In the 🧪 Strategy Lab menu, you set the hitting and pitching approach for the whole team. Strategies gain proficiency the more you use them, and Maintenance Engineer ability and the Data-Driven club philosophy help raise proficiency.
| Hitting strategy | Effect |
|---|---|
| Standard Hitting | No special instructions |
| Aggressive First Pitch | Walks↓ strikeouts↓ extra-base hits↑, fewer pitches seen |
| Eye Sensor Focus | Walks↑, strikeouts slightly↑, opposing pitch counts rise |
| Power Focus | Home runs↑ strikeouts↑ singles↓ |
| Opposite Field | Singles↑, neutralizes shifts, home runs and extra-base hits↓ |
| Pull Hitting | Home runs↑ extra-base hits↑, ground-ball hits↓ (vulnerable to shifts) |
| Bunts & Small Ball | Bunt and steal attempts↑, strikeouts↓ |
| Pitch-Specific Training | Against pitchers whose main weapon is the selected pitch: strikeouts↓ hits↑ |
Team pitching strategy
| Pitching strategy | Effect |
|---|---|
| Standard Pitching | No special instructions |
| First-Pitch Strikes | Walks↓, home runs allowed slightly↑ |
| Breaking Ball Heavy | Strikeouts↑ walks↑ home runs allowed↓ |
| Induce Ground Balls | Ground balls↑ home runs allowed↓ strikeouts↓ |
| Go for Strikeouts | Strikeouts↑ walks↑ pitch count↑ |
| Hitter-by-Hitter Game Plan | Against teams you have an opponent report on: strikeouts↑ hits↓ |
| Lefty/Righty Pitch Patterns | Bigger edge against same-handed hitters |
Use the same strategy too often and they'll read it
If you keep using the same strategy against one opponent, that team starts adjusting and the effect fades, by up to about two-thirds. AI clubs also change strategies depending on the situation, so it's a good idea to switch yours up every so often during the season.
Opponent scouting reports
A report that pinpoints an opposing team's weaknesses based on its actual squad data. With a report in hand, the Hitter-by-Hitter Game Plan pitching strategy takes effect. Prepare reports first for teams you face often and in big games, like rivals and Postseason opponents.
Playing to your ballpark
If your home park has short fences and solar wind blowing out toward the outfield, a power-hitting lineup and ground-ball pitchers are a good fit. In a park with deep fences and lots of foul territory, outfield defense and speed matter more. You can see recommendations in the in-game Club → Ballpark tab.