MLB The Show 22: Complete Hitting Controls and Tips for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S

Hitting in MB The Show 22, like in real life, is difficult and filled with randomness. A scorching liner may be an out, while a weak flare may end up a hit. A routine flyball may result in a home run while a perfect flyball may just result in an out. Sometimes, baseball is weird.

To help you get a good grip on the virtual bat, below, you will find the controls for PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Note that the left and right joysticks are denoted as L and R, and pushing on either will be marked as L3 and R3. Any action not listed in another section means that the same button rules apply from a previous section.

MLB The Show 22 Zone and Directional Hitting Controls for PS4 and PS5

• Move Plate Coverage Indicator (Zone): L
• PCI Anchor: R3 (in direction of area)
• Direction and Influence Fly or Groundball (Directional): L
• Contact Swing: O
• Normal Swing: X
• Power Swing: Square
• Check Swing: Release
• Sacrifice Bunt (Late): Triangle (hold)
• Drag Bunt (Early): Triangle (hold)
• Influence Bunt Direction: R→ or R←

MLB The Show 22 Pure Analog Hitting Controls for PS4 and PS5

• Select Contact or Power Swing (Before Stride): O or Square
• Begin Stride (if enabled): R↓
• Normal Swing: R↑
• Contact Swing: R→
• Power Swing: R←
• Check Swing: Release

MLB The Show 22 Pre-Pitch Hitting Controls for PS4 and PS5

• Guess Pitch (if enabled): R2 + Pitch
• Guess Pitch Location (if enabled): R2 + Left Analog
• View Defense and Ratings: R3
• Quick Menu: D-Pad↑
• Pitcher Attributes and Player Quirks: D-Pad←
• Pitching and Batting Breakdown: D-Pad→
• Call Timeout: D-Pad ↓

MLB The Show 22 Zone and Directional Hitting Controls for Xbox One and Series X|S

• Move Plate Coverage Indicator (Zone): L
• Direction and Influence Fly or Groundball (Directional): L
• Contact Swing: B
• Normal Swing: A
• Power Swing: X
• Check Swing: Release
• Sacrifice Bunt (Late): Y (hold)
• Drag Bunt (Early): Y (hold)
• Influence Bunt Direction: R→ or R←

MLB The Show 22 Pure Analog Hitting Controls for Xbox One and Series X|S

• Select Contact or Power Swing (Before Stride): B or X
• Begin Stride (if enabled): R↓
• Normal Swing: R↑
• Contact Swing: R→
• Power Swing: R←
• Check Swing: Release

MLB The Show 22 Pre-Pitch Hitting Controls for Xbox One and Series X|S

• Guess Pitch (if enabled): RT + Pitch
• Guess Pitch Location (if enabled): RT + Left Analog
• View Defense and Ratings: R3
• Quick Menu: D-Pad↑
• Pitcher Attributes and Player Quirks: D-Pad←
• Pitching and Batting Breakdown: D-Pad→
• Call Timeout: D-Pad ↓

How to use each hitting setting in MLB The Show 22

Directional is the simplest batting setting. You merely use L to influence the direction and fly or groundball, as well as press the button for whichever swing you would like (Regular, Contact, Power).

Pure Analog is tricky as it requires you to move R down and up in time with your stride and the pitch to make contact. If enabled, you will have to begin your stride before you can swing. If you want a Power Swing, then hit Square or X before the pitch and your stride. For Contact Swing, select Circle or B. It will default to a Normal Swing. Note that you will have to flick R to the right (Contact), left (Power), or up (Normal), depending on the type of swing chosen.

The first two settings, as shown in the picture, do not have anything covering the plate and strike zone. It is blank.

Zone Hitting requires you to utilize the Plate Coverage Indicator as your batting eye. If you make contact with the ball within the PCI, you should put the ball in play. You move the PCI with L and press the button of your desired swing.

How to bunt in MLB The Show 22

To sacrifice bunt, hold Triangle or Y before the windup of the pitcher. For a drag bunt, hold Triangle or Y after the pitch. Use the right stick to influence the direction of your bunt pre-pitch.

How to hit in MLB The Show 22

Here are our top tips for improving your hitting skills in MLB The Show 22.

1. Find the hitting controls that best suit you

Some players like timing their swing with a batter’s stride and opt for Pure Analog. Beginners to baseball and The Show are more likely to choose Directional. Finally, Zone tends to be the most challenging, but gives you the most control over the outcome.

2. Understand stances and strides if using Pure Analog

When using Pure Analog, it will be important to understand each batter’s stances and strides. Some, like Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers, have a high leg kick, while others, like Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, have a little leg kick or don’t have one at all. Mistiming your stride can throw off your swing timing. Also, be prepared for any slide-step pitches if a speedy runner is on first base. If timing the leg kick is too much of a challenge, you can turn that part off and only flick R for the swing.

3. Not every intended hit will go your way with Directional

With Directional hitting, the most important thing to consider is that, just because you influenced a flyball to the pull side, it doesn’t mean that it will happen. A confluence of directional influence, swing timing, pitch location, batter ratings, and pitcher ratings will determine if you successfully hit a flyball to the pull side, for example. A pitch low and away is far less likely to be a flyball to the pull side of your hitter, but not so with a pitch that is over the plate or inside.

4. Perfect your swing timing when Zone hitting

For Zone hitting, your aim will be to make a swing with “Perfect” swing timing on one of the three circular dots in the photo (you can change the appearance in the settings). These dots represent a Perfect Grounder (smallest circle), Perfect Liner (medium circle), and Perfect Flyball (largest circle). Not all players will have the same order of circles. Depending on their swing (if it’s more uppercut, for example), Perfect Liner could be on top with Perfect Flyball in the middle as pictured.

5. Don’t be afraid to bunt to advance runners or pressure the defense

If you’re finding it difficult to score runs, don’t be afraid to sacrifice bunt a runner into scoring position. Further, if you have a speedy batter with at least a decent drag bunt rating, particularly a left-handed batter, use drag bunts to get a runner (potentially) on base and pressure the defense. A speedy runner can throw off the pitcher, concerned about the steal, leading to you capitalizing on their mistake.

6. Utilize the timing breakdown

After each swing, you will see a breakdown of your timing, contact, and exit velocity – use this to your advantage. If you realize that you are early on a fastball, adjust your timing a tad slower for that and even more for the off-speed and breaking pitches. If you are behind, do the opposite.

7. Use each designated hitters’ optimum swing

Further, while most hitters will be designated as a “Balance” hitter, there are still those designated as either “Contact” or “Power” hitters. You should always use Normal Swings for “Balance” hitters, Contact Swings for “Contact” hitters, and Power Swings for “Power” hitters. The only exception is with two strikes, at which point, you should always use a Contact Swing – unless you have Guess Pitch enabled and guess right. Avoid striking out as much as possible.

By utilizing the swing type associated with their designation, you will be maximizing the hitting potential of your lineup. For example, if you have a “Power” hitter whose Contact L and Contact R ratings are 40 or below, you are setting your hitter up to fail. The same goes for a “Contact” hitter with Power L and Power R ratings of the same.

8. Always check on the defense

Use the R3 pre-pitch command to check shifts, defensive positioning, and defensive ratings. If you notice an overshift to your pull side, try laying down a bunt to the push side. If using Directional hitting, aim for the push side for what should be an easy double. If the third baseman is playing back and your batter has a Speed rating of at least 65, try to lay down a drag bunt. If you notice certain fielders have poor fielding or throwing ratings, do your best to hit the ball to them.

9. Challenge yourself more

The best piece of advice: practice on harder difficulty levels. The Show 22 has an extensive Practice mode. You will become very frustrated, but it will accelerate your learning process to make you much better at the game.

With the controls and tips now in your knowledge bank, go break some records and fill a lineup of Silver Sluggers in MLB The Show 22.