MLB The Show 22: Best and Unique Batting Stances (Current and Former Players)

One thing universally done by baseball fans, particularly as kids, is emulate their favorite players’ batting stances or those they find the most entertaining – Mickey Tettleton was always fun because of how he laid the bat back along his hip. In MLB The Show 22, you can choose from a plethora of batting stances – well over one thousand(!) – for your Road to the Show player from Current, Former, and Generic Players.

Below, you will find Outsider Gaming’s ranking of best and unique batting stances. The list is vastly different from last year’s as many batting stances saw tweaks. With so many batting stances having fundamentally the same layout – knees slightly bent, legs directly facing the pitcher or slightly open, bat across the shoulder, elbows bent at the chest, etc. – this list will look to those stances that break the mold a bit. There will be five from Current Players and five from Former Players.

Best batting stance in MLB The Show 22

Note that the pictured created player is a switch hitter with all stances shown from the right side. Those hitters who bat right, left, or switch will be indicated in their name (L, R, or S). The list will be in alphabetical order by last name.

1. Ozzie Albies (S)

Even 30 years ago, wide open stances were normal to see in baseball. Now, it’s far more common to see a slightly open stance than one that is so spacious. Well, Ozzie Albies channels these earlier times by having a stance as open as Mo Vaughn’s. Albies, a switch hitter, has a high and long leg kick as he begins to raise his front leg as the pitcher begins his motion. Albies then brings his leg over and plants it to the point that he’s almost facing the pitcher, but with a slightly open stance. He then swings, more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, which may influence your decision depending on your archetype.

2. Garrett Atkins (R)

The former longtime Colorado player doesn’t have as crouched as a stance as Jeff Bagwell, but he has a more open stance that should help you make contact on inside pitches easier. He has a low leg kick where the lead leg slightly moves to the side as he plants for his swing. He then unleashes a swing with a one-handed release with his lead leg pointing toward first base. The bat only moves upward a bit as he readies for his swing, waiting for his swing to fully utilize the movement of the bat.

3. Luis Campusano (R)

The San Diego Padre Luis Campusano makes this list for one reason: look at that lead leg and the angle of his foot! While other betters – like Bo Bichette – have their lead foot elevated so they’re on their toes, Campusano goes one step further by angling his foot back toward home plate. The bat stays in position until he unleashes his one-handed release swing. His leg kick is standard, and unlike other leg kicks, keeps him in the same position.

4. Rod Carew (L)

The Hall of Famer Rod Carew was a hitting machine is his day, but what was notable once he stepped into the batter’s box was how he held the bat. In a crouched and open stance, Carew would then hold the bat back, horizontal to the ground, in line with his shoulders. This is different from Tettleton, who stood straight up and had the bat at his hip. As he engaged his leg kick, which closed off his stance a little bit while still being open, Carew would bring the bat to the shoulder and swing with a one-handed release that was cut a little short compared to others as Carew was known more for contact hitting than power hitting.

5. Luis Gonzalez (L)

Most remembered for hitting 57 home runs and the World Series winning hit off of Mariano Rivera in 2001, Luis Gonzalez’s batting stance has remained one of the more memorable one even over a decade after his retirement. Gonzalez stands tall with an open stance. Unlike most others on this list, he has a lot of bat movement as he rocks the bat while waiting on a pitch. He then brings his leg forward with a high leg kick and plants in a slightly open stance to unleash a powerful swing with a one-handed release. This could be a great stance for any Power archetypes.

6. Nomar Mazara (L)

In a similar spirit to Gonzalez, Mazara’s stance is basically a slightly crouched version of Gonzalez’s. However, whereas Gonzalez only moved the bat, Mazara’s entire body rocks back-and-forth with the bat doing the same as he prepares for the pitch. The front foot comes off of the ground as he rocks. He also has a high leg kick like Gonzalez, but he then brings the bat in front of his face and readies it like Ryan Zimmerman before unleashing a one-handed release. Mazara’s stance has the most movement to it of anybody listed, so keep that in mind in case this can throw off your timing.

7. Joe McEwing (R)

Joe McEwing, probably most remembered for his time with the Mets, is rare on this list as his stance is completely neutral with no open or closed stance. He just faces the pitcher directly. What makes his stance even more unique is that unlike others who rock the bat up-and-down from the shoulder, McEwing rather pumps the bat up-and-down in a vertical motion. McEwing then has virtually no leg kick as he just points his toes down before planting to unleash his swing.

8. Eddie Murray (S)

The Hall of Famer Eddie Murray is the second switch hitter on this list after Albies. He also has maybe the most unique stance of all listed. His lead leg is pointed, toes first, toward the pitcher as the rest of his body remains in what is basically a traditional stance. Instead of rocking the bat, he rotates the bat around the area of his shoulder as he waits on the pitch. Murray’s stride includes a slight leg kick as he just lifts his lead foot enough to turn it to the first base side in ready for his plant and swing.

9. Giancarlo Stanton (R)

Giancarlo Stanton is included for one reason: he has one of the few closed stances in MLB.

A closed stance is the opposite of an open stance, where the front leg is pointed inward toward the plate. For right-handed batters, this means that they are slightly facing the first base side. For left-handed batters, this means that they are slightly facing the third base side. This usually means that the hitter is a push hitter, hitting it the opposite way more often.

However, Stanton usually still has an over-shift to his pull side even with his closed stance. His leg kick is just enough to bend his knee and plant in what becomes a slightly open stance. This is what accounts for the over-shift that Stanton still sees and your player will see if he pulls the ball continuously.

10. Luis Urias (R)

Luis Urias has a unique stance because he leans back like he doesn’t have a care in the world. As he leans, he rests the bat across the shoulder, then rocks it up with his wrists before setting it back down on his shoulder, doing this until the pitcher is ready. He has a high leg kick as he rights himself from his lean, then cocks the bat ready to unleash.

Now you know some of the most unique batting stance in MLB The Show 22. Some of the more expressionistic stances can be found in the Generic Players menu, which holds hundreds more batting stances. Don’t forget you can also modify stances with the Batting Stance Creator. Which stance will become your signature?