In MLB The Show 21, a huge yet meaningful change was made to Road to the Show (RTTS), The Show’s highly regarded career mode. That change was playing as a two-way player in the mold of 2021 unanimous American League Most Valuable Player Shohei Ohtani – though you did have the option shortly into the season to change to a one-way player. In MLB The Show 22, two tweaks were made, the main one being that you can decide on being a one-way or two-way player before you begin a new RTTS file. The second one is you can have multiple players and archetypes, switching between them when loading your RTTS file.
Below, you will find a primer on archetypes in RTTS focused on two-way players as a starting pitcher. You can be a relief pitcher as well, but you’ll most likely get more innings and chances to improve your pitching ratings as a starter. Most relievers in the Majors pitch around 60 innings a year, while starters push 200+.
If you want a more detailed piece on each archetype itself, click here. If you want to know how to reach the Majors quickly, click here.
Note that the pictured loadouts will show the player wearing a San Francisco Giants jersey because that was chosen as favorite team, but only one of the four pictured was actually drafted by the team (Slugging Knucksie).
Which archetypes, and how many, are in MLB The Show 22?
Just a reminder, there are four pitching and three hitting archetypes. This means you could have 12 potential two-way archetypal combinations. Pitching archetypes include Velocity, Break, Control, and Knucksie (knuckleballer). Hitting archetypes include Power, Contact, and Fielding.
It’s important to note that for hitting archetypes, there are recommended position based on archetype. The only hitting archetype that is recommended to play all fielding position is, aptly, the Fielding archetype.
For Contact archetypes, the recommended positions are first base, second base, third base, and right field. For Power archetypes, the recommended positions are first base, third base, left field, and right field, which are thought of as the traditional power-hitting positions.
This doesn’t mean you are relegated to these positions. The above was for a Contact archetype, but regardless of which you choose, you can select any position you desire. Pick a position up the middle to maximize fielding opportunities.
For pitchers, if you want to be a reliever or closer, choose closing pitcher; otherwise, select starter. Depending on your archetype, you will always be given three pitches to begins: four-seam fastball, changeup, and curveball or knuckleball, changeup, and curveball.
Luckily, unlike in previous editions of The Show where pitches can only be added or changed through training, you can change your repertoire immediately from the loadout screen. Simply go to the right side of the page and select each pitch. From there, you can select from all of the pitches in the game. If you’re not a Knucksie archetype, you can still add a knuckleball though it won’t be as effective as if you were a Knucksie.
Focus on pitches that best supplement your archetype! Velocity should focus on mainly fastballs and high-speed breaking and off-speed pitches like a changeup and slider. Break should have pitches with movement (cutter, sinker, slurve, etc.), while Control should have pitches that don’t move too much (fastballs) or easily controllable breaking and off-speed pitches (any type of changeup, 12-6 curve, etc.).
An important note: whenever you change your base archetype badge – like when you equip the silver from the bronze – your pitch repertoire will reset to the above defaults! The first time this happened, it was very frustrating because it wasn’t noticed until actually playing a game. It really doesn’t make sense why this happens, so just make sure to reset your pitches after upgrading to each level of the archetype (silver, gold, diamond).
Two-way archetypes explained
When it comes to being a two-way player, your chosen archetypes are combined. The pictured player is a Cheesy Slugger, meaning his archetypes are Velocity and Power. Here are the names for each archetype in your loadout:
- Velocity: Cheesy
- Break: Filthy
- Control: Painting
- Knucksie: Knucksie
- Power: Slugger (or Slugging if listed first)
- Contact: Sparkplug
- Fielding: Slickster
For example, a Break-Fielding archetype will be a Filthy Slickster while a Control-Contact archetype will be a Painting Sparkplug. The Knucksie is the only pitching archetype that is listed second – a Slugging Knucksie, for example.
Each archetype starts with two slots to add in perks. Once you advance to silver, you’ll get a third. Once you hit gold, you’ll get a fourth slot for a perk, but it maxes at that even after hitting diamond. Place in perks to either accentuate your strengths or shore up your weaknesses (Speed is always a good choice).
It may be best to pair similar archetypes together. For example, a Velocity pitcher is probably most synergistic with the Power archetype. A Break archetype is probably best with Fielding, and a Control archetype best with Contact. For the Knucksie, it’s probably best to focus on Contact or Power.
How to upgrade your archetype in MLB The Show 22
Each archetype has an archetype program with mostly repeatable missions. For example, as a pitcher, striking out 14 batters will add points to your program. As a hitter, you can gain program points from at-bats, hits, extra base hits, and stolen bases. You can also gain program points for assists and putouts on defense. The final reward of each program is the next upgrade to your archetype (bronze to silver to gold to diamond).
Further, once you progress to the gold level of your two-way archetype through the archetype program, your archetype will be renamed. For example, the pictured Filthy Slickster’s archetype became Double Duty. Another example is the Slugging Knucksie becomes the Chupacabra.
Remember to choose either complimentary archetypes or those that suit your playstyle the best. If you’re just about hitting homers and throwing fast, a Cheesy Slugger is best. However, if you’re more of a player who likes fielding and nasty pitching, then a Filthy Slickster is for you. Work your way through the archetype program, gain more perks, and upgrade to the diamond level!
An important note part two: as of the most recent update to The Show 22 (1.005.000), any knucksie archetype will NOT have their program progress. There is a glitch that has affected online play, and unfortunately, because the knuckleball isn’t allowed in online PvP play, and the programs and rewards for each archetype are tied to Diamond Dynasty (such as packs of equipment), unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until this is addressed in the next update. Still, go ahead and create one if you wish and just wait until the update.
There you go, a primer on being a two-way player in Road to the Show and the associated archetypes in MLB The Show 22. Which combo will you select for your two-way player as you take over Major League Baseball?
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
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