How MLB The Show 20 will improve fielding and hitting gameplay

With the new Throw Home and Extreme Catch Indicator and Perfect/Perfect hitting system, MLB The Show 20 will make superstars feel like superstars.

Even though we’re still a few days away from the first MLB The Show 20 developer livestream, which will focus on “defensive fundamentals,” Sony San Diego Studio has shared a new video detailing some of the improved gameplay and artificial intelligence in this year’s game. The initial trailer rewind briefly touched on some of these improvements and changes, such as the new Extreme Catch Indicator and revamped button accuracy meter, but today’s video goes a little more in-depth.

As we’ve mentioned numerous times before, with MLB The Show 20, Sony San Diego is looking to make playing defense more of a challenge. On the flip side, it will also be more rewarding.

There’s a new Outfield Throw Home Indicator is a tiny sliver in the meter that, if properly timed, gives you a better chance of throwing out runners at home. I’m sure this will vary based on the outfielder and I don’t think it’ll be an automatic guaranteed out, but this will at least help distinguish the better arms.

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There’s also the Extreme Catch Indicator and First Step System, both of which were shown briefly in the reveal trailer. These are additional features that’ll come into play when fielding fly balls and help separate the average fielders from the best in the game.

Fielding isn’t the only facet of the game that is getting some attention in MLB The Show 20. Batting now has a new “Perfect/Perfect” rating system “that allows the best players to shine.”

Whenever your swing timing and plate coverage indicator are both “the best,” you’ll trigger a perfect timing and perfect contact feedback great, resulting in what seems to be a guaranteed hit. It’s unclear how easy or difficult the Perfect/Perfect rating will be to achieve. I could see it being easier depending on the stats of the individual batter which, again, would make the best players more valuable.

Going back to defense, there have been some button accuracy tweaks for a more intuitive throwing meter. This seems to be some under the hood adjustments resulting in a system that better simulates the quick decision making and reaction time a player needs to be a good defender. Again, though, better defenders will likely have a more favorable throwing meter.

Overall, these seem to be some good changes coming to MLB The Show 20. It seems a big focus this year is on individuality and really making superstar players feel like the best in the game, whether that’s in the batter’s box or in the field.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check back on February 6. Sony San Diego will be going over defensive fundamentals in MLB The Show 20, specifically detailing the new Extreme Catch and Throw Home Indicators, fielder skill and efficiency improvements, button accuracy revamp and more.