Today, MLB The Show 26 took a deeper dive into some of its newest features on YouTube and Twitch. Since it was revealed, one of the features that has caught the most attention is Bear Down Pitching. As MLB The Show Game Director Chris Gill explained, pitchers these days do about five-six innings before handing it over to the bullpen. That final inning is often about squeezing those final drops of gas out of their arm before handing the ball over.
Bear Down pitches are unlocked through playing well, such as throwing strikes and getting strikeouts. A pitcher's clutch rating will be an important part of stacking them up as well. These pitches will have greater control and more velocity. And while the mechanic simulates a pitcher giving his all to stay in the game, you don't have to wait until the later frames to use them. If you get into trouble in the first inning and have bear down pitches available, you can use them right then.
It's another resource, and you'll have to be careful how you manage it. The batter won't get any warning that you've used it, or know how many bear-down pitches you have available. You will still need to properly execute whatever input you'd need to throw a good pitch, whether you're using pinpoint, button, or meter-based pitching.
While they carry over from one inning to the next, they don't carry over between pitchers since a pitcher's clutch rating is a key component of the mechanic.
This is an interesting tool for pitchers, and I can't wait to get my hands on MLB The Show 26 to try it myself. MLB The Show 26 releases March 17, with the Digital Edition launching March 13.