FIELD PLAY: BATTING & BASERUNNING

ON DECK CIRCLE:

Prior to your at-bat, get a look at the pitcher from the on-deck circle. In options (defense) if you selected...

'Play & see every single pitch' you will watch every pitch.
'Play & see only decisive pitch' you will only see one pitch.
'Skip' you will come in when there is either two strikes or two balls on the batter.

I highly recommend this option as it gives you a look at the pitchers windup and the situation you'll be facing when you step up to the plate.

BATTING:

Click R3 to change batting camera view - the two options are angle or middle.

If the manager calls out any signs they will be posted above the batters name plate (in this image there is no sign shown.) If a sign appears, refer to the 'Block Sign' page in the Field Play section for translation.

BASE RUNNING:

The key to understanding leadoffs is the little arrow on the bottom right of the screen...

Red Arrow = Take Small Lead pre-pitch, and small jump when the pitcher begins his motion.
Green Arrow = Take Big Lead pre-pitch, and large jump when the pitcher begins his motion.

Note: The official term for these arrows in the user manual is "Steal Intention: Aggressive / Conservative."

Once you get on base, look at the arrow to view your current baserunning condition. In the image above it is a Green Arrow, so it is telling you your runner has a Big Lead. You can be more cautious and hold the L-stick Left to take a Small Lead (Red Arrow). During a Small Lead, your runner will automatically dive back on pick-off throws so you won't have to worry about getting picked off. On the contrary, if your runners condition is Red Arrow (small lead) you can choose to go into Big Lead/Green Arrow mode by holding the L-stick Right.

Usually, runners will have a Big Lead (Green Arrow) on 1st and 2nd base and a Small Lead on 3rd base by default. However, very slow runners may have Small Lead (Red Arrow) on every base since they are not base stealers so they don't have the incentive to take a bigger lead and bigger risk.

Minimum leadoff distance and will always be Red Arrow condition. This is the standard leadoff for slow runners. Average to fast runners can get here by holding L-stick to the left before & after a pitch. This is not really usefull unless you want to make 100% sure you won't get picked off.	Green Arrow / Big Leadoff distance for slow runners. Red Arrow / Small Leadoff distance for average to fast runners. To get here hold L-stick Left or Right before a pitch.	Maximum leadoff distance and will always be Green Arrow condition. This is standard leadoff for average to fast runners. Slow runners can get here by holding L-stick to the right before & after a pitch. Be aware they will be at risk for pickoff.

CONTROLS:

Triangle = Advance / Steal
Circle = Retreat / Dive back to base on pickoff attempt.

Pay attention to any Block Signs your manager puts out. You can see these on the bottom right side of the screen (next to the green arrow.) In this image the manager is telling you to "Run on ground ball." Full block sign details are explained in the sections below.

BASERUNNING RADAR:

Sometimes it's hard to decide if you should advance or retreat when running the bases. If you're stuck take a look at the radar which diplays the balls direction of travel, speed and defensive movement. The ball in this image was hit for a double over the left fielder. It was hard to tell on radar because you can see the ball heading straight for him. That's why it's important to watch how the ball comes off the bat so you can estimate height and distance.

Sometimes the radar is very effective in helping you make a decision. Other times you'll know what to do as soon as the batter hits the ball. And sometimes (just like real life) nothing helps so you'll have to sit between the bases and watch it play out.

Star batters will face some interesting defensive shifts. Thus, it's a good idea to always check the radar before a pitch is thrown to view the defensive alignment. This can also help with advance/retreat decisions.

Note: The Fielding and Baserunning Radar are different. The baserunning radar does not display a red flyball cursor (the fielding radar does.)