MLB The Show 21
MLB The Show 21 Patch 11 Available Today - Patch Notes
MLB The Show 21 patch 11 is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The update adjusts online head to head Pinpoint Pitching, Contact Hitting and allows batters to press R2 to view the pitch history.
There are a few other miscellaneous changes and fixes listed below. Check out the patch notes and let us know what you’re seeing.
ONLINE HEAD TO HEAD
Pinpoint Pitching adjustments:
The Release timing and direction now have a less lenient criteria for ‘Good’ and ‘Perfect’ pitches. NOTE: This change can also be seen when using competitive gameplay style settings in offline modes.
From the devs: We knew that pinpoint pitching would be a very difficult mechanic to master for some players, and we knew we were going to need to make changes at some point once we got the feedback and the data. Now that we have that data, we agree with the feedback that it is just a little bit too easy right now in a competitive setting. This new change will make the timing window for “Good” and “Perfect” a little bit harder to achieve.
Contact Hitting adjustments:
Contact Swing is now less effective when used by power hitters. The higher the power, the greater the loss in mph when you choose to use Contact Swing. This change should now display a more accurate tradeoff between each swing type for high power batters.
From the devs: Contact swing was implemented to allow for “shortening” your swing and help extend AB’s with 2 strikes, or execute hit and runs at the expense of power. While examining the community feedback this year, we noticed that players with exceptionally high power attributes were not being impacted enough by using Contact Swing. The effects of using Contact Swing should sacrifice exit velocity for an easier timing window, easier check swings, and easier fouled off pitches.
R2 (viewing pitch history):
Batters pressing R2 to view the pitch history will no longer impact the gesture portion of Pinpoint Pitching for the defensive player. If R2 is pressed at the same time or after the pitch motion is started, R2 will no longer interrupt the defensive user. If the batter presses R2 before the pitch motion has started, the motion will not start.
From the devs: We intended R2 to be used in a way to let the batter stop the pitcher from quick pitching and “take a breath” (and of course see the pitch repertoire and pitch history). In real Baseball, it might be equivalent to the batter keeping their foot out of the box, for example. For that reason, we don’t want to simply remove the feature entirely, but unfortunately we’ve seen players misusing it and causing grief for those who use pinpoint pitching. We hope this change alleviates some of that grief going forward.
Other changes and fixes:
- Added confirmation a dialog to the friendly quit acceptance flow
- Users are no longer able to back out of the bullpen screen following a second mound visit
- Fixed a freeze that could happen when a ground ball is hit to second and thrown to first
- Fixed a freeze that could happen when the ball was hit to specific areas the outfield
- Fixed a freeze that could happen on a very late bunt attempt
Miscellaneous
- Darren O’Day no longer tips his pitches after selecting the pitch
- Fixed an issue in Franchise and Exhibition the scheduled starting pitcher could not be put into the lineup instead, even after selecting a different starting pitcher

Yeah I’m beginning to accept that they are never going to fix it.
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Yeah, 20 looks greats on the 5, but 20 looks great on the 4 too. I really don't know why I was so heckbent on getting the 5, everything I still play is PS4, which includes '20.
Good for you bro. Im currently playing 21 on a ps5, which i was able to locate, and it is amazing.
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That's misinformation. They age once you hit the offseason.
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I really don't know why I was so heckbent on getting the 5, everything I still play is PS4, which includes '20.
Well, it’s rumored that we might even get some PS5 games by next year.:p
The PS5 release.....a disaster. MLB The Show 21.....pretty much the same. No carryover rosters, no SOTS, vaults that are so screwed up. Is the gameplay great....yes. But this is NOT what I expected a next gen game to be. They need to keep patching this thing until there’s a semblance of continuity.
Never less , I did some practice with power hitters and Contact swing seems to be toned down with Hit speed usually 95 and less . I was able to hit few home runs but most barely past the fence. Hit a few perfect fly as well who were not HR.
I’m curious to hear from others if the effect is real or just placebo effect.
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I think the issue is the game itself claims he is 18. The base roster never updated his age to 20. So yes he will age but it makes it seem like he was at the level he is now at 18 which could cause some issues in franchises. It gives him a higher starting point at 18 so when he is like 25 he is the best ever. Just a thought on maybe why they are upset that they didn’t get his age right in the roster.
The issue at hand is why in the hell they can't get something as simple as schedules correct. The fact that the Angels, Dodgers and a few other teams play almost no night games is a disgrace.
If you can do without the new equipment updates, going back to 20 with a 2021 roster from the vault is the best decision you could make.
Any recommendations on which roster in the vault to use with the 2021 rosters? Think I’m gonna be heading back to 20.
It seems like they’ve improved that recently…… maybe I’m wrong but it seems better lately to me
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I need someone to confirm something for me.
A friend of mine and I got into a discussion earlier today. He was under the impression that the "contact" swing that the Devs were talking about in the title update was the X swing (PS4/5) Nothing I could say to him could convince him otherwise.
Now, I am 100%positive that X is the normal swing, and O is the contact swing that the update toned down. But, even showing a screen shot of the controls screen couldn't convince him that the X swing was not the contact swing.
I really wish a DEV could confirm that the X swing was not affected at all by this update.
I need someone to confirm something for me.
A friend of mine and I got into a discussion earlier today. He was under the impression that the "contact" swing that the Devs were talking about in the title update was the X swing (PS4/5) Nothing I could say to him could convince him otherwise.
Now, I am 100%positive that X is the normal swing, and O is the contact swing that the update toned down. But, even showing a screen shot of the controls screen couldn't convince him that the X swing was not the contact swing.
I really wish a DEV could confirm that the X swing was not affected at all by this update.
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I need someone to confirm something for me.
A friend of mine and I got into a discussion earlier today. He was under the impression that the "contact" swing that the Devs were talking about in the title update was the X swing (PS4/5) Nothing I could say to him could convince him otherwise.
Now, I am 100%positive that X is the normal swing, and O is the contact swing that the update toned down. But, even showing a screen shot of the controls screen couldn't convince him that the X swing was not the contact swing.
I really wish a DEV could confirm that the X swing was not affected at all by this update.
I am not a dev (obviously) contact swing is the “O” button (PS) and normal swing is the “X” button.
The patch is specifically talking about how they toned down the “contact” swing which online cheesers were abusing for HR’s with power hitters and the “inflated cover the entire strike zone” PCI that comes along with it.
I always use the contact swing when in:
0-2 or 1-2 count
Want to simply make contact for a potential sac fly to move a runner
Want to shorten my swing to hit a ground ball to move a runner.
In a 2-2 or 3-2 count with men on base and a very weak hitter up
I Always use contact swing for pitchers hitting as well.
I rarely ever use the Power swing (Square button). In fact the only time is either a 3-0 green light or 3-1 count with a big lead or desperate for a dinger in a tight game with a great power hitter.
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The patch is specifically talking about how they toned down the “contact” swing which online cheesers were abusing for HR’s with power hitters and the “inflated cover the entire strike zone” PCI that comes along with it.
I always use the contact swing when in:
0-2 or 1-2 count
Want to simply make contact for a potential sac fly to move a runner
Want to shorten my swing to hit a ground ball to move a runner.
In a 2-2 or 3-2 count with men on base and a very weak hitter up
I Always use contact swing for pitchers hitting as well.
I rarely ever use the Power swing (Square button). In fact the only time is either a 3-0 green light or 3-1 count with a big lead or desperate for a dinger in a tight game with a great power hitter.
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The patch is specifically talking about how they toned down the “contact” swing which online cheesers were abusing for HR’s with power hitters and the “inflated cover the entire strike zone” PCI that comes along with it.
I always use the contact swing when in:
0-2 or 1-2 count
Want to simply make contact for a potential sac fly to move a runner
Want to shorten my swing to hit a ground ball to move a runner.
In a 2-2 or 3-2 count with men on base and a very weak hitter up
I Always use contact swing for pitchers hitting as well.
I rarely ever use the Power swing (Square button). In fact the only time is either a 3-0 green light or 3-1 count with a big lead or desperate for a dinger in a tight game with a great power hitter.
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I know this. And I tried explaining this to my friend, but he is adament that the X swing is the contact swing.
The patch is specifically talking about how they toned down the “contact” swing which online cheesers were abusing for HR’s with power hitters and the “inflated cover the entire strike zone” PCI that comes along with it.
I always use the contact swing when in:
0-2 or 1-2 count
Want to simply make contact for a potential sac fly to move a runner
Want to shorten my swing to hit a ground ball to move a runner.
In a 2-2 or 3-2 count with men on base and a very weak hitter up
I Always use contact swing for pitchers hitting as well.
I rarely ever use the Power swing (Square button). In fact the only time is either a 3-0 green light or 3-1 count with a big lead or desperate for a dinger in a tight game with a great power hitter.
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Confession. I am not an online player but I cheesed the CPU with contact swings as well.
Guilty.
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I need someone to confirm something for me.
A friend of mine and I got into a discussion earlier today. He was under the impression that the "contact" swing that the Devs were talking about in the title update was the X swing (PS4/5) Nothing I could say to him could convince him otherwise.
Now, I am 100%positive that X is the normal swing, and O is the contact swing that the update toned down. But, even showing a screen shot of the controls screen couldn't convince him that the X swing was not the contact swing.
I really wish a DEV could confirm that the X swing was not affected at all by this update.
https://docs.playstation.com/reader/#/documents/mlb-the-show-21-ps4?chapter=1&page=1
Your friend is simply wrong and so be it. No reason to get into a fuss.
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Guilty.
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LMAO!!! Classic man!! Made
me laugh a whole lot Jeffrey!
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The problem is, he is saying he has to completely redo the sliders in the Custom League we're in, because "SCEA completely nerfed the X Swng"
Which simply isn't the case
Which simply isn't the case
Naaaaaa he needs to understand all this did was revert contact swing back to what it always was.
It was a bug and they fixed it.
Normal (X) swing has nothing tondo with it.
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I mean, that’s cute.
But is it too hard to ask them to have correct ages on prospects/newly debuted guys?
One of the big features the past couple years has been the Full Minors and face scans for prospects, etc. They can do all that, but they can’t adjust ages to be accurate?
It’s a shame because the gameplay is great. But the attention to items that enhance the immersion and detail of franchise are ignored.
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But is it too hard to ask them to have correct ages on prospects/newly debuted guys?
One of the big features the past couple years has been the Full Minors and face scans for prospects, etc. They can do all that, but they can’t adjust ages to be accurate?
It’s a shame because the gameplay is great. But the attention to items that enhance the immersion and detail of franchise are ignored.
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I guess you could download a solid CAP and copy over the attributes if you wanted to for the handful of guys who aren't correct age as an easy workaround though. The audio for their names will still be there to use. I would do that if it bothered you that much.
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I have been playing the SHOW for over a decade and can confirm the gameplay is crazy good this year.
The PS5 release.....a disaster. MLB The Show 21.....pretty much the same. No carryover rosters, no SOTS, vaults that are so screwed up. Is the gameplay great....yes. But this is NOT what I expected a next gen game to be. They need to keep patching this thing until there’s a semblance of continuity.
Yes I agree some things missing like SOTS (SDS has done a decent job with its default in game music), no minor league night games, and schedule are very frustrating. That said, there is too much hyperbole about the 21 version. I am thoroughly enjoying it. I too hope they can patch in these elements, although I am not holding my breath. You can thank Xbox for most of these issues. I fully expect SHOW 22 will correct these glaring issues and more.
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This happened before the patch. Check replay and you may see that 2b held ball because the pitcher or 1b didn't get to bag fast enough. Got to have someone to throw to...lol.
Yes I agree some things missing like SOTS (SDS has done a decent job with its default in game music), no minor league night games, and schedule are very frustrating. That said, there is too much hyperbole about the 21 version. I am thoroughly enjoying it. I too hope they can patch in these elements, although I am not holding my breath. You can thank Xbox for most of these issues. I fully expect SHOW 22 will correct these glaring issues and more.
This happened before the patch. Check replay and you may see that 2b held ball because the pitcher or 1b didn't get to bag fast enough. Got to have someone to throw to...lol.
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Honestly I feel like 20 plays better than 21 anyway. Maybe it’s just because I’m used to it, and I shelved 21 after about a month. But I just like it better all around. I hate it because I don’t have all the new equipment they added, but other than that I like it a lot more.
Yes I agree some things missing like SOTS (SDS has done a decent job with its default in game music), no minor league night games, and schedule are very frustrating. That said, there is too much hyperbole about the 21 version. I am thoroughly enjoying it. I too hope they can patch in these elements, although I am not holding my breath. You can thank Xbox for most of these issues. I fully expect SHOW 22 will correct these glaring issues and more.
I agree totally on the hyperbole, totally. The game does play "crazy good", as you say. I'm actually lucky with the way I play. Single season in franchise mode and that's it, so I don't see a lot of the frustration, but I do try to point out huge problems without being disrespectful like calling them disgraceful, etc., but somebody needs to FINALLY set everyone down and clean up these small nagging details. There is a laundry list of them. They, in my opinion, could have skipped the new menu as I loved the menu in 20...right in front of you, just scroll left/right.
I really hope and think the consumer deserves that they keep patching this game right up until next years release. If that's what it takes. These devs can't be happy with the product that was released. This game is loaded with AI, loaded...... and I'm sure it's not an easy task making it all gel.
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Just tested it. Didn’t prompt me to take out my pitcher.
Yup just happened to me. Great patch.
I guess you could download a solid CAP and copy over the attributes if you wanted to for the handful of guys who aren't correct age as an easy workaround though. The audio for their names will still be there to use. I would do that if it bothered you that much.
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It’s much more than a handful. And again, what’s the point of having face scanned prospects and touting that feature if the majority are incorrect? We should have to look for or create CAPs of all of these guys, lose the face scans, and go through all of that work to overwrite a major feature?
They can change positions for players in weekly roster updates. But they can’t go in and adjust these ages?
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I sort of felt like an idiot when i was the first to respond and it worked for me but then I tested it twice more and I couldn’t get out of the bullpen without putting a new pitcher in. Strange.
I can do a mound visit just fine. But if you later in the same inning go to the bullpen you will be forced to bring in a new pitcher. That is using the quick screen option for the bullpen. Don’t know if it still does it from the start menu.
In a lot of ways, on field play aside, this has been the worst version of this game they’ve ever released. I get that on field play is the main aspect, but there are so many other problems that at some point good on field play doesn’t make up for it. I still believe they tried to take on too much this year with releasing on multiple gen systems and multiple platforms. Mix that with the evens of the last year and it’s asking for issues. This probably wasn’t the year to experiment with all of that.
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Perhaps, but what they might have done is take on the XBOX and release the game bare bones.....nothing new added, nothing added to DD, Franchise, etc. nothing, but that's hindsight. Lesson learned I guess.
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We will never be happy. :whitsmile
Anybody submitted a bug report? Hopefully that one gets fixed quick.
There are issues. I miss SOTS, but usually spent so much time with it I didn’t want to play the game by the time I had updated all of it.
I dont know. To each their own, but I wouldn’t go back to 20 after playing 21 if you paid me.
Anybody submitted a bug report? Hopefully that one gets fixed quick.
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There are issues. I miss SOTS, but usually spent so much time with it I didn’t want to play the game by the time I had updated all of it.
I dont know. To each their own, but I wouldn’t go back to 20 after playing 21 if you paid me.
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Anybody submitted a bug report? Hopefully that one gets fixed quick.
I have reported it
I know plenty of good peeps who love 21 and who love 20.
We have different things we enjoy out of the game.
Do what gives you the best experience. I am not going to try and convince anyone one game is better than the other.
Opinions will vary. And that is ok.
My hope is with feedback some things that in some of our opinions are critical features will return….and also hopefully big wholesale improvements to presentation (talking about play by play and color overhaul and the return of SOTS to next gen), franchise logic, CPU logic, scouting overhaul, player development overhaul, UI overhaul, there are a lot of things that are sorely over due and have been stagnant far too long.
As far as gameplay…..save for the exception to the (again my opinion) horrendous design decision to turf the discipline rating when dice rolling check swings (utter disaster and why I can’t play 21) it is a fantastic game. I have never seen gameplay being an issue. But too much was removed and the check swing issue is just awful.
So if your good with it….your good with it.
Some are not.
20 is a fantastic game….and for intensive purposes the gameplay on 21 is just as good save for that one critical design decision. Couple that with lost features and some things in terms of in game menus and UI going backwards (my opinion) and franchise logic going backwards….well there you have it.
Not the best release they have had and now I see this patch introduced a bullpen mound visit bug and although it may be a small thing…..the mound visit and then checking your bullpen to see how warm your pitchers are (that is why you do a mound visit as it helps the pitchers warm up faster and could increase your current pitchers confidence) just add’s to some mounting frustration.
But SDS will fix that. They are usually very good about cleaning up unintended bugs.
Anyway…..still loving The Show even if it is MLB 20.
All that matters is what makes you as the gamer happy!!!
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I know plenty of good peeps who love 21 and who love 20.
We have different things we enjoy out of the game.
Do what gives you the best experience. I am not going to try and convince anyone one game is better than the other.
Opinions will vary. And that is ok.
My hope is with feedback some things that in some of our opinions are critical features will return….and also hopefully big wholesale improvements to presentation (talking about play by play and color overhaul and the return of SOTS to next gen), franchise logic, CPU logic, scouting overhaul, player development overhaul, UI overhaul, there are a lot of things that are sorely over due and have been stagnant far too long.
As far as gameplay…..save for the exception to the (again my opinion) horrendous design decision to turf the discipline rating when dice rolling check swings (utter disaster and why I can’t play 21) it is a fantastic game. I have never seen gameplay being an issue. But too much was removed and the check swing issue is just awful.
So if your good with it….your good with it.
Some are not.
20 is a fantastic game….and for intensive purposes the gameplay on 21 is just as good save for that one critical design decision. Couple that with lost features and some things in terms of in game menus and UI going backwards (my opinion) and franchise logic going backwards….well there you have it.
Not the best release they have had and now I see this patch introduced a bullpen mound visit bug and although it may be a small thing…..the mound visit and then checking your bullpen to see how warm your pitchers are (that is why you do a mound visit as it helps the pitchers warm up faster and could increase your current pitchers confidence) just add’s to some mounting frustration.
But SDS will fix that. They are usually very good about cleaning up unintended bugs.
Anyway…..still loving The Show even if it is MLB 20.
All that matters is what makes you as the gamer happy!!!
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20 is still my favorite version of the show ever, and I’ve been playing it since year one. Kind of bummed after seeing all the new equipment I. 21 and not having it in 20 because I’m a big equipment guy. But, truth be told once the games start, I don’t pay all that much attention to what the players are wearing anyway.
2. Mound Visit
3. Check Bullpen
When all done from the quick menu, it tells me that I have used my 2nd mound visit in the inning and must replace the pitcher. When I did the Mound Visit and Check Bullpen from the pause menu, I did not have to replace the pitcher.
2. Mound Visit
3. Check Bullpen
When all done from the quick menu, it tells me that I have used my 2nd mound visit in the inning and must replace the pitcher. When I did the Mound Visit and Check Bullpen from the pause menu, I did not have to replace the pitcher.
Nice find.:freddy:
Yes. I had that happen for the first time today. That’s a new bug. And, hopefully it will be fixed very soon.
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Yes it will.
Normal swing is what you should be using most of the time. Contact is in now way what you should be using most of the time.
Contact is a shortened up swing to make contact in tough counts and to move runners.
Sometimes you can hit HR’s with the contact swing. But you should not be using that swing expecting typical power numbers from guys like Gallo. That is why they tuned it. It was bugged on 21.
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No issues for me on hitting, and I use Allstar+
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Maybe I should go back to dynamic idk I can’t hit on all star I’m having so much issues
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Zero difference in pitch speeds. Honestly the game plays exactly the same post patch as it did before.
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