Is MLB The Show 25 realistic? It really depends on who you ask. Obviously, nothing can properly replicate the real-life actions of pitchers, hitters, and fielders, especially at as high a level as Major League Baseball. That said, some things do translate accurately from the video games to real-life baseball — namely pitching techniques.
When Justin Garza was brought into the New York Mets organization after two rather unsuccessful MLB stints with the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox, most Mets fans probably thought nothing of it. After all, the former Cleveland prospect hadn’t exactly been lighting it up in the Bigs, having a career 5.74 ERA through two Big League seasons. But immediately, Garza showed up for the Mets, striking out two in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals on Saturday, despite coming into the game with two runners on and one out. Eventually, the Mets would rally before walking it off in the 10th inning.
In his brief appearance, Garza was extremely effective. And he credits this effectiveness to playing MLB The Show during his downtime.
Justin Garza Used MLB The Show To Improve His Pitching
In an interview done with the New York Post (which is unfortunately behind a paywall), Garza revealed what tools he used to become a better Big League pitcher. This is where most pitchers will talk about getting back in the pen, working on their mechanics, taking advice from coaches, and perfecting certain pitches. But not Garza — he used MLB The Show to improve his game.
“MLB The Show actually was a big part about me learning how to pitch and figuring out how to pitch,” Garza told the Post. “It’s so realistic at times, just playing that video game.”
So, exactly did MLB The Show teach Garza about pitching? Well, using the Strike Zone camera whilst playing Diamond Dynasty, the 31-year-old pitcher was able to use the game to experiment with angles and pitch mixing — more specifically, tunneling.
For anyone who isn’t too familiar with the content we do here on Operation Sports, tunneling is a pitching technique we’ve spoken a lot about. To put it simply, tunneling is a technique seen in MLB where pitchers throw pitches in similar locations, but with different breaks. For example, if a pitcher paints the outside corner of the strike zone with a sinker that breaks arm-side, their next instinct might be to throw something that breaks glove-side, such as a slider or a cutter.
Garza took note of this technique and applied it to his craft in real life.
“It was kind of unintentional, but once I started to play more and more, it was like, ‘OK, well, I actually have a cutter, I have this four-seam, I have this changeup, and maybe my stuff can play like this,’” Garza said.
So if you had any doubt as to the real-life effectiveness of the pitching techniques espoused by MLB The Show players, don’t take it from us. Take it from the guy who just endeared himself to his new ball club using this knowledge.
