YourFriendKyle has dropped his annual MLB The Show Hitting Tips video and starts things off with his equipment recommendation which includes both KontrolFreeks Performance Thumbsticks and Precision Rings. He quickly calls out the 3 different strengths you can test when you receive Precision Rings from KontrolFreek. These strengths range in firmness to help minimize human error when playing MLB The Show 25 which can help improve your hitting and pitching. The Galaxy Performance Thumbstick that Kyle calls out is a personal favorite of mine and it's a perfect match for MLB The Show 25 with its high-rise and mid-rise combination that complements both hitting and pitching. The concave design and added height make it much easier to have an accurate motion with your thumbstick and prevent overcompensating movement when hitting or inaccurate pitching. 

Best Settings For Hitting and Mastering Control At ThePlate 
Getting into the settings for MLB The Show 25 Kyle recommends changing your hitting interface to Zone because “this is where you will have the most control over the outcome of your hits and where your bat is going to be swinging.” He also mentions you can choose to have the PCI Anchor turned on to preset as a personal preference but more importantly states you will need to have your PCI Center set to Diamonds, PCI Inner - None, PCI Outer - Starfighter, PCI Color - Yellow, PCI Opacity - 60%, PCI Fadeout - None. Taking a look at camera settings for offense Kyle recommends Strike Zone High or Strike Zone for your Hitting View and the remaining settings do not matter. 

Practice Makes Perfect in MLB The Show 25 
Once your settings are optimized in MLB The Show Kyle speaks highly of the benefits of using the Custom Practice mode. Before you jump into practice Kyle does have a few recommendations like making sure you have the pitcher you are facing set to Shohei Ohtani because he is the most likely pitcher you will face when playing Ranked Mode. Ohtani also has a sinker and a cutter pitch which is what most dominant pitchers have in their rotation so it will prepare you the best. Kyle also mentions if you are struggling with a specific type of pitch or speed you can tweak the settings under pitch frequency to choose a pitch to receive like only fastballs or sliders. Pitch location is another area where you can pre-select directions where pitches are being thrown to hone in on areas of your game that need work. 

Aside from the Custom Practice mode, Kyle has a second mode he recommends for anyone who is looking to play competitively or get used to the feel of a competitive match, that is called Challenge of the Week. This specific mode will not impact your rank online but will periodically get harder the more you play and teaches you the discipline of taking balls and not striking out or being baited by pitches. Completing these challenges will create chances for you to win prizes but the main premise of the challenge is to go up against different pitches and generate hitting streaks without giving up strikes or foul balls. Another key element is the more balls you take and the better eye you have for bad pitches your multiplier will increase allowing you to earn more points once you start your hitting streak. This mode can be a great hitting tool because the more consecutive hits you have the harder the difficulty will get and you will eventually work your way up to the highest difficulty and become a great hitter simultaneously. 

In conclusion, Kyle shares his last few tips when it comes to getting locked in when playing MLB The Show 25 and that is to utilize the batter's box to your advantage. When you are at bat, pay attention to all the types of pitches, including the pitch count. Having patience and waiting for 1 or 2 strikes or even a full count before a swing will exhaust a pitcher and increase your chances for a walk. Using your PCI and attempting to follow each pitch before making a swing is a great way to build your confidence and swing with precision every time. Putting all these tips together will have you playing from a more strategic mindset and will hopefully result in more wins and improvement in both hitting and pitching.