As your Road to the Show begins inMLB The Show 25, one of the most important steps will be setting up your ballplayer animations. For anyone other than a pure pitcher, getting the right batting stance can have a major impact on your success at the plate.

While developer Sony San Diego has long insisted that every batting stance is equally effective, there are battle-tested options that players continue to see more success with year over year. This guide outlines all the best batting stances inMLB The Show 25and how you’re able to customize one to complement your strengths and weaknesses.

MLB The Show 25 batting stance swing type animation

Best Batting Stance and Swing Type in MLB The Show 25

The first batting decision to make whencreating your ballplayerinMLB The Show 25will be whether they bat left-handed or right-handed, butyou’ll likely be better off making them a switch-hitter. Even though sticking to one option may seem easier, creating a switch-hitter allows you to target a pitcher’s weaker stats and keeps you prepared for other game modes.

If you plan to spend time tacklingConquest games in Diamond Dynastyor building a legacy in Franchise Mode, you’re guaranteed to be alternating between right-handed and left-handed hitters. Using a switch-hitter gives you more practice at both styles.

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The next step will be choosing your swing type. This is another where, technically, every option can have the same level of success, but many players feel two-handed swings see better results.Two-handed Style 6 feels like the fastest and smoothest swing type, and it reliably delivers power hits and home runs in RTTS.

Now it’s time to make your pick, and these arethe best batting stances inMLB The Show 25:

It should come as no surprise that several of the most prolific hitters in MLB history are on this list. Mike Trout tends to be the most popular batting stance choice among players, but Jeff Bagwell can be one of the most effective.

After choosing a batting stancein Road to the Show, there are several different ways you may tweak that inMLB The Show 25. Before you go in making adjustments, it’s a good idea tospend some time going through a few games (either in RTTS or another game mode) to see where your own hitting tendencies lie. If you tend to go for low or outside pitches more often, there are ways to compensate for that with your batting stance.

Here’s what every batting stance setting inMLB The Show 25does to your swing:

Don’t worry if you aren’t certain of these adjustments right out of the gate.Every detail about your batting stance can be adjusted after creating a Road to the Show playerand beginning their journey towards the Majors. With the right batting stance, your RTTS player can become a true menace at the plate inMLB The Show 25.