Baseball isn't always about swinging the bat and praying that you hit a homer. A lot of the game's aspects also hinge on some very important statistics on how a pitcher or a batter fares in his respective zone. These are just some of the new concepts the developers of MLB 08: The Show discuss as they go into some of the added features gamers can expect to see in this latest iteration to the MLB series.

Lorne Asuncion, one of the designers of the game, posts his take on the two new features that will make it into the game this year: namely, the Pitcher and Batter Analysis. Like we mentioned earlier, these very important stats can help you determine what best works for your respective pitcher or batter going into a game.

For pitchers, its important for them to analyze where their throws are at their deadliest and which ones tend to get hit out of the ball park. Each pitcher has their own favorite "sweet spot", which helps them see where exactly in the zone batters tend to miss their pitches.

On the other hand, batters can counter these numbers with their own analytical stats. They can effective break down which parts of the strike zone a particular pitch tends to mess them up. Also, on a team level, you can check out how a particular pitcher fares against everyone and which areas in the strike zone is the most favorable ones to swing against.

In any case, these new features definitely add a whole new dimension to the game' strategic element. It definitely beats the whole "I pitch, you swing" games of old. MLB 08: The Show is set to be released this March 4 and will be featured on the PS2, PS3, and PSP.

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