One of the most surprising lessons I learned on my journey to becoming an elite hitter was this: you don’t have to swing to win. In fact, some of the most important at-bats end without a swing at all.

Early in my MLB The Show 26 Stubs experience, I swung at everything remotely close to the strike zone. I thought aggression was the key to success. But all it did was lead to weak contact, easy outs, and frustration.

Plate discipline changed everything.

The first step was learning the strike zone—not just visually, but instinctively. I started paying close attention to pitch locations and outcomes. Was I chasing low breaking balls? Was I swinging at high fastballs out of the zone? Identifying these patterns helped me eliminate bad habits.

I also began to embrace taking pitches, especially early in the count. This served two purposes: it helped me gather information about the pitcher’s tendencies, and it put me in better counts. A 2-0 or 3-1 count is a hitter’s dream. A 0-2 count? Not so much.

Another key concept was understanding “my zone.” While the game has a defined strike zone, every hitter has areas where they perform best. For me, pitches in the middle-in part of the plate were my strength. Instead of trying to hit everything, I focused on that area. If the pitch wasn’t there, I let it go.

This approach drastically improved my quality of contact. Instead of weak grounders and pop-ups, I started hitting line drives and home runs. Why? Because I was swinging at pitches I could handle.

Patience also frustrates opponents. When you consistently take borderline pitches and refuse to chase, pitchers are forced to throw strikes. And when they do, they often make mistakes. That’s when you capitalize.

One of the hardest habits to break was swinging out of frustration. After a few bad at-bats, it’s tempting to become overly aggressive. But that only makes things worse. Staying disciplined, even when things aren’t going your way, is what separates good players from great ones.

I also learned to use the count to my advantage. In hitter-friendly counts, I was more aggressive. In pitcher-friendly counts, I became more selective, protecting the zone but avoiding bad pitches. This strategic approach made my at-bats more effective.

Ultimately, plate discipline is about control—controlling the pace, the count, and your decisions. It’s not flashy, but it’s incredibly powerful. And once I mastered it, my performance took a massive leap forward.