To all MLB The Show 26 players, as you climb the ranks in the game, you need to master better pitching techniques as quickly as possible. Next, we'll explore how to throw perfect pitches like a Pro.

Pitching Mechanics

First, we must understand the pitching mechanics in the game. Let's take a fastball as an example. Its pitching motion is down, up, then vertically down again.

There are three key elements: accuracy, timing, and angle. Accuracy refers to the precision and rhythm of your trajectory; timing is the instant you begin to pull down from the highest point of the trajectory, not the moment you touch the circle; and angle is how close you are to the circle at the end of the pull.

There are some common misconceptions players have about these elements. Actually, you don't need to strive for a perfect 0° or 1° angle, and that as long as all three elements are met, all perfect pitches will have the same effect.

However, Pinpoint doesn't allow for fine-tuning of the pitch; for example, you can't intentionally delay your release, which might slightly affect your choice of fast or slow pitches in the game.

Pitching Philosophy

We need to pay attention to your first pitch strike, ideally maintaining a strike percentage of 60% to 80%. Of course, a good first pitch doesn't guarantee a good pitch; it could be a chase pitch, leading 0-1 in the count.

A 0-2 lead is ideal, but be careful not to intentionally throw a good pitch when you're 0-2. Most players will put down their controllers at 0-2, waiting for you to throw a bad pitch; instead, you should attack the strike lane to finish quickly.

Furthermore, your pitching should be planned, not impulsive. Don't randomly select pitches or place them randomly. Sometimes players might be eager to finish the game and get rewards like MLB The Show 26 Stubs. Listen, never rush things. This is a common problem among lower-ranked players.

Pitching Order

Pitching in a planned sequence helps you control the batter's swing timing.

If you're pitching an inside ball, the batter needs to swing earlier; conversely, if it's an outside ball, the batter has a longer wait time.

Common pitching sequences are: outside fastball, inside slowball with a splitter, inside fastball (99 mph). Alternatively, you can use slowball, slowball, fastball, or combinations of fastball, slowball, fastball.

However, the core of your pitching sequence should be that each ball serves the time difference or positional expectation established by the previous ball.

How to Create a Tunnel?

A tunnel is defined as two different balls appearing identical in the first half of their flight path, causing the batter to misjudge and swing, missing or hitting a weak ground ball.

Here are some common pairings. 4-seam fastball versus regular changeup; 4-seam fastball versus slider; inside fastball versus inside slider – this is also Chapman's signature move.

What you need to do is understand the pitcher's release point and the ball's initial trajectory. For example, a 12-6 curveball can be intentionally raised to mimic the landing point of a four-seam ball, causing the batter to misjudge it as a fastball and swing early. Its limitation is that it results in a higher PAR in line-up play, restricting the effectiveness of tunnel hits.

The most underrated Chase Fastball

Chase Fastball is applicable from low-ranking to Top 50 legendary difficulty because batters must be highly wary of fastballs. This ball is positioned high and outside the strike zone, actually thrown just outside the edge of the strike zone, making the batter think it's a fastball and chase it down.

This pitch is especially effective against batters who lock onto fastballs, causing them to swing a lot or hit weakly. However, try to use this trick only once per game, as the less you use it, the better the feedback will be.

Settings and Equipment Recommendations

This is an aspect that players might easily overlook: your settings and equipment.

We recommend adjusting your Pitching Ball Marker. Chevron is not recommended because it doesn't provide a clear visual indication of the base-reaching angle.

Then, set PitchCom to off, as this is likely to cause problems in online games. It doesn't matter offline.

Top players use Pinpoint, and very few use Pure Analog. Meter or Pulse are even less recommended. We still suggest players spend time practicing Pinpoint, or try it a few times in Conquest map; it's not difficult to get the hang of.

Regarding controller selection, the default Xbox controller has latency, so we recommend using a third-party controller. PlayStation controllers don't have this problem. Plug your microphone into the aux port, which can slightly improve the situation, but it doesn't fundamentally solve the problem.

Additionally, it's recommended to use the same perspective for both pitching and batting, ideally the batting perspective. This allows you to simulate the batter's feel while pitching, visually assess the pitch's trajectory, and identify the pitcher's weaknesses.

These are all the suggestions and methods for achieving perfect pitching. We wish you even greater improvement in MLB 26!