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How to Tunnel Fastball and Slider in MLB The Show 26
If you’re looking to take your pitching game to the next level in MLB The Show 26, learning how to tunnel your fastball and slider is a crucial skill. Tunneling is when you throw two pitches that look identical coming out of your hand, making it difficult for the batter to recognize which pitch is coming until it’s too late. This strategy is especially effective with a fastball-slider combo. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to tunnel these pitches and make the most of your pitching arsenal.
What Is Tunneling and Why Is It Important?
Tunneling refers to the concept of making two or more pitches look the same to the batter for as long as possible. If a batter can’t tell the difference between your fastball and slider when they leave your hand, they’ll have a harder time timing their swing correctly. This gives you an edge, as the batter might swing too early or too late, or simply be caught off guard.
In MLB The Show 26, pitchers have more control over pitch movement, velocity, and placement, making tunneling more effective than ever. By understanding how to use this technique, you can force batters into making mistakes, increasing your chances of striking them out or getting weak contact.
How Do You Tunnel a Fastball and Slider?
At the core of tunneling your fastball and slider is having similar release points and pitch trajectories. Here are a few key tips to make your tunneling strategy work:
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Use the Same Arm Slot The most important aspect of tunneling is that both your fastball and slider must be thrown from the same arm slot. If you release the pitches from different angles, the batter will be able to distinguish them more easily. Keep your mechanics consistent between both pitches. This doesn’t mean your pitches will behave exactly the same, but the batter won’t be able to tell them apart until it’s too late.
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Control the Fastball’s Velocity and the Slider’s Break You want your fastball to be fast enough to get the batter’s timing off. But it shouldn’t be so fast that it leaves little time for the batter to react to the slider. The slider should have a sharp break, making it harder for the batter to pick up. Ideally, you’ll want your slider’s velocity to sit around 5-8 MPH slower than your fastball, so they look similar at first but break differently.
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Work Inside and Outside You can tunnel your fastball and slider both inside and outside the strike zone, but the key is to make sure they both look like they’re headed for the same spot. For example, if you throw a fastball up and in on a right-handed batter, your slider should also start in that area before breaking away to the outside corner. Similarly, if you throw a fastball low and away, your slider can start in the same location and then break sharply into the strike zone.
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Throw Pitches with Similar Spin Spin is another important factor in tunneling. While the fastball generally has backspin, the slider has side spin. If you can make the fastball appear to have more horizontal movement (like a cutter) while the slider has more pronounced side-to-side break, they’ll appear to be the same pitch until the last moment.
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Be Mindful of Pitch Sequences The key to tunneling is not just throwing pitches that look the same, but setting them up in a way that keeps the batter guessing. A good pitch sequence will build off each other. For instance, start with a fastball high and in, then follow up with a slider low and away. Since the two pitches look the same at the start of their trajectory, the batter might be expecting another fastball and will swing too early at the slider.
What Are Some Common Mistakes When Tunneling?
Tunneling can be a bit tricky, especially for new players. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
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Inconsistent Release Points If your release point is off even by a small margin, your fastball and slider won’t tunnel effectively. This can be a mechanical issue, so it’s important to focus on your pitch delivery to ensure consistency.
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Using Too Much Break on the Slider If your slider has too much break, it might be obvious to the batter that it’s not a fastball. While you want the slider to break sharply, don’t overdo it to the point where it doesn’t look similar to your fastball at release. The break should happen late in the pitch’s trajectory, not at the start.
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Not Mixing Up Pitch Locations You can’t tunnel pitches effectively if you always throw them in the same location. Mixing up the inside and outside parts of the plate is key to keeping the batter off balance. If you only tunnel fastballs and sliders in one area of the strike zone, the batter will catch on quickly.
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Predictability Tunneling only works if you make the batter think they’re seeing the same pitch each time. If you fall into predictable patterns—like always throwing a slider after a fastball—batters will catch on and begin to recognize the sequence. Change your timing and location to keep them guessing.
How Can You Improve Your Tunneling in MLB The Show 26?
Improving tunneling is all about practice and refining your mechanics. Here are some specific ways to get better at this skill:
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Practice in the Bullpen The best way to master tunneling is to practice. Spend time in the bullpen working on your release point and pitch placement. Pay attention to how your fastball and slider behave when thrown in different locations. Try different variations to see what feels most effective.
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Use a Consistent Pitching Motion If you have trouble with your release point or consistency, consider tweaking your pitcher’s delivery or using a motion that is easier to repeat. Some pitchers in MLB The Show 26 might have quirky deliveries that make tunneling harder, so experimenting with different pitchers could help you find one with a smoother, more consistent arm slot.
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Study Opponent Tendencies If you’re pitching against a real player, pay attention to how they react to different pitches. Do they swing at everything high? Do they have trouble with breaking balls low and away? Adjust your tunneling strategy based on their weaknesses to throw them off.
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Use Pitching Tips and Training MLB The Show 26 offers various tutorials and pitching challenges that can help you work on tunneling techniques. Additionally, you can find tutorials and tips from other experienced players, especially those who focus on pitching mechanics and strategies.
How Does Tunneling Affect Pitching Strategy?
Tunneling can be an integral part of your overall pitching strategy. It helps keep batters off balance, increasing your strikeout rate and allowing you to dictate the pace of the game. When executed well, tunneling can force bad swings, induce weak contact, and keep the batter guessing, which is exactly what every pitcher wants.
If you’re looking for ways to maximize your in-game resources, consider using MLB The Show 26 stubs seller to buy necessary upgrades that can improve your pitcher’s performance. Whether it’s better control, velocity, or break on your pitches, investing in the right attributes can give you the edge you need to tunnel effectively.
Tunneling your fastball and slider is a highly effective pitching strategy that can take your game to the next level in MLB The Show 26. By focusing on similar release points, pitch speeds, and trajectory, you can make it nearly impossible for batters to distinguish between the two pitches until it’s too late. Remember to practice, mix up your pitch locations, and stay unpredictable. With time, you’ll be able to master tunneling and become a more dominant pitcher in the game.
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