After selecting a pitch, hold the left trigger and press the base's face button for a pickoff; use the left bumper to step off and left trigger plus right stick for a slide step.
To attempt a pickoff in MLB The Show 26, select a pitch, then hold the left trigger and press the face button that represents the occupied base. Hold the trigger for the Deceptive Move variant. The left bumper steps off; left trigger plus right stick performs the listed slide-step delivery.
Pickoff controls by platform
| Action | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X|S | Nintendo Switch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickoff to 1B | L2 + Circle | LT + B | ZL + A |
| Pickoff to 2B | L2 + Triangle | LT + Y | ZL + X |
| Pickoff to 3B | L2 + Square | LT + X | ZL + Y |
| Step Off | L1 | LB | L |
| Slide Step Delivery | L2 + right stick | LT + right stick | ZL + right stick |
The base buttons follow the baseball diamond: the right face button represents first, the top button second, and the left button third. This is the same spatial arrangement used for throwing and targeted baserunning.
When the pickoff input becomes available
Use it after choosing the pitch and before starting the delivery. If the pitcher has already begun the active delivery gesture or meter sequence, the game is no longer waiting for the after-selection pickoff command.
The official manual lists the pattern across Pinpoint, Pulse, Pure Analog, Classic, and Meter. Those interfaces change how the pitch is aimed or delivered, but they do not turn a pickoff into a separate menu action.
Deceptive Move and slide step are not the same input
Holding the left trigger during a pickoff is labeled Deceptive Move by the manual. A slide step uses the left trigger plus the right stick and changes the delivery rather than throwing directly to a base.
The manual does not publish one guaranteed success rate or a universal “safe” number of attempts. Runner attributes, pitcher behavior, game mode, and the current situation matter; this page stays with the verified controls rather than inventing an exploit.
For batting buttons, use the hitting controls and interface guide. For controlling runners after the ball is in play, open how to slide and advance runners.
Sources
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions players ask next
How do you pick off a runner in MLB The Show 26 on PS5?
After selecting a pitch, use L2 plus Circle for first base, Triangle for second, or Square for third where that base is occupied. Hold L2 for the manual's Deceptive Move variant.
How do you step off the mound?
The official pitching table lists the left bumper—L1 on PlayStation, LB on Xbox, or L on Switch—as Step Off after pitch selection.
How do you slide step in MLB The Show 26?
The manual lists left trigger plus the right stick after selecting the pitch—L2 plus right stick on PlayStation, LT plus right stick on Xbox, or ZL plus right stick on Switch.
Do pickoff controls change with Pinpoint, Pulse, Analog, Classic, or Meter pitching?
The delivery input changes between interfaces, but the official after-selection table keeps the same step-off, pickoff, and slide-step control pattern.
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