Group Admins
Update 14 makes Home Run Derby feel less like a race and more like a hitting challenge. The clock is gone, so you’re no longer forced to swing at everything just to avoid wasting time. Each round now gives you a set number of swings, which changes the whole mood of the mode. You can sit on a pitch, wait for something in your preferred zone, and focus on making solid contact. That matters for Diamond Dynasty players who are trying to finish missions without turning every session into a rushed routine. The Derby can also be a useful way to build your balance of MLB 26 Stubs through earned rewards, especially if you’re willing to play a few focused games instead of chasing every objective at once.
How the New Swing System Works
The updated format is straightforward, but a few details are easy to miss. The opening round gives you 20 swings. The next two rounds use 15 swings each. A swing is counted whether you hit a home run, pop up, foul one off, or make weak contact, so reckless guessing can hurt more than it did before. There’s also a handy extension rule. If your final swing leaves the yard, you get another swing. Keep homering on those added chances and the round continues until you miss. That can create a big jump in your total, but it’s not something you should force. In the first round, a tie is settled by the longest home run. In later rounds, the game moves to a swing-off. Knowing that can change your approach when the score is close. You don’t need to chase distance on every ball, but you should be ready to take a bigger risk when the situation calls for it.
Patience Beats Panic at the Plate
The biggest adjustment is mental. In the old timed version, players often swung early because a bad pitch still felt better than watching the seconds disappear. That habit doesn’t help much now. You have room to breathe, and the best results usually come from waiting for a pitch you can drive. Pay attention to the pitcher’s tendencies and look for a location that matches your hitter’s strengths. If you’re using a right-handed slugger with strong lefty power, don’t waste half the round trying to pull pitches that are too far outside. Let the ball travel and use the whole field when needed. Perfect timing is still the target, of course, but near-perfect contact can produce plenty of home runs too. You’ll quickly notice that a calm swing produces better numbers than constant button mashing. It sounds basic, yet it’s where many players lose swings.
A Better Route Through the Derby Program
For program grinding, the smart move is to combine tasks rather than play with only one mission in mind. Check the available moments first and clear the easy progress before repeating full Derby games. Then look for objectives that can be completed together, such as hitting a certain number of home runs, reaching a distance target, or finishing games with particular players. Use power hitters with quick animations and strong contact ratings, but don’t assume the highest power number is always the best choice. A hitter whose swing feels comfortable can be more valuable than a player with slightly better attributes. Offline repetition is usually the least stressful way to make progress. You can settle into a rhythm, learn how pitches break, and avoid the distractions that come with online play. Claim rewards as soon as you earn them, too. Some programs open new missions or packs after a reward is collected, and leaving items unclaimed can slow down your progress for no good reason.
Spend Your Stubs With a Little Timing
Update 14 can also shake up the Community Market. New Derby and All-Star cards tend to attract attention right away, which often pushes early prices higher than they’ll be a week or two later. If a card isn’t essential to your lineup, waiting can save a fair amount of currency. Sell duplicate rewards while demand is strong, then keep an eye on prices as more players finish the program and add the same cards to the market. That extra supply usually creates better buying opportunities. It’s worth keeping a small reserve rather than spending every Stub on one exciting release. Some players would rather skip the wait and buy MLB 26 Stubs for an immediate upgrade, and that can make sense when a missing position is holding back the whole squad. Either way, the new Derby format gives you more control over how you earn and spend your resources.
Final Thoughts
Home Run Derby is now easier to approach and, for many players, more rewarding to master. The fixed-swing format gives every decision more weight, while the final-swing extension creates a real chance to build momentum. Pick hitters you trust, wait for pitches you can handle, and don’t throw away swings trying to hit every ball 450 feet. For program progress, focus on repeatable offline games and combine missions whenever possible. In the market, let the first wave of excitement pass before making expensive purchases. Give the mode a few rounds and you’ll start to find your own rhythm, which is exactly what Update 14 was missing from the old version.
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