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Last year was my first playing the Show. I fell in love with the game and the collection concept. That much that it became my sole hobby for several months.

I can't believe how less fun I have this year. It is night and day.

This year, getting XP is tougher, getting stubs is tougher, getting packs is tougher, finishing XP Innings is tougher and, obviously, finishing collection is tougher. Even the online programs were more fun and line-up challenging last year.

I don't ask for much: just to get a real chance to finish most collections while playing casually and have fun doing so.

I already took two five days or longer breaks from the game this year. I would NEVER have tought about doing such a thing last year.

I am really contemplating the idea of giving up for the rest of the year.

One thing is certain, I won't buy this game next year. I will probably migrate on Switch 2 and play other games that I can't play right now on the Switch.

Or just go outside to make a change

@DeleteyourTTVBTW_MLBTS said:

You went back into the mini seasons after it ended so it restarted with the settings you choose to start with. Go to the menu where you see all 5 different mini seasons, and hold “restart” on whichever one you want to restart.

It’ll then give you the option for 3 vs 9 innings and how many games you want. WBC won’t actually change the amount of games because it’s set to the tournament format. All the other ones will give you the option (PICK THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF GAMES AND INNINGS) There is no real advantage to longer games or more games. It just takes you 3x to get the reward packs at the end and every 5 mini seasons championship banners can be exchanged for 5 BIAH packs which is where you really fell behind.

I just came back to say that... it works!! Thanks A LOT

Thanks to anyone for your answers. It is always good to pick other people brain.

I appreciate all the efforts you made to enlight me. Thanks!!

@DeleteyourTTVBTW_MLBTS Awesome answer! Thanks a lot!!

@ryancostello620_NSW said:

@pacadie09_NSW go to the mini season you want to start with 3 innings and press and hold your select button. For me on Nintendo Switch it's the A button that will restart it and give you the option for inning length.

I am also on the Switch. I will try that later today! Thanks a lot!

@Dodgers_1890_PSN

That is good advice. Thanks!

I continued my reflexion after posting and I realized: even if I decide to go all in for the Collections, there is not much I can do. My Live Series cards are all collected, so I can't sell them. And I don't pull enough High Diamond cards to make a lot of stubs out of selling.

At this point, might as well push the LS as much as I can, hope to pull Judge or Ohtani, and grind for Miggy.

Thanks again!

@On_a_Power_Trip_PSN said:

Well you can’t change from 9 innings to 3 innings midseason - have to restart the mini season for that

Yeah, I figured that.

But yesterday, I finished the WBC mini-season. I tried to change from 9 to 3 innings. Never found where or how to do it.

On a thread I started last week, someone ask me why I was playing 9 inning game in Mini-Season Mode.

It got me thinking.

Since then, I red a lot of posts and find out that a lot of you prefer the 3 inning games.

Thing is, being the "genius" I am, I have already started all the mini-seasons (except the Mural one) on 9 innings mode. I tried to switch it to 3 innings, but I just don't know how.

Can someone help me with this?

---

Also, the more I play and read, the more I realized that I start my The Show 26 year on the bad foot.

I should have choose to do the Live Series or the Collection. But, like last year, I chose both.

The result is, that after more than 160 hours of game play, I am still 33 Diamond cards (worthing over 2 millions Stubs) away from the Live Series, and 85 cards away (little bit under 1 million Stubs) from Cabrera 99.

I also only have 225 000 stubs in my account.

Clearly, I need to choose a path: Live Series or Collection.

I want to read what you think is the better path.

Since my line-up is almost always compose of Collection Players, I think that it is where I should invest my time and my stubs. I got to say that I don't have particular preference about lining up Cabrera 99 or Tulo/Felix 99.

Any opinion?

@GoozeFn_PSN Last year, I played mostly against the CPU (and the White Sox or Rockies), because I did not know any better.

This year, I only play in Mini-Season. I did the WBC several times. Won a lot of championships. Nothing to brag about.

I tried the Classic mini-season, but begun against a loaded 99 team, wich told me I was not ready to compete there lol

I unlock almost all the card in the New Thread one (except the one for wich you need to win 10 games at All-Star)

These days, I am in the Cityscapes Mini-Season, trying to unlock all the cards linked to a goal.

Next, I will do the same with Mural.

As for Team Affinity, I always play with a notebook next to me. I know exactly how many HR, R or Total Bases I still need for each team to progress and unlock the Jolt cards. Some (Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets) were easy. Other (Astros, Rangers) take a lot more time.

In Mini-Season play, I always try to build a line-up that will help me achieve goals in TA or Program AND in the season objectives. I am quite good at that, honnestly (if it can be consider a skill lol).

What are missing are the results.

@Pergo_MLBTS

I think you have the perfect attitude. Wish I had that wisdom before ordering an old Zelda game earlier today

I guess that what frustrate me the most, is the fact that offline play is SO MUCH less rewarding this year.

Grinding have always been a pain (kind of), but in the past, at least, you got something of value out of it.

Pack luck was also better. And not that many good cards were hidden in packs.

So now, you have to play more to get an equivalent (to the past years) amount of stubs. And you have to buy more packs to get an equivalent (again, to the past years) amount of good cards. Come on!

If you serve me steak in the past, SDS, don't assume that I would now enjoy eating hot dog sausage...

@GoozeFn_PSN Help me please. Tell me wich advantages you see at playing 3 inning games instead of 9.

Before choosing to play 9 inning games, I put a little reflexion in it. Did not find there was a significative advantage to play 3 or 9 innings. I went with 9, with no real reasons.

Really interested to read what you (or the others) think.

Not a bot. Just a guy whose English is not his first language.

But thanks for your input. I thought this community was more respectful than that. My bad.

Hi guys,

this is my second year playing The Show. I am not very good, even though, last year, while I only start the game in May, I end up finishing all of the big collections (Rolen, Williams, Bautista, Donaldson).

It was my goal to do the same this year. And after doing some very depressing maths, it seems that it is an impossible mission.

First, let say that I have played more than 150 hours in The Show 2026, all offline. I finish all the programs, all Conquest maps and all Showdowns. I have 40% of the Jolt Cards. I only have three Storylines cards left to unlock. And I played a lot of mini-season games, winning seven or eight championships along the way.

Playing a nine innings game take me about 40 minutes. Add ten minutes to prepare my lineups, for a total of 50 minutes. A game gives me between 1000 and 2000 XP (on rookie or veteran level).

I did not finish the 2nd inning Path (far from it). I am a little bit more than halfway in the 3rd inning program. I tought I was going well, until I realized that I still need 190 000 XP. At, at best, 2000 XP a 50 minutes game, it will take me about 80 hours to get all the XP I need. I have about 14 days to do so. And a familly and a full time job...

But this is not the worse.

I am good with spreadsheets. So I build one to follow my progress in my goal to unlock Cabrera 99.

After more than 150 hours of game play, I still need 93 cards to do so. Total value of these cards: 980 000 stubs - wich do not include the time it will take me to unlock the 7 Jolts cards I still need, the 3 Storylines and four that are hidden in the very frustrating Diamond Quest mode.

The game have been released two months ago. I kept all my stubs, except to buy ONE card: the second boss from the 1st inning path.

How many stubs do I have in my account? 200 000. In two months.

It means that I still need 780 000 stubs to unlock Cabrera 99.

I know. I might unlock some free cards along the way to help me in my Cabrera quest, wich will drop the total value of what I am missing.

But with my pack luck, I would not count on it.

I don't know how many Diamond cards there is in the Live Serie. What I know, is that I still need 35. The best I pulled are Raleigh, Lindor and Skene. All the other are 85 or 86.

It becomes clear to me that I will never achieve my goals. I feel like a hamster in his spining wheel, running without any chance to get somewhere.

I will take a pause in the next few days. But the urge to just give up is stronger than ever.

I know what you will say: play the game for fun, just enjoy it the way it is, change your goals, don't bother about objectives or collections.

I will do my very best to change my mind set. Not sure I will be able to.

Hi guys.

I'll start by saying that I bought my first issue of MLB the Show in 2025. I immediately fell in love with the collection concept. I became an addict, in the good sense of the term (if such a thing exist).

I bought the game late (in early May). At first, I was very intimidated. I did not know if I will ever be good enough or play enough to get the Scott Rolen wich was the first big prize. So I grind. And I had fun doing so. I played on Veteran and got Rolen. Than Williams. Than Bautista. Then Donaldson. I was very proud of me and end up having a hell of a summer. It even boost my interest in MLB (wich was very low at the time).
In early January, I start litteraly counting the days before The Show 26 release.

I bought the game on the first day. Played a lot at first. And, like so many offline players, I hit a wall really fast.

You all know the reason: hitting being very hard on easier difficulties, abysmal pack luck, best cards hidden in packs, hall of fame defense for CPU teams on rookie/veteran level and, most importantly, the absolute lack of progress in collections and Innings. The sense of getting rewarded to play the game is gone.

Lately, I said to a friend: it's ironic that, this year, what I like the least in a baseball game is to actually play baseball...

This game end up being more frustrating than fun, so, ten days ago, I stop playing.

I visit the forums from time to time and realized that I am not the only one tempted to just give up.

For me, it is clear that SDS took all the means possible to make us, players, buy stubs (to then buy packs or rare cards). I am sorry SDS, but I won't do that.

On the forums, I red that SDS wants to force us to play online.

After this long preambule, here is my question: why? What SDS have to gain to make us play online? Even more when, from what I read, the experience is a real pain because of the cheaters, the bots and the servers.

Before I delete the game from my Switch and the app from my phone, I would like to understand why SDS wants us to play online. And if MLB The Show 26 is redeemable.

After that, chances are that I will be done with this game forever. I pay good money for this game this year for about a month of gameplay. I won't do the same mistake next year. Or the one after that.

You are just too greedy, SDS.

@On_a_Power_Trip_PSN I did not know that! Thanks for the information!!

I got my first wheel spin Thursday... and got nothing.

Got my 500 000th point during a game while I won the World Cup final. I got the festivites animation. Never saw the wheel, even though my points total clearly show I achieve the milestone.

Open a ticket about it. I am not holding my breath...

For me, there is none.

Last year was my first playing the game. I did the collection. Got no real benefits for it.

This year, I need stubs to make the LS Collection, so I sell every items I pull.

The only benefit I see from collecting uniforms, is that you can wear them in the game if you like them. But since you can only wear one uniform per game, I don't see the thrill of collection 400+ jerseys to get like 10 000 stubs as reward.

My advice: sold your items, keep these stubs and buy the cards you need instead of packs.

It is just my two cents. Hope it helps, though.

I am still waiting on my last 14 too, as long as the Beltran. Opened a ticket this morning. I got an automatic reply, but still no packs.

Thanks guys! Really appreciated!

My fear is that Maikel Garcia MVP in the World Baseball Classic Collection (the one you get when you collect all 140+ cards of the collection) will be a requirement to receive the first big guy (a la Rolen last year).

If so, it will require A LOT of grinding to complete this collection. I don't think there was a collection as massive (number of cards) last year - except for the LS, of course.

Other than that, I really appreciate the game this year. Hitting home runs (at least at Veteran level) seems a little bit easier than last year. Moments are fun too.

Thanks again for your answers!

P.S. Still looking for my first Diamond LS Player card. Pulled three Diamonds cards... all uniform. What a waste lol

My copy of the game should be delivered today. I just can't wait!!!

Last year was my first playing the game. Before that, the last baseball game I played was Ken Griffey Jr on the SNES. It shows my age lol

It took me four months to complete the Live Series and got Rolen. But I got to say that the first month was not very productive as I spend a lot of time doing things that did not help me progress at all in the game lol It also did not help that I bought the game in May!

This year, just like you, I want to complete the Live Series as soon as possible. And as much collection as possible so I can get the "big guy" (last year Rolen, Williams, Bautista, etc.).

To do so, I will grind a lot. I might also be much more agressive than last year, when I wait and wait and wait before finally buying cards from the first collections in the game (like all-stars, rookie, breakout, veterans).

I have to say that I only play offline. The goal is to put the better team together to continue improving my team to unlock the most cards and packs as possible.

I am really excited!!

Hi guys,

I just tought I could share this little experience.

Like the title said, I opened 100 Headliners pack yesterday. These were all packs I won completing different parts of the game in the last two-weeks (ish).

The goal of this post is not to complain or rip SDS. I will try to be as objective as possible.

So, in 100 packs, I pulled:

• 12 Gold cards worthing less than 1000 stubs
• 12 Gold cards worthing more than 1000 stubs
• 5 Diamond item cards (bats, unifoms) worthing 1000 stubs each
• 3 common Live Series Diamond cards (Cole, Alonso, Joe Ryan)
• 3 non common Live Series Diamond cards (Will Smith, Nico Hoerner, Perdomo)
• 2 Diamond Legend & Flashback cards (Chris Taylor Standout, Robin Yount AS)
• 1 Diamond Award card (Joe Torre)

I kept two cards for my collection (Torre and Yount).

I already had (or does not need) all the other 498 cards, wich I sold for a total of 75 K stubs.

If you add the Torre and the Yount to there 75 K, it means that, in 100 Headliners pack, I pulled the equivalent of 95 K stubs.

Two conclusions:

1. You can buy Headliners packs for 7500 stubs. I pulled the equivalent of 950 stubs per pack in my experience.

2. You can buy Headliners packs for 7500 stubs. I pulled only ONE card out of 500 that worth more than 7500 stubs.

Do what you want to do with these datas.

But me? I won't buy Headliners pack anytime soon. And never grind for 100 Headliners pack ever again lol