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Get ready for Early Access in MLB The Show 26

March 12th, 2026

Early Access in MLB The Show 26 starts March 13th at 12 AM ET (March 12th at 9 PM PT) and we wanted to take a moment to give you a quick rundown of all the content you can expect to find when you get in on the action. From the World Baseball Classic to Programs and Paths, to Conquests and Collections, MLB The Show 26 is sure to have something for everyone to enjoy. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what you can expect to find in MLB The Show 26 Early Access!

World Baseball Classic (WBC) Pools A, B, C, & D Programs

The World Baseball Classic is in full swing, and MLB The Show 26 is your place to relive all the international excitement of the games. Play Moments, Player Missions, Series Missions, PXP Missions, and a Showdown in the World Baseball Classic Pools A, B, C, & D Programs to earn up to 40 WBC Series player items (10 player items per Program) including:

Pool A:

  • Johan Camargo (80 OVR)
  • Alfredo Despaigne (81 OVR)
  • Seth Lugo (82 OVR)
  • Owen Caissie (83 OVR)
  • Gio Urshela (84 OVR)
  • Adrian Almeida (85 OVR)
  • Ruben Tejada (86 OVR)
  • James Paxton (87 OVR)
  • Alexei Ramirez (88 OVR)
  • Nolan Arenado (89 OVR)

Pool B:

  • Dante Bichette Jr. (80 OVR)
  • Rowdy Tellez (81 OVR)
  • Andrew Fischer (82 OVR)
  • Trayce Thompson (83 OVR)
  • Gunnar Henderson (84 OVR)
  • Joseph Contreras (85 OVR)
  • Vance Worley (86 OVR)
  • Jac Caglianone (87 OVR)
  • Randy Arozarena (88 OVR)
  • Bryce Harper (89 OVR)

Pool C:

  • Martin Cervinka (80 OVR)
  • Robbie Perkins (81 OVR)
  • Kungkuan Giljegiljaw (82 OVR)
  • Jung Hoo Lee (83 OVR)
  • Teruaki Sato (84 OVR)
  • Martin Muzik (85 OVR)
  • Masataka Yoshida (86 OVR)
  • An-Ko Lin (87 OVR)
  • Travis Bazzana (88 OVR)
  • Hyun-Min Ahn (89 OVR)

Pool D:

  • Duque Hebbert (80 OVR)
  • Druw Jones (81 OVR)
  • Spencer Horwitz (82 OVR)
  • Ezequiel Tovar (83 OVR)
  • Sandy Alcantara (84 OVR)
  • Juan Soto (85 OVR)
  • Harrison Bader (86 OVR)
  • Mark Vientos (87 OVR)
  • Jackson Chourio (88 OVR)
  • Didi Gregorius (89 OVR)

WBC Mini Season

Get ready to experience all the World Baseball Classic excitement with the WBC Mini Seasons challenge. Sub in your Diamond Dynasty squad for one of the World Baseball Classic teams from any of the 4 WBC Pools, then compete in a bracket-style tournament, similar to the WBC, where you’ll take on your favorite WBC teams and players for a chance to advance and earn WBC themed rewards like Packs and player items including Cal Raleigh (85 OVR), Bobby Witt Jr. (85 OVR), Hyun-Jin Ryu (86 OVR), and Alex Bregman (88 OVR).

WBC Conquest Map

Try your hand in the brand-new, repeatable World Baseball Classic Conquest Map, only available in MLB The Show 26. Attack territories, steal your opponents’ fans, reinforce your territories, and move your fans to take control of the map to earn Packs, Stubs, and exclusive player items including WBC Series Tarik Skubal (86 OVR), Alejandro Kirk (87 OVR), and Seiya Suzuki (88 OVR).

WBC Showdown

Face-off against and defeat World Baseball Classic Series pitchers, including Final Boss, Dominican Republic pitcher Abner Uribe, to earn exclusive WBC player items and progress in all four WBC Programs.

  • Mason Miller (82 OVR)
  • Paul Skenes (83 OVR)
  • Fernando Cruz (84 OVR)
  • Livan Moinelo (85 OVR)
  • Abner Uribe (86 OVR)

WBC Event & Event Program

If Events are your jam, then this is your lucky year! In addition to the same Events that you know and love…we’re introducing Event Programs. Event Programs, available in Assorted Programs, are time-limited Programs that reward progress for completing Missions in the associated Event allowing you to earn exclusive player items. So now you can earn in two places for doing what you love.

In the WBC Moonshot Event, you’ll form teams of any batters against common & bronze pitchers then swing for the fences to rack up wins. In addition to earning Event rewards for all your hard work, completing Missions in the WBC Event will grant you progress in the WBC Event Program allowing you to work your way towards adding WBC Series Brice Turang (88 OVR) to your lineup.

WBC Collection

Collect World Baseball Classic Series player items in the WBC Collection to add the following WBC players to your lineup:

  • Collect 20 = Adam Ottavino (87 OVR)
  • Collect 30 = William Contreras (88 OVR)
  • Collect 50 = Christopher Sanchez (89 OVR)
  • Collect 70 = Ozzie Albies (89 OVR)
  • Collect 90 = Vinnie Pasquantino (90 OVR)
  • Collect 100 = Pete Crow-Armstrong (90 OVR)
  • Collect 110 = Fernando Tatis Jr. (92 OVR)

*Check back in the WBC Collection for the addition of the MVP player item at the conclusion of the World Baseball Classic on March 17th.

1st Inning XP Path

Play in any mode in MLB The Show 26 to earn XP and progress through the 1st Inning XP Path to earn new rewards like Packs, Stubs, and featured player items like World Baseball Classic (WBC) Series Gleyber Torres (88 OVR), Kyle Schwarber (89 OVR), and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (90 OVR), as well as the 1st Inning XP Path Boss Pack that lets you choose 1 of 2 featured Boss player items WBC Series Munetaka Murakami (90 OVR) and Ronald Acuñna Jr. (90 OVR).

Team Affinity

Team Affinity is your go-to place to earn rewards unique to each of the 30 MLB clubs. Show your fandom to earn team specific players items like Jolt Series Hitting and Pitching Captains for each team, as well as equipment and unlockables.

In MLB The Show 26, Team Affinity is throwing a bit of a curveball from what you may have been used to. Each team will only have 2 Team Affinity Programs for the entirety of the season (1 Team Program + 1 #1 Fan Program x 30 Teams = 60 Team Affinity Programs).

Starter Program

Play Moments, complete Stat Missions, Collections, Exchanges, and the Starter Showdown as a warm up to earn All-Star Series Troy Tulowitzki (83 OVR) in the Starter Program, available in Assorted Programs, in MLB The Show 26.

Starter Showdown

Draft your Showdown Squad, then complete challenges to earn Squad Upgrades. Face-off again Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez in the Final Showdown to earn progress in the Starter Program.

Bill Mazeroski Program

MLB The Show 26 honors 10-time All-Star, 2-time World Series Champion, and Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski in the Bill Mazeroski Program, available in Assorted Programs. Play Moments & Missions focused on Mazeroski’s legendary career to earn 2nd Half Heroes Series Bill Mazeroski (85 OVR).

Cornerstone Travis Hafner Program

Cornerstone Programs are easier than ever to take on in MLB The Show 26. We’ve removed the previous need to earn a base version of a Cornerstone player item to start said player’s Cornerstone Program, making it easier than ever to get straight to earning in Cornerstone Program, available in Assorted Programs.

Complete Moments & Missions based on the career of Travis Hafner in the Cornerstone Travis Hafner Program to earn Cornerstone Series Travis Hafner (87 OVR).

Multiplayer 1 Program

Play in any Multiplayer mode, excluding Play vs Friends & Casual, like Ranked, Battle Royale, Events and Events Programs to earn progress in the Multiplayer 1 Program. 

Earn Packs, Stubs, and player items in the Multiplayer 1 Program including WBC Series Ketel Marte (85 OVR), Raidel Martinez (86 OVR), Xander Bogaerts (87 OVR), Willi Castro (88 OVR), Kazuma Okamoto (88 OVR), Nolan McLean (89 OVR), Ceddanne Rafaela (89 OVR), and Will Smith (90 OVR).

Ranked 1 Program

Compete against online opponents in Solo (1 vs 1) or Co-Op (2 vs 2 & 3 vs 3) with your best squad in Ranked 1 Program. Climb the leaderboards to earn division rewards and increase league placement to unlock rewards like Packs and Stubs, as well as the World Series Choice Pack to choose between WBC Series Clayton Kershaw (90 OVR) and Geraldo Perdomo (90 OVR). Ascend to G.O.A.T. 1000 status in the Ranked Ratings to get your mitts on the coveted Ranked 1000 Choice Pack featuring exclusive Ranked 1000 Series Clayton Kershaw (90 OVR) and Geraldo Perdomo (90 OVR).

Classic Mini Seasons

Build your best squad and take on CPU teams using rosters based on real world Diamond Dynasty players’ teams. Complete Season specific goals to earn Packs, Stubs, unlockables, and other rewards only found in Mini Seasons.

This year, most Mini Season Challenges allow you to choose between 3 or 9 Inning Game lengths and 7 or 28 Game season lengths to play Mini Seasons so you can play your way.

Launch Diamond Quest

Earn new Legends in the Launch Quest, featuring players making their MLB The Show 26 debut. Unlock no-sell versions of Rookie Series Garret Anderson (86 OVR) and All-Star Series Jonathan Broxton (86 OVR). Battle through Launch Day Moments spotlighting new Legends including Troy Tulowitzki, Albert Pujols, Félix Hernández, Dustin Pedroia, Roy Campanella, Lou Boudreau, Ron Santo, Andruw Jones, and more. Take on high-pressure Mini Boss Challenges against elite arms, conquer Stadium Challenges, and complete Player-Locked Moments tied directly to the featured rewards.

Mid-Century Diamond Quest

Earn iconic Legends in the Mid-Century Quest. Unlock: Breakout Series Bobby Grich (86 OVR), All-Star Series Eddie Mathews (86 OVR), All-Star Series Stan Musial (88 OVR), and All-Star Series Bob Feller (88 OVR). Battle through classic-style Moments that celebrate disciplined hitting, timely power, and dominant pitching across historic ballparks. Then step into high-stakes Showdowns against legends like Bob Feller, Hal Newhouser, Robin Roberts, Juan Marichal, Vida Blue, and Bob Gibson. From gap-to-gap rallies to commanding mound performances, relive a timeless era and build your squad with some of the game’s most respected greats.

Live Series Collection

Collect Live Series player items from all 30 MLB Teams to eventually earn Awards Series Felix Hernandez (99 OVR), Signature Series Albert Pujols (99 OVR), and Milestone Series Troy Tulowitzki (99 OVR) in the Live Series Collection.

Early Access Challenge of the Week

Early Access Week features 2-time All-Star Yusei Kikuchi going up against 3-time All-Star Alex Bregman. Compete as Bregman vs CPU-controlled Kikuchi, then accumulate hits to achieve as many points as possible within 3 outs to earn Stubs for use in MLB The Show 26.

MLB The Show 26 is just getting warmed up!

With so much new-content to enjoy during Early Access it might be hard to believe but this is just the beginning. Prepare yourself for all-new programs, rewards, and experiences headed your way. Full Launch is right around the corner, March 17th, and we’re sure to have even more new content for you to get your mitts on in MLB The Show 26. For all the latest news, be sure to follow our socials @mlbtheshow, and sign up for The Scouting Report. 

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