MLB The Show 26 has brought Summer Series back, and if you're chasing rewards, this drop is worth a look. Sony rolled it out on June 18 with a full Program, fresh Conquest and Mini Seasons content, and a new batch of Collection prizes. The two cards most players will talk about first are Tarik Skubal at 98 OVR and Ted Williams at 97 OVR, while the grind for MLB 26 stubs sits right in the middle of the whole setup.

Summer Program rewards

The Program is built in a way that feels pretty familiar, but the pacing is nice. You start with small XP and stub drops, then the card rewards begin to stack up. Brent Rooker comes in at 94 OVR on 20 points, Grant Taylor follows at 40, Corey Kluber lands at 60, Chase Headley shows up at 80, and Corey Seager closes things out at 100. Along the way, you'll also pick up packs, Ballin' is a Habit, Headliners, and a Summer Deluxe Pack. It's the sort of track that keeps you checking the next stop, even if you're not in a rush.

How the points actually add up

Most of the progress comes from regular play, which is probably the best part. Five Moments give you 20 points total, and the rest comes from missions that can be chipped away at in either solo or online games. If you want the fastest route, mix in strikeouts and hits while building toward the PXP goals. A simple way to think about it is this.

• Use single-player modes for easy stat farming.
• Bring Summer Series players into your lineup whenever you can.
• Stack strikeouts with starters, relievers, and closers in the same run.
• Don't ignore the hitter missions, since 50 total hits goes by quicker than it sounds.

Collection rewards and player count

The Summer Collection gives you three big targets. Rob Dibble at 96 OVR needs 13 cards. Ted Williams takes 21. Tarik Skubal sits at the top and asks for 29. The card count is spread across several parts of the mode, too: one from Chase, two from Collection, one from Conquest, two from Diamond Quest, one from Events, four from Mini Seasons, fifteen from packs, and five from the Program. That mix matters, because it pushes you to touch almost every mode instead of grinding one lane forever.

Mini Seasons and the longer grind

Mini Seasons has its own chain of unlocks, and this is where a lot of players will slow down a bit. First, you need 10 hits in the Summer Mini Seasons to unlock Tony Fernandez. Then you collect eight total bases with Fernandez to get Rodon. After that, ten strikeouts with Summer Rodon brings Napoli into play. The last step is a big one: 20,000 total PXP in Summer Mini Seasons unlocks the 95 OVR Jeromy Burnitz. If you like to play at your own pace, this part of the event should feel manageable. It just asks for time, and a little patience, before you end up with the better prizes and some extra MLB 26 stubs for sale.