Active Quirks are conditional attribute bonuses in MLB The Show that activate during specific in-game situations. For example, boosts hitting against fastballs, and increases pitch velocity. Since MLB The Show 23, all quirks in the game are active/situational — were removed entirely. Active Quirks trigger based on the specific in-game situation.
Are all quirks in MLB The Show active quirks?
Yes. Since MLB The Show 23, all quirks are active/situational. Passive quirks were removed because they caused confusion. Every remaining quirk triggers under specific conditions — like facing a certain pitch type, having runners in scoring position, or pitching with a lead.
How do you see which quirks a player has?
Check a player's card details in Diamond Dynasty to see all their quirks. ShowZone's Player Database also lists every quirk for every card, and you can filter the entire database by specific quirks to find players with the abilities you want.
All-Star cards are a series in MLB The Show representing players' All-Star Game appearances and performances. They apply to both current and former players. While many are released around the All-Star Break, they can appear throughout the game's content cycle. All-Star cards typically feature boosted ratings reflecting the player's peak performance during All-Star seasons.
What is an All-Star card in MLB The Show?
An All-Star card captures a player's performance during a specific season they made the All-Star team. The ratings are based on that season's stats. They're part of the Flashback card family and are typically released around the MLB All-Star break each year.
Awards cards in MLB The Show celebrate players who won major MLB awards like MVP, Cy Young, Gold Glove, or Silver Slugger. These cards can represent both current and former players, featuring ratings that reflect their award-winning season. Awards cards are part of the & card family and are among the most desirable cards in due to their elite attributes.
What are Awards cards in MLB The Show?
Awards cards capture a player's performance during a season they won a significant MLB award. For example, an MVP Awards card would have ratings based on that player's MVP-winning season stats. They're a sub-category of Flashback cards.
Battle Royale (BR) is a draft mode where you build a team from randomized rounds of player cards, then compete in a win-streak format of 3-inning games against other drafted teams. Each entry allows two losses before elimination, and the deeper your win streak, the better your rewards — with the ultimate prize going to a flawless (10-0) run.
How does Battle Royale work in MLB The Show?
You draft a team from randomized player pools across multiple rounds, balancing star power with roster depth. Then you play 3-inning games against other drafted teams. Accumulating wins earns increasingly valuable rewards, with the best reward reserved for going 10-0 (flawless). You're eliminated after two losses.
What do you get for going flawless in Battle Royale?
Going 10-0 (flawless) in Battle Royale earns the top reward, which varies by game version. In The Show 26, the flawless reward is a 50,000 Stub voucher. In previous years, it was a choice of exclusive player cards. Even without going flawless, accumulating wins earns player cards and packs at various win thresholds.
BB/9 (Walks per 9 Innings) is a pitching attribute in MLB The Show that determines the size of the Perfect Accuracy Region (PAR) — the area where a pitch can land even on perfect input. Higher BB/9 means a smaller PAR, resulting in tighter, more precise pitch placement. It's the primary attribute for consistent pitch location and is separate from the per-pitch Control attribute.
What does BB/9 do in MLB The Show?
BB/9 controls how precisely your pitches land. Specifically, it determines the Perfect Accuracy Region (PAR) — the grey circle showing where a pitch can go on perfect input. Higher BB/9 = smaller PAR = more accurate placement. This is especially important for painting corners and setting up batters with tight pitch sequences.
Breakout cards in MLB The Show represent a player's breakout season — the year they first established themselves as a major contributor. These cards can feature both current and former players, with ratings reflecting their breakout campaign. Breakout cards are part of the & card family and often feature surprisingly strong attributes for players who went on to have Hall of Fame careers.
What is a Breakout card in MLB The Show?
A Breakout card captures a player's first star-level season — when they went from prospect or role player to impact performer. The ratings match that breakout year's stats. They're part of the Flashback card family and are often associated with specific programs or content drops.
A Budget Squad is a team built with inexpensive or free cards that still performs competitively. Budget squad builders focus on finding undervalued cards with strong meta attributes, free reward cards from and conquests, and overlooked players that punch above their price tag. It's a popular approach for (No Money Spent) players and early-cycle team building.
How do you build a budget squad in MLB The Show?
Focus on free cards from programs, conquests, and collections. Look for Live Series golds and low diamonds with strong meta-relevant stats. Use ShowZone's Player Database to filter by True Overall or Meta Overall to find budget cards that outperform their price. Many cheap cards play well above their market value.
Bunt cheese is a community term for the exploitative strategy of using fast players to bunt for base hits repeatedly in online games. By placing a speedy hitter at the plate and drag-bunting, the batter can reach first base before the defense can make a play. It's widely considered a cheap tactic and is one of the most complained-about strategies in competitive .
What is bunt cheese in MLB The Show?
Bunt cheese is when a player repeatedly drag-bunts with fast players to exploit the game's fielding mechanics for easy base hits. It's considered poor sportsmanship in the community. SDS has made efforts to reduce its effectiveness in recent game versions by improving defensive animations.
Buy Now and Sell Now are the two instant-transaction options on the marketplace. Buy Now lets you purchase a card immediately at the lowest listed Sell Order price. Sell Now lets you sell a card instantly to the highest active Buy Order. The gap between Buy Now and Sell Now prices is the spread that flippers profit from.
What is the difference between Buy Now and Sell Now in MLB The Show?
Buy Now is the price you pay to get a card immediately — it matches the lowest active Sell Order. Sell Now is the price you receive by selling instantly — it matches the highest active Buy Order. Buy Now is always higher than Sell Now, and that spread (minus tax) is where flippers make their profit.
Buy Orders and Sell Orders are pending marketplace listings in . A Buy Order is an offer to purchase a card at a specific price — if someone sells at or below your price, the order fills. A Sell Order is a listing to sell a card at a specific price — if someone buys at or above your price, it sells. The order book creates a live market where prices fluctuate based on supply and demand.
How do Buy Orders and Sell Orders work in MLB The Show?
Place a Buy Order at the price you want to pay and wait for a seller to match it. Place a Sell Order at the price you want to receive and wait for a buyer. Orders fill in queue order — the highest Buy Order gets matched first, and the lowest Sell Order sells first. Patient ordering saves you Stubs versus using Buy Now/Sell Now.
CAP (Create-A-Player or Created Player) refers to a custom player you build in MLB The Show. CAPs were once usable in , where a fully built CAP with maxed gear and Archetypes could rival 99-overall cards — making them widely considered too powerful and cheesy. SDS eventually removed CAPs from Diamond Dynasty entirely. You can still create and use a CAP in and other offline modes.
Can you use a CAP in Diamond Dynasty?
No. CAPs were removed from Diamond Dynasty after years of community complaints that they were too overpowered and easy to build compared to earned reward cards. You can still create a player and use them in Road to the Show, Franchise, and other offline modes, but they are no longer part of Diamond Dynasty or online play.
Why were CAPs removed from Diamond Dynasty?
CAPs were widely considered cheesy because a fully built CAP with top-tier equipment could rival or exceed the best cards in the game with minimal effort compared to grinding for endgame reward cards. The community pushed for their removal for years, and SDS eventually pulled them from DD to improve competitive balance.
Captains are a special card type introduced in MLB The Show 23 that provide tiered attribute boosts to eligible players in your lineup who meet the Captain's specific requirements (team, era, card series, position, etc.). You can have one hitting Captain and one pitching Captain active simultaneously. Boosts escalate through tiers as you add more eligible players — more eligible teammates means bigger boosts.
How do Captains work in MLB The Show?
Assign a hitting and pitching Captain to your team. Each Captain has eligibility requirements (like players from a specific team or series). Eligible players receive attribute boosts that scale with tiers — the more eligible players on your roster, the bigger the boosts. ShowZone's Captains page ranks all Captains and shows which players benefit from each one.
What is the best Captain in MLB The Show?
The best Captain depends on your roster construction. Team-specific Captains are great for Theme Teams, while broader Captains (boosting by era or card series) fit more versatile lineups. Check ShowZone's Captains page to see all Captains ranked by their boost values, and use the Team Builder to preview how different Captains affect your lineup.
ShowZone's Card Builder lets you create custom MLB The Show-style player cards with any attributes, name, and card art you choose. Design dream cards for players not yet in the game, create concept cards for content wishlists, or build fantasy cards for fun. The generated cards match the visual style of real cards.
How does ShowZone's Card Builder work?
Select a card template, enter your custom player name and attributes, and the Card Builder generates a realistic-looking MLB The Show card. You can customize all stats, choose the card series, set the rarity, and download the finished card image to share with the community.
Card Locking is a feature added in MLB The Show 26 that lets you lock a card in your inventory to prevent it from being accidentally collected, sold, or exchanged. A locked card stays in your binder and cannot be submitted into any collection or listed on the marketplace until you unlock it. This is different from collecting — collecting permanently submits a card into a collection for rewards, while locking simply protects the card from being used unintentionally.
What does locking a card do in MLB The Show 26?
Locking a card prevents it from being accidentally collected, sold on the marketplace, or submitted in an exchange. The card stays in your inventory but is protected from any action that would remove it. You can unlock it at any time.
What is the difference between locking and collecting a card?
Locking a card protects it in your inventory — it cannot be sold, exchanged, or collected until you unlock it. Collecting a card permanently submits it into a collection to earn rewards. Collecting is permanent and cannot be undone, while locking is temporary and reversible.
Clutch (Batting Clutch) is a hitting attribute in MLB The Show that replaces your attribute when runners are in scoring position (on 2nd or 3rd base). Instead of Contact determining your inner size, the game substitutes your Clutch rating in RISP situations. This means a player with 90 Contact but 60 Clutch will effectively hit like a 60-Contact player with runners in scoring position. On the pitching side, a similar dynamic exists — pitcher attributes are also affected in high-leverage situations, creating a counteracting effect between the batter's Clutch rating and the pitcher's ability to perform under pressure.
Does Clutch matter in MLB The Show?
Absolutely. Clutch replaces Contact for determining your inner PCI size when runners are in scoring position. A player with high Contact but low Clutch will see their PCI shrink dramatically in the most important at-bats. Always check a card's Clutch rating alongside Contact — it competes against the opposing pitcher's Pitching Clutch.
Codes (also known as ) are redeemable text strings released by San Diego Studio that grant free , , player cards, or other rewards in . They're shared through official social media, developer livestreams, and content creator partnerships. Redeem them at codes.theshow.com — they're time-limited and can only be used once per account. See also: Locker Codes.
Are codes and locker codes the same thing in MLB The Show?
Yes. The community uses both terms interchangeably. "Locker Codes" is the legacy term from older MLB The Show titles, while most players today just call them "codes." They work the same way — enter them at codes.theshow.com for free rewards.
Where can I find active codes for MLB The Show?
Check ShowZone's Codes page for a regularly updated list of all active codes. New codes are announced on the official @MLBTheShow social media accounts, during developer livestreams, and through content creator partnerships.
The Collection Tracker is ShowZone's tool for monitoring your collection progress. Your inventory is synced automatically via the ShowZone Chrome Extension (desktop) or mobile syncing — it scans your inventory from TheShow.com and marks cards as owned or not owned. This data ripples across the entire site, automatically updating your collection progress, options, program progress in the Tracker, and mission recommendations in the .
How does ShowZone's Collection Tracker work?
Install the ShowZone Chrome Extension or use mobile syncing. It automatically scans your inventory from TheShow.com and syncs your owned cards to ShowZone. Once synced, your collection progress updates automatically across the entire site — including the Collection Tracker, Team Builder, Programs Tracker, and Mission Optimizer.
How do I sync my inventory to ShowZone?
Install the ShowZone Connect Chrome extension, which syncs your Diamond Dynasty inventory from TheShow.com to your ShowZone account. Once connected, the Collection Tracker and other inventory-based tools automatically know which cards you own, making progress tracking seamless.
Collections are a core feature where you collect (permanently submit) sets of player cards to earn exclusive rewards. The most popular collection is the collection, which requires every current MLB player card, but the largest collections are typically & master collections (like Honus Wagner or John Donaldson) that require completing multiple sub-collections worth of vouchers. Collection rewards include some of the best cards in the game and cannot be obtained any other way. Note: "collecting" a card is different from "locking" a card — locking prevents a card from being accidentally collected or sold, while collecting permanently submits the card into a collection for rewards.
How do Collections work in MLB The Show?
Go to the Collections menu in Diamond Dynasty and select a collection. Each collection requires specific cards — lock them in from your inventory to earn rewards. Important: locked cards cannot be sold on the marketplace afterward, so only collect cards you're willing to keep. The rewards are typically exclusive, high-overall player cards.
What are the best collections to complete first?
Start with team collections for the division rewards, then work toward full league collections. Use ShowZone's Collection Tracker to see which cards you still need and plan the most cost-effective order. The final Live Series collection reward is usually one of the best cards in the game.
Conquest is a single-player strategy mode in where you capture territories on a map by simulating or playing baseball games against CPU teams. Each Conquest map features hidden rewards scattered across the board, and completing objectives earns you exclusive player cards, , and .
How do you find hidden rewards in Conquest?
Hidden rewards are located on specific tiles across each Conquest map. You must capture that tile by moving your fans onto it and playing (or simulating) the game. ShowZone's Conquest guide reveals all hidden reward locations so you never miss one.
What are the best Conquest maps to play first?
Start with maps that offer the best reward-to-time ratio. Smaller maps with diamond player cards or large Stub payouts are typically the best value. Check ShowZone's Conquest page for current maps ranked by reward quality.
Can you sim games in Conquest?
Yes. You can simulate non-stronghold games in Conquest to save time. Stronghold games (against team headquarters) must be played as 3-inning games against the CPU. Most players sim the territory captures and only play the stronghold battles, making Conquest one of the fastest offline modes for earning rewards.
Contact is a hitting attribute in MLB The Show split into Contact Left and Contact Right, representing a batter's ability to make solid contact against left-handed and right-handed pitching respectively. Higher contact increases the size of the inner (Plate Coverage Indicator), making it easier to square up pitches and put the ball in play.
What does Contact do in MLB The Show?
Contact determines how likely you are to make solid contact with the ball. Higher contact ratings enlarge the sweet spot on your PCI, making it easier to get base hits. Contact Left applies against left-handed pitchers, and Contact Right applies against right-handed pitchers.
Daily were bite-sized challenges in MLB The Show 21 that refreshed every day in . Each was a quick scenario — like hitting a double or getting a save — that earned points toward monthly reward thresholds. Daily Moments were removed after The Show 21 and do not exist in current game versions. Similar daily engagement is now handled through other program structures.
Do Daily Moments still exist in MLB The Show?
No. Daily Moments were a feature in MLB The Show 21 and were removed from subsequent games. The concept of quick daily challenges has been absorbed into other program structures like Moments, Missions, and Featured Programs in current versions.
Dashboarding refers to closing the MLB The Show application (going to the console dashboard) during an online game to exit the match. While the player still takes the loss, dashboarding avoids having to pause the game and formally quit. It's generally considered poor sportsmanship and is frowned upon in the community — it's seen as a way to bail without the visible act of quitting.
What happens if you dashboard in MLB The Show?
Dashboarding typically results in an automatic loss for the player who quit, plus potential penalties like reduced rewards or temporary bans from online modes. SDS has implemented anti-dashboarding measures over the years to discourage this behavior and protect the integrity of ranked play.
Dead Red is a quirk in MLB The Show that provides an automatic boost to a batter's hitting attributes whenever a fastball-type pitch is thrown. Unlike what the name implies, it does not require the batter to 'guess fastball' — the boost activates automatically against all fastball variants. It's one of the most popular and impactful hitting quirks in .
What does Dead Red do in MLB The Show?
Dead Red automatically boosts contact and power attributes whenever the pitcher throws a fastball-type pitch. No user input or pitch guessing is required — the boost triggers on its own. It's especially valuable against pitchers who throw a lot of fastballs, like those with the Outlier quirk.
Diamond Dynasty (DD) is the flagship ultimate team mode in MLB The Show where players build a dream roster by collecting player cards, competing online and offline, and working the in-game marketplace. It combines card collecting, team building, and competitive gameplay into one experience that drives nearly all of MLB The Show's long-term engagement. ShowZone has tracked Diamond Dynasty data since the mode's early days, making it the longest-running independent DD resource available.
What is Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show?
Diamond Dynasty is MLB The Show's ultimate team mode where you collect player cards of varying rarities, build a custom roster, and compete in online and offline game modes. You earn cards through gameplay, packs, the marketplace, and completing collections and programs.
Is Diamond Dynasty free to play?
Yes, Diamond Dynasty is fully accessible without spending real money. You earn Stubs (in-game currency) and player cards through gameplay, programs, conquests, and marketplace flipping. Many top players build competitive teams without spending a dime (known as NMS or No Money Spent).
Diamond Quest is a roguelike, board-based single-player mode in where you roll dice, complete challenges, and collect perks as you progress through a quest board toward premium rewards. Each quest features Epic and Rare player card rewards, pack rewards, and escalating difficulty. ShowZone's Diamond Quest page catalogs all available quests with value rankings to help you prioritize.
What is Diamond Quest in MLB The Show?
Diamond Quest is a single-player game mode with a board-game format: roll dice to move across tiles, face challenges and mini-games at each stop, and collect perks that boost your team. Completing a quest earns you player cards and packs. ShowZone ranks all available quests by reward value to help you choose which to tackle first.
What are the best Diamond Quest rewards?
Diamond Quest rewards vary by quest, but each offers Epic and Rare player cards plus packs. Some quests reward higher-rated cards than others. Check ShowZone's Diamond Quest page for value rankings that factor in reward card ratings, marketplace value, and quest difficulty to help you prioritize the best returns for your time.
Directional Hitting is the simplified batting interface in MLB The Show where no is displayed and quality is determined by timing and player attributes. You hold the left stick in a direction (up for fly balls, down for grounders, left/right for pull/opposite field) and time your swing. It's beginner-friendly but limits your ceiling because you can't precisely control where you make contact.
How does Directional Hitting work in MLB The Show?
With Directional Hitting, hold the stick in the direction you want to hit and focus on timing your swing. No PCI is shown — contact quality is determined by your timing, the pitch location, and the batter's attributes. It's great for learning pitch recognition before switching to Zone Hitting.
Plate Discipline is a hitting attribute in MLB The Show that affects a batter's ability to lay off pitches outside the strike zone. Higher discipline improves check-swing success rate and reduces the tendency to chase bad pitches, making it easier to draw walks. It primarily impacts simulation and CPU behavior; its effect on human-controlled at-bats is subtler than attributes like or .
What does Plate Discipline do in MLB The Show?
Plate Discipline helps you avoid chasing pitches outside the zone by improving check-swing success and reducing the pull toward bad pitches. While its effect is more pronounced for CPU-controlled players, it provides a subtle benefit for user-controlled at-bats as well, especially for patient hitters working counts.
Events are limited-time online game modes with unique roster restrictions and rules. Each Event has specific requirements like overall caps, team-building constraints, or era restrictions that force you to use different cards than your main squad. Accumulating wins earns progressively better rewards.
What are Events in MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty?
Events are rotating online modes with special rules — like capped overalls, specific card types required, or shortened game lengths. They run for a limited time and reward you with exclusive player cards and packs as you accumulate wins. They reset periodically, so you can keep earning rewards.
Do Events reset in MLB The Show?
Yes, Events reset periodically — typically every few days. When an Event resets, your win counter goes back to zero but you can continue earning cumulative rewards from where you left off. This means you get multiple chances to accumulate wins toward the reward thresholds, making Events very rewarding over time.
Exchanges are a mechanic where you trade in a set of cards to receive a reward. Each exchange has a point requirement, and cards contribute points based on their (not just rarity) — the point value scales exponentially with OVR, so higher-rated cards are worth dramatically more points. Exchanges permanently destroy the submitted cards. ShowZone's Exchanges tool helps you find the most cost-efficient path to completing any exchange by comparing price vs exchange point efficiency, so you spend the fewest possible.
How do Exchanges work in MLB The Show?
Each exchange requires a certain number of points. Cards contribute points based on their overall rating — a 90 OVR card is worth exponentially more points than a 70 OVR card. Submit enough cards to meet the point threshold and you receive the exchange reward. The submitted cards are destroyed permanently, so use duplicates or cheap marketplace purchases.
Expected Value (EV) is a statistical calculation that determines the average Stub return you can expect from opening a pack in . It's calculated by multiplying each possible card's marketplace value by its drop-rate probability and summing the results. If a pack's EV exceeds its purchase price, it's mathematically profitable to open; if not, you're better off buying cards directly. ShowZone's EV calculations also factor in the 10% marketplace sales tax on each card, so the EV reflects your actual net return after selling — not just the raw card value multiplied by drop rate.
How is pack Expected Value calculated in MLB The Show?
EV = sum of (each card's market value × its drop probability). For example, if a Diamond card worth 50,000 Stubs has a 1% drop rate, it contributes 500 Stubs to the pack's EV. ShowZone calculates live EV for every pack using real-time marketplace prices and known drop rates.
Should I open packs or buy cards directly?
Compare the pack's cost to its Expected Value on ShowZone's Packs page. If EV is higher than the pack price, it's a good buy on average. If EV is lower, you'll save Stubs by buying the specific cards you want from the marketplace instead.
Fielding is a defensive attribute in MLB The Show that determines how cleanly a player fields ground balls, catches fly balls, and handles the ball in the field. Higher fielding means fewer errors, smoother animations, and more reliable defensive play. It is one of several separate defensive attributes alongside Arm Strength, Arm Accuracy, Reaction Time, and Blocking — each of which controls a different aspect of defense.
Does fielding matter in MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty?
Yes, especially at premium defensive positions like catcher, shortstop, and center field. Poor fielding leads to dropped balls, bobbled grounders, and errors that cost you runs. At corner positions (1B, LF, RF) fielding matters less, so you can prioritize offense there.
Finest cards are premium cards that celebrate the best-performing players from the current MLB season. Released late in the game cycle, each MLB team gets at least one Finest card via , with 70+ total Finest cards released across all . These are almost exclusively 99-overall cards and are among the most valuable endgame options in Diamond Dynasty. In some years, San Diego Studio also releases Retro Finest cards — these bring back Finest cards from previous MLB The Show titles, giving a throwback version of a player's Finest card from a past year. The series name is still "Finest" but the community refers to these as Retro Finest to distinguish them from the current year's selections.
What are Finest cards in MLB The Show?
Finest cards honor the best performers from the current MLB season. Each team gets a Team Affinity Finest Boss card, and additional Finest cards are released through programs and packs. In The Show 25, the Finest series featured 70+ cards, nearly all rated 99 overall, making them core pieces of endgame rosters.
When do Finest cards come out in MLB The Show?
Finest cards are released late in the game cycle, typically starting in October/November after the MLB regular season ends. Team Affinity Finest Boss cards come through the final Team Affinity season, while additional Finest cards are released through dedicated programs and packs. They represent the endgame content push each year.
A Flash Sale is a limited-time pack offer in the MLB The Show store that appears without warning and is only available for about an hour. These are usually high-value — things like an 85+ Diamond pack, a random Headliner pack, or other premium packs that normally aren't available. Because so many players rip these packs and immediately sell the pulled cards for on the marketplace, card prices for the cards in those packs typically drop sharply during and shortly after the Flash Sale window. Savvy market players watch for Flash Sales as buying opportunities.
How do you know when a Flash Sale is happening in MLB The Show?
Flash Sales appear without advance notice — they just show up in the store for about an hour. Follow @MLBTheShow on Twitter/X and keep ShowZone bookmarked for alerts. The community usually spreads the word quickly once one drops.
Do Flash Sales crash card prices?
Yes, temporarily. When thousands of players rip premium packs at the same time, they flood the marketplace with the pulled cards, driving prices down sharply. Prices usually recover within a day or two as the supply dries up — which is why some players use Flash Sales as buying opportunities rather than pack opening ones.
Flashback cards represent current/active MLB players at a specific point in their career rather than their current performance. For example, a Flashback card might capture a player's MVP season or a standout year. Retired players' non- cards are classified as , not Flashbacks. Both Flashbacks and Legends can appear across sub-series like , , , , , and .
What is a Flashback card in MLB The Show?
A Flashback card captures an active player at a specific career moment — like their best season, an award-winning year, or a milestone achievement. Unlike Live Series cards, Flashback ratings are fixed and don't change with Roster Updates. The same sub-series (Awards, Prime, etc.) can contain both Flashback cards (active players) and Legend cards (retired players).
What's the difference between Legends and Flashbacks in MLB The Show?
Legends are cards of retired players no longer active in MLB. Flashbacks are cards of current or recently active players but representing a past season — like a 2019 version of a still-active player. Both are part of the Legends & Flashbacks collection family in Diamond Dynasty.
Flipping is the practice of buying player cards at a low price (via Buy Orders) and immediately reselling them at a higher price (via Sell Orders) on the marketplace to earn a Stub profit. After accounting for the 10% , the difference is your margin. Flipping is the most popular and reliable way to earn without spending real money. ShowZone pioneered real-time flip tracking for MLB The Show, and our Profit Per Minute metric remains the industry standard for evaluating flip efficiency.
How does flipping work in MLB The Show?
Place a Buy Order for a card below its current Sell Now price, wait for someone to fill your order, then immediately list the card as a Sell Order above what you paid. After the 10% tax, your profit is the spread minus the tax. ShowZone's Flipping tool shows you real-time margins for every card in the game.
What is the best tool for flipping in MLB The Show?
ShowZone's Market Flipping tool shows live buy/sell margins for every card, calculates profit after tax, and lets you filter by minimum profit, sales volume, and card type. It's the most comprehensive flipping tool available for Diamond Dynasty.
FQ stands for — a mutual agreement between two players in an online game to end the match without either player receiving a loss. When someone messages "FQ?" they're asking if you want to end the game with no result recorded. See the full Friendly Quit definition for more details.
What does FQ mean in MLB The Show?
FQ stands for Friendly Quit. It's a mutual agreement to end an online game without a win or loss being recorded. Players often send "FQ?" as a message during a game to request one.
Franchise Mode is MLB The Show's team management simulation where you control an entire MLB organization — making trades, signing free agents, managing the roster, developing through the minor leagues, and playing through multiple seasons. Unlike , Franchise uses real MLB rosters and focuses on long-term team building and strategic management.
What is Franchise Mode in MLB The Show?
Franchise Mode lets you take control of an MLB team as both the manager and general manager. Handle trades, free agency, the draft, and minor league development while playing or simulating games through multiple seasons. It's the mode for players who love baseball management strategy.
A Friendly Quit () is an option in MLB The Show's online modes where one player offers to end the game with no result recorded for either side. Both players must agree for the friendly quit to go through. It's commonly used when lag or connection issues make the game unplayable, or in casual settings when one player needs to leave without either side taking a loss.
How do you offer a Friendly Quit in MLB The Show?
Pause the game during an online match and select the Friendly Quit option. Your opponent will see the request and can accept or decline. If both players accept, the game ends with no win or loss recorded. If declined, play continues normally. In the community, players often message "FQ?" to request one.
Future Stars cards represent top MLB with boosted ratings that project what they could become at their peak. In MLB The Show 25, the series was rebranded as Pipeline (and Pipeline Past for current MLBers' prospect versions), though the community still uses 'Future Stars' informally. These cards take real minor league talent and give them high-level attributes, making them exciting and usable despite the players having little MLB experience.
What are Future Stars / Pipeline cards in MLB The Show?
Future Stars (now called Pipeline in The Show 25) are prospect cards with boosted ratings reflecting their projected potential. They feature top minor leaguers and young players. Pipeline Past cards represent current MLB players as they were when they were prospects. These are released through dedicated programs and collections.
God Squad is a community term for a roster loaded with the absolute best cards in the game at every position — all 99-overall endgame cards with the best attributes, quirks, and meta value. Building a God Squad is the long-term aspiration of most Diamond Dynasty players and typically requires significant grinding, smart marketplace play, or completing major .
What is a God Squad in MLB The Show?
A God Squad is a team where every lineup and bullpen spot is filled with the best possible card available. These rosters feature 99-overall cards at every position, the best pitching staff, and a stacked bench. It represents the endgame goal of Diamond Dynasty team building.
How long does it take to build a God Squad?
For NMS (No Money Spent) players, expect several months of consistent play. Early in the game cycle, a God Squad isn't possible because 99-overall cards haven't been released yet. By the endgame (October-November), most dedicated players can assemble a God Squad through collection rewards, program grinding, and marketplace play. ShowZone's tools accelerate the process significantly.
H/9 (Hits per 9 Innings) is a pitching attribute in MLB The Show that directly shrinks the opposing batter's inner (sweet spot). A pitcher with high H/9 makes it harder for batters to square up pitches, which is why H/9 is widely considered the single most important pitching attribute for online play. In situations (RISP), Pitching Clutch replaces H/9. In MLB The Show 26, H/9 was split into separate ratings vs left-handed and right-handed batters.
Why is H/9 the most important pitching stat in MLB The Show?
H/9 directly shrinks the opposing batter's inner PCI — their sweet spot for making solid contact. On Legend and Hall of Fame difficulty, the difference between a pitcher with 90 H/9 and 125 H/9 is dramatic. This is why H/9 is the first stat competitive players check when evaluating a pitcher.
HR/9 (Home Runs per 9 Innings) is a pitching attribute in MLB The Show that reduces exit velocity and home run frequency in CPU simulations and non-user-controlled at-bats. It has minimal impact in player-vs-player online games, where pitch selection, location, and timing matter far more. HR/9 used to be a controversial attribute in older titles when it affected online play, but San Diego Studio reduced its influence to CPU-only situations. It's generally considered one of the least important pitching attributes for competitive players.
Does HR/9 matter in MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty?
No. HR/9 is a simulation-only attribute with no impact on player-controlled at-bats. It does not affect exit velocity, ball distance, or home run frequency when you're actually playing the game. It was removed from Diamond Dynasty entirely in MLB The Show 26.
Investment Intelligence is a ShowZone Diamond Exclusive feature that reveals community investment trends — showing you what cards the ShowZone community is buying and selling in bulk. It helps you spot emerging investment opportunities, track community sentiment on upcoming candidates, and make more informed decisions about where to put your .
What does Investment Intelligence show you?
Investment Intelligence tracks aggregate buying and selling activity across the ShowZone community. You can see which cards are being stockpiled by investors, identify trending picks before Roster Updates, and get insight into community confidence levels for specific upgrade candidates.
Investing in MLB The Show means buying cards at low prices with the expectation that their value will rise. The most common form is investing — buying cards of real MLB players who are performing well, anticipating they'll receive an overall upgrade in a that increases their market value. But investing goes beyond Live Series: players also speculate on time-limited cards like event rewards and program exclusives that will be removed from , driving scarcity and potentially increasing prices. Some investors also anticipate upcoming program content — scooping up cards of players likely to be featured in exclusive , which spikes demand and price when the program drops.
How do investments work in MLB The Show?
The most common approach is buying Live Series cards of players on hot streaks before a Friday Roster Update, hoping they get upgraded. But you can also invest in time-limited cards (event rewards, limited-time program cards) that will become scarcer once they leave packs. Some investors even speculate on which players will appear in upcoming program missions, buying their cards early before demand spikes. ShowZone's Roster Update Predictor helps with Live Series investing specifically.
What is the best investment strategy in MLB The Show?
The most common approach is buying Live Series cards of players on hot streaks before a Friday Roster Update, hoping they get upgraded. But you can also invest in time-limited cards (event rewards, limited-time program cards) that will become scarcer once they leave packs. Some investors even speculate on which players will appear in upcoming program missions, buying their cards early before demand spikes. ShowZone's Roster Update Predictor helps with Live Series investing specifically.
K/9 (Strikeouts per 9 Innings) is a pitching attribute in MLB The Show that shrinks the opposing batter's outer (the foul-ball zone controlled by ). By reducing the outer PCI, K/9 converts would-be foul balls into swing-and-misses, increasing strikeout potential. It works alongside (which shrinks the inner PCI) to make a pitcher effective online. In MLB The Show 26, K/9 was split into separate ratings vs left-handed and right-handed batters.
What does K/9 do in MLB The Show?
K/9 shrinks the opposing batter's outer PCI, which is the area where they can foul off pitches. By reducing this zone, K/9 turns foul balls into whiffs, boosting strikeout rate. It's the second most important pitching attribute after H/9 for online play.
Legends are player cards in featuring retired MLB greats who are no longer active. These cards represent iconic players like Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr., and Willie Mays at various points in their careers. Legends are among the most sought-after cards and are often the headline additions in new content drops.
What are Legend cards in MLB The Show?
Legend cards feature retired Hall of Famers and iconic players from MLB history. Each Legend can have multiple card versions representing different seasons or career moments, each with different ratings and attributes. New Legends are added throughout the game's lifecycle.
How do you get Legend cards in MLB The Show?
Legends are obtainable through multiple sources: pack openings, the marketplace, program rewards, collection rewards, and special content drops. The most powerful Legends (99 OVR) are often earned by completing major collection milestones or endgame programs. Some are also available through Ranked Seasons and Battle Royale rewards.
What's the difference between Legends and Flashbacks in MLB The Show?
Legends are cards of retired players who are no longer active in MLB — players like Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr., or Jackie Robinson. Flashbacks are cards of current or recently active players but representing a past season's performance — like a 2019 version of a player who's still active today. Both fall under the Legends & Flashbacks card family.
Live Series cards are the base player cards in that reflect real MLB players' current-season performance. Unlike other card types, Live Series ratings are updated throughout the year via Roster Updates, meaning a player who goes on a hot streak can see their card upgraded (or downgraded if they slump). The Live Series collection is one of the most popular goals in Diamond Dynasty each year, requiring all current MLB player cards across all 30 teams.
What are Live Series cards in MLB The Show?
Live Series cards represent current MLB players with ratings that change based on real-life performance. San Diego Studios issues Roster Updates periodically that can upgrade or downgrade these cards, making them central to the investment metagame.
What do you get for completing the Live Series collection?
Completing the full Live Series collection rewards you with one of the best cards in the game — typically a 99-overall legend or an exclusive card unavailable any other way. You also earn rewards for completing individual team collections along the way.
Locker are redeemable text codes released by San Diego Studios that grant free , , player cards, or other rewards in . They're distributed through official social media accounts, livestreams, and content creator partnerships. Codes are redeemed at codes.theshow.com, are time-limited, and can only be used once per account.
Where do you find Locker Codes for MLB The Show?
Codes are shared on the official MLB The Show social media accounts (Twitter/X, Instagram), during developer livestreams, and through content creator partnerships (like Jomboy or Locked On). They're relatively rare — only a handful are released each year. Follow @MLBTheShow and check ShowZone's news section.
How do you redeem Locker Codes in MLB The Show?
Go to codes.theshow.com and enter the code exactly as shown. Rewards are added directly to your Diamond Dynasty inventory. Codes expire after a set period, so redeem them as soon as possible.
March to October (MTO) is a streamlined season mode in MLB The Show where you guide an MLB team through a full season in a fraction of the usual time. Instead of playing all 162 games, you play key and critical situations while the game simulates the rest. Your performance in these moments determines how the season unfolds. MTO shares many features with , including free agency and offseason management. Note: March to October was discontinued in MLB The Show 26 and is no longer available as a game mode.
How does March to October work in MLB The Show?
March to October simulates a full MLB season but only has you play pivotal moments — like a tie game in the 9th inning or a must-win series. Your performance in these moments influences your team's win-loss record. It's a great way to experience a full season without the 162-game commitment of Franchise Mode.
ShowZone's Market Tool is a real-time marketplace companion that shows you the most profitable cards to flip in . It displays live Buy Now and Sell Now prices, calculates your profit after the 10% tax, tracks sales volume, and lets you filter by minimum profit margin, card type, and rarity. It's the most popular tool on ShowZone and the go-to resource for earning through marketplace flipping. The tool features Profit Per Minute calculations, buy/sell ratios, pricing trends, and automatic updates — making it easy to identify which flips work best for your strategy and time commitment.
How does ShowZone's Flipping Tool work?
The Flipping Tool pulls real-time marketplace data showing every card's Buy Now price, Sell Now price, and your potential profit after the 10% tax. Sort by profit margin, filter by card type or rarity, and find the best flips available right now. Pro subscribers get access to advanced filters and real-time alerts.
Is ShowZone's Flipping Tool free?
The basic Flipping Tool is free for all ShowZone users. Pro subscribers get additional features like advanced filters, faster data refresh rates, real-time alerts, and access to premium metrics like Sales per Minute and Profit per Minute that help identify the most efficient flips.
The Marketplace Tax is a 10% fee deducted from every sale on the marketplace. When you sell a card, you receive 90% of the sale price — the other 10% is removed from the game as a Stub sink. This tax is critical to understand for because it directly reduces your profit margin on every transaction.
How much is the marketplace tax in MLB The Show?
The marketplace tax is 10% of the sale price. If you sell a card for 10,000 Stubs, you receive 9,000. This means your flipping profit is the sell price minus the buy price minus 10% tax. ShowZone's Flipping tool automatically calculates post-tax profit for every card.
Is quickselling taxed in MLB The Show?
No. Quickselling is completely tax-free — you receive the full quicksell value. This is why the Gold-to-Diamond investment strategy works so well: you can quicksell upgraded cards at the full Diamond quicksell value without losing 10% to tax, unlike selling on the marketplace.
Meta Overall is ShowZone's gameplay-weighted rating that evaluates how well a card performs in the current competitive meta. While measures raw positional value, Meta Overall factors in gameplay mechanics, the current difficulty settings in , and which attributes matter most in online play. Cards with high Meta Overall are the ones you actually want in your competitive lineup. Meta Overall was created by ShowZone several years ago and has become the go-to competitive metric for evaluating cards in online play. The formula is continuously tuned as the gameplay meta shifts with each title and update.
What is Meta Overall in MLB The Show?
Meta Overall is ShowZone's rating that accounts for how the game actually plays online, not just raw attributes. It weights stats that matter in competitive play — like H/9 for pitchers and power + vision for hitters — based on the current game version and difficulty settings. It's the best indicator of how good a card will feel in Ranked Seasons.
What is the difference between True Overall and Meta Overall?
True Overall is a pure positional-value recalculation of attributes. Meta Overall goes further by considering gameplay mechanics and competitive relevance. A card might have a high True Overall but lower Meta Overall if its attributes don't align with what works in online play (like a high-contact, low-power hitter in a power-heavy meta).
+ is ShowZone's comparative rating system, similar in concept to baseball's OPS+ statistic. It measures how a player's Meta Overall compares against the average player at their position. A Meta Overall+ of 100 means the card is exactly average for its position, above 100 means above average, and below 100 means below average. This makes it easy to quickly evaluate whether a card is elite, average, or below par relative to the competition at that specific position.
What is the difference between Meta Overall and Meta Overall+?
Meta Overall+ compares a card's Meta Overall to the average at their position, similar to how OPS+ works in baseball. A score of 100 is average, 110 means 10% better than average, 90 means 10% worse. It's the quickest way to see if a card is actually good for its position or just has a high raw number.
Meter Pitching is a pitching interface in MLB The Show where you time three button presses on an on-screen meter. The first press starts the meter, the second sets /velocity at the top of the meter, and the third sets accuracy on the release point. It's simpler than and provides a reliable middle ground between ease of use and control over pitch location.
How does Meter Pitching work?
Press the button once to start the power meter filling up — press again at the top to set velocity. Then an accuracy marker moves toward a target zone — press a third time when it's centered for maximum accuracy. The pitcher's Control rating affects how fast the meter moves, making it harder with lower-rated pitchers.
Milestone cards commemorate a player's career achievement — like reaching 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, 300 wins, or a perfect game. The card ratings reflect the player's performance around the time of that milestone achievement. Milestone cards celebrate baseball history and are often tied to legendary in the sport.
What is a Milestone card in MLB The Show?
Milestone cards honor a specific career accomplishment. For example, a player's 3,000th hit or 500th home run. The card's attributes are based on the player's performance around that achievement. They're a sub-type of Flashback cards and are popular with collectors.
Mini Seasons is an offline mode where your team competes in a shortened season against CPU-controlled squads, culminating in a playoff bracket. Winning the championship earns you exclusive rewards. It's one of the most popular grinding modes because it offers strong rewards for moderate time investment with no online stress.
What rewards do you get from Mini Seasons?
Mini Seasons rewards include player cards, packs, and Stubs. The championship reward rotates and is typically a high-value exclusive card. You also earn Stubs and parallel XP from every game played during the season.
How many games are in Mini Seasons?
In MLB The Show 26, you can choose between a 7-game or 28-game regular season, followed by a playoff bracket. You can also select 3-inning or 9-inning games. The shorter format lets you complete a full run quickly, while the longer season provides more Stub and PXP earnings per championship.
ShowZone's Mission Optimizer helps you grind faster by finding player cards that complete the most simultaneously. Instead of using different players for different program missions, the optimizer identifies cards that count toward multiple programs at once, dramatically reducing your grind time. It can also generate an optimized team for multi-program grinding.
How does ShowZone's Mission Optimizer work?
Select the programs you're working on, and the Mission Optimizer analyzes all available missions to find player cards that satisfy requirements across multiple programs at once. It then ranks cards by how many missions they contribute to and can generate an optimized team that covers the maximum number of missions per game.
Missions are specific objectives within that require you to accomplish stat-based tasks with certain player cards. Examples include hitting home runs with a specific team's players, accumulating strikeouts with a certain card series, or earning extra-base hits online. Completing missions earns program and sometimes direct rewards.
What are Missions in MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty?
Missions are targeted challenges within programs — like 'Hit 5 home runs with Cardinals players' or 'Strike out 20 batters with Flashback pitchers.' Completing missions earns XP toward the parent program. ShowZone's Mission Optimizer helps you find cards that complete multiple missions simultaneously.
Moments are short, scenario-based challenges in that recreate historical plays, highlight current MLB performances, or test specific skills. Each Moment has a defined objective — like hitting a home run with a certain player or striking out a number of batters — and rewards you with , , or upon completion.
What are Moments in MLB The Show?
Moments are bite-sized challenges where you're placed in a specific game scenario and must achieve an objective. They range from simple tasks like getting a hit to multi-game challenges requiring cumulative stats. Completing Moments earns program XP and other rewards. For single-game Moments requiring XBH, total bases, or home runs alongside other stats — restart immediately if you don't get the hard stat in your first at-bat. It saves you from the frustrating situation where you rack up all the easy stats but miss the one that matters.
How do you complete hard Moments in MLB The Show?
For tough hitting Moments, try power swinging on pitches in the zone and taking balls to extend at-bats. If a Moment requires cumulative stats, be patient — you don't have to get everything in one game. Restarting a single-game Moment is always free, so keep trying. For home run missions specifically, try switching to Directional Hitting and pointing the left stick up — this increases your odds of hitting fly balls and can make the difference on stubborn HR moments.
Monthly was a recurring program in where collecting that month's cards earned a premium reward card. In MLB The Show 25, this was replaced by the Spotlight Program, which follows the same structure: weekly Drops of Topps Now and Spotlight Series cards throughout the month, culminating in a Lightning card as the top reward. A Retro Lightning card provides a second premium historical reward each month.
How do Monthly Awards / Spotlight Programs work in MLB The Show?
In The Show 25, the Spotlight Program replaced Monthly Awards. Each month features weekly Drops containing Topps Now and Spotlight Series cards earned through Moments. Collecting the reward path unlocks the Lightning card — a high-diamond version of that month's best overall performer. A Retro Lightning card provides a second premium reward from a historical player.
NMS (No Money Spent) is a self-imposed challenge where players build their team without purchasing or with real money. NMS players earn everything through gameplay — cards, completing , grinding modes, and smart marketplace decisions. It's both a playstyle and a badge of honor in the community, proving that a competitive team can be built entirely through in-game earnings.
What does NMS mean in MLB The Show?
NMS stands for No Money Spent — a playstyle where you never buy Stubs or packs with real money. Everything is earned through gameplay, marketplace flipping, programs, and grinding. Many content creators do NMS challenges to show that competitive teams are achievable without spending.
Can you build a good team without spending money in MLB The Show?
Absolutely. Diamond Dynasty is very generous with free content through programs, conquests, ranked rewards, and event rewards. Smart marketplace flipping on ShowZone can accelerate your Stub earnings significantly. Many NMS players have God Squads by late in the game cycle.
No Sell cards are player cards in that cannot be listed on the marketplace. They are obtained through program rewards and are permanently unmarketable. No Sell cards can still be quicksold for if you have duplicates. Note that collection-locked cards are a separate mechanic — those are cards you chose to lock into a collection, which also makes them unsellable but through a different system.
What does No Sell mean in MLB The Show?
A No Sell tag means the card cannot be sold on the marketplace. These are typically reward cards from completing programs. You can still quicksell No Sell cards for Stubs. Note: cards earned from Ranked Seasons by reaching the rating threshold are often sellable, while the same cards earned through the program path are No Sell.
Outlier is an active pitching quirk in MLB The Show that adds approximately +3 MPH to a pitcher's velocity on specific pitch types, allowing fastballs to reach up to 102 MPH. It's one of the most impactful quirks in the game because the velocity boost makes pitches significantly harder to react to online. Outlier is typically found on elite pitching cards — having it on a four-seam fastball or sinker is considered a major advantage in competitive play.
What does the Outlier quirk do in MLB The Show?
Outlier lets a pitcher throw above the normal velocity limit, reaching 102 mph or higher. Outlier I applies to the primary fastball, while Outlier II applies to a secondary heater like a sinker or cutter. This makes pitches arrive faster than batters expect, shrinking their reaction window.
Which pitchers have Outlier in MLB The Show?
Outlier is reserved for pitchers known for elite velocity in real life — like Nolan Ryan, Aroldis Chapman, or current flamethrowers. Check ShowZone's Quirks page to see all current pitchers with Outlier I or II and filter by this ability.
Overall (OVR) is the single-number rating displayed on every player card in MLB The Show, representing the card's general quality. San Diego Studio caps the displayed Overall at 99, but individual attributes like , , , , and can go up to 125. This means not all 99-rated cards are equal — a 99 OVR card with multiple attributes at 125 is significantly better than a 99 with attributes in the low 100s. This is exactly why ShowZone created ™ — to reveal the real differences between cards that the in-game 99 rating hides. Parallel boosts from PXP can increase attributes further, but the hard limits of 99 for Overall and 125 for individual attributes remain fixed regardless of parallel level.
Is the Overall rating accurate in MLB The Show?
The in-game Overall uses position-weighted formulas but doesn't always reflect competitive value. A pitcher with great fielding but mediocre pitching stats might carry a higher OVR than they deserve for Diamond Dynasty. ShowZone's True Overall and Meta Overall provide more gameplay-focused assessments.
What is the highest Overall rating in MLB The Show?
The maximum Overall rating is 99. Cards can exceed 99 in specific attributes through Parallel boosts (+5 at Superfractor), Captain boosts, and Supercharged buffs, but the displayed OVR caps at 99. By endgame, most competitive lineups are filled with 99-overall cards.
Pack Derby is ShowZone's original card game where you're dealt 10 random MLB The Show player cards and score points based on bonuses across your hand — like cards from the same team, major collection rewards, matching series, and other combinations. After seeing your initial 10 cards, you choose which ones to hold, then get one re-roll that replaces your non-locked cards with new random ones (similar to a game of poker where you swap out cards). After the re-roll, your final hand is scored and posted to the leaderboard. Leaderboards track scores by day, week, month, and the full season.
What is Pack Derby on ShowZone?
You're dealt 10 random player cards. Look at your hand and decide which cards to hold based on team matches, collection bonuses, and other scoring combos. Lock the keepers, then re-roll — your unlocked cards are replaced with new random ones. Your final hand is scored and posted to the leaderboard. Strategy is about recognizing which combos to chase and which cards to let go.
The Pack Simulator is ShowZone's free tool that lets you open unlimited Standard "The Show" without spending . The drop rates closely mirror in-game odds but are slightly more generous — making it a bit more fun. It tracks your pull stats including total packs opened, diamond count, diamond drought streaks, and total value pulled. You can share your best pulls with the community and compete on the leaderboard.
How does ShowZone's Pack Simulator work?
The Pack Simulator uses the same drop rates as actual in-game packs to simulate realistic pack openings. Select any available pack type, open as many as you want for free, and see what cards you would have pulled. It's a great way to evaluate whether a pack is worth your Stubs or just to enjoy the opening experience without risk.
Are ShowZone's Pack Simulator odds accurate?
The drop rates closely mirror in-game Standard pack odds but are slightly more generous, so you'll pull diamonds a bit more often than in the real game. It's designed to be fun while still giving a realistic feel for pack opening.
Packs are randomized bundles of player cards and items in that you open to receive cards of varying rarities. Each pack type has specific drop rates determining your odds of pulling a Diamond, Gold, or other rarity card. Packs can be purchased with , earned from and rewards, or obtained through promotions. Understanding pack odds and helps you decide whether opening packs is worth your Stubs. Important: EV is a statistical average across many openings — it doesn't mean every individual pack will return positive value. All packs carry risk, and most single pack openings will return less than the purchase price. EV is most useful when evaluated over a large number of packs.
Are packs worth opening in MLB The Show?
It depends on the pack's Expected Value (EV) versus its cost. ShowZone's Packs page calculates live EV for every pack using real marketplace prices and drop rates. If a pack's EV exceeds its purchase price, it's a good value on average. Standard packs often have negative EV, meaning buying specific cards is usually more cost-effective.
What are pack odds in MLB The Show?
Each pack type has published drop rates showing your probability of pulling each rarity. For example, a Standard pack might have a 5% chance of containing a Diamond card. ShowZone's Packs page shows all drop rates alongside real-time Expected Value calculations.
Parallel (PXP) is an experience system in that lets you permanently boost any player card's attributes by using them in games. As you accumulate PXP with a card, it progresses through Parallel levels (I through V), with each level adding +1 to all attributes. At Parallel V (), the card has +5 to every attribute, represented by a special rainbow border on the card art. New in MLB The Show 26: Parallel Mods allow you to customize the attribute boosts from parallels. When a mod is applied, the card follows the mod's boost path instead of the standard parallel bonuses.
How does Parallel XP work in MLB The Show?
Every at-bat, inning pitched, and defensive play earns PXP for the card you're using. As PXP accumulates, the card levels up through Parallels I-V. Each Parallel adds +1 to all attributes. Parallel V (Superfractor) requires the most XP but gives a total +5 boost and a distinctive rainbow card border.
What is the fastest way to earn Parallel XP?
Play on higher difficulties for an XP multiplier. Hitting home runs, extra-base hits, and Perfect/Perfect contact earn bonus PXP. For pitchers, strikeouts and perfect pitch inputs give extra XP. Use ShowZone's PXP Calculator to see exactly how much XP each card needs per level.
Passive Quirks were cosmetic indicators in older MLB The Show titles that showed when a player's attributes met certain thresholds (like high triggering a 'Bomber' tag) but provided no actual gameplay bonus. They were removed entirely from the game starting in MLB The Show 23. All quirks in the current game are active/situational quirks.
Do Passive Quirks still exist in MLB The Show?
No. Passive Quirks were removed in MLB The Show 23. San Diego Studios simplified the quirk system because there was widespread confusion about what Active vs Passive Quirks did. All remaining quirks in The Show 25 and 26 are active, situational quirks that trigger under specific in-game conditions.
The PCI (Plate Coverage Indicator) is the circular hitting cursor in MLB The Show that represents your bat's sweet spot and coverage area when using . The inner circle is your sweet spot (controlled by ), the outer circle is your reach (controlled by ), and you move the PCI to where you expect the pitch. Placing the PCI center on the ball with good timing produces the best contact.
What is the PCI in MLB The Show?
The PCI is your hitting reticle in Zone Hitting mode. You move it with the left stick to track the pitch. The inner ring is your sweet spot — contact there produces the hardest hits. The outer ring is your reach. Player attributes like Contact, Vision, and the opposing pitcher's H/9 all affect PCI size.
How do you improve PCI placement?
Practice in Custom Practice mode against different pitch types and speeds. Start with the PCI slightly up and in (where fastballs tend to live) and react to off-speed pitches by moving down. Keep your PCI centered and make small adjustments rather than chasing pitches across the zone.
Pennant Race is a mid-tier division in 's , positioned between the and Wild Card tiers. It represents the transition point where competition starts to intensify as you climb toward the higher divisions. Despite its prestigious-sounding name, Pennant Race is in the middle of the tier ladder, not near the top.
Where does Pennant Race rank in MLB The Show's divisions?
Pennant Race is the 4th of 8 divisions: Spring Training, Regular Season, All-Star, Pennant Race, Wild Card, Division Series, Championship Series, and World Series. It's a stepping stone from the casual early tiers into the more competitive upper divisions.
Perfect Perfect Grid is a ShowZone trivia game that tests your MLB The Show knowledge. Similar to popular sports grid games, you're presented with a grid of criteria and must identify players that match each cell. It's a daily challenge that's become a popular community activity for fans who want to test their card knowledge.
How do you play Perfect Perfect Grid?
Each day a new grid appears with different criteria in the rows and columns — like a specific team, position, or card series. Your goal is to identify a player card that satisfies both the row and column criteria for each cell. It's a fun way to test your knowledge of MLB The Show's card database.
Perfect/Perfect is the best possible result in MLB The Show's hitting engine, achieved when you time your swing perfectly and place the directly on the ball. A Perfect/Perfect hit produces the maximum possible exit velocity for that batter. The actual outcome — home run, line drive, fly out — is then determined by launch angle and direction of the hit, not just the exit velocity. Perfect/Perfect doesn't guarantee a hit, but it gives you the highest probability of a positive result. It's the gold standard of contact quality in the game.
What is Perfect/Perfect in MLB The Show?
Perfect/Perfect means your swing timing and PCI placement were both in the ideal zone. The result is maximum exit velocity off the bat, which typically means a home run for power hitters or a hard line drive for contact hitters. It's the best possible contact outcome in the game.
How do you get more Perfect/Perfect hits?
Practice your timing and PCI placement on higher difficulties. Use hitters with high Vision (for a bigger PCI) and high Contact (for a larger sweet spot). ShowZone's Perfect Perfect Grid is a fun way to test your MLB The Show knowledge while the actual skill comes from practice.
Pinpoint Pitching is the most precise pitching interface in MLB The Show, requiring you to trace a gesture pattern with the right stick and then time an accuracy meter. Successfully completing the gesture results in pinpoint accuracy on your pitch location. It offers the most control over pitch placement but demands consistent execution — bad gestures result in meatballs.
How does Pinpoint Pitching work in MLB The Show?
Select your pitch and location, then trace the required stick gesture pattern that appears on screen. After the gesture, time a final accuracy meter. The closer your trace matches the pattern and the better your meter timing, the more accurately the pitch hits your target. Pinpoint is the competitive standard for online play.
Is Pinpoint Pitching the best pitching method?
Pinpoint offers the highest accuracy ceiling and is used by most competitive players. However, it requires practice to master the gesture patterns for each pitch type. If you struggle with consistency, Meter Pitching is a reliable alternative with a lower execution barrier.
Platoon advantage refers to the statistical edge a batter has when facing a pitcher who throws from the opposite side — left-handed batters hit better against right-handed pitchers, and vice versa. In MLB The Show, this is reflected in separate and ratings for each handedness (Contact L/R, Power L/R). Smart lineup builders exploit platoon advantage by using pinch hitters and lineup substitutions.
What is platoon advantage in MLB The Show?
Platoon advantage means a batter performs better against opposite-handed pitching. Check a card's Contact Left vs Contact Right and Power Left vs Power Right stats. Many cards have significant splits, so platooning (subbing in a lefty against a righty pitcher) can give you a major edge in key at-bats.
Why are switch hitters valuable in MLB The Show?
Switch hitters bat from the opposite side of the pitcher automatically, meaning they always have platoon advantage regardless of who's on the mound. This eliminates the need to pinch hit in key situations. Cards with balanced Contact and Power from both sides are especially valuable for this reason.
ShowZone's Player Compare tool lets you place two or more player cards side by side to compare every attribute — hitting, pitching, , and baserunning stats — in a clear visual format. It highlights which player wins each stat category, making it easy to decide between two similar cards for your lineup or to evaluate upgrade options.
How do you compare players on ShowZone?
Go to the Player Compare page and search for the cards you want to compare. The tool displays all attributes side by side with visual indicators showing which player has the edge in each category. You can compare hitting, pitching, fielding, and baserunning stats all in one view.
Postseason cards in celebrate a player's outstanding playoff performance. These cards capture a player during a memorable postseason run — like a dominant or a ALCS/NLCS performance — with ratings reflecting that postseason's stats. They're released after the real MLB playoffs and often feature World Series heroes.
What are Postseason cards in MLB The Show?
Postseason cards represent players at their peak playoff performance. A player who dominates the World Series or has a legendary postseason run may receive a Postseason card with boosted ratings reflecting that performance. They're a sub-type of Flashback cards released late in the game cycle.
Power is a hitting attribute in MLB The Show split into Power Left and Power Right, representing a batter's ability to hit for extra bases and home runs against left-handed and right-handed pitching. Power primarily determines exit velocity and how far the ball travels when is made. It also slightly increases the inner sweet spot while marginally decreasing the outer PCI size.
What does Power do in MLB The Show?
Power determines the exit velocity and distance of your hits. Higher power means more extra-base hits and home runs, especially on Perfect/Perfect swings. Power Left applies versus lefty pitchers and Power Right versus righties. Cards with 100+ power are the most dangerous sluggers in the game.
Prime cards represent a player during their absolute best multi-year stretch in MLB — their prime years. Unlike cards (one season) or (career best), Prime cards capture the sustained excellence of a player's peak period. They typically feature premium ratings and are highly sought after for both gameplay and collector value.
What is a Prime card in MLB The Show?
A Prime card represents a player at their peak sustained performance — their best 2-3 year window. The ratings reflect that prime stretch rather than a single season. Prime cards are a sub-category of Flashback cards and are often among the best versions of a given player.
Programs are progression tracks that reward you with player cards, , and for completing , , and earning . They include Featured Programs, Inning Programs, Seasonal Programs, and programs. Programs are the primary way new content and top-tier cards are distributed throughout the game's lifecycle.
How do Programs work in MLB The Show?
Each program has an XP track with reward milestones. You earn program XP by completing specific missions, playing moments, or just playing Diamond Dynasty games. As you accumulate XP, you unlock rewards at each tier — with the best cards typically at the final milestone.
What is the fastest way to complete Programs?
Use ShowZone's Mission Optimizer to find cards that complete multiple missions across programs simultaneously. Focus on high-XP missions first, and stack program-eligible activities to earn XP toward multiple programs at once.
Prospect cards represent minor league players and top MLB prospects in . These cards feature young players who haven't yet established themselves in the majors, with ratings that project their potential rather than reflect proven MLB performance. Prospect cards are distinct from cards, which give prospects even higher projected ratings.
What is the difference between Prospects and Future Stars cards?
Prospect cards give minor leaguers moderate projected ratings based on their current development level. Future Stars cards take the top prospects and project them at their peak potential, resulting in much higher (often Diamond-level) ratings. Future Stars are more usable in competitive play.
Pulse Pitching is a pitching interface in MLB The Show where a pulsing circle expands and contracts around your target location. You press the button when the circle is at its smallest to achieve the most accurate pitch. It's a middle-ground option — easier than Pinpoint and Meter but more involved than Classic (which requires no timing at all).
How does Pulse Pitching work?
A circle pulses in and out around your pitch target. Press the button when the pulse is at its smallest point for maximum accuracy. If you press when it's expanded, the pitch will miss the target by a wider margin. It's a solid timing-based interface for players who want control without the complexity of Pinpoint.
Pure Analog is a control interface in MLB The Show for both hitting and pitching that uses analog stick gestures. For pitching, you pull down on the right stick to set then push up toward your target. For hitting, you flick the right stick to swing. It provides a satisfying physical feel that mimics the real motion of pitching and hitting.
How does Pure Analog pitching work?
Pull the right stick down to load your pitch, then push it up toward your target location. The accuracy depends on how straight and smooth your stick motion is. Pulling down further increases velocity but reduces control. It's a middle-ground option between Pulse (easiest) and Pinpoint (most precise).
ShowZone's PXP Calculator lets you calculate gains from game stats — input your plate appearances, hits, home runs, strikeouts, innings pitched, and the difficulty setting to see exactly how much PXP you earned. It also shows per-stat point values, difficulty multipliers ( through G.O.A.T.), and online bonuses to help you plan your grinding strategy efficiently.
How does ShowZone's PXP Calculator work?
Input your game stats (hits, HRs, strikeouts, innings, etc.), select your difficulty multiplier, and toggle online/offline. The calculator shows exactly how much PXP you earned from that game. Difficulty multipliers range from 1.0x (Rookie) to 3.5x (G.O.A.T.), with an additional 1.5x bonus for online games.
Quicksell is the action of instantly destroying a card in exchange for a guaranteed, tax-free Stub payout. Quickselling is permanent — the card is removed from your inventory and cannot be recovered. The Stub payout is determined by the card's rarity tier and (see ), not by current marketplace prices. Quickselling makes sense when a card's Community Market price (after the 10% ) nets you roughly the same as the quicksell value, when you need immediately, or when you're clearing low-value duplicates. Some also include an Exchange mechanic that operates similarly — the card is destroyed in exchange for Program toward that specific program, rather than for Stubs.
When should I quicksell a card vs. sell it on the marketplace?
Quicksell when the card's Community Market price — after the 10% marketplace tax — nets you roughly the same as the quicksell value. The marketplace just adds time and uncertainty without a meaningful Stub upside in that case. Use the marketplace instead when you're holding the card as an investment, waiting for the price to recover before a content drop, or when the post-tax sale price is well above the quicksell floor. Quicksell is also the right move when you need Stubs immediately or are clearing low-value duplicates.
Can I undo a quicksell?
No. Quicksell is permanent — the card is destroyed and cannot be recovered. SDS does not offer card restoration for accidental quicksells. Double-check before quickselling Diamonds, Live Series cards you might need for collections, or rare event/program rewards.
Are program exchanges the same as quickselling?
Operationally similar, mechanically different. Both destroy the card permanently and immediately. Quicksell pays out tax-free Stubs based on the card's rarity tier and overall (see Quicksell Value for the formula). Program exchanges pay out Program XP toward a specific program — useful for grinding to a milestone reward when you have spare cards. Always check an active program's exchange list before quickselling extras; you might earn more progress by exchanging them into the program instead.
Value is the guaranteed, tax-free Stub amount you receive for instantly discarding a card in . Quicksell values scale by within each rarity tier — for cards: Common (5), Bronze (25), Silver (50-150), Gold (400-1,500), and Diamond (3,000-10,000). Non-Live Series cards quicksell at 50% of these values. Quickselling is permanent — the card is destroyed.
What are the quicksell values in MLB The Show?
Quicksell values scale by OVR within each rarity. For Live Series: Common = 5, Bronze = 25, Silver = 50-150, Gold = 400-1,500, Diamond = 3,000-10,000. Higher-OVR cards within a tier quicksell for more. Non-core cards (Flashbacks, Legends) quicksell at half these values.
Should I quicksell cards or sell them on the marketplace?
Always check the marketplace first. Many cards sell for significantly more than their quicksell value. Only quicksell cards that are at minimum marketplace price (meaning they're worth the same on the market as their quicksell) or No Sell duplicates.
Ranked Seasons is 's competitive online mode where you play head-to-head games to climb a tiered ranking system. You advance through divisions — from Spring Training through Regular Season, , , Wild Card, Division Series, Championship Series, and ultimately — by winning games and accumulating rating points. Each tier offers rewards, with the best cards reserved for reaching World Series at 800 rating.
How does Ranked Seasons work in MLB The Show?
You play 9-inning online games against opponents of similar skill. Wins increase your rating while losses decrease it. As you climb through tiers, you earn rewards at each milestone. Reaching World Series (800 rating) earns the best rewards each season, with additional reward tiers at 900 and 1000.
What are the Ranked Seasons tiers?
The tiers from lowest to highest are: Spring Training, Regular Season, All-Star, Pennant Race, Wild Card, Division Series, Championship Series, and World Series. Each tier has a rating threshold and the game difficulty increases as you climb.
Every card in is assigned a rarity tier based on its : Common (below 65), Bronze (65-74), Silver (75-79), Gold (80-84), and Diamond (85-99). Rarity determines a card's range, marketplace price floor, and visual appearance. Diamond cards are the most valuable and feature a distinctive diamond-shaped badge on the card art. In MLB The Show 26, a new Red Diamond tier was introduced for cards rated 95 and above, distinguishing the truly elite cards from standard Diamonds (85-94).
What are the card rarity tiers in MLB The Show?
From lowest to highest: Common (below 65), Bronze (65-74), Silver (75-79), Gold (80-84), and Diamond (85+). Higher rarity means higher quicksell value and generally better in-game performance. During Roster Updates, a player crossing a rarity threshold (like Gold to Diamond) can dramatically change their market value.
What are the quicksell values for each rarity?
Quicksell values scale by overall rating within each tier. For Live Series cards: Common = 5 Stubs, Bronze = 25, Silver = 50-150 (depending on OVR), Gold = 400-1,500, Diamond = 3,000-10,000. Non-Live Series cards quicksell at 50% of these values. These quicksell values create a price floor on the marketplace.
Road to the Show (RTTS) is MLB The Show's single-player career mode where you create a custom player and guide them from high school through the minor leagues to MLB stardom. Starting in MLB The Show 25, your journey begins in high school with the option to attend college before being drafted. You control your player's development through training, gameplay decisions, and attribute progression.
What is Road to the Show in MLB The Show?
Road to the Show (RTTS) is a career mode where you create a player from scratch, choose their position and playstyle, and progress from amateur ball through the minor leagues to the Majors. You make decisions about training, relationships, and gameplay that shape your player's career arc. Two-way player support lets you pitch and hit like Ohtani.
Rookie cards in represent a player during their first MLB season. These cards have ratings based on that debut year's performance and are often lower-rated since most players don't peak as rookies. However, some exceptional debut seasons (like Rookie of the Year winners) can produce competitive Rookie cards.
What is a Rookie card in MLB The Show?
A Rookie card captures a player's first-year MLB performance. The ratings reflect their debut season stats. While most Rookie cards aren't top-tier, players who had exceptional rookie years (like major award winners) can have Rookie cards that are genuinely useful in Diamond Dynasty.
Roster Updates are periodic attribute adjustments that San Diego Studios applies to cards based on real-life MLB performance. During a Roster Update, players can be upgraded or downgraded in their ratings, and cards that cross a rarity threshold (like Gold to Diamond) see massive market value changes. Roster Updates are the biggest market-moving in .
When do Roster Updates happen in MLB The Show?
Attribute rating changes (upgrades and downgrades) happen approximately every 3 weeks. However, San Diego Studio does process position changes, call-ups, trades, and other roster transactions on a weekly basis. This schedule has been consistent for the past couple of years.
How do you predict Roster Updates?
ShowZone's Roster Update Predictor analyzes real-life stats, recent performance trends, and historical upgrade patterns to forecast which players are likely to go up or down. This helps you make informed investment decisions before each update.
ShowZone's Predictor analyzes real-life MLB performance data to forecast which cards are likely to be upgraded or downgraded in the next Roster Update. It shows predicted rating changes, the probability of rarity threshold crossings (like Gold to Diamond), and helps investors make informed decisions about which cards to buy before an update drops. The Roster Update Predictor was developed in partnership with LouisAnalysis, combining his analytical expertise with ShowZone's real-time data platform.
How accurate is ShowZone's Roster Update Predictor?
The Roster Update Predictor uses real MLB performance data and historical upgrade patterns to generate predictions. While no prediction is guaranteed, it provides data-driven insight into which players are trending up or down, helping you make smarter investment decisions ahead of each Roster Update.
Showdown is a challenge mode where you draft a squad and complete a series of mini- leading up to a final boss battle. Each mission you clear earns you perks like extra runs or better players for your squad. The goal is to defeat the final boss by coming back from a deficit within a limited number of outs.
How do you beat Showdowns in MLB The Show?
Focus on completing as many preliminary missions as possible to stack perks and runs before the final boss. Draft hitters with high power and vision for the boss fight. Having a larger run cushion going into the final showdown dramatically increases your chances of winning.
What are the rewards for completing Showdowns?
Showdown rewards vary by the specific Showdown but typically include player cards, packs, program XP, and Stubs. Some Showdowns are tied to specific programs where completing them earns significant progress toward that program's rewards. Check ShowZone's Showdowns page for current reward details.
Signature Series cards represent a player at the absolute peak of their career, combining their best attributes across all seasons into one premium card. These are typically 99-overall cards featuring the most iconic version of a Legend or Flashback player and are among the most powerful and prestigious cards in .
What makes Signature Series cards special in MLB The Show?
Signature Series cards take a player's best attributes from across their entire career and combine them into one card. This means you get the best version of that player that ever existed — peak power, prime speed, and career-best pitching attributes all on one card.
Situational Hitter is a quirk in MLB The Show that boosts a batter's attributes when there is a runner on third base with less than two outs. This specific trigger condition makes the hitter more dangerous in run-scoring opportunities — exactly the where driving in a run matters most. It's a -oriented quirk that pairs well with a high Clutch attribute.
What does the Situational Hitter quirk do?
Situational Hitter activates with a runner on third and less than two outs, boosting the batter's hitting attributes. It makes the player more effective in the most critical run-scoring situations. Stack it with a high Clutch attribute for maximum effect in high-leverage at-bats.
Speed is an attribute in MLB The Show that determines how fast a player runs the bases and covers ground in the field. High-speed players can steal bases more effectively, take extra bases on hits, leg out infield singles, and cover more range defensively. Related baserunning attributes include Baserunning Ability, Baserunning Aggression, and Stealing.
How important is Speed in MLB The Show?
Speed creates pressure on the defense and opens up scoring opportunities. Fast players can steal bases, go first-to-third on singles, and leg out close plays. Defensively, speed means more range in the outfield and at middle infield positions. It's especially valuable for center fielders and leadoff hitters.
A Stub Sale is a limited-time promotion where San Diego Studios discounts the real-money purchase price of in the MLB The Show store. During a Stub Sale, you get more Stubs per dollar than usual. These sales typically cause major marketplace fluctuations as an influx of purchased Stubs drives up card prices across the board.
What happens to the market during a Stub Sale?
Card prices typically rise during and after Stub Sales because more players have Stubs to spend. High-end cards see the biggest price jumps. Savvy players either sell their investments before the sale (to cash out at inflated prices) or stock up on cards before the sale is announced to ride the price wave up.
Stubs are the primary in-game currency in MLB The Show's mode. You earn Stubs by playing games, completing , selling cards on the marketplace, and quickselling items. Stubs are used to buy , purchase players from the marketplace, and enter certain game modes. They can also be purchased with real money, though most content is achievable without spending. ShowZone provides the most comprehensive Stubs-earning toolkit in the community, from market to collection cost optimization.
How do you earn Stubs in MLB The Show?
You earn Stubs through gameplay (every game awards Stubs), completing programs and missions, selling cards on the marketplace, quickselling unwanted items, and flipping cards for profit. ShowZone's Flipping tool can help you identify the most profitable cards to flip for maximum Stub earnings.
What is the fastest way to get Stubs?
Marketplace flipping (buying low and selling high) is the fastest Stub-earning method for experienced players. For newer players, completing Conquest maps, programs, and collections provides large Stub payouts. Check ShowZone's Flipping tool for real-time profit opportunities.
Supercharged is a temporary attribute boost applied primarily to cards when a player has an exceptional real-life MLB performance. When a player hits multiple home runs, throws a no-hitter, or has a standout game, their card may become Supercharged with dramatically boosted ratings for 3 days. The card displays a special lightning/battery icon indicating the boost is active. ShowZone's Player Database includes a Supercharged filter so you can quickly see all currently boosted cards.
What does Supercharged mean in MLB The Show?
Supercharged is a temporary 3-day buff applied after a real-life standout performance. The card gets a massive attribute boost (sometimes jumping to 99 overall) that can make lower-rated cards temporarily Diamond-level usable. Promo cards can also receive Supercharged boosts. It's a fun mechanic that rewards you for following real baseball.
How do you know if a card is Supercharged?
Supercharged cards display a lightning/battery icon on the card and in your inventory. You can also check the official MLB The Show social media accounts, which announce Supercharged players after notable real-life performances. ShowZone's Player Database flags currently Supercharged cards so you can quickly find them.
Superfractor is the highest parallel level in MLB The Show, unlocked after earning 10,000 PXP () with a single card. It's a significant grind that rewards dedicated players with maximum attribute boosts and a distinctive card art treatment. Reaching Superfractor also unlocks the highest-level Parallel Mods, giving you additional customization options for that card's attribute boosts.
What does Superfractor mean in MLB The Show?
Superfractor means a card has reached Parallel V, the highest parallel level. The card gains +5 to all attributes beyond its base ratings and gets a special rainbow border. It takes thousands of at-bats or innings to Superfractor a card, making it a badge of commitment to that player.
How long does it take to Superfractor a card?
It varies by card and how you play, but expect hundreds of at-bats for a hitter or dozens of starts for a pitcher. Playing on higher difficulties multiplies PXP gains (up to 3.5x on G.O.A.T. difficulty), and online games give a 1.5x bonus. Use ShowZone's PXP Calculator to estimate exactly how many games it will take based on your typical stats.
Team Affinity is a program system where each MLB team has its own progression track with rewards. You earn Team Affinity by playing games with players from that team, completing team-specific , or exchanging cards. Each Team Affinity program rewards player cards exclusive to that team, with multiple reward tiers as the program cycles through seasons.
How does Team Affinity work in MLB The Show?
Each MLB team has a Team Affinity program with milestones. Earn progress by using that team's players in games, completing moments, or exchanging cards. As you hit milestones, you unlock exclusive cards tied to that team's history. Team Affinity is released in seasons throughout the game cycle, with each season adding new reward tiers.
What are the best Team Affinity rewards?
Team Affinity rewards improve each season, with later seasons offering 97-99 overall cards. Finest cards are often the final Team Affinity season rewards. Check ShowZone's Programs page for current reward details and player ratings for all Team Affinity cards.
The Team Builder is ShowZone's lineup optimization tool for . You select each position and assign the player card you want there, building your roster slot by slot. Pro subscribers can auto-generate entire teams based on their synced inventory — the tool analyzes your owned cards and fills every position with the optimal choice using or ratings. It's one of the most impactful features for MLB The Show players, letting you see exactly how your lineup stacks up and where to improve.
How does ShowZone's Team Builder work?
Search the entire player database, filter by position, attributes, or card type, and select positions and assign players into your lineup slots. The Team Builder shows your team's overall ratings and helps identify weak spots. Use the Generate Team feature to auto-fill the best available players, or build from scratch.
Can I save teams on ShowZone's Team Builder?
Yes. Logged-in ShowZone users can save and load multiple team lineups. You can also export team graphics to share your roster on social media or with friends. The Team Builder supports Captain selection so you can see how Captain boosts affect your lineup.
A Theme Team is a roster built around a specific concept — most commonly a single MLB franchise (like an all-Yankees or all-Dodgers team), but also era-based teams, all- squads, or country-of-origin rosters. Theme Teams are a popular way to express fandom and add variety to Diamond Dynasty, and ShowZone's All-Time Teams page helps you find the best cards for any franchise theme.
What is a Theme Team in MLB The Show?
A Theme Team is a roster where every player shares a common theme — usually a specific MLB team. For example, an All-Time Yankees Theme Team would use the best available Yankees cards at every position. ShowZone's All-Time Teams page shows optimized rosters for every franchise.
Which MLB team has the best Theme Team?
The Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals typically have the strongest Theme Teams because they have the most Legends in the game. However, the best Theme Team shifts throughout the year as new content is released. Check ShowZone's All-Time Teams page to compare every franchise's roster and use Captains with team-specific boosts to make any Theme Team more competitive.
Topps Now cards commemorate standout real-life MLB performances from the current week or series. When a player has a memorable game — like a walk-off homer or a no-hitter — they may receive a Topps Now card with boosted ratings reflecting that performance. These cards are released periodically and feed into the Spotlight Program (formerly ) .
How do you get Topps Now cards in MLB The Show?
Topps Now cards are released through dedicated Moments that recreate the real-life performance. Complete the associated Moment challenges to earn each card. Collecting Topps Now cards from a given month is part of the Spotlight Program progression, leading to the Lightning card reward.
True Overall™ is a trademarked, proprietary rating system owned by ShowZone that recalculates every player card's overall by weighting attributes based on what actually matters for their position. Unlike the in-game Overall which treats all attributes equally, True Overall emphasizes the stats that determine real performance — like and for pitchers, or and for hitters — giving you a more accurate picture of a card's actual value. True Overall™ is exclusive to ShowZone and cannot be found on any other MLB The Show resource.
How is True Overall calculated in MLB The Show?
True Overall™ uses a deep neural network trained to match San Diego Studio's own rating system as closely as possible — the key difference is that it removes the 99 overall cap. This means True Overall doesn't produce different once the 99 cap is removed numbers from the in-game rating; it reveals what the rating would be if there were no ceiling. Two cards that both show 99 in-game might be a 99.2 and a 103.7 in True Overall, making the real gap between them clear.
Why is True Overall different from the in-game Overall?
The in-game Overall weights all attributes roughly equally, which inflates cards that have high defensive stats or irrelevant attributes. True Overall corrects this by only counting what matters for each position. A pitcher with high fielding but mediocre pitching stats might be 95 OVR in-game but only 88 True Overall.
Unfazed is a batting quirk in MLB The Show that boosts a hitter's attributes when batting with two strikes. When the count reaches two strikes, Unfazed activates and increases the batter's size, making it easier to foul off pitches and put the ball in play in two-strike counts. It's a valuable quirk for hitters who need to be tough outs.
What does Unfazed do in MLB The Show?
Unfazed is a hitting quirk that activates when the batter has two strikes. It boosts contact-related attributes, giving you a larger PCI to work with in two-strike counts. This makes the batter harder to strike out and more likely to battle through tough at-bats.
Veteran cards represent a player during their late-career years — the twilight of their playing days. These cards capture the savvy, experience-based performance of aging players rather than their physical peak. Veteran cards often feature beloved players in their final seasons and are popular with fans who remember watching those players wind down iconic careers.
What is a Veteran card in MLB The Show?
A Veteran card represents a player in the later stages of their MLB career. The ratings reflect their late-career abilities — often lower raw athleticism but still solid performance from a seasoned player. They're part of the Flashback card family.
Vision (officially Plate Vision) is a hitting attribute in MLB The Show that determines the size of your outer ring. Higher vision gives you a larger PCI, making it easier to track pitches and make . On higher difficulties where the PCI shrinks, vision becomes one of the most important hitting attributes in the game.
Why is Vision important in MLB The Show?
Vision controls how large your PCI (batting cursor) appears. On All-Star difficulty and above, PCI size shrinks significantly, so high-vision hitters have a meaningful advantage. Many competitive players prioritize Vision alongside Contact and Power when building their lineup.
In 's , World Series is the highest named division, requiring a rating of 800 or above (lowered from 900 in MLB The Show 25). Reaching World Series earns exclusive reward cards, including a World Series Choice Pack, that are among the best and rarest in the game. Additional reward tiers exist at 900 and 1000 (G.O.A.T.) for top competitors.
How do you make World Series in MLB The Show?
Reach a rating of 800 or higher in Ranked Seasons by winning online games. You'll need a strong team and sharp gameplay skills. The journey takes you through multiple tiers — Spring Training through Championship Series — before reaching World Series. Each season offers unique reward cards at the World Series threshold and above.
XP (Experience Points) is the universal experience currency earned through gameplay. You earn XP by playing games and completing , and that XP is the primary driver of progress through Innings (the year-long seasonal XP tracks). XP earned through gameplay is shared across every active mission requiring the same activity — a mission to 'earn 1000 XP with a hitter' in one program counts your XP earnings against every other active mission with that same requirement simultaneously. XP is distinct from Program XP (program-specific currency that does NOT transfer between programs) and / PXP (card-specific experience for individual Parallel rank progression).
What's the best way to earn XP in Diamond Dynasty?
The best way is by working through active programs — programs bundle missions that all award XP toward the same gameplay activities you're already doing. The ShowZone Programs tracker lists every active program with its total available XP, so you can prioritize the highest-XP programs first. Pair that with the Mission Optimizer (Pro) to identify the cards that complete the most missions across multiple programs simultaneously — since XP from gameplay is shared across every active mission with the same requirement, a single at-bat can stack progress on multiple objectives at once.
What's the difference between XP, Program XP, and Parallel XP?
XP is universal experience earned through gameplay — it's shared across every active mission requiring the same activity, and it's the primary driver of Innings program progress. Program XP is program-specific currency awarded by completing missions inside a particular program; it doesn't transfer between programs (a program might require 100 Program XP to finish, awarded by that program's missions only). Parallel XP (PXP) is per-card experience that levels up a single card's Parallel rank for permanent attribute boosts and Parallel Mod unlocks.
Is XP shared across programs?
Yes — XP earned through gameplay applies to every active mission requiring the same activity. If you have an active mission to 'earn 1000 XP with a hitter' in one program AND another program with the same mission, your XP earnings count toward both at once. Program XP, however, is NOT shared — once earned through a program-specific mission, it only counts toward that program's reward path.
What's the difference between XP and Parallel XP?
XP is the universal experience currency earned through general gameplay and applied across active missions + Innings program progress. Parallel XP (PXP) is card-specific — accumulated by using one specific card in games. PXP levels up that card's Parallel rank for permanent attribute boosts, and once it crosses specific thresholds you can apply Parallel Mods. See Parallel XP for full PXP mechanics.
Zone Hitting is the most skill-based batting interface in MLB The Show, where you manually control the (Plate Coverage Indicator) to track and make with pitches. Unlike which automates placement, Zone Hitting rewards precise PCI positioning and timing. It's the standard for competitive online play because it gives the player full control over their at-bats.
Should I use Zone Hitting or Directional Hitting?
Zone Hitting is recommended for anyone who wants to improve and compete online. It has a steeper learning curve but gives you full control over where your bat goes. Directional Hitting is easier for beginners but has a lower ceiling. Virtually all competitive players use Zone Hitting.
What are the best PCI settings for Zone Hitting?
Most competitive players use a visible inner and outer PCI with center dot enabled. The wedge or pointed PCI shape is popular because it helps with placement without being too cluttered. Experiment with PCI opacity and color in Custom Practice to find what works for your eyes. Turn off PCI fade for the clearest view.