Yesterday, 08:13 AM
The Vintage Program in MLB The Show 26 isn't a monster grind, but it does ask you to play with a plan. You're chasing a 100 XP reward path, a handful of useful cards, packs, stubs, and a bigger collection goal tied to Ketel Marte. If you're also managing your team build, market moves, or saving MLB 26 stubs for cards you can't pull, this is one of those programs where early progress pays off. Don't leave it sitting too long, because new events tend to pile up fast.
Quick Program Checklist
The program has 20 steps, and the pacing is easy to follow. Every 5 XP gives you something, even if it's just a pack or a small stub bump. The bigger card rewards come at key marks, so you'll want to keep moving rather than stopping after the first few packs.
Program XP
Main Reward20 XP
Luis Arraez
40 XP
Robbie Ray
60 XP
Michael Conforto
80 XP
Lou Gehrig
95 XP
Deluxe Vintage Pack
100 XP
Matt Carpenter
How the XP Grind Works
You don't need to complete every mission, which is nice. The mission pool offers more XP than the reward path requires, so there's room to skip the bits you hate. Basic goals like 31 hits, 18 strikeouts, 17 runs, 47 total bases, 6 homers, and 5 wins can be cleared just by playing. Then there are Parallel XP tasks for Vintage Series cards, Carlos Beltrán, Immortals items, and Jolt Series players. You'll very quickly notice that lineup choice matters more than raw difficulty.
Unlocking Vintage Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte is tied to the Vintage Collection, not just the reward path. That means finishing the 100 XP track helps, but it won't do the whole job by itself. You need 25 Vintage Series cards, pulling from names such as Derek Jeter, Chase Utley, Matt Carpenter, Larry Walker, Gary Sánchez, Joc Pederson, Gleyber Torres, Lou Gehrig, Nolan Arenado, Luis Arraez, Fred McGriff, Ubaldo Jiménez, and others. Some will come from the program. Others may need packs or market pickups.
Best Way to Finish It Without Burning Out
The smartest route is simple: stack everything. Put Vintage players in your squad, play Conquest when you need that win, and let hits, runs, total bases, and Parallel XP build at the same time. If you're short on collection pieces, it can make sense to check prices before you buy MLB 26 stubs or spend heavily on the marketplace, because early program cards often move around in value. Play a few focused sessions, keep the right cards on the field, and the Marte collection starts to feel a lot less annoying.
Quick Program Checklist
- Reach 100 Program XP to finish the main reward path.
- Earn rewards every 5 XP, including packs, stubs, Game XP, and player items.
- Use Vintage Series cards where possible to stack Parallel XP missions.
- Collect 25 Vintage Series cards to unlock Vintage Ketel Marte.
- Mix stat missions with Conquest or regular games instead of grinding one task at a time.
The program has 20 steps, and the pacing is easy to follow. Every 5 XP gives you something, even if it's just a pack or a small stub bump. The bigger card rewards come at key marks, so you'll want to keep moving rather than stopping after the first few packs.
Program XP
Main Reward20 XP
Luis Arraez
40 XP
Robbie Ray
60 XP
Michael Conforto
80 XP
Lou Gehrig
95 XP
Deluxe Vintage Pack
100 XP
Matt Carpenter
How the XP Grind Works
You don't need to complete every mission, which is nice. The mission pool offers more XP than the reward path requires, so there's room to skip the bits you hate. Basic goals like 31 hits, 18 strikeouts, 17 runs, 47 total bases, 6 homers, and 5 wins can be cleared just by playing. Then there are Parallel XP tasks for Vintage Series cards, Carlos Beltrán, Immortals items, and Jolt Series players. You'll very quickly notice that lineup choice matters more than raw difficulty.
Unlocking Vintage Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte is tied to the Vintage Collection, not just the reward path. That means finishing the 100 XP track helps, but it won't do the whole job by itself. You need 25 Vintage Series cards, pulling from names such as Derek Jeter, Chase Utley, Matt Carpenter, Larry Walker, Gary Sánchez, Joc Pederson, Gleyber Torres, Lou Gehrig, Nolan Arenado, Luis Arraez, Fred McGriff, Ubaldo Jiménez, and others. Some will come from the program. Others may need packs or market pickups.
Best Way to Finish It Without Burning Out
The smartest route is simple: stack everything. Put Vintage players in your squad, play Conquest when you need that win, and let hits, runs, total bases, and Parallel XP build at the same time. If you're short on collection pieces, it can make sense to check prices before you buy MLB 26 stubs or spend heavily on the marketplace, because early program cards often move around in value. Play a few focused sessions, keep the right cards on the field, and the Marte collection starts to feel a lot less annoying.