Posted: May 22, 2026
Views: 31Although the recent reception for MLB The Show 26 has been somewhat mixed, if you intend to keep playing, you'll need to actively participate in every new program released to bolster your team roster!
Among the popular programs launched this week are Mural Program and Rivalry Weekend Recap. While the former is part of a larger, more extensive series, the latter, though smaller in scale, offers several excellent free player cards!
In this guide, we'll walk you through the complete Rivalry Weekend Recap Program, ensuring you don't miss out on a single player card reward!
Rivalry Weekend Recap Program duration
This program went live this Wednesday, May 20th. The exact end date has not yet been announced; however, judging by its scope, it is expected to run for approximately 1 to 2 weeks.
Therefore, to play it safe, we recommend earning enough Program XP to unlock all rewards within the span of a single week if possible.
What rewards can you earn?
Rivalry Weekend Recap Program reward path consists of five tiers, each awarding a specific player card. This means you don't have to worry about the randomness of card packs resulting in duplicate players or cards of low value!
Unlocking all rewards requires earning a total of 50 XP, with a new card awarded for every 10 XP accumulated:
- 10 XP: Edgar Quero
- 20 XP: Tyrone Taylor
- 30 XP: Munetaka Murakami
- 40 XP: Cam Schlittler
- 50 XP: Shohei Ohtani
The ultimate reward, Topps Now Shohei Ohtani card, boasts an impressive OVR 94. Furthermore, as a player for Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani is an incredibly popular figure in the sport.
In-game, this card features excellent stats across the board, covering Power, Contact, Pitching, Baserunning, and Versatility, making it an ideal addition to your roster.
How to earn rewards?
Rivalry Weekend Recap Program offers two primary methods for earning XP: Missions and Moments. Completing all available missions yields 41 XP, while completing all moments yields 34 XP.
Since the total available XP adds up to 75, you are free to mix and match Missions and Moments based on your personal preferences or areas of expertise, provided, of course, that you earn at least 50 XP in total.
Below are the names of all missions, their specific requirements, and the corresponding XP rewards:
| Mission | Mission Requirement | XP Reward |
|---|---|---|
| HR w/Catchers | Hit 3 home runs with Catchers | 5 Program XP |
| HR w/Left Fielders | Hit 3 home runs with Left Fielders | 5 Program XP |
| HR w/First Basemen | Hit 3 home runs with First Basemen | 5 Program XP |
| Ks w/Yankees Pitchers | Record 9 strikeouts with any Yankees pitcher | 5 Program XP |
| XBH w/Dodgers | Hit 5 extra-base hits with any Dodgers player | 5 Program XP |
| PXP w/Topps Now Series Players | Earn 2,000 PXP cumulatively with Topps Now Series players | 3 Program XP |
| PXP w/Topps Now Series Players (Advanced) | Earn 4,000 PXP cumulatively with any Topps Now Series player | 3 Program XP |
| PXP w/Rivalry Weekend Program Players | Earn 1,000 PXP cumulatively with any Rivalry Weekend Program player | 5 Program XP |
| PXP w/Any Players | Earn 10,000 PXP cumulatively with any player | 5 Program XP |
Below are all the moments. With the exception of the final one, which offers 10 Program XP, all others award 3 XP:
- Schlittler Silences the Mets
- Murakami Goes Deep Twice
- Harper Takes on Skenes
- Taylor Stuns the Yankees
- Quero Walks It Off
- Arraez Owns the Bay
- Ohtani Fuels the Freeway Series
- Sheets Crushes Seattle
- OPTIONAL EXTREME: Guardians Go Yard
To complete this final moment, which is more difficult but offers a higher XP reward, you must hit multiple home runs using Cleveland Guardians players.
To achieve this, it is highly recommended that you first buy MLB 26 stubs on IGGM to acquire powerful hitters. After all, the rewards within Rivalry Weekend Recap Program do not include Stubs or Cleveland Guardians players.
Generally speaking, players who belong to All-Time Best rosters, or pitchers capable of throwing fastballs while ahead in the count, make for excellent choices.
Building upon this foundation, you must also master the precise positioning and timing of your PCI to successfully complete this specific Moment with the fewest possible attempts.
The best strategy for unlocking rewards
While Guardians Go Yard Moment is notoriously difficult to complete, the other eight Moments are relatively straightforward; therefore, you should prioritize completing all of them first to earn 24 XP.
This approach leaves you needing to earn just 26 additional XP to reach your goal. To achieve this, as you progress through the various missions, you may opt to skip the optional and often extremely difficult Home Run challenges.
However, if you do possess the skill to complete Home Run Challenges, it is highly advisable to stack your lineup with as many eligible players as the restrictions allow, aiming to complete multiple Home Run Missions within a single game whenever possible.
Furthermore, when earning PXP using Topps Now Series players, the most efficient strategy is to accumulate 4,000 PXP in a single session, as this allows you to instantly complete two separate missions simultaneously.
It is anticipated that over the coming months, MLB The Show 26 will continue its current cadence of releasing one or two minor programs each week, while simultaneously maintaining ongoing updates for its various monthly series.
Although this approach has drawn some criticism from the player base, it appears the developers currently have no plans to alter their strategy. Consequently, the best course of action for you is simply to buckle down and complete all the new programs as they become available!
