Alright folks, today I’m diving deep into snagging those sweet, sweet Program Stars in MLB The Show. Man, unlocking your favorite players this season feels like a bigger grind than ever, but I’ve found some ways to cut the time way down. Buckle up, this is how I attacked it head-on.
First Things First: Checkin’ The Program Paths
Right off the bat when I booted up the game, I didn’t just dive in blind. Learned that lesson last year, wasted so much time. So I hit pause and actually read the program paths carefully. Like, for real, took a minute. Focused on the specific players I absolutely had to have first – Soto was calling my name.
Jumpin’ Into Moments
Once I knew my targets, I immediately beelined for the Moments challenges. Gotta be honest, I used to hate ’em, thought they were finicky. But this season? They’re some of the absolute best bang for your buck on the Star front. Knocked out the ones linked to the players I wanted ASAP.
- Didn’t get fancy, stuck mostly to Rookie or Veteran difficulty where I could. Ain’t no shame in taking the easier path when you just need progress.
- If a Moment had multiple parts? I hit ’em all back-to-back to keep the momentum goin’.
Grinding Those Missions
After Moments, I pivoted hard to Missions. These are the real meat of the Star grind, gotta be efficient.
- Start blastin’ homers? That’s always satisfying. Loaded up a lineup of power guys suited for the current missions and ran Conquest games on Rookie.
- Stacked missions like crazy. “Hit 10 HRs with NL East players”? You bet I stuck Soto and Harper in my conquest squad while also workin’ towards “Total Bases”. Doubled up, tripled up whenever possible.
- Those repetitive stat missions (X number of innings pitched, X total bases)? Play vs CPU on Rookie at my favorite tiny park. Gets it done fast, and honestly, feels kinda relaxing sometimes.
Conquest: The Unsung Hero For XP
This one’s key for earning XP towards the big Star bundles at the end of each XP path. Loaded my roster with players tagged for both Program Missions and TA (Two Birds!). Played efficiently:
- Only fought strongholds when necessary, smashed the weak territories fast for quick reinforcements.
- Kept an eye on those mini-missions inside Conquest for bonus Stars!
Resources: Don’t Blow ‘Em Early
A rookie mistake I used to make? Blowing stubs on packs early season. Now? I’m ruthless about stub hoarding early on.
- Sold duplicate players and gear immediately in the Marketplace.
- Saved every stub possible. Why? Because later in the program, inevitably, a Showdown pops up. Needed those stubs to buy headliners directly, especially the absolute favorites, instead of gambling.
The Home Stretch & Celebratin’
As I got closer to unlocking Soto, I monitored how many Stars I still needed. Filled in the final gaps with whatever quick Missions or Moments were left. That final click to unlock him? Pure bliss.
So that’s the blueprint, people. Don’t waste time on stuff that doesn’t give Stars directly towards your goal early. Stack missions, play smart, save resources. Grind less, enjoy your squad more. Game on!
