MLB The Show 26 Stubs: Should You Buy Players or Packs for Maximum ROI?
What Does “ROI” Mean in MLB The Show 26?
ROI (return on investment) in MLB The Show 26 is basically asking:
How many stubs do I get back compared to what I spent?
In practice, ROI comes from a few sources:
- Pulling valuable cards and selling them
- Buying players at the right price and selling higher later
- Completing collections that unlock cards worth more than what you paid
- Saving stubs by not wasting them on low-value packs
The key thing to understand is that most pack openings don’t produce a “profit.” Most profit comes from smart market decisions.
Are Packs Worth Buying With Stubs?
Most of the time, no.
Packs are built around probability, and the odds are designed so that the average player loses stubs over time. Even if you pull something decent, you often won’t pull enough value to beat the cost of the pack bundle.
A lot of players get fooled by big pulls they see online. What you don’t see is the other 50 packs where they got nothing useful.
What usually happens when you buy packs
If you spend 75,000 stubs on a pack bundle, your results usually look like:
- Mostly low-tier players
- A few golds
- Maybe a low diamond if you’re lucky
- A quicksell total that’s far below what you spent
Even when you get a diamond, it might be a low-priced one that doesn’t cover your pack cost.
So if your goal is maximum ROI, buying packs is usually the worst use of stubs.
When Do Packs Actually Make Sense?
Packs can still be worth it in a few specific cases.
1. When packs are earned for free
Free packs are always worth opening because you didn’t invest stubs. Programs, conquest maps, mini seasons, ranked rewards, and events all throw packs at you. Opening those is part of normal progression.
The key difference is that free packs are “bonus value,” while buying packs is “investment risk.”
2. When a special pack has a predictable floor value
Some packs (like choice packs) can hold value better because they guarantee a certain tier. If the worst possible pull still sells for close to the pack cost, the risk is lower.
That said, the market adjusts quickly. If everyone buys the pack, supply increases, prices drop, and the pack stops being profitable.
3. When you are chasing a collection and value doesn’t matter
If you’re close to completing a collection and you just want cards, packs can save time. But even then, buying the exact players you need is usually cheaper than hoping packs give you the missing pieces.
Is Buying Players the Better Stub Strategy?
Yes, almost always.
Buying players gives you control. Packs don’t.
When you buy a player from the market, you know exactly what you’re getting. If you buy at a good price, you can also resell later with limited loss, or sometimes even profit.
Why buying players is usually higher ROI
- You avoid bad RNG
- You can target positions you actually need
- You can buy during market dips
- You can sell when prices rise (like after roster updates or new collections)
This is why experienced players build teams through the market, not through pack luck.
Should You Buy Players Now or Wait?
This depends on where the game is in its content cycle, but the market usually follows predictable patterns.
Best times to buy players
- After a big content drop (prices dip because people pull cards)
- During flash sales (temporary market crashes)
- Late at night (fewer buyers, sometimes cheaper cards)
- After a pack-heavy program releases
Worst times to buy players
- Right before a new collection drops (prices inflate)
- During hype around a new card series
- When everyone is buying for Ranked Season or Events
A common mistake is buying a card right when it’s trending, then watching it drop 30% a week later.
Are Live Series Players a Good Stub Investment?
Live Series cards are a unique case.
They’re often overpriced early in the year because people want to finish collections. But they can also be a stable investment because they stay relevant for major collection rewards.
How Live Series ROI works
If you buy Live Series players to complete collections, you’re not buying them to flip. You’re buying them because the collection reward is worth it long-term.
The ROI isn’t stub profit. The ROI is getting a high-end reward card that stays usable for months.
But if you’re not focused on collections, Live Series cards can be risky because their prices can drop as more people pull them.
What About Flipping Players for Profit?
Flipping is still one of the best ways to grow stubs without spending money, but it takes patience.
Flipping means buying a card at the buy-now/buy-order low price, then selling it at the sell-now high price. You profit from the gap.
What players flip most successfully
- Gold and low diamonds with high volume
- Event cards when events are active
- Cards tied to missions or programs
- Players people need for exchanges
Common flipping mistake
Many players only look at the profit gap and forget about the 10% tax. If the margin isn’t big enough, you lose stubs even if you sell higher.
Flipping is usually better ROI than packs, but it requires consistent attention.
Should You Spend Stubs on a Full Team or One Star Player?
Most players waste stubs by buying one expensive card and leaving the rest of the roster weak.
In practice, you win more games by building a balanced lineup.
Better ROI approach
Instead of buying one 150k stub card, you might be better off buying:
- Two strong starting pitchers
- A bullpen upgrade
- Two solid hitters with good swing animations
Gameplay matters. A well-rounded team performs better than a roster with one superstar and several weak spots.
Also, expensive cards drop in price faster, especially if they’re not collection-locked.
What If You’re Buying Stubs With Real Money?
If you’re spending real money, the same logic still applies: packs are still usually a bad return.
If your goal is to build a team efficiently, you want stubs so you can buy specific cards, not gamble them away.
A lot of players also search for where to buy MLB 26 stubs because they want to skip grinding, but even then, the best use of those stubs is almost always buying players directly off the market.
How Do You Get the Most Value Out of Your Stubs?
The best stub strategy is usually a combination of three habits:
1. Earn free packs but don’t buy packs
Open everything you earn from gameplay. Sell what you don’t need. But avoid spending stubs on pack bundles unless the pack has a strong guaranteed value.
2. Buy players during dips
Watch the market after big content drops. Prices fall when supply floods the market. That’s when buying makes sense.
3. Focus on cards that hold value
Collection-related cards and meta cards hold value longer. Random mid-tier diamonds usually crash quickly when better content arrives.
So, Should You Buy Players or Packs in MLB The Show 26?
If you care about maximum ROI, the answer is clear:
Buying players is almost always better than buying packs.
Packs are entertainment. Players are investment.
Packs can be fun, and sometimes you’ll hit something big. But over time, buying packs with stubs usually drains your currency and slows down team building.
If you want the most efficient path to a strong roster, spend stubs on players you actually want, buy when the market dips, and let free packs be your “lottery tickets.”