Custom Stadiums are a great way to decrease the grind in MLB The Show 26. There, I said it. And it’s true: shorter fences and smaller grounds make it astronomically easier to hit those home runs. But is that really a bad thing? Well, every game needs a grinding aspect. Whether it’s grinding for cosmetics or better cards, games can get boring without it.
On the flip side, players will argue that it is optional and beneficial for the casual player. So today, I’m going to break it down. How does the use of Custom Stadiums decrease the grind in MLB The Show 26, and what are the effects of this on the larger playerbase? Stick around to find out.
Smaller Stadiums Mean Easier Runs
Operation Sports App
Your ultimate companion for sports gaming. Access in-depth coverage, thoughtful discussion, and a community built around the games—and sports—you love.
Your ultimate sports gaming companion.
Whenever someone uses a custom stadium, it is usually to make it shorter. This is a great way to ensure you’re getting in those home runs and finishing missions efficiently. It’s not just about the distance; players will often thin out the air, lower fence height, and even change the angles of a stadium.
Once you’re using a custom stadium with all these adjustments, things get far easier. Players can stack multiple programs simultaneously, play at greater difficulties, and use mediocre lineups against top-tier teams. While all of this is great and really helpful to the average player in order to progress, it has a few drawbacks as well.
Easier Progression Kills The Grind
The first drawback is pretty simple: if you’re constantly progressing without having to grind different game modes, the game will lose its appeal pretty fast. You’ll keep receiving higher-tier cards to the point you unlock the 99 OVRs. Once that’s done, there’s not much to do in the game except repeatable modes or waiting for new content.
This ties into another issue: if higher-value cards are easier to get, they will start to lose their value. The reason why certain cards are so expensive on the market is that players had to grind a lot to get them. If those cards became more accessible, they would drop in value significantly. A simple principle of supply and demand.
No one’s saying this is bound to happen or you shouldn’t use custom stadiums because of this, but it would definitely affect the meta constantly. This would result in cards becoming unobtainable through offline game modes, making it a lot harder for players who do not play ranked mode. That brings me to drawback number 2.
The Ranked Dilemma
The biggest problem players face after using custom stadiums is the introduction to ranked games. In ranked games, you’re bound to use a specific stadium, meaning you cannot control its dimensions. Many players who are accustomed to using custom stadiums struggle when dipping their toes into ranked mode.
Most don’t bother learning ranked mode and stick to offline game modes. This decreases the pool of players in the ranked ladder, another effect San Diego Studios doesn’t want to see. Again, I want to emphasize that this doesn’t mean players should be forced into playing ranked games. But if this feature of custom stadiums isn’t regulated, it could grow into a major concern.
Control Your Grind
I mentioned at the start how custom stadiums allow players to control the pace of their progression in a way. You could use easier stadiums as the start, and move to normal stadiums once you’ve established a team. Otherwise, you also lose out on playing in some of the best stadiums.
But regardless of the path you choose, completely eliminating the grind aspect of MLB The Show 26 would be foolish. Make sure you’re leaving ample room to grow and hone your skills in offline games, so that you can take those skills into ranked games. Otherwise, you might just restrict yourself to offline game modes for the future.
Published: Apr 3, 2026 04:30 pm