Modern sports games all include a form of in-game currency that can be earned and bought, usually to improve your career mode player or online mode teams. In 2K, there is virtual currency, for example, but in MLB The Show, the in-game currency is known as stubs.
Below, you will find the best ways to earn stubs in MLB The Show 22 with a focus on the quickest and most efficient ways to harvest stubs. Note that you gain stubs simply from playing the game, regardless of the mode, but some are more rewarding than others.
Of course, you can simply purchase stubs using real money through the online store, but this is not recommended.
1. Play online modes
There are multiple online modes to play, mainly through Diamond Dynasty though you can play an online exhibition game outside of DD. Playing one of the online modes – where you play against other gamers – will net you more stubs and experience. However, particularly if playing ranked season matches, you will have to be an elite player to advance very far.
Still, there are two other online modes that mitigate most of the skill discrepancy: Battle Royale and Events. In Battle Royale, you draft a team and aim to defeat other teams drafted by gamers. It is a double elimination tournament so if you lose twice, you’re out! Still, the stubs gained for playing a game and reaching certain markers in the program is a quick way to increase stubs. There is an entry fee, though the first Battle Royale you participate in is free.
Events are, as the name suggests, time-sensitive events which will have varied and sometimes unique team construction requirements. Some events will have an overall rating max, others where you play with only bronze and silver players, and others where it’s only lefty batters. Each event has its own unique rewards for doing well, such as the above Rookie Honus Wagner, but there are stubs bonuses along the way!
2. Play the Challenge of the Week
Mentioned before, the Challenge of the Week can be an easy way to quickly build up some stubs. Each week, a new challenge will appear where you will always use the batter and attempt to rack up a high score against the chosen pitcher. While first through third places win actual MLB memorabilia – a lot of Shohei Ohtani thus far in the early season – fourth through 40th places will earn stubs bonuses of at least ten thousand!
If your goal is the stubs and not the memorabilia, pay attention to the leaderboard and aim to place within the parameters shown in the first picture. The good news is you can try as many times as you want to place a high score, so don’t get frustrated if you’re struggling. If you find one to be particularly difficult, come back the next week to see if you fare better.
3. Focus on the main Program in Diamond Dynasty
When it comes to earning stubs from just playing, focus on the main program in Diamond Dynasty. The first program of the year was Faces of the Franchise.
There will be Daily Moments for quick and easy experience to add to the program, plus small collections and player-associated missions that will also add experience. For the latter in particular, you’ll gain stubs by playing while trying to complete these missions. As will be discussed in more detail below, each main program also comes with at least one Showdown and Conquest map, respectively, though in many cases there will be two of each.
Completing the associated Showdowns and Conquest maps will also add huge chunks of experience to the program, unlocking stubs bonuses – like the 2,500 pictured – along the way.
4. Play Showdown in Diamond Dynasty
Showdown is a unique mode in Diamond Dynasty where you draft a team, employ perks, and try to pass the various challenges presented to you against CPU controlled teams. These can include totaling four bases in two innings, hitting a home run in three innings, or striking out the side, among many others. It’s OK to fail these, though you will miss a chance to improve your drafted team. There are also elimination challenges where you will be eliminated from the Showdown should you fail.
Aside from the Starter Showdown, other Showdowns will have an entry fee, usually 500 stubs. Just look at it as an investment; you should be able to make many times more than 500 stubs should you successfully complete each challenge and eventually, complete the Showdown. You will receive a bit of stubs for each challenge you complete, for example, and sometimes packs of cards.
Non-Starter Showdowns will also add a good chunk of experience – usually 15 thousand or more – to the program it’s associated with. Stubs bonuses will be in the programs, so you could gain even more stubs quickly depending on when you complete the Showdown and the reward path of the program.
You can play Showdowns multiple times, but the associated bonuses will only apply the first time.
5. Play Conquest maps – multiple times if necessary
Conquest is a mode where you control territories with “fans” and attempt to take over other teams’ territories and “strongholds” to conquer the map. While you can simulate territorial games, strongholds must be played to take over in three-inning games. Keep an eye out for those maps that have time limits on them, like the above Faces of the Franchise West Conquest map.
Each map will have its own set of challenges for you to complete, some repeatable so that you can play the map multiple times. When on the map, hit Triangle or Y to bring up the goals list. You’ll see that nearly every goal will come with stubs bonuses. However, only ones listed as repeatable will reward you with stubs again. Most of the repeatable missions will result in packs of cards, though if you collect enough, you can also earn stubs…
6. Complete Collections and sell off duplicate cards
In The Show 22, you can collect not only the cards of baseball players, but also equipment, stadiums, uniforms, and more. Most will come from just playing the game, though the higher the tier of card, the rarer it is to receive. From gameplay experience, Live Series Mike Trout was only pulled once from packs since Trout made his debut, though others pull Trout every year!
Each collection will have benchmarks that, when hit, will always reward you with stubs. Some are paltry, 50 stubs, but they build up over time. Live Series and the Legends & Flashbacks collections reward more stubs than uniforms or equipment, but are also more difficult to complete. Still, particularly if you’re not paying for packs and just using game rewards, collections are an easy way to build up stubs.
On a similar note, you may note that you have multiples of certain cards as you’re looking through your collection. You can quick sell them for the value MLB The Show places on the player rating, or you can list those players on the marketplace. Generally, higher rated players and cards will cost (significantly) more than others.
The above duplicate Jack Flaherty is a good example. As a gold player, Flaherty’s minimum cost to list was 1,000 stubs. He was listed at the lowest cost of 1,700 stubs (at the time) by a seller whereas those wishing to purchase Flaherty have put in a request of 1,450 stubs. If you wanted to sell your duplicate immediately, you would net 1,450 stubs. However, you can also post your own bid at below the 1,700 listed and above the 1,450 requested to try and gain even more stubs.
The market fluctuates, so keep an eye on your bids. Note that you can only place one price on a card; you will have to go and delete that bid before placing a new price.
Now you know the best ways to earn stubs in MLB The Show 22 without having to purchase them from the online store. Remember that you will gain stubs from playing no matter what. Which tip will be your go-to for harvesting stubs?