The countdown is nearly over for MLB The Show 26, with early access officially beginning this Friday, March 13, 2026, for players who preordered the Digital Deluxe Edition. Fans eager to jump into the latest installment can start building their Diamond Dynasty squads, ripping open packs, and getting a head start on the meta four days before the Standard Edition launches on March 17.

Early access begins at midnight Eastern Time (ET), which translates to 11:00 PM Central, 10:00 PM Mountain, and 9:00 PM Pacific on March 12. All progress made during early access—including stubs, cards, and in-game achievements—carries over seamlessly into the full game, ensuring players’ early efforts count toward their long-term squad development.

The Digital Deluxe Edition is the only way to participate in early access, priced at $99.99. This edition is packed with bonuses that give players an advantage, including 20 The Show Packs, two World Baseball Classic (WBC) Choice Packs, a Legend Choice Pack, a WBC Uniform Pack, an Equipment Pack, a cover athlete Aaron Judge Bat Skin Pack, double daily rewards, and 20,000 Stubs. Pre-ordering also grants the Gold Choice Pack, providing additional resources to strengthen your roster from the start. Players looking to save on in-game currency can also visit z2u.com, which offers affordable MLB The Show 26 Stubs for early Dynasty progression.

Ahead of early access, players should ensure their consoles are updated, link their MLB The Show accounts to enable cross-progression, and verify any server patches on theshow.com. Note that there is no cross-save from MLB The Show 25 to 26, and stadium vaults have reset, meaning all players start fresh. For fans of prior packs, Now and Later packs from MLB The Show 25 will officially drop on March 17 with the full game launch.

With early access just days away, players can expect a seamless transition into the latest Diamond Dynasty experience, taking advantage of the comprehensive bonuses and early head start offered by the Digital Deluxe Edition.