MLB 26 Guide: Five Tips for Pro Scouting and Drafting

This guide covers the most effective strategies for scouting and drafting in MLB 26 Franchise mode.

Tip 1: Set Your Scouts Up for Success

You have three scouts. Each should specialize.

Discovery Scout: Target at least 90 discovery (95+ ideal). Only the discovery rating matters. Efficiency, pitchers, and position players ratings have minimal impact. In a test class using a 97 discovery scout with nothing else above 75, all discovered players became top-five picks with 85+ potential.

Other Two Scouts: One requires 90+ Efficiency and 90+ Position Players (scouts only position players). The other requires 90+ Efficiency and 90+ Pitchers (scouts only pitchers). These three scouts perform the same role every year.

Tip 2: Identify Generational Prospects

Initial identification (may be patched): Look for age 18-19, 99 potential, and 77-83 overall. Open the player card. If maximum durability is exactly 85, the player is generational.

Example: Ryan Grady (18, 99 potential, 81 overall, 85 durability) = generational. Cesar Gonzalez (18, 99 potential, 77 overall, 66 durability) = not generational.

What to expect when scouting:

Week 1: Potential drops to 94-95. The game tries to trick you.

Week 2: Draft rank increases.

Week 3-4: Accurate ratings appear.

You do not need to scout generational prospects for 3-4 weeks. Identify them early using durability and spend time elsewhere.

Tip 3: Scout Pitchers by Region, Position Players Individually

Scouting percentages (90 efficiency scout for 18-year-olds):

Individual: 45% per week

Regional: 10% per week (nerfed from 15%)

Position players: Finding five players in the same region and position worth scouting is nearly impossible. Scout individually. Your goal is not to scout many players but to scout good players.

Pitchers: Scout by region. More pitchers are generated, and they fill out your draft class.

Recommended pitching strategy:

Weeks 1-5: International region (50% scouting)

Weeks 6-10: Central region (or East) (another 50%)

Weeks 11-14: Finish individual pitcher profiles from 50% to 100%

Tip 4: Always Be Discovering

Your discovery scout should discover players all 14 weeks.

Weeks 1-2: Discover in your primary pitching region.

Weeks 2-3: Switch to your secondary pitching region.

Cycle through infield, outfield, and regions for position players.

Discovery is high-risk, high-reward. In one test class, discovery alone produced a 70 overall with 93 potential (4th pick) and a 64 overall with 88 potential (5th pick). The best late-round picks often come from weeks 12-14.

Tip 5: Identify All Other Good Players

5.1 Mind the Gap

The gap = maximum potential − maximum overall. The gap remains the same from unscouted to drafted.

The maximum starting overall for 99% of players is 75 or 76. To get A potential (80+), you need a gap of at least 15 points.

Recommended gap ranges:

Acceptable: 15 to 35 points

Optimal: 20 to 30 points

First round: Do not scout gaps below 15

5.2 Look Only at Current Projections

Do not trust future ratings. Development is based purely on performance. Speed does not increase. Stealing, velocity, break, and stamina increase very little. Look only at the Present column.

5.3 Identify Semi-Generational Prospects

A new archetype. Found 12 times in 100 draft classes.

Characteristics: 98-99 potential, 63-73 overall, ages 18, 19, or 21.

Scouting pattern (similar to full generational):

Week 1: Potential drops to 94-95

Week 2: Scouts like the player more; rank increases

Week 3: Accurate ratings

Examples: Mark Henderson (21, 72 overall, 98 potential), Derek Voss (18, 72 overall, 99 potential), Marshall Holman (21, 65 overall, 99 potential).

Summary

Discovery Scout: Discovers all 14 weeks. High-risk, high-reward.

Pitcher Scout: Regional scouting (International, then Central/East) for 10 weeks, then finish individuals.

Position Player Scout: Individual scouting. Target players with 15-35 point gaps.

Generational prospects: 85 durability, age 18-19, 99 potential, 77-83 overall.

Semi-generational prospects: 63-73 overall, 98-99 potential, ages 18/19/21.

Good non-generational prospects: 15-35 point gap (20-30 optimal), 99 potential preferred.

Final Tips

The durability method for generational prospects may be patched. Do not scout by region for position players. Discovery is worth the risk. Never draft based on future projections. Use trends from weeks 1-2 to decide; three weeks is a large investment. If you want to bolster your franchise experience without grinding, you can buy MLB The Show 26 Stubs from a trusted provider like MMOEXP to acquire top talent and speed up your team building alongside smart scouting.