MLB The Show 26 Fernando Tatis Jr. Retro Lightning Program Guide

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If you've been looking to inject some serious athleticism and power into your Diamond Dynasty squad, the latest drop in MLB The Show 26 has you covered. San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. has officially received a 96 OVR Retro Lightning card, celebrating his absolutely absurd month of May back in 2021.

The best part? This isn't a card locked away behind an impossible paywall or pack-luck lottery. It is entirely obtainable through focused gameplay. Here is exactly how the program works and how you can add El Niño to your lineup as efficiently as possible.

The Reward Milestones
To get your hands on Tatis, you'll need to head over to the Spotlight Collections menu. The program relies on collecting May Spotlight Series player cards, and you don't need to buy the ultra-rare, expensive tiers from the marketplace to get it done. As you lock cards in, you'll hit two major milestones:

10 Cards Collected: Unlocks 95 OVR Spotlight Cristopher Sánchez (SP, Philadelphia Phillies).

15 Cards Collected: Unlocks 96 OVR Retro Lightning Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS, San Diego Padres).

How to Earn May Spotlight Cards Efficiently
Reaching that 15-card requirement might sound daunting at first, but the most efficient path is simply knocking out the free, grindable players available across May Spotlight Drops 1 through 5. Here is the optimal roadmap to get it done fast:

1. Grind the May Spotlight Drop 5 Program
Your absolute priority should be clearing the Drop 5 Program, which requires earning 500 program points. Instead of wasting time on tedious Moments, jump straight into building a custom squad to blitz through the player missions:

Load your team with any Spotlight and Topps Now cards you already own.

Hop into Mini Seasons and set the difficulty to Rookie Classic. This makes it incredibly easy to stack stats and pile up runs.

Once you hit 140 program points, you'll unlock 95 OVR Cody Bellinger. Immediately put him in your lineup and grind out 500 Parallel XP (PXP) with him to secure the final reward pack.

2. Complete the Stat Missions
While you are cruising through Mini Seasons or playing other Diamond Dynasty modes, keep an eye on your passive mission progress. You will accumulate points by hitting these repeatable and flat stat milestones:

10,000 PXP with any players

2,500 PXP specifically with Spotlight and/or Topps Now players

50 Total Bases using infielders

30 Hits using non-fielders or pitchers

18 total Innings Pitched

24 Strikeouts using starting pitchers

3. Secure Core Base Cards
Locking in the main progression rewards from each individual Spotlight drop will provide the bulk of the volume you need to hit the 15-card threshold. Make sure you have unlocked and collected the following anchor players:

Mickey Moniak (Drop 1)

Yandy Díaz (Drop 2)

Nick Kurtz (Drop 3)

Colt Emerson (Drop 4)

Cody Bellinger (Drop 5)

Bonus Note: Knocking out these core players serves a dual purpose. Collecting these specific five items simultaneously unlocks the May Lightning Player of the Month, 96 OVR Jacob Misiorowski.

96 OVR Retro Lightning Fernando Tatis Jr. Attributes
So, what exactly are you getting for your efforts? Once you unlock Tatis, you are looking at an elite, true five-tool shortstop who can easily slide into the top or middle of your order. He is a massive threat against right-handed pitching and features maximum arm strength on defense.

Attribute Category   Specific Rating
Hitting vs RHP   97 Contact / 100 Power
Hitting vs LHP   91 Contact / 85 Power
Clutch   100
Speed / Stealing   90 Speed / 90 Stealing
Defensive Strong Suits   78 Fielding / 99 Arm Strength
Secondary Positions   CF, RF
With his 90 speed and 90 stealing, he is a menace on the basepaths, and his eligibility at secondary positions like center field and right field gives you tons of squad-building flexibility if your infield is already crowded.

Throw on some music or a podcast, build your Topps Now and Spotlight squad, and head into Mini Seasons. Before you know it, you'll have one of the most dynamic cards in the game leading off for your team. Happy grinding!