Getting 96 overall Ketel Marte into your Diamond Dynasty lineup feels like a big swing, and it is. He plays a premium spot, hits from both sides, and doesn't leave you guessing at the plate. The catch is the Vintage Collection, which asks for 27 cards. That sounds rough at first, especially if you're watching the market bounce around, but you don't need to throw away your whole balance. If you plan it out, use free rewards properly, and spend your MLB 26 Stubs on the right cards, Marte can be done for close to 100,000 stubs instead of some ugly inflated number.

Start with the cheap cards

The first move should happen before you play a single game. Go into the marketplace, filter for Vintage series cards, and sort by the lowest price. Most of the usable base-tier options tend to sit around 4,000 to 5,000 stubs, though prices will move during busy hours. Pick up a few of those cheaper names and put them straight into your squad. It's not glamorous, but it saves time because they'll earn Parallel XP while you're working on other missions. If you pack a big-ticket Vintage card like Derek Jeter, Chase Utley, or Larry Walker, don't get sentimental. Sell it, then turn that profit into several cheaper collection pieces.

Let offline modes do the heavy lifting

Once your lineup has a few Vintage players mixed in, stack your work. The Vintage Program gives you simple stat goals, like total bases, hits, and strikeouts, so don't treat them as separate chores. Take those missions into Conquest and Diamond Quest. In Diamond Quest, go in on the highest difficulty you can handle, push toward the stronghold, and grab the quick player rewards. Conquest takes longer because of the strongholds, but it's great for padding hits and strikeouts without much pressure. You'll also pull useful packs along the way, including Deluxe Vintage and Deluxe Choice rewards, which can cut down the number of cards you need to buy.

Mini Seasons is slow but worth it

Mini Seasons is probably the part where some players get annoyed, but it pays out if you follow the chain. Start by getting 10 strikeouts with any relief pitcher to unlock Matt Strahm. Then use Strahm for two saves to earn Raul Ibanez. After that, reach base six times with Ibanez to unlock Ryan McMahon. Use McMahon for extra-base hits, and Mitch Garver becomes available. It's a little bit of a domino run, so keep the right players in your lineup instead of swapping them out too early. While you're doing this, the 22,000 general PXP and 10,000 Vintage PXP goals will build in the background.

Save online play for when your team is ready

The Old School Event is better left until later. By then, your squad should be stronger, your bench should have better options, and you won't feel like you're taking half-finished mission cards into every matchup. The event path gives 10,000 XP, a Gleyber Torres card, and another Deluxe Vintage pack, so it's still worth doing. Just don't make it your first stop unless you're comfortable playing online right away. Offline grinding gives you a softer landing, and you'll enter the event with more progress already banked.

Lock in only after checking the count

As your card count climbs, the collection itself helps you out. At 12 Vintage cards, you get Joc Pederson. At 20, Ubaldo Jimenez joins the pile. Both count toward the 27-card total, which is why buying too many cards early can waste stubs. After Programs, Conquest, Diamond Quest, Mini Seasons, events, and milestone rewards, you should have around 18 free pieces. From there, buy the 9 cheapest missing cards, and if the market spikes, wait a bit or check back after content drops. Players who don't want to grind every stub sometimes look at MLB 26 Stubs for sale as a shortcut, but smart timing and cheap Vintage cards are usually enough to make Marte affordable.