MLB The Show 26 9th Inning XP Path: Choose Ted Williams or Chipper at 275,000 XP

The 9th Inning XP Path is live in MLB The Show 26. Reach 275,000 XP to earn a Boss Choice Pack containing 99 OVR Milestone Ted Williams and 99 OVR Signature Chipper Jones. You choose one player from that pack.

Two other 99s are direct rewards along the way: Smokey Joe Williams at 47,500 XP and Willie Wells at 160,000 XP. Four launch missions that can be completed offline add up to 24,500 XP, and an optional voucher from the previous inning is worth another 30,000 XP.

Quick answer: Earn XP in your preferred modes and work on the four offline-capable launch missions alongside your games. The boss pack arrives at 275,000 XP. You do not need the 8th Inning boss collection to reach it.

Who are the 9th Inning bosses?

San Diego Studio's October 23 release confirms these two choices:

The 275,000 XP reward gives you one of the two bosses, rather than both. If you are working toward a particular lineup spot, the primary positions give you a starting point: Williams is the left fielder and Jones is the third baseman. Choose according to the card you want to use, without treating either as a required pick for finishing the path.

Smokey Joe Williams and Willie Wells are separate rewards. Earning them does not use your boss choice, and neither is one of the two players in that final pack.

Check Williams's hitting and fielding before using your one-player choice.

Which rewards come before the boss pack?

The 9th Inning XP Path has 35 reward steps. These are several checkpoints to keep in mind as you progress:

The full reward path also includes a Deluxe Moonshot Pack at 62,500 XP, Headliners Packs 26, 27 and 28, and a Live Series 88+ Pack at 230,000 XP. The Show Packs, Ballin' is a Habit Packs and Stubs fill other checkpoints. You can keep earning toward the next reward even when you are still some distance from the bosses. For example, Williams arrives well before the middle of the path, while Wells comes before the Live Series 88+ pack.

Drag through the reward path to see all 35 steps, including the packs between the player rewards.

Four launch missions give you 24,500 XP

Open the 1st Drop Missions section to find these four objectives. Each supports Play vs CPU, Mini Seasons, Conquest and Diamond Quest, so you can complete them without entering an online matchup.

Those missions also list Ranked, Ranked Co-op, Battle Royale, Events and Weekend Classic as eligible modes. Pick the mode that fits the other rewards you are pursuing. The general 15-hit objective allows any difficulty, while the other three require players from their named series.

Check the series on the cards before setting your squad. A current 2026 Postseason hitter works toward the extra-base-hit mission; a Cornerstone player works toward the Parallel XP mission; a The Show Classics pitcher works toward the strikeouts. Awards and Retro Finest cards do not become The Show Classics cards because they appeared in the same program.

The 24,500 XP is the sum of the mission rewards. Gameplay XP earned during those games adds progress as well, so the mission total does not tell you how much gameplay XP you will have when all four are finished. The section also points to more missions on October 30.

What does the 8th Inning voucher do?

The Inning Boss Collection section offers a voucher worth 30,000 XP in the 9th Inning path for collecting the two previous bosses. Those are Ken Griffey Jr. and Roy Campanella from the 8th Inning XP Path.

If you already have both and want to collect them, the voucher plus the four missions gives you 54,500 XP in listed bonuses. If you do not have both bosses, you can continue earning XP and completing missions without that collection. Buying another card is not a prerequisite for the new boss pack.

Start by checking your existing Cornerstone, 2026 Postseason and The Show Classics options. Put the relevant cards into your squad, work toward their missions while playing, and check each reward checkpoint as it unlocks. Save the final boss decision for the player you want from the one-player choice pack.