The Topps Update Series Baseball drop adds three programs to MLB The Show 26: Black Gold, Autumn Ascensions and Heavy Lumber. Each finishes at 40 program points and awards four 99 OVR cards, with Paul Skenes, Julio Rodríguez and Tony Gwynn as the final rewards.
All three arrived on October 14. The separate 99 OVR Bobby Witt Jr. card comes from The Show Packs, but you do not need that new version to complete the programs.
Quick answer: Earn 500 Parallel XP (PXP) with any Bobby Witt Jr. card for 10 points in each of the three programs. Each program offers five missions worth 10 points apiece, so four missions reach the final reward at 40 points.
Start with a Bobby Witt Jr. card you already own
The shared mission accepts any version of Witt. Its 500 PXP requirement contributes 10 points to Black Gold, 10 to Autumn Ascensions and 10 to Heavy Lumber. That is one quarter of each path from the same mission requirement.
Those points stay on their respective paths. You cannot put all 30 into one program or transfer points between them.
If you already own a Witt card, use it before considering the new pack card. If you do not, each program also has four other missions worth a combined 40 points. The pack card is an optional addition to your collection, rather than an entry requirement for these reward paths.
Card attributes
Road Warrior: Performs better when playing on the road
First-Pitch Hitter: Excels at hitting the first pitch of an at-bat
Breaking Ball Hitter: Excels at hitting breaking balls
Unfazed: Excels at hitting with 2 strikes
Fighter: Performs better in the 9th inning or later
Situational Hitter: Excels at driving in a runner from third with less than 2 outs
Night Player: Performs better when playing night games
Table Setter: Performs better when no runners are on
Community Market
1,000,000Black Gold: four named-player PXP missions
The Black Gold Program awards Kevin McGonigle at 10 points, Chase Burns at 20, Samuel Basallo at 30 and Paul Skenes at 40. All four are 99 OVR 2026 Topps Update Series Baseball cards.
Its four program-specific missions ask for 500 PXP with any version of Kevin McGonigle, Chase Burns, Samuel Basallo and Paul Skenes. Each pays 10 program points. You can complete all four for exactly 40, or complete the shared Witt mission and any three of those four.
Check the versions you own before building a squad. The missions accept earlier cards of the named players; they do not require you to own the new reward before earning it. For example, an earlier Skenes card can satisfy his mission while you work toward the new Black Gold Skenes.
Autumn Ascensions: Yesavage through Rodríguez
The Autumn Ascensions Program gives you Trey Yesavage at 10 points, JJ Wetherholt at 20, Konnor Griffin at 30 and Julio Rodríguez at 40. These are also four 99 OVR cards.
Earn 500 PXP with any version of each of those four players for 10 points per mission. The same choice applies here: finish the four named-player missions, or use Witt's 10 points to replace one of them.
If one of the named players is missing from your collection, the Witt mission gives you another way to reach 40. You still need three of the four program-specific missions alongside it. Completing Witt alone does not unlock the final card.
Rodríguez is the 40-point reward, separate from the Witt card in packs.
Featured reward
Julio Rodríguez
CF · Mariners · 2026 Topps Update Series Baseball
Card attributes
- Road Warrior: Performs better when playing on the road
- First-Pitch Hitter: Excels at hitting the first pitch of an at-bat
Dead Red: Excels at hitting fastballs- Unfazed: Excels at hitting with 2 strikes
- Situational Hitter: Excels at driving in a runner from third with less than 2 outs
Day Player: Performs better when playing day games
Community Market
No SellNo SellHeavy Lumber: team and position options
The Heavy Lumber Program awards Bryce Eldridge at 10 points, Sal Stewart at 20, Honus Wagner at 30 and Tony Gwynn at 40. Every player reward is 99 OVR.
Its mission requirements differ from the other two programs:
| Mission requirement | Program points |
|---|---|
| 500 PXP with any Bryce Eldridge | 10 |
| 500 PXP with any Sal Stewart | 10 |
| 1,000 PXP with shortstops and/or Pirates players | 10 |
| 1,000 PXP with right fielders and/or Padres players | 10 |
| 500 PXP with any Bobby Witt Jr. | 10 |
The team and position missions give you broader eligibility than a single named player. A Pirates player can qualify for the shortstop/Pirates mission through the team condition, and a Padres player can qualify for the right fielder/Padres mission through the team condition.
Choose four of the five missions for the 40 points needed to reach Gwynn. Completing all five produces 50 available mission points, so the fifth mission is not required for the final player reward.
Which modes count?
The missions list 1 vs 1 Ranked, Ranked Co-op, Battle Royale, Events, Weekend Classic, Play vs CPU, Mini Seasons, Conquest and Diamond Quest. Offline players can work in the listed offline modes; multiplayer is not required by these PXP missions.
Pick a mode that also advances another objective you already have. Check each player's version and the mission's team or position condition before committing a lineup spot. No fixed number of games follows from a PXP target because the amount earned depends on your results.
The pack card is a separate chase
San Diego Studio's launch announcement confirms the three programs and the 99 OVR Topps Update Series Baseball Witt in The Show Packs. The twelve program cards come from their reward paths; Witt is the separate pack addition.
For program progress, start with cards you own, use the shared 500-PXP Witt mission when available, then choose the remaining three missions on each path. If you skip Witt, finish the four program-specific missions instead. Both combinations reach the same 40-point player reward.
