July in MLB The Show 26 is where weak cards get exposed. On All-Star, you can still mash with flawed power bats. On Hall of Fame and Legend, bad contact, bad swings, and lazy defense lose games fast.

This guide cuts straight to the infield meta: who starts, who benches, who is overpriced, and who is no longer worth forcing into your lineup.

• MLB The Show 26 Infield Tier List: How We Ranked Cards
• Best Shortstops in MLB The Show 26
• Best Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki
• Best Value Shortstops: Perdomo and Bobby Witt Jr.
• Shortstop Strategy
• Best Third Basemen in MLB The Show 26
• Best Third Base Options
• Third Base Strategy
• Best Second Basemen in MLB The Show 26
• Best Second Baseman: Ozzie Albies
• Ketel Marte Warning
• Willie Castro Is a Roster Cheat Code
• Best First Basemen in MLB The Show 26
• Best First Base Bat: Victor Martinez
• Kyle Schwarber Is Better Than People Think
• Albert Pujols Is Still Good
• Cody Bellinger's Long-Term Value
• Best Catchers in MLB The Show 26
• Best Catcher: Adley Rutschman
• Best Swing at Catcher: Jorge Posada
• Best Bat at Catcher: Victor Martinez
• Drake Baldwin Over Joe Mauer
• Cal Raleigh Problem
• Best Budget Infielders in MLB The Show 26
• Best God Squad Infield Setup
• Best Infielders by Difficulty
• Infielders to Avoid in July
• FAQ
• Who is the best shortstop in MLB The Show 26?
• Who is the best catcher in MLB The Show 26?
• Is Kyle Schwarber worth using at first base?
• Is Ketel Marte good at second base?
• What is the best budget infielder in MLB The Show 26?
• Summary

↖ MLB The Show 26 Infield Tier List: How We Ranked Cards

Overall rating matters less now. The best infielders need a clean mix of contact, swing, power, quirks, defense, and position flexibility.

If you play mostly Legend, prioritize contact first.

If you play mostly All-Star, swing and power can carry more.

↖ Best Shortstops in MLB The Show 26

Shortstop is stacked. You can go elite defense, switch-hitting, speed, or pure bat. The wrong choice usually comes down to defensive comfort.

↖ Best Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki

Troy Tulowitzki is still the best true shortstop.

Why he works:

• Elite defense
• Great arm
• Strong enough bat
• Reliable animations
• Safe on Hall of Fame and Legend

The problem is cost. If you already have Live Series done, he is your guy. If not, don't burn your whole stub stack just for him.

↖ Best Value Shortstops: Perdomo and Bobby Witt Jr.

Geraldo Perdomo gives you switch-hitting, great contact, and enough power. His defense is not Tulo-level, but with a fielding boost he plays short just fine.

Bobby Witt Jr. is the best near-free shortstop. He brings speed, flexibility, decent defense, and good pop. He also plays second, third, and center well enough to stay useful long term.

↖ Shortstop Strategy

If you need the safest option, use Tulo.

If you want switch-hitting, use Perdomo.

If you want budget value, use Bobby Witt Jr.

If you want offense first, use Tatis.

↖ Best Third Basemen in MLB The Show 26

Third base is thin. The best move is often using a secondary-position card instead of forcing a natural third baseman.

↖ Best Third Base Options

Miguel Cabrera has elite attributes. On paper, he is S Tier. In-game, his swing is hit-or-miss. If you like his timing window, he is a monster. If not, don't force it.

Chipper Jones is older but still good. Switch-hitting keeps him alive. His price is also much better now, which makes him a strong value play.

Cam Smith is the sleeper. His swing is excellent, and he gives you a cheap lefty bat at third. The stats are not insane, but the card plays better than the numbers.

Rafael Devers is mainly for players who already like Devers cards. This version plays strong defense, but his swing is still preference-heavy.

↖ Third Base Strategy

Third base is weak. Use Perdomo, Willie Castro, Corey Seager, or Bobby Witt Jr. there if your lineup needs a better bat.

↖ Best Second Basemen in MLB The Show 26

Second base has elite bats, but defense can be weird. Some cards look fine on paper and still sell games on routine plays.

↖ Best Second Baseman: Ozzie Albies

Ozzie Albies is the best second baseman right now.

He gives you:

• Switch-hitting
• Strong contact
• Good power
• Playable defense
• Ranked-ready attributes

His swing can feel early, but once you adjust, the card rakes.

↖ Ketel Marte Warning

Ketel Marte is S Tier as a hitter. No debate.

But at second base, he can be a defensive fraud. Bad reactions. Weird animations. Routine balls turning into stress tests.

If you use him, consider moving him to:

• Third base
• Center field
• Corner outfield

His bat belongs in the lineup. His glove at second is the risk.

↖ Willie Castro Is a Roster Cheat Code

Willie Castro is not just a second baseman. He can cover multiple spots and still hit. That flexibility matters when you're trying to fit collection cards, free cards, and expensive bats into one lineup.

↖ Best First Basemen in MLB The Show 26

First base is about damage. Defense matters less. If the card cannot hit bombs or create hard contact, it should not start.

↖ Best First Base Bat: Victor Martinez

Victor Martinez is elite at first or catcher. The hitting attributes are too good to ignore. If you need pure production, he is one of the safest bats in the game.

↖ Kyle Schwarber Is Better Than People Think

Kyle Schwarber is S Tier because his swing is disgusting in the best way.

Why he plays:

• Elite power
• Great swing path
• Punishes mistakes
• Works at 1B or DH
• Gets much better with a contact boost

He is not there for defense. He is there to end innings with one swing.

↖ Albert Pujols Is Still Good

Albert Pujols is not washed. He still has great contact, power, quirks, and defense. He may not feel as exciting as newer cards, but he is absolutely still Ranked viable.

Calling him unusable is a skill issue.

↖ Cody Bellinger's Long-Term Value

Cody Bellinger may be better in the outfield now, but he can easily shift to first later. As more elite outfielders drop, Bellinger at first becomes a strong God Squad solution.

↖ Best Catchers in MLB The Show 26

Catcher is about balance. You want offense, but bad defense behind the plate gets annoying fast.

↖ Best Catcher: Adley Rutschman

Adley Rutschman is the best all-around catcher.

He gives you:

• Switch-hitting
• Great defense
• Good blocking
• Usable speed
• Balanced offense

Do not force him into the cleanup spot. He plays best as a 7-8-9 hitter who flips the order and occasionally carries a game.

↖ Best Swing at Catcher: Jorge Posada

Jorge Posada still has one of the smoothest catcher swings. The contact is starting to age on Legend, but on All-Star and Hall of Fame he is still excellent.

If you value swing over raw attributes, Posada is easy to trust.

↖ Best Bat at Catcher: Victor Martinez

Victor Martinez has the best offensive profile. If your first base or DH spot is already filled, move V-Mart behind the plate and enjoy the production.

↖ Drake Baldwin Over Joe Mauer

If you want a lefty catcher, use Drake Baldwin over Joe Mauer. Baldwin has more pop, a better swing, and fits the current meta better.

↖ Cal Raleigh Problem

Cal Raleigh has power, but the contact and vision can get ugly. On All-Star, he is dangerous. On Hall of Fame and Legend, he can leave you in bad counts and bad PCI spots.

↖ Best Budget Infielders in MLB The Show 26

You do not need a full collection team to compete. These cards give real value without draining stubs.

Best budget core: Bobby Witt Jr., Tyler Bell, Cam Smith, Drake Baldwin.

That group covers premium positions and keeps your lineup competitive.

↖ Best God Squad Infield Setup

This is the cleanest high-end setup for July Ranked.

This setup gives you switch-hitting, defense up the middle, contact for higher difficulties, and enough power to punish mistakes.

If you skipped collections, run Bobby Witt Jr. at short and use your stubs elsewhere.

↖ Best Infielders by Difficulty

Build for the difficulty you actually play. Do not copy a Legend lineup if you live on All-Star.

If your PCI feels tiny, add contact.

If your perfect-perfects die at the track, add power.

If you keep giving away outs on defense, fix shortstop and catcher first.

↖ Infielders to Avoid in July

Some cards are not awful. They are just bad fits for the July meta.

If a card works for you, keep it. But if you are slumping, check the swing type, contact, and defensive fit before blaming yourself.

↖ FAQ

↖ Who is the best shortstop in MLB The Show 26?

Troy Tulowitzki is the best true shortstop. He has elite defense, a strong arm, and a reliable bat. If you do not want to finish collections, use Geraldo Perdomo or Bobby Witt Jr.

↖ Who is the best catcher in MLB The Show 26?

Adley Rutschman is the best all-around catcher. He switch-hits, defends well, and gives steady offense. Victor Martinez has the best bat, while Jorge Posada has the smoothest swing.

↖ Is Kyle Schwarber worth using at first base?

Yes. Kyle Schwarber is an elite bat at first base or DH. His swing and power are top-tier. Add a contact boost if you play Hall of Fame or Legend.

↖ Is Ketel Marte good at second base?

His bat is elite, but his defense at second can be shaky. If you notice bad animations or slow reactions, move Ketel Marte to third, center, or a corner outfield spot.

↖ What is the best budget infielder in MLB The Show 26?

Bobby Witt Jr. is the best budget infielder. He plays multiple positions, has speed, solid defense, and enough power. Tyler Bell, Cam Smith, and Drake Baldwin are also strong low-cost options.

↖ Summary

The July infield meta is simple: contact, swing, and defense matter more than overall rating.

Best picks by position:

• Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Victor Martinez, Jorge Posada
• First Base: Victor Martinez, Kyle Schwarber, Albert Pujols, Cody Bellinger
• Second Base: Ozzie Albies, Willie Castro, Ketel Marte
• Third Base: Geraldo Perdomo, Miguel Cabrera, Chipper Jones, Cam Smith
• Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Geraldo Perdomo, Bobby Witt Jr.

If you want the cleanest competitive build, lock down shortstop and catcher first. Then add power at first base and flexibility at second or third. That gives you fewer cheap outs, fewer defensive mistakes, and more innings where one swing changes the game.