If you want the 94 OVR Lightning Elly De La Cruz in MLB The Show 26, the process is all about grinding through the April Spotlight Program and completing the April Lightning Collection. This card is a favorite for NMS (No Money Spent) players because you can earn it without spending stubs.
Step 1: Complete the April Spotlight Drops
MLB The Show 26 breaks the April Spotlight into five drops. To unlock Elly, you need to finish the XP reward paths for all five Spotlight Drops:
April Spotlight Drop 1
April Spotlight Drop 2
April Spotlight Drop 3
April Spotlight Drop 4
April Spotlight Drop 5
Completing these rewards gives you five specific Spotlight player cards.
Step 2: Collect the Required Players
Once you finish the Spotlight XP paths, you’ll receive these unsellable Spotlight cards:
Kevin McGonigle
Jo Adell
Jhoan Duran
Mike Trout
Ben Rice
These are mandatory for the April Lightning Collection.
Step 3: Lock the Cards into the April Lightning Collection
Go to the Spotlight Collections menu and lock all five cards into the April Lightning Collection. Doing this instantly grants you Lightning Elly De La Cruz.
Card Highlights
OVR: 94
Contact: 90/95
Power: 80/97
Speed: 73
Elly is an all-around monster, especially for quick reaction hitting and stealing bases.
Alternatives
Live Series Version: If you can’t complete the collection,
there’s an 81 OVR Gold Live Series Elly De La Cruz available on the Marketplace for roughly 2,100 stubs.
Retro Lightning Progression: Collecting more Spotlight players in April also helps you progress toward Retro Lightning Chipper Jones (94 OVR), which requires 16 Spotlight players in total.
Pro Tip: Focus on completing the Spotlight Drops on Rookie or Veteran difficulty for fast XP gains. Combine with Conquest and Mini Seasons missions to speed up collection progress without wasting stubs.