If you've been diving into Franchise mode in MLB The Show 26, you might notice that while the real-life Major Leagues are leaning more and more into flexible pitching staffs, the game's user interface is still pretty traditional. Even with the game's massive overhauls to the CPU's Lineup and Rotation Logic—which now features smart bullpen management, openers, and pitching "by committee" to handle roster fatigue—the user-managed menu remains locked to a standard 5-man graphic. There is no native, automated menu toggle to magically select a "6-Man Rotation." If you want to use six starters to protect your arms and spread the workload, you have to manually bypass the automated engine. Here are the two best ways to make it work, depending on how you play. The Long Relief Strategy (Sim-Friendly) If you simulate a large portion of your season but still want a six-man flavor, this is the most seamless method. It allows a sixth starter to absorb a massive chunk of volume naturally without you needing to micromanage every single day.
The Setup: Take your designated 6th starter out of the main starting rotation menu and place them directly into the Long Relief (LRP) slot in your bullpen.
The Logic: Because of the game's adaptive bullpen AI, when a standard starter gets knocked out early, runs into high pitch counts, or experiences heavy fatigue, the CPU will automatically call on this pitcher to absorb the heavy bulk innings. A reliable long reliever can easily throw over 120+ innings a season this way.
Player Profile: To make this work best, look for a starting pitcher with decent secondary flexibility or a relief pitcher with unusually high stamina who can handle multiple innings without crumbling.
The Manual "Game-Day" Swap (For Manual Play) If you actually play your games or just want absolute, strict control over exactly who throws every single pitch, you will need to handle the rotation manually.
Keep the 6th Man Hidden: Just like the simulation strategy, keep your 6th starting pitcher sitting in your bullpen's Long Relief slot or on the bench.
The Rotational Skip: Let your top five primary starters complete their normal five-game cycle.
Manual Override: On the exact day you want your 6th man to take the bump, advance to the pre-game team selection screen. Instead of picking the regular starter the game tells you is scheduled to pitch, manually select your 6th pitcher right out of the bullpen array.
Rest Recovery: Starting your 6th man shifts the regular starter out of the rotation for exactly that game. This buys your standard 5-man staff an extra day of complete rest regeneration before they slot right back into their normal order for the next game.
It takes a little bit of manual menu navigation, but if you want to keep your aces fresh for a deep postseason run, these workarounds are well worth the effort.