For years, Stadium Creator has been one of the most requested features in the MLB The Show series. It gives players the freedom to build custom ballparks, recreate classic designs, and experiment with crazy layouts. But even in MLB The Show 26, bullpen placement remains one of the biggest frustrations for creators.
As of May 2026, bullpens are still mostly locked to the field of play. You cannot freely move them behind the outfield wall, place them under seating sections, or create true “hidden” bullpen tunnels like many modern MLB parks use in real life.
That does not mean you are completely stuck, though.
The community has spent years finding creative ways to work around these restrictions. If you understand the system limits and know a few tricks, you can still build stadiums that look clean, realistic, and competitive.
This guide covers the best ways to overcome bullpen limitations in MLB The Show 26.
Why Bullpens Are Still Limited in MLB The Show 26
The core issue is that bullpens are tied directly to gameplay systems.
The warming-up animations, collision zones, and field logic are all connected to those fixed bullpen spots. Because of that, San Diego Studio still treats bullpens as part of the active field surface rather than movable props.
That creates several restrictions:

• Bullpens stay attached to foul territory
• You cannot place functional bullpens behind outfield walls
• Overlapping props near bullpen areas can trigger save errors
• Some wall edits break bullpen spacing
• Certain props cause clipping or collision problems

It can feel restrictive compared to real MLB stadiums, but experienced creators have learned how to hide these problems visually.
Start Every Build with a Blank Canvas
One of the biggest mistakes new creators make is starting with a prebuilt template.
Templates already contain hidden assets, seating sections, lighting pieces, and structural objects that eat up your memory meter immediately. That limits what you can do later around the bullpen area.
Why Blank Canvas Works Better
A Blank Canvas gives you:

• Maximum memory budget
• Cleaner prop management
• Better wall alignment freedom
• More room for visual bullpen tricks
• Easier prop snapping and layering

If your goal is a professional-looking custom stadium, starting from scratch is almost always the better option.
Experienced creators rarely use templates anymore because the memory savings are massive.
Use the “Sunken Bullpen” Visual Trick
The most popular workaround in MLB The Show 26 is the “Sunken Bullpen” technique.
You cannot physically move the bullpen, but you can visually separate it from the rest of the field.
How It Works
Creators use:

• Thin wall panels
• Fence props
• Terrain adjustments
• Ground texture blending
• Carefully aligned concourse pieces

to create the illusion that the bullpen sits below field level or behind a barrier.
From gameplay camera angles, this often looks surprisingly realistic.
Best Props for the Technique
The safest props are:

• Thin chain-link fences
• Low retaining walls
• Flat concrete textures
• Narrow brick panels
• Slim guard rails

Avoid thick concourse pieces near the bullpen because collision detection can block placement.
Build Fake Off-Field Bullpens
This is another common community trick.
Since the real bullpen cannot move, many creators simply build a decorative “fake bullpen” somewhere else in the stadium.
Usually this goes:

• Beyond the outfield wall
• Near the batter’s eye
• Under seating decks
• Beside concourse tunnels

What to Use
Players typically combine:

• Dirt mound props
• Benches
• Fence pieces
• Equipment props
• Lighting rigs
• Railings

The actual functional bullpen stays in foul territory, but visually, the fake bullpen becomes the one players notice.
This works especially well in broadcast camera views.
Create Bullpen Tunnel Illusions
Modern MLB parks often hide bullpen entrances behind walls or under seating areas.
You cannot create true walkable tunnels in MLB The Show 26, but you can fake the look.
The Aisleway Simulation Method
Experienced stadium builders use:

• Thin texture walls
• Dark concrete panels
• Shadow-heavy prop placement
• Offset wall snapping

to simulate access tunnels leading toward the bullpen.
The trick is avoiding thick concourse objects because the game’s placement system often blocks them near field boundaries.
Thin texture panels work much better and use less memory.