2025 Baseball Rookies to Collect
A look at potential rookie cards ahead of the 2025 MLB season.
Spring Training is underway, and the 2025 MLB season is rapidly approaching! Topps released the first part of its flagship products in mid-February with 2025 Topps Series 1. Along with the top rookies in this product, you can expect even more rookie cards of young stars as the season progresses. Here’s a look at the best 2025 baseball rookies to collect.
How Does Topps Determine Who Gets a Rookie Card?
With hundreds of players making their big league debut each year, Topps must narrow down not only who gets a rookie card but when the cards will be released. The flagship brand is split into three parts: Series 1, Series 2, and Update Series. You can usually expect the date of a player’s debut to signal which release their rookie card will be in:
- Series 1: Players who debuted after the previous year’s June deadline.
- Series 2: Players who make the Opening Day roster and other early-season debuts.
- Update Series: Players who are called up before June.
However, Topps occasionally holds a few players back to ensure each release gets a top rookie. If a player debuts before the June deadline but has a “rookie callup” logo (instead of the “RC” logo) on his first Topps Now card, he won’t get his flagship rookie card until the following year.
2025 Baseball Rookies in Topps Series 1
James Wood and Dylan Crews are the best 2025 baseball rookies from Topps Series 1. Both play for the Washington Nationals, with Wood in leftfield and Crews in centerfield. Besides the pair of Nationals outfielders, other 2025 baseball rookies to consider collecting from Series 1 include Coby Mayo, Jacob Wilson, Brooks Lee, Ben Rice, and Rhett Lowder.
James Wood, Washington Nationals Left Fielder
James Wood was a part of the Juan Soto trade, and his tools quickly caught the hobby’s attention. He has immense power and surprising speed for a 6-foot-7 slugger. The Nationals’ left fielder ended 2024 as one of the best prospects in baseball.
Wood’s flagship rookie card, #181 in 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1, captures him running the bases. The base card also comes in more than 50 parallels, giving collectors the chance to pull low-numbered cards. There’s also the Golden Mirror Image Variation card, a super short print (SSP). The print run for Player Number Variations is limited to each player’s jersey number, so for Wood it’s numbered to 29.
As far as autographs and relics go, Wood is included in the following sets:
- 1990 Topps Baseball Autographs
- 1990 Topps Baseball Chrome Autographs
- 2025 Topps Baseball Flagship Autograph Patch
- Baseball Stars Autographs
- Baseball Stars Dual Autographs (with Ryan Zimmerman)
- Flagship Real One Autographs
- Major League Material Autographs
- Major League Material Dual Autographs (with Dylan Crews)
- 1990 Topps Baseball Relics
- Major League Material
- Major League Material Dual (with Dylan Crews)
- Real One Relics
Most of these autographs and relics have multiple low-numbered parallels. Wood is also included in a few insert sets.
Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals Center Fielder
Wood’s teammate Dylan Crews rounds out the best 2025 baseball rookies in 2025 Topps Series 1. Crews was the second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, behind only Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and former LSU teammate Paul Skenes.
Crews debuted at the end of 2024 and entered 2025 as the Nationals’ top prospect. His combination of hit and power tools is why he’s the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball and one of the best 2025 baseball rookies.
Photographed as he’s crossing home plate after a home run, #74 in 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 is Crews’ flagship rookie card. Like Wood, Crews’ base card also has more than 50 parallels. Collectors can chase the rookie card rainbow or hunt for short-printed variations like the Golden Mirror Image Variation card. The print run for Player Number Variations is limited to each player’s jersey number, so for Crews it’s numbered to 3.
As far as autographs and relics go, Crews is included in the following sets:
- 1990 Topps Baseball Autographs
- 1990 Topps Baseball Chrome Autographs
- Baseball Stars Autographs
- Fanatics Authentic Redemptions
- Flagship Real One Autographs
- Major League Material Autographs
- Major League Material Dual Autographs (with James Wood)
- 1990 Topps Baseball Relics
- Major League Material
- Major League Material Dual (with James Wood)
- Real One Relics
Most of Crews’ autographs and relics also have multiple low-numbered parallels, and he’s included in a few insert sets.
Potential 2025 Baseball Rookies in Future Releases
Rounding out the flagship brands are Topps Series 2 and Topps Update Series. Series 2 usually comes out in mid-June, and Update is in mid-October.
The 2025 baseball rookies you’ll find in Series 2 will likely be those who make their team’s Opening Day roster. For that reason, newly signed Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki seems like a lock for a Series 2 rookie card.
Besides Sasaki, other potential 2025 Topps Series 2 rookies are Boston Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell. Anthony is an outfielder, and Campbell a second baseman. Both are top five prospects in baseball heading into the 2025 season.
Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw, Angels second baseman Christian Moore, Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe, and Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander also have a chance to make their team’s 2025 Opening Day Roster. If they do, you might see them in 2025 Topps Series 2.
Update Series wraps up the Topps flagship set with players who debuted during the first few months of the season. If the players above don’t make the Opening Day roster but debut before June, their rookie cards could be included in Update Series.
It’s hard to know when exactly a player will get called up to the big leagues, but there are some players we anticipate getting to the majors in 2025. If they do, these names might be in 2025 Topps Update Series: White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler, Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter, and Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing.
Start Collecting the Top 2025 Baseball Rookies
2025 Topps Series 1 Baseball is out now! Have you pulled a James Wood or Dylan Crews rookie card yet? Stop by AA Mint Cards or visit our online store to pick up a retail or hobby box today.
