The baseball card market, much like the sport itself, is a field of dreams—if you can spot the next big thing. As Spring Training hits its stride, die-hard collectors and savvy investors are on the hunt for rookie cards that may soon see their values soar. The upcoming 2025 MLB season promises to be a playground for emerging talent poised to break out, and if you’re wise, you might just want to hitch your card-collecting wagon to some rising stars. Let’s take a closer look at four underrated players whose rookie cards are undervalued today but could be the crown jewels of your collection tomorrow.
**Brandon Pfaadt – Arizona Diamondbacks**
Pfaadt’s story in the MLB reads a bit like a misunderstood genius—there’s remarkable talent beneath the surface waiting for the right moment to shine. His career stats aren’t dazzling, holding a 5.06 ERA across 277.2 innings that only Dr. Jekyll might appreciate. However, it’s the underlying metrics from his 2024 performance that hint at an imminent breakout sporting a 4.71 ERA alongside a 3.78 xERA and 3.61 FIP. Those numbers reveal a pitcher capable of polishing his command and possibly evolving into a frontline starter. Factor in his 9.04 K/9 and a mere 2.2 BB/9, and you see a pitcher who isn’t afraid of challenging hitters. While he quietly plots his strikeout coup in Arizona’s bullpen, his spot behind Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly gives him breathing space minus the pressure cooker stress. His rookie cards are currently a bargain bonanza awaiting savvy collectors ready for high reward investments with relatively low upfront costs.
Cards to keep an eye on include the 2023 Topps Chrome Rookie Card, the 2023 Topps Chrome Update Rookie Card, and the 2020 Bowman Draft 1st Bowman Card. These pieces are the underpriced gold nuggets of your future collection that yearn for some love from perceptive investors.
**Jared Jones – Pittsburgh Pirates**
Jared Jones might be the underheralded workhorse lurking in Pittsburgh’s dynamic young pitching crew, largely overshadowed until now. It’s high time to cast a spotlight on him before his card value moves beyond your budget reach. Jones handed in an impressive 2024 campaign graded on a curve of potential greatness: a 4.14 ERA (with a whispering 4.05 xERA), a 4.00 FIP, combined with a K/9 north of 9.7, all while maintaining stellar control reflected in a 2.88 BB/9.
In the offseason game of pitcher poker, Jones added a two-seamer to an already lethal deck featuring a fastball and a slick slider. The perfect combination to keep batters on their back foot and collectors on their toes. With his Topps Chrome Rookie Auto /499 priced at a friendly $30, and given his talent, this card could become a hallmark of your stash. Treat yourself to the boldness of foresight with the 2024 Topps Chrome Rookie Card, the 2024 Topps Chrome Update Series Rookie Card, or the 2020 Bowman Draft 1st Bowman Card before the market catches up with his trajectory.
**Heston Kjerstad – Baltimore Orioles**
In a talent-rich farm like that of the Orioles, it’s easy for Heston Kjerstad to coast under the radar. But see it clearly: beneath the surface, Kjerstad’s talents have been marinated in minor league success that whispers of coming grandeur. In his 2024 minor league time split across the A+, AA, and AAA levels, he brandished a slash line that beckons celebration: .303/.401/.584, with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs. The numbers portend power potential so palpable that Orioles fans, and card enthusiasts, should keep him on their radar despite his challenge for regular playing time in Baltimore. As a potential DH candidate, the door to stardom swings wide invitingly open.
Consider the bounty within reach: a Bowman Chrome Rookie Gold Refractor Auto /50 PSA 10 that recently fetched a modest $150. Consider this card not a mere acquisition, but an investment in a future shooting star. Alongside it, add the 2024 Topps Chrome Rookie Card, the Topps Chrome Update Series Rookie Card, or the 2020 Bowman Draft 1st Bowman Card to your treasure trove.
**Kerry Carpenter – Detroit Tigers**
There are players who grab your attention with home run heroics and then there’s Kerry Carpenter, a quietly unsung power-hitting machine. Meteoric talents like his deserve standing ovations—and an investment in the cards representing his talent. Over just 236 major league games, Carpenter belted 44 home runs at a pace befitting prodigy status, hacking beyond the ornate fences and into the annals of underappreciated potential. Even with 2024 back issues, he managed to blast another 18 home runs and 57 RBIs through intermittent playtime. With an improved hard-hit rate, HR/FB ratio, and exit velocity, his presence in the heart of Detroit’s lineup, surrounded by names like Gleyber Torres, Parker Meadows, and Riley Greene, is an ironclad guarantee of future RBI bonanzas.
The market may still be teetering over his rookie autos at a price poised for surge. Collect the 2023 Topps Chrome Rookie Card, the 2023 Topps Chrome Purple Auto /250, and the 2023 Topps Chrome Aqua Wave Auto /199 PSA-graded before his breakout bats the door open.
As the new MLB season creeps closer, these rookie cards represent the undervalued stocks that could make your collection a major-league lineup all its own. Trading cards may seem nostalgic, but the right investment in these undervalued gems could prove to be a real home run for your collection. Whether you’re a die-hard collector or an investor eyeing profits, don’t let this chance slide past your base. It’s a game set forth for the bold, and these talents are your ticket to the winner’s circle of 2025.
