If you’re a Washington Nationals fan, then Topps has a product tailored just for you! Dylan Crews and James Wood are the top chases in 2025 Topps Series 1, and there are some interesting names beyond that, but it’s a rookie class that leaves something to be desired at the moment. Check out all of the players with True Rookie Cards in the product below, with some extra thoughts on the rest of the rookies that make an appearance.
Tier Ranks
Tier 1 - Cream of the crop. Combination of high-end Hit and Power tools that won’t end up as full-time designated hitters. Power/Speed combo players. Elite SP 1 pitchers (very rare). Potential for being perennial All-Stars and award winners.
Tier 2 - Bats that may lack in a certain area such as top-end power, three true outcomes players with huge power, great real life/fantasy players, but not hobby-elite, or tantalizing raw talents. High-end SP 2 pitchers with additional positive factors such as team, arsenal, pedigree, etc.
Tier 3 - May have some hobby interest due to a single factor such as prospect pedigree, team interest, general hobby hype, an interesting carrying tool, etc.
Tier None - The likelihood of widespread short-term hobby interest, and most likely long-term as well, is close to none. Plenty of pitchers, catchers, role players, hit-tool-only bats, Quad-A power bats, defense-first players, etc. to be found here. Hobby lottery tickets where the odds are stacked against you.
*Catchers and Pitchers are often knocked down a tier just due to their position.
While I typically focus on the Rookies with True Rookie Cards only, this year I’ll add in the rookies with inserts and/or autos but not yet receiving their True Rookie Card. I’ll likely cover them again when they should receive their True Rookie Cards in 2025 Topps Series 2 in the summer. These players are denoted with an asterisk (*).
Arizona Diamondbacks
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Adrian Del Castillo, 25, C
The Diamondbacks second round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Del Castillo seemed to turn all of the hoped for offensive projection into reality by more than doubling his 2023 home run totals with 30 total across Triple-A and the Majors. The hit tool also was showing at its best in Triple-A with a double digit walk rate and an impressive 17% K rate. However, in the small sample of 87 plate appearances, that was not something he was able to maintain with an 8% walk rate and a 32% K rate. Small sample size and all that, but it also is a bit concerning as the underlying hit tool data was all rough. Del Castillo isn’t going to steal you any bases which means from a Hobby perspective, we need him to hit AND get to his power. Factor in the situation where he’s shown to not have the defensive chops to stick at catcher long term, and suddenly you have to pin your hopes on a long term first baseman/designated hitter that can hit 25 - 30 home runs with middling to decent batting average similar to the just departed first baseman in Arizona, Christian Walker. That’s still a possibility, but it’s not one I would bet on. The power keeps him relevant, the defense holds him back from everyday reps and getting ranked higher.
Yilber Diaz, 24, P
Diaz went from pretty much off my radar in 2022 to an interesting name in 2023 to a name you can’t ignore in 2024. A great story of being down and walking away from baseball to coming back to the kid’s game we all love, Diaz has all the ingredients to be an electric strikeout machine in the middle of a rotation. Diaz has a mid to high 90’s four seamer with a mid 80’s slider and high 70’s curveball. All three pitches have plus potential. There is a very seldom-used change-up in the arsenal as well, but for the moment, we can essentially ignore it. The big challenge, like many young arms with tons of stuff, is the command. There’s just way too many free passes that come along with the ready-made whiff-generating arsenal. Those concerns introduce the dreaded bullpen risk, but there’s a no doubt major leaguer here. In the small MLB sample, we got everything that likely will be the ride with Diaz for the next few years - lights out starts, starts where he can’t make it past the third inning, and bullpen usage. Given that Arizona has a plethora of starting pitching options at the moment, Diaz won’t have a lot of rope to figure anything out at the major league level barring a slew of injuries. And that makes it easy to sort of sit on the fence with a Tier 3 ranking. Tier 2 is definitely a Ceiling type of outcome here, and we definitely caught a glimpse of that. And a Tier None reliever is also in the cards, which is why I wouldn’t go head over heels on picking up his rookie cards.
Tier None
Cristian Mena, 22, P
Mena is an intriguing young arm that a bit surprisingly made his debut for Arizona at the age of 21. Mena has a full starter’s arsenal with two fastball variations both sitting around 95, with three secondaries - a curveball, slider/sweeper, and a change-up. The breakers all have a chance to be above average or better. The fastballs are a bit more of an issue as there’s not much movement, but the four seamer when elevated can get swing and miss and the sinker shows potential at the bottom of the zone. And that word is the key element here - at this age, we’ve mostly got potential. Mena still needs a fair bit of seasoning and to learn how to be a pitcher rather than a thrower. I squint and I see a mid-rotation starter, but I open my eyes and I get nervous that there aren't enough strikeouts, the fastballs don’t take the next step forward, and he can’t figure out how to cut the walk rates way down. In that scenario, Mena turns into a backend starter or bullpen arm, and I’ll take the cautious route with a Tier None ranking.
Athletics
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
Jacob Wilson, 22, SS
The 6th overall pick by the A’s in the 2023 MLB Draft, Wilson is the son of former major leaguer Jack Wilson. Wilson was billed as one of the best pure hitters in that draft class, and he proved it at every stop in the minors by never hitting under .318 at any of those stops, leading to a major league call-up almost exactly one year after he was drafted. A hamstring injury in his debut game led to an IL stint, so we only got 28 games total of MLB action from Wilson in 2024. While he held his own, it wasn’t any eye-popping type of results. I’m not overly concerned with those results - his near elite hit tool and natural instincts to put the bat to the ball while limiting whiffs and strikeouts is going to put him amongst the elite contact hitters in the league among Luis Arraez, Steven Kwan, and Nico Hoerner. The main question for Wilson is his power, which likely remains average to above average at best. He did put up seven home runs in 79 minor league games in 2024, giving some hope that double digit home runs were in the profile, but didn’t hit any in his small MLB sample. Wilson is capable at shortstop but wouldn’t prevent a highly skilled defender from pushing him to third or second base. Wilson isn’t going to steal any more than a handful of bases even if he can get around the bases decently. That basically pushes his comp more towards Arraez land than Kwan or Hoerner. From a Hobby perspective, the draft pedigree, legacy player, and near-elite tool boxes are all checked. However, the lack of power and a franchise in absolute flux put some obstacles in place for a huge Hobby Ceiling. There is Tier 3 downside if Wilson turns into a shortstop version of Luis Arraez, but there’s also temporary Tier 1 upside if Wilson turns into a shortstop version of Luis Arraez. When Arraez was on a heater and flirting with hitting .400 in 2023, his cards skyrocketed in value, and that’s entirely within the range of outcomes for Wilson. The x-factor is the future home ballpark(s) of Wilson and the Athletics. No one knows how Sacramento will play - minor league park factors according to Baseball America imply that Sacramento is more favorable to pitching than hitting, but I sort of take that with a large grain of salt. Sacramento has been the home of the Giants Triple-A team, and what we’ve seen with the Giants is that they tend to produce viable pitchers, but not so much viable hitters. Park factors are based on results, so when the home team is throwing out good pitchers and bad hitters, park factors can be misleading. We’ll see how Sacramento plays for major league caliber players and if that helps or hurts Wilson's quest for the first player in what is approaching 100 years to hit .400 over the course of an MLB season. Because that is the true driver of Wilson’s Hobby value.
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Brady Basso*, 27, P
Back-end starter that limits walks through strong command of his arsenal. Had decent strikeout rates in the minors, but doesn’t have enough velocity or quality of stuff to deliver those types of results at the MLB level.
Atlanta Braves
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
Spencer Schwellenbach, 24, P
I vividly remember trying to find pitching tape of Schwellenbach in college and it was near impossible when I was writing up his 1st Bowman card in 2021 Bowman Draft. He had arm surgery in high school, so that likely kept him from pitching until his final year at Nebraska even though he did play at shortstop through his time there, and what do you know, his elbow popped and he TJ going into the draft. He was essentially a mystery box in that product, and someone I ranked in Tier None because I just had no clue and zero expectations on what his future held. Fast forward to his debut in 2024, and that ranking looks a bit foolish! Schwellenbach was probably the second best starting pitcher to debut in 2024 behind Paul Skenes. It’s not really deep analysis when you do this, but if you look at his statcast page, almost every single metric is some shade of red (good). He was particularly excellent with his chase rate (96th percentile), limiting walks (95th percentile), and limiting barrels (90th percentile). Schwellenbach fills up the zone with a wide variety of pitches, almost all of which he throws 10% or more of the time, which is a good bar to know whether a pitch is part of the arsenal or simply a show-me pitch. That arsenal is composed of a 4-seam fastball in the mid-90’s, slider, cutter, curve, splitter, and sinker, with the sinker being the only one under 10% usage. There was not a negative run value pitch in that list, which is so impressive for a rookie pitcher throwing that amount of pitches, and doing it over a decent sample size of 123 innings. Schwellenbach is so good at pounding the zone, so that’s good in that it keeps free passes suppressed. But it’s also dangerous because if there is any tick down in velocity or pitch effectiveness, or even enough tape is out there for MLB hitters to approach Schwellenbach’s arsenal, the fill-up the zone approach can be exploited by those hitters. Another minor note of concern is that he went from 65 innings in his first season back from TJ in 2023 to 168 combined innings between the minors and majors in 2024. That’s a significant jump, and nervous nellies may think Schwelly is at a higher risk of arm injury again. I am looking at the glass half full with Schwellenbach - his statcast data is easily justifying a Tier 2 ranking, and that’s where I will have him. I can understand that just taking a look at an 8 - 7 win loss record with a 3.35 ERA and a sub 10 K/9 are all arguments to make in saying he’s just a back-end pitchability starter who’s already shown what he is. With the Braves pitching dev foundation, I find it difficult to believe that this is the peak, and more believe that this is the floor. I expect big things from Schwellenbach moving forward, and on a collectable team like the Braves, I’m certainly willing to buy Schwelly’s cards, especially if the price is right.
Tier 3
Hurston Waldrep, 22, P
After being taken in the first round by the Braves in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Braves sent Waldrep on a whirlwind tour of the minor leagues, and he looked dominant. The primary concern, however, was his ability to limit free passes. At this point, that concern continues to loom, and it’s causing a bit of a re-assessment of his future in the rotation. Now, that may be an over-reaction as Waldrep will be entering his age 23 season in 2025. On the other hand, his high-octane fastball isn’t as good as one would think on the surface, as advanced hitters are regularly able to put bat to ball when it’s in the zone due to its lack of carry. He has to live on the fringes of the zone for it to be most effective, and to let him use his split-change to its best effect. He has an above average, tight-breaking slider that can also get whiffs as his other secondary. When I saw his tape for my 2023 Bowman Draft review, I was really high on Waldrep, but I also acknowledged the command issues as my primary concern back then. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, mostly because Atlanta pitching dev is really good, may have been a bit aggressive. I don’t like jumping to conclusions, but I do have to acknowledge the current state, which is that Waldrep is more in the Tier 3 range, rather than the Tier 2 with ace upside I had for him in his 1st Bowman deep dive. The two game MLB debut, super small sample size notwithstanding, has not helped matters. At this point, I’d rather take gambles elsewhere, but if I did end up with Waldrep’s cards, I’d probably hold and hope.
Tier None
Nacho Alvarez Jr., 21, 2B/3B
Nacho is a contact-focused hitter with the most likely power and speed outcomes being 10-ish home runs and 5 to 10 stolen bases over the course of a season. Defensively, Alvarez has surprisingly played more shortstop than second or third base, but his long term home is probably one of those two positions, or even more of a utility role that can fill in anywhere in the infield. His call-up in 2024 was more about filling in for injuries with Ozzie Albies breaking his arm in July. However, that debut lasted all of 8 games with just three singles before he was sent back down to Triple-A as the Braves added Jorge Soler via trade to take up an MLB roster spot. I’m not out, but I’m also not going to be going out of my way for his cards because it looks like his real baseball value will be better than his fantasy baseball value which will in turn be better than his Hobby value. There is Tier 3 upside, but for now, he’s in Tier None until he can show he can knock the door down with an even more impressive hit tool, or ideally, real gains in home run power.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
Coby Mayo, 3B/1B
If Mayo can get his strikeout rate in the 25% range or under at the MLB level, like we’ve seen at multiple stops along his minor league playing time, we are looking at a perennial All-Star, top 50 type of power bat along the lines of Pete Alonso/Rafael Devers/Austin Riley. If the hit tool doesn’t take that next step, if it remains a major deficiency like we saw in his brief MLB debut, then he’s more along the lines of a Rhys Hoskins type of outcome. Still a good player, with Tier 3 type of interest, but not the Tier 2 bordering on Tier 1 type of upside that we all were dreaming of prior to his MLB debut last season. The power is easily double plus with top end exit velocity numbers, and he has shown the ability to adjust to minor league pitching as they attacked his weaknesses. I think, going off of his minor league contact rates he’ll figure out the hit tool just enough to let his power play, and not be a negative in that department, but more league average. So I’m sort of a believer, and looking at the glass half full, in that he will end up hitting .245 - .265 with 30+ home runs once he gets fully adjusted to major league pitching. Defensively, he’s probably better suited to first base as his deficiency with lateral agility and throwing accuracy keep him from being at third base long term. That will also put some pressure on his playing time, but it’s a minimal concern. The lackluster debut may present a decent buying opportunity, and I would definitely look to pick up his cards at the right price.
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Cade Povich, 24, P
Povich is a back-end pitcher with a full starter’s arsenal from the left hand side. Low velocity doesn’t give me much hope for him jumping into the mid-rotation conversation. Against lefty heavy lineups, I could see decent success with the sweeper and curveball pairing well with the meh fastball. He finished up the season relatively strong, but it was just three games of success. With a K rate under 20%, pitchability is how he’s going to have to succeed, and that crafty lefty is not an archetype we chase in the Hobby.
Chayce McDermott, 26, P
McDermott has that strikeout upside with a bevy of good pitches and above average velocity, often going out of the zone to get whiffs. That’s great, but also bad if hitters don’t swing, which leads to bad walk rates. If I was asked to choose between the two Orioles rookie pitchers to collect, it would be McDermott. He’s got the higher upside of an SP3+, but his floor is much lower than Povich. If McDermott can’t figure out how to trade a bit of that trying to get guys to swing outside of the zone for in zone weak contact to bring his walk rates down, he probably ends up in the bullpen long term. At the moment, that walk rate keeps him from having an everyday rotation spot and pushes him down into Tier None.
Boston Red Sox
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Nick Sogard, 27, INF
Rookie hitters rarely fly under my radar like rookie bullpen arms do, but I honestly did a double take here, because I recognized the last name. However, I did not recognize the first name. His cousin is former major leaguer Eric Sogard, who carved out a nice career for himself as a utility player. And that’s the hope for Nick, that he can find a utility player role that is a solid defender who won’t strike out and take his fair share of walks. The power is below average, the speed is average, and the Red Sox have quite a bit of young talent on the MLB roster or waiting in the wings, limiting any playing time upside. This is an easy avoid for the Hobby unless you already collect his cousin, or perhaps his Uncle Steve Sax.
Chicago Cubs
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
Kevin Alcántara*, 22, OF
High risk, high reward outfielder that is held back by his hit tool and inconsistent results, but is still just 22 years old. Had to be added to the 40 man roster, so the Cubs had him debut earlier than he really should have, which is why we get a rookie card here. There’s easy power in his lanky and athletic 6’6” physique, and enough speed that he should get into the double digit range. If the hit tool continues to trend positively as it did at times in 2024, there’s an everyday corner outfielder with 25 - 30 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and an acceptable batting average. The collectable team boost pushes him into Tier 2.
Tier 3
None
Tier None
None
Chicago White Sox
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Brooks Baldwin, 24, 2B/SS
Baldwin is a classic versatile utility player that has good contact skills and can play all over the diamond. No plus offensive tools to get excited about, but on a bad team, he probably gets a fair bit of volume that he wouldn’t on a good team. Sell all day into any hot streaks and price bumps.
Drew Thorpe, 24, P
Thorpe is a borderline Tier 3 and Tier None pitcher - that classic SP4 type. Unfortunately the recent news of a setback from recovery of his off-season arm surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow is not promising, and tilts the scales to Tier None. On the plus side, Thorpe has a near-elite change-up with excellent command. On the negative side, he doesn’t throw with much velocity, so he has very little room for mistakes. Bad team, injury setback, and a narrow path to success with his change-up driven approach are enough red flags to ignore his cards for Hobby purposes.
Ky Bush, 25, P
I wrote up Ky Bush a few years back for 2021 Bowman Draft, and I had him pegged as a high leverage reliever that teams would continue to see if he could develop into a back-end starter. The fastball velocity has drifted down, his command still is inconsistent (one of my main concerns back in 2021), and outside of the pitching-friendly confines of the Double-A Southern League, he hasn’t produced promising results in quite some time. We can safely stay away until something changes with the profile. ***Last minute update - news broke that Bush will be undergoing TJ surgery, further cementing the Tier None ranking and the red “stay away” flag.
Cincinnati Reds
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Rece Hinds, 24, OF
Hinds is a swing and miss power speed outfielder that was on a major heater when he debuted, hitting 5 home runs in his first 6 major league games. He then went hitless in his final 16 games with Cincinnati in 2024. And that is the Rece Hinds experience in a nutshell. While the power and speed skills are tantalizing, the hit tool is full of strikeouts (regularly over 30%) and is fringe at best. That is just going to be so difficult to overcome and lead to an everyday role and sustained success. Hopefully if you had any of his Bowman cards, you were able to sell them when he debuted in 2024. If you get any of his rookie cards, I’d be looking out for his next hot streak and sell sell sell.
Rhett Lowder, 22, P
If Lowder ever shows a big velocity spike (and not the injury concerns that often come with those spikes), you can throw out everything I’m about to say. If it feels like you’ve heard that before, it’s essentially what I said in the 2023 Bowman Draft write-up. Back then, he was essentially the second best pitcher in the product (Skenes was the obvious one) although Hurston Waldrep mowing down the minors after the draft certainly called that into question at the time. With another year under our belt, it is easier to put Lowder in that second slot, but the current context of his situation pushes him down into Tier 3. The strikeout stuff just isn’t there, especially against advanced hitters in Great American Smallpark. What is there is a mid-rotation pitcher - the classic high floor, low ceiling SP3 that knows how to pitch and get the most out of his arsenal. And that is very valuable in Cincinnati - challenging hitters there with fastballs down the pipe is asking for trouble. Lowder throws his pitches all over the zone with a good pitch mix and excellent sequencing. When he is on, he is generating weak contact, getting plenty of ground balls, and surprising hitters when he does pop it right down the middle. In his six games at the MLB level, he did not give up one home run, as evidence of him knowing what he is about and how he needs to pitch. If Lowder had a more sexy strikeout rate, or heck, even an everyday rotation role heading into the season, I’d have him in consideration for Tier 2, just like I had him in 2023 Bowman Draft. Lacking those important ingredients, unfortunately there just isn’t any Hobby juice to squeeze. I’m not a buyer, but I’d also hold until he does get another shot at the MLB rotation because he could rack up wins if Cincinnati can deliver on the promise of their young core of talent.
Tier None
Blake Dunn, 26, OF
I’ll defer here to Max’s write-up in the 2024 Bowman Chrome preview, which essentially is a backup outfielder that had a really strong 2023 and wasn’t able to reproduce that in 2024. A player that is always going full gas, which is awesome to watch but also leads to more than his fair share of injuries, Dunn could find some folks that enjoy collecting him for that alone, and Max is definitely in because of school ties. But there’s no reason to get into his cards as his hit tool is average and his power may not even be that.
Cleveland Guardians
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Joey Cantillo, 25, P
I’m really interested in Cantillo in 2025, at least from a real baseball and fantasy baseball perspective, and perhaps from a high risk high reward Hobby perspective. I think he could take a big jump into that SP3 range, which is why I have him in Tier 3, rather than languishing in Tier None with the other back-end starters. Looking at the projected Cleveland rotation, you won't find Cantillo’s name included. On the other hand, the entire projected starting rotation is right-handed, which usually is something MLB teams try and avoid. Cantillo is left-handed, and I’d guess either him or Doug Nikhazy break camp in the Guardians rotation, with my money on Cantillo. The arsenal is there for success, especially with his secondaries, and he has some of the best extension in baseball. The two main issues, besides missing time too often with nagging injuries, are the low fastball velocity (averaging 92) and his control. His last four starts of 2024 showed a lot of promise in that regard, never getting less than six strikeouts in any of those games, including a 10 strikeout effort against the lowly White Sox lineup. We have to be wary of his potential to walk too many hitters, but if it all clicks, we have an SP3 with strikeout upside, and that would be someone I wouldn’t mind buying on the cheap.
Tier None
Ángel Martínez, 23, OF
Martínez is the classic Cleveland hitter archetype - a minor league infielder (who's spent the majority of his time in the outfield with the big league club) with a potentially plus hit tool and versatility to play anywhere defensively. Martínez doesn’t strikeout, doesn’t whiff, takes more than his fair share of walks, and makes a ton of contact. He also won’t hit for much power or steal many bases - you hope he can get to double digits in both categories, but you shouldn’t expect it. This is a baseball > fantasy > Hobby profile, and one that should easily be avoided for card collectors.
Jhonkensy Noel, 23, OF/1B
Big Christmas! That nickname alone is worth a jump in Tier ranking, and there is definitely an argument that he should be a Tier 3 player. Nickname aside, that argument is because he has huge, double-plus power, which we love in the Hobby. Everything else, though, is below average to fringe tools. I suppose you could argue his arm is good enough to be considered average, and that’s why Cleveland ran him out in right field in 2024, but his range and overall defense really only make sense to me at first base. The reality is he should primarily DH if he’s going to have an everyday role. I don’t think the power makes up for his high strikeout and chase rates on a first division team. That is something that will always put his job at risk. This is Franmil Reyes all over again, and I’d look to sell on any hype or hot streaks, and you might be able to sell now because of his splashy debut, hitting 13 home runs in just 67 games.
Colorado Rockies
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Adael Amador, 21, 2B
Amador has the potential for plus hit and run tools, but 2024 has all of us questioning if the hit tool can stand up to advanced pitching. Strangely, the Rockies decided to call-up Amador in June straight from Double-A, where he had only 56 games total in his career. That organization’s decisions continue to baffle me. Regardless, Amador still has all the hit tool ingredients that I’m willing to mostly ignore the poor results and write off some of that to his oblique injury that ended his 10 game debut for the major league club. In Colorado, Amador should be a table setter towards the top of their lineup, but it’s getting harder and harder to buy into young Rockies hitters. For that reason, I am erring on the side of caution and tipping the balance toward Amador being more of a Tier 3 player, at least in the short term, with some Tier 2 upside. I’d probably bargain hunt cheap Amador rookie cards in 2025 with my eyes wide-open that it only has a small chance to pay off since he isn’t likely to hit more than 10 to 15 home runs most seasons.
Tier None
Aaron Schunk, 27, INF
The main thing you get currently from Schunk is swinging a lot - in fact, he was in the 98th percentile for swing percentage at both the Triple-A and MLB level. With that swing happy approach, he does tend to make a fair bit of contact, and in hitter-friendly environments, that can provide some utility player type of value. But that also leaves him wide open to being taken advantage of by MLB pitching in the long run as there just isn’t enough of an overall hit tool to justify that high of a swing rate. He’ll also provide some base-running value as well with above average speed, but it’s sort of in that 10-15 stolen base range per season. As currently constructed, Schunk is a utility infielder on a second division team that will struggle to beat out better players and younger up and coming prospects for everyday reps.
Bradley Blalock, 24, P
A quintessential back-end starter on a second division team, which is why he is now on his third team in two years as the other two are decidedly not second division teams. Taking a look at the profile, reports, and video, and there’s just nothing to hang your hat on - he’s just average-ish across the board. At his best, he’s filling up the zone and keeping the walks low with a decent variety of pitches. Against major league hitting, there has to be more than that to have any sort of sustained success, and even more than that to have any Hobby interest. We can safely ignore his cards.
Drew Romo, 23, C
One of the best defensive catcher prospects in the past few years debuted in 2024 for Colorado and figures to be a mainstay for the franchise for the next 5+ years behind the dish. A switch hitter that doesn’t have much of a platoon split, Romo is basically a solid but unspectacular hitter. While he’s been able to put up double digit home run totals in the minors the past two seasons, he played in hitter friendly environments, and the exit velocity data is subpar. The contact numbers look really good and didn’t whiff much, but he was a free swinger and that got taken advantage of in his debut, leading to a much higher than normal strikeout rate. There is a potential for a decent average, especially in Colorado, once he gets used to MLB pitchers, but I wouldn’t bet on much more offensively. There may be some hot streaks, especially on a long homestand, but I’m not interested from a Hobby standpoint. This is another situation where real baseball value is much higher than fantasy baseball value which is much higher than Hobby value.
Greg Jones, 26, OF
Jones is a backup outfielder type that will run wild on the base-paths. And that’s it. He’s had injury issues all through his prospect years, and ugly strikeout rates at every opportunity, usually well above 30%. His speed will lead to some great plays in the outfield, but he’s also not the most instinctual player in the field, leading to some defensive issues. The power numbers look promising, but the absolutely horrible contact numbers means he can rarely get to that power. Another “if he’s on a hot streak, sell sell sell” player in this product.
Detroit Tigers
Tier 1
Jackson Jobe*, 22, P
It’s a shame that Jobe doesn’t have his true rookie card in this product because the overall rookie class in this product isn’t the best. Adding a potential SP1, future ace as more than just one insert and a couple of autos would have been the smart move to beef up the checklist. Other than needing to build up innings and perhaps some health question marks, it’s difficult to poke holes in Jobe’s potential. He has four plus or better pitches with plus control. Our own Ryan Epperson comped him to peak Gerrit Cole and as lofty as that seems, it almost seems like underselling Jobe (it’s not, but Cole did not have a very Cole-like season in 2024 which contributes to that feeling). If his autos are cheap, especially if he doesn’t make the opening day roster because the Tigers have enough veteran arms to open the year with, then it will be time to scoop them up.
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Jace Jung, 24, 3B/2B
The name recognition, even if his older brother Josh hasn't been healthy enough to consistently put up results in Texas, is something to consider from a Hobby perspective. Just like his brother, he also has first round draft pedigree (12th overall in 2022). There is Tier 2 upside, partially because of those factors, but that potential seems less and less likely as time goes on. Part of that is the defensive liabilities - he’s best suited for second base long term, but even there, he’s likely to be a subpar defender. So the hit and power tools are going to have to carry him to an everyday role (he’s not a base stealer, so that’s out of the equation). At times, it looks like both could end up in plus territory, and at others, it looks average. He can take a walk, and that is one of the main consistently positive results of his patient plate approach. He’s never had a walk rate below 11%, and often sits in the mid-teens. His swing is primarily geared towards his pull-side power, and that will lead to more than his fair share of swing and miss. This is a bit of a conundrum and I don’t really know where to rank Jung, because I see the Tier None downside of a bench bat that can’t be trusted defensively as well as a Tier 2 upside hit and power bat that can be hidden at second base. I’ll split the difference and rank him in Tier 3, and I would take the cue of my uncertainty and just avoid his cards altogether.
Tier None
Brant Hurter, 26, P
A starter in the minors, the Tigers primarily used Hurter as a multi-inning reliever in his 46 innings of work in his MLB debut. There was one start, and then a follower game where he no-hit the Orioles through almost six innings. His arsenal is a lower velocity sinker around 92 which he throws about half the time, a plus sweeper, and a developing change-up, all coming from a low slot on the left side. While his arsenal produced a lot of strikeouts in the lower minors, in Triple-A and the MLB, it was more about living around the edges of the zone with plus command, getting called strikes rather than swinging strikes, and limiting walks. He did keep the ground ball rate high all the way through the levels, which is no surprise as a lot of his pitches are primed for more vertical drop than horizontal drop to induce those ground balls. Without the strikeout stuff, and with the MLB bullpen usage, Hurter gets lumped into the back-end starter/reliever group in Tier None. There is definitely upside here, as we saw what he could do with that game against Baltimore. There’s an outside shot that he can follow the same path as Logan Webb to success, and then he’s deserving of a high-end Tier 3 ranking. I wouldn’t go out of my way for his cards, but I also wouldn’t blindly sell them off either.
Dillon Dingler, 26, C
If everything breaks right for Dingler, he’s a starting catcher that will hit 20+ home runs, take his fair share of walks, and strikeout at an acceptable level, and control the running game with his big arm behind the dish. If his lengthy swing gets taken advantage of by MLB pitchers, his minor defensive challenges, and Detroit’s home park suppress his home-run power, he becomes more of a split-time or backup catcher and he belongs in Tier None. In a much more offensively-favorable environment, I’d probably be willing to take a shot on Dingler and move him into Tier 3. In Detroit, I’m going to err on the side of caution and rank him in Tier None.
Justyn-Henry Malloy, 24, OF
Malloy is a backup outfielder that can provide decent hit and power skills with his OBP approach and good eye at the plate. His best role is as the first bat off the bench and could find starting reps at his peak or on second division teams. He’s not going to run much and isn’t the best defensively, but his baseball IQ should compensate for that. Really good guy, great teammate type of personality, which helps with earning spots on the bench. With full playing time, he’s probably in the .260-ish batting average with 15 home runs and a couple of chip-in steals. That’s perhaps a Tier 3 player, but, at least in the short term, he’s not slated for a full time role, or even an opening day roster spot in Detroit, and thus he’ll be slotted with the rest of the backup outfielders in Tier None. There’s just not enough Hobby juice to justify spending money on his cards, even though I do like who he is as a person.
Trey Sweeney, 24, SS
Sweeney has the draft pedigree as a first round pick (20th overall) to think he should belong above Tier None. However, he’s trended more and more towards a speed and defense first player. His debut in 2024 left a LOT to be desired offensively - about the only thing we can be positive about is that he was able to hit the ball hard. Everything else was either average or worse with the stick in his hand. If he doesn’t show much improvement, he’s likely going to end up in a platoon or worse, a utility role, rather than the everyday starter we all thought was possible coming out of the 2021 draft. I’d like to think there’s upside here, but a .240 hitter with 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases isn’t moving the Hobby needle. I’d be selling his cards as soon as I could.
Keider Montero*, 24, P
I may be a bit irrational as I saw one of my head to head fantasy teams get crushed because Montero threw a complete game shutout against the Rockies in September. That alone deserves a Tier 3 ranking - not the shutout, but the crushing of my hopes and dreams. Montero has always struggled with high walk rates, but he seemed to figure that out at the MLB level in 2024, going from the double digit range all the way to sub-8%. However, what was normally a mid to high twenties strikeout rate dipped down under 19%. He likely traded some of that approach of getting whiffs to getting weak contact given the pitcher-friendly confines of Detroit’s home ballpark. That has me doubting the irrational Tier 3 ranking and considering him more as a back-end starter. Just like fellow rookie Jackson Jobe, Montero looks to be ticketed for Triple-A to start the year, and that will further suppress his card values. I’ll rank him in Tier None for now given those various bits of context, but there is a bit of that SP4 Tier 3 upside in the cards, especially if he is on the fantasy team of my head to head opponent.
Houston Astros
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Shay Whitcomb, 26, 3B/2B
Whitcomb took a major step forward in 2024 with his hit tool, and that may have led to a small dip in his home run output, it lifted his profile from a bench bat/utility player with power and speed to a potential everyday player with 20/20 potential. It wasn’t just fueled by the hitter friendly PCL either, with a zone contact rate in the 67th percentile and a strikeout rate just below 20%. Various other contact data and swing rates were all in perfectly acceptable ranges for a power hitter. With the ability to play anywhere on the diamond, even if he’s not going to excel at any position defensively, his opportunity to get an everyday job is much improved over where we had him previously evaluated. If the price is right, and especially if Alex Bregman doesn’t come back to Houston which gives Whitcomb a better shot at earning a job in Houston in 2025, I’m looking to value-hunt Whitcomb’s cards.
Zach Dezenzo, 24, 1B/3B
It’s hard not to compare and contrast Dezenzo and Whitcomb, but they could easily end up with similar offensive outputs in the offensive departments. The main difference is defensively, where Dezenzo is a corner bat that best fits at first base, while Whitcomb is a lot more versatile. Dezenzo has a bit more power, and that helps Hobby-wise, but he’s also going to find it harder to get full time reps being a primary first baseman. Christian Walker and Yordan Alvarez filling up the first base and designated hitter jobs likely relegates Dezenzo to the minors to start 2025, so it’s a bit of a buyer beware situation. That being said, just like Whitcomb, I wouldn’t mind picking up a few of his cards on the cheap.
Tier None
Pedro León, 26, OF
There was a minute there with 2021 Bowman Chrome that the Cuban outfielder looked like a potential fringe of Tier 2 player with a 20/20 Randy Arozarena type of profile. Don’t let the 2024 Triple-A stat line from León fool you where he hit .299 with 24 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 118 games - it was his third go at Triple-A with a significant sample and the .380 BABIP was doing a lot of the work as this is the first time he hit above .245. That hope back in 2021 was that the hit tool would develop, but he’s still a free swinger with whiff issues that just won’t work for any length of time against MLB pitching without changes. I’m selling the minute these cards hit my hand.
Kansas City Royals
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Tyler Gentry, 26, OF
At best a backup outfielder, but more likely an org depth type of player. Gentry is fine, but there’s nothing to hang your hat on. It’s sort of average tools across the board, and the Triple-A data was uninspiring on his second pass through that level. He was essentially as average as can be with a 99 wRC+. As a corner outfielder, there just has to be more for him to get an MLB job, and even more than that to generate Hobby interest. These are cards we can easily pass on.
CJ Alexander*, 28, 3B
After getting a 4 game cup of coffee debut with the Royals in the middle of summer, he was eventually designated for assignment to clear a 40 man roster spot and ended up being claimed by the A’s. As an older player, he finally started to show that he was too good for Triple-A competition, putting up strong top line stats with some above average data to back it up. I’m just not convinced it will work at the MLB level as an everyday player and that he fits as more of a strong side platoon corner infielder/corner outfielder bat. I could easily be wrong here, and he’s just a late bloomer that will put up a .260 average with 20 home runs. I don’t think I’d make that bet, and the Royals didn’t either. I’m nowhere near as smart as any baseball org, so I’ll go with what a team that could have used a bat like Alexander looked like in Triple-A at the major league level is telling me - he’s a fringe MLB player that they decided they could take the risk of moving on from.
Los Angeles Angels
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Caden Dana*, P, 21
Do the Angels really hate their minor leagues? Judging by the money they invest in them, or not invest in them, the answer is yes. I ask this question here because they pushed Caden Dana at just 20 years old all the way to the Majors last year. Now, having him skip Triple-A isn’t as crazy as it seems on the surface, as you don’t really need to subject your prized pitching prospects to the PCL. But they could just as easily have kept him in Double-A in September or shut him down early rather than having him get his face smashed in by MLB hitters. Dana has SP3 upside, which could push him into Tier 2 consideration, but he’s got just a bit more work to do before I would fully buy into it. Taking a third pitch to above average or plus would help a lot - at the moment he is a two pitch guy (fastball/slider) with various other offerings that need to take the next step. This arsenal concern and the Angels doing whatever the Angels are doing caps him for the moment in Tier 3 even with the tantalizing upside.
Tier None
Jack Kochanowicz, 24, P
Kochanowicz doesn’t strike out enough hitters, and the Angels can’t figure out prospects to save their lives right now. Stop throwing your sinker, Jack, it can’t get a swing and miss to save your life! If I trusted the Angels with any sort of player development, I could see Kochanowicz bumping up to Tier 3. He’s got a lot of raw clay to work with, and molding that clay starts with a pitch mix change. It’s worth monitoring to see if that happens, but I’m selling his cards until that happens.
Niko Kavadas, 26, DH/1B
Kavadas is a three true outcomes designated hitter that’s most likely outcome is that he won’t hit enough to get to his big power or have a full time role. The power is enticing and if you end up with his cards, you might be able to hold until he hits an Aristedes Aquino/Jack Suwinski style hot streak. I’m not holding my breath though.
Samuel Aldegheri*, 23, P
Part of the return the Angels got from the Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline for Carlos Estevez, Aldegheri is a low velocity, pitchability lefty that should find an innings eater role at the back of a rotation for a second division team like the Angels. He is the first Italian born and raised pitcher in MLB history, so there is some small bit of International juice here, but I can’t imagine that drives a noticeable amount of money into his cards.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
River Ryan, 26, P
Ryan is a super high ceiling pitcher that if he had been healthy, had a chance to get into Tier 2 territory. He had Tommy John surgery in August and we won’t be hearing his name again until 2026. Because of that, and because you never know how these guys will come back from getting the elbow cut, I wouldn’t be buying on Ryan, and would essentially treat his cards like any other Tier None pitcher. However, the Ceiling is high enough to warrant just a one Tier drop, from 2 to 3. If I ended up with any of his cards, I’d hold if I could and see how he looks in 2026. In that scenario, I’d ignore any late 2025 reps he gets, as those are just to get his pitching feel back and not focused on getting statistical results.
Tier None
Hunter Feduccia, 27, C
Backup catcher type that doesn’t do anything special, but doesn’t hurt you either. Not going to find a role on the Dodgers long term with all of their talent on the 40 man as well as in the minors and was rumored to be part of proposed trade packages this off-season.
Justin Wrobleski, 24, P
Back-end starter that has had consistency issues throughout his career in the minors, and his MLB debut produced underwhelming results. Has a plus fastball with potential for top end velocity, needs to find another above average to plus offering on a regular basis to jump up a Tier. Someone to watchlist in case it does happen.
Miami Marlins
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Adam Mazur, 23, P
Mazur is a control artist, back-end starter on a team with terrible context from a winning perspective as well as a collecting perspective. There’s the possibility of a nice, decently long career, but lacking the strikeout upside, you’re hoping for a Kyle Hendricks type of outcome. That’s very boring from a Hobby perspective, and boring does not sell cards.
Connor Norby, 24, 2B/3B
Norby profiles as an everyday starter at 2B on a second division team, which the Marlins definitely qualify for. If he was on a different, more collectible team, like the Orioles before he was traded at the 2024 deadline as part of the deal for Trevor Rogers, you could argue that he belongs in Tier 3. But with no standout tools, it’s harder to get him into Tier 3 for me. The hit tool is average with some recent whiff and strikeout concerns, and the power tool could be above average, but Miami’s home stadium suppresses that potential significantly. Add in defensive concerns, and I think we can safely avoid buying his cards.
Valente Bellozo*, 25, P
Acquired just after the 2024 season began from the Houston Astros for Jacob Amaya, Bellozo is a back-end starter for a second division team in a pitcher friendly park. He’s not getting much swing and miss with his sub-90 mph offerings. A sub-15% strikeout rate at the MLB level in his debut are not what Hobby dreams are made of. I’m not sure how he was able to turn in almost 70 MLB innings of 3.67 ERA work other than limiting walks and letting hitters get themselves out through high fly ball rates in a home-run suppressing stadium. We can easily ignore his cards.
Milwaukee Brewers
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Carlos Rodriguez, 23, P
As the Brewers keep searching for future rotation depth, they may keep giving Rodriguez a shot at starting, but if you were to solely judge off of his 2024 season, it’s probably best to find a role in the bullpen for him. If you look at his run through Double-A in 2023, you can see the potential for a mid-rotation starter. But you have to realize that those numbers came in the relatively friendly Southern League, and should be discounted because of that. I’m choosing to believe the Triple-A numbers and rank him in Tier None.
Minnesota Twins
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
Brooks Lee, 23, SS
Lee is currently on that borderline of Tier 2 and Tier 3 for me. There’s a decent amount of pedigree as a former first round pick at 8th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft and plenty of family ties to the baseball world. From a skill set perspective, it’s all about the potential plus hit tool. Lee has consistently shown an ability to put the bat to the ball while keeping the strikeout rate under 20% at every stop in his pro career outside of an easy to ignore two game sample in Double-A in 2022. Looking at his other tools, everything is likely to evolve into above average tools with the exception of stolen bases, which are in that “chip-in” type of area. His power is going to play in that 10-20 range, and that’s mostly because he’s more focused on contact rather than power. I wouldn’t be surprised that if he changed his approach, he could consistently hit 20 home runs or more, but it probably comes with a cost of more strikeouts and less contact. Defensively he can play any spot in the infield, and that is valuable in an infield that potentially has regular injury risks Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa. So we have a .280-.300 hitter with 15-ish home runs and 5 stolen bases - that’s essentially a hitter on the border of Tier 2 and Tier 3 - without that 1st round draft pedigree, I would likely drop him into Tier 3, but it’s just enough for me to be willing to spend a few extra bucks on his cards.
Tier 3
David Festa, 24, P
There is a mid-rotation upside hiding in that lanky 6’6” frame. Three above average pitches with good command and quite a bit of a strikeout upside. Even with an overall unlucky debut at the MLB level in 2024, he still managed to put up a 28% K rate with a sub 10% walk rate (8%). While he ended up with a 4.90 ERA in his first foray in the bigs, his xERA was 4.14 and his xFIP had even more of a massive positive disconnect at 3.58. The main issue was his mid-90’s fastball getting hit too much. I trust Minnesota’s pitching dev to help Festa take the next step and turn his fastball into a more effective pitch at the MLB level. It may take a year or two, but I would not be shocked to see Festa as an SP3 by 2026. There is bullpen risk - if he can’t make the fastball work multiple times through the order, it’s going to be a problem. That is truly the thing to key in on - if his fastball starts showing positive results on a regular basis, you will see the results follow, as well as the card prices go up. If his cards are cheap, I’d be interested in grabbing a few.
Zebby Matthews, 24, P
Matthews has elite command and control, and up until he reached the majors, he simply had to locate his pitches in the strike zone and he wouldn’t be overly punished for it. At times, his home run rates would jump, but once he debuted at the majors, it really went into untenable territory. It was a 21% home run to fly ball rate with a 2.63 HR/9 number. There aren’t really any starters who can survive with those type of numbers. With three above average pitches - a mid-90’s fastball, slider, and cutter, he’s not just relegated to keeping the ball in the zone - he can get strikeouts. If he can find a way to balance to live more around the zone rather than in the zone and keep the ball in the park, you’ve got all the ingredients of an SP4 with perhaps a bit more at peak. The optimistic rank is Tier 3, which is where I have him, but I don’t think I’d rush to buy his cards.
Tier None
None
New York Mets
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Luisangel Acuña*, 22, SS
I’ve pretty much always been on the sell-side of Acuña, whether that's with his cards or in fantasy baseball. Too many people see the last name and assume there’s plus power in his future, when he’s nothing really like his older brother, Ronald Jr. In reality, he’s a contact over power type of hitter that wants to run wild with his plus speed. He can play anywhere that’s needed with a strong arm and a good glove. He spent the majority of 2024 at Triple-A which was a mixed bag overall - lots of contact and an aggressive approach that led to his walk rate being cut in half and seeing his batting average drop under .260 and his OBP dropping under .300. However, he ended 2024 on a high note at the MLB level, and that hype with a Mets collector base backing him up, could see Tier 2 player price points because of that small sample size success. I’d be happy to take the money if/when there is hype, as I see him as more of a volatile Tier 3 type of player.
Tier None
None
New York Yankees
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Ben Rice, 25, 1B
My opinion hasn’t really changed since my 2024 Bowman Chrome write-up of Ben Rice. A passive hitter with big power from the left side that can take advantage of the right field short porch in Yankee stadium but doesn’t make enough consistent contact for me to be comfortable pushing him higher. With the Yankees signing Paul Goldschmidt, Rice is ticketed to start the year in Triple-A which will suppress his card values in the short term. I’d buy his cards if they were cheap enough, but I imagine Yankees collectors will spend more than I’d ever be willing.
Tier None
Carlos Narváez, 25, C
I’d be hard pressed to come up with a worse scenario than a Red Sox player with Yankees rookie cards. Especially one that hasn’t even suited up for the Red Sox before his Yankees rookie cards hit the market. After the Red Sox traded Kyle Teel, their top catching prospect, as the headliner in the package to acquire Garrett Crochet, they then moved to pick up a backup catcher in Narvaez. They traded an intriguing arm in Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz to make it happen, which feels a bit strange to me, but that’s why I’m writing articles about baseball cards and not running a front-office. Narvaez is a strong defender, has some decent juice with the bat, but doesn’t get to it as much as he could with his flat bat path. He doesn’t make enough contact for that swing plane to make sense, so perhaps there is an approach change that could unlock some offensive value. More than anything, he’ll take his walks and provide value behind the dish, and that’s about it. A backup catcher profile through and through, and one with a negative scenario of being a Yankees card for a Red Sox player. This is an easy pass for the Hobby.
Will Warren, 25, P
There are characteristics that make you think Warren could be a mid-rotation piece especially with a plus slider/sweeper - the spin data for all of his pitches is very promising and pairs well with his three quarters arm slot and good extension. The reality is the command, sequencing, and pitch usage all push him into the back-end rotation or bullpen arm conversation. The strikeout upside is there, but when batters put the lumber to the ball, it gets walloped. There’s an argument to be made that the Yankees collectability warrants a Tier 3 ranking, but with an already full rotation and other starting pitching options waiting in the wings on the 40-man in Triple-A (Clayton Beeter, Yoendrys Gómez, Owen White), Warren will need to take the next step in his development to be that next man up. As he’ll be off the radar to start the year barring MLB roster injuries, I’d avoid Warren’s cards because even the Yankee collectors will likely focus elsewhere.
Philadelphia Phillies
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Tyler Phillips, 27, P
Another classic back-end starter whose stuff works best when he’s limiting walks and getting ground balls. He’s got an arsenal of average pitches with average velocity, with his sweeper probably the main weapon, but really it’s his command that provides the most value. You have to commend Phillips, a 2015 16th round pick of the Rangers out of high school, for grinding out the minor leagues and a Tommy John surgery in 2021 to finally debut in 2024. On the other hand, there isn’t much to interest the Hobby, and thus the Tier None ranking.
Michael Mercado*, 25, P
Effortless delivery with strikeout stuff if he could command it. He hasn’t had a walk rate under 12% over the last two years, which has mostly been work out of the bullpen. If he does end up figuring out the command, this could be a future high leverage reliever. Until then, he’s someone we can safely ignore for the Hobby.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Nick Yorke*, 22, 2B
After being a shocking first round pick of the Red Sox in the 2020 MLB Draft, Yorke came out hitting like he had something to prove. He shot up prospect lists and was suddenly a top 100 prospect, and then 2022 and 2023 things sort of got more difficult and Yorke fell out of favor. The promised plus hit tool with surprising pop was being negated by too much swing and miss. In 2024, he seemed to have made noticeable improvements in those areas and Boston appears to have decided to cash those chips in, trading him to the Pirates for prospect pitcher Quinn Priester. Yorke is going to have to hit his way to relevance at the big league level - his power is average at this point, and PNC park is going to make it pretty difficult for him to get more than 10-15 home runs with full playing time. He steals a surprising amount of bases for someone with just average speed although I don’t think this will be a big feature of his game moving forward. Defensively, he’s not great really anywhere, so he’s going to have to continue to be hidden at second base or a corner outfield spot. This is a borderline Tier 3 and Tier None profile with the first round draft pick and at one time top prospect pedigree making me think there might be some Tier 3 price points out of the gate. If so, I’d look to cash in as much as possible as quick as possible, just like the Red Sox did.
Tier None
Billy Cook*, 26, 1B/OF
Cook took promising steps in 2024 after being traded to the Pirates from the Orioles in July to show that he should get a few MLB looks, especially when the Pirates don’t sign any free agents of significance ever. He has some power and some speed, and his walk rates got into the double digit range for the first time in his career. The hit tool/contact rates are the main concern, as they are average to below average. And that holds him back from being considered for Tier 3 as the top line results in Triple-A (.275, 17 home runs, 25 steals) made me second guess my Tier None initial ranking. There could be some playing time here on a weak offensive team in Pittsburgh, but he’s probably more of a bench bat/utility player type in the long run.
San Diego Padres
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Sean Reynolds, 26, P
A classic flamethrower reliever profile that can get a ton of strikeouts while also walking too many batters. A plus 97 mph fastball pairs well with an 88 mph slider to rack up the swings and misses. If he can tone down the walks just a bit, there’s a potential high leverage closer in a strong Padres bullpen. If and when the Padres sell off the more well known arms in that pen, Reynolds might have some small Hobby value. Until then, we can just monitor the situation and see if he can repeat his highly successful, albeit small sample size, 2024 debut.
San Francisco Giants
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Grant McCray, 24, OF
The son of Rodney “Kool-Aid Man” McCray, Grant is a swing and miss power speed outfielder. If he can keep the K rate under 30%, then he should be a fourth outfielder at minimum and likely push Mike Yastrzemski out of a starting role. At the very least, he should be in consideration for the starting right field role in 2026 once Yaz enters Free Agency. Don’t get me wrong, the hit tool needs quite a bit of work to get to that hypothetical. He swings way too much (96th percentile swing rate in Triple-A), whiffs too much (hence the strikeout concerns), and only makes zone contact at a league average-ish level (40th percentile in Triple-A). Defensively he can play any spot in the outfield - his speed, athleticism, and arm work at all three spots. If everything works out, McCray should be something like a .240 20/20 bat with plus defense, and that’s easily a Tier 3 player with Tier 2 upside, especially on a collectable team like the Giants. If he doesn’t show any contact and approach gains, he becomes more of a backup outfielder that you need to sell on any playing time and hot streak scenarios. Still relatively young at 24 years old, I’d be happy to place a few small bets that we get the positive outcome over the negative one.
Hayden Birdsong*, 23, P
Birdsong showed flashes in his debut that he could be a mid-rotation piece for the Giants at some point in the future. All three of his secondaries produced good to great results, with his slider being an absolute monster. More than anything, his fastball and his command let him down. The fastball just didn’t get enough swinging or called strikes for a pitch he throws almost half the time. Add in an almost 14% walk rate and that’s not a recipe for success for a starting pitcher. Bullpen risk will be ever present until Birdsong gets those two issues corrected. If he does, he’s got SP3 potential and perhaps better with a great home park to pitch in. If he doesn’t, he’s ticketed for the bullpen and I’ve got him ranked too high.
Tier None
None
Seattle Mariners
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Tyler Locklear, 24, 1B
Locklear experienced the small sample growing pains of a corner power bat facing MLB pitching for the first time. At his best, Locklear has an above average hit tool with double digit walk rates and sub-25% strikeouts rates. His exit velocity numbers look great - 80th percentile exit velocity and 96th percentile 90th percentile exit velocity at Triple-A in 2024. Strangely the home run totals have never really been there, though, with 18 home runs across three levels in 2024 being his career high water mark. He’s a bit stiff, and maybe that’s part of the issue, but I still like to think he’s a future 25+ home run bat at peak. I wouldn’t go out of my way for Locklear’s cards, but I also wouldn’t be opposed to picking up a few cheap ones. If he can hit .260 with 25 home runs in the next year or two, you can probably make a profit on his cards.
Tier None
Ryan Bliss, 25, 2B
A utility player that’s on a bad offensive team like the Mariners which should lead to full-time reps if he can show any sort of contact gains over 2024. His plus speed will make up for some of that poor contact, and his defensive versatility in the infield will help as well with getting MLB reps. But to have a Triple-A zone swing rate in the 92nd percentile and a zone contact rate in the 18th percentile makes me question if there is a future full-time role without a significant change. His power is average to above average when looking at the exit velocity numbers and results, which isn’t enough to make up for the poor contact rates. Until we see positive changes, like most other utility player profiles, we can safely ignore Bliss’s rookie cards.
St. Louis Cardinals
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Thomas Saggese*, 22, 2B
Saggese is an offense first second baseman that needs to be hidden defensively. He’s a bit of a free swinger, posting above average swing rates both inside and outside the zone. His ability to put the bat to the ball means it doesn’t overly hurt him, but his small MLB sample exposed that approach. As he gets used to MLB pitching, I expect him to tone down the amount of swinging he does, and you end up with a decent offensive player that makes more than his fair share of contact and can put some meatballs over the fence. That should lead to something like a .260 - .280 hitter with 15 - 20 home runs and 10-ish stolen bases. A nice real baseball player, but not really an exciting one. There’s enough here for a Tier 3 ranking, but I don’t see a ton of upside and wouldn’t go crazy for his cards.
Tier None
Michael McGreevy, 24, P
McGreevy, outside of a one and two thirds inning stint at the Complex to start his pro career, has never had a K rate above 23%. That low strikeout rate essentially caps his upside for the Hobby, and really all three facets that I continuously harp on - real baseball, fantasy baseball, and the Hobby. His best asset is that he consistently puts up innings and limits hard contact. A perfectly fine pitcher to have at the back end of your rotation to soak up the innings and give your team a shot to win if the offense comes to play, but is rarely likely to out and out win games for you. This is the epitome of the solid but unspectacular pitcher, and that doesn’t move the Hobby needle.
Gordon Graceffo*, 24, P
After being taken in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB draft, Graceffo came out and set the world on fire with his 100 mph heaters and K rates north of 30%. Now he’s sitting around 94, although I’ve seen him touch 97, with K rates in the high teens. Side note - his windup is quite entertaining, and I wonder with that much effort involved if it becomes a problem long term. At this point, Graceffo is a back end SP innings eater that has to keep the ball in the zone as he’s lacking the swing and miss stuff to go outside the zone frequently. We can spend our Hobby dollars elsewhere.
Adam Kloffenstein*, 24, P
Part of the package the Cardinals got for Jordan Hicks from the Blue Jays at the 2023 MLB Trade deadline, the Cardinals ended up not liking what they saw by the end of 2024. Non-tendered in November, Kloffenstein re-signed with the Blue Jays as a minor league free agent. His strikeout rates continue to drop, finally falling below 20% in 2024, and the walk rates are staying in the low double digit range. Overall it was just a bleh year for Kloff and it’s going to take a lot of work to reverse the negative trends we’ve been seeing from him for a few years now. We can safely ignore his cards, especially with him being in Cards uniform, a team he had one major league inning pitched for.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
None
Tier None
Kameron Misner, 27, OF
Misner is a strong side platoon outfielder that at his best is a three true outcomes player with speed and defense. That speed and defense may give him some extra rope before the inevitable Quad-A tag sticks and forces him to ply his trade in the NPB and KBO type of leagues, but that is his most likely future path. The contact skills aren’t good, and that hasn’t improved really at all as a pro. In Triple-A in 2024, where he spent the majority of the year, he had a whiff rate and zone contact rate both in the 17th percentile (bad), a swinging strike rate in the 28th percentile (not great). Now 27 years old, the clock is ticking on his being even an average MLB player, and I wouldn’t hesitate to sell any cards of his I had or got.
Toronto Blue Jays
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Jake Bloss, 23, P
In 2024 Bowman Chrome, I put Bloss in Tier 3 because he had strikeout upside and he had already solidified himself as a back-end starter with room for more. There really isn’t any bullpen risk as he throws a full complement of pitches and commands everything well. As Bloss gets more and more reps, I expect he will take that next step from an SP5 up to an SP3/4 and justify a Tier 3 ranking, which is where I’ll keep him now. But if we are looking at the situation as it stands today, he’s easy to avoid and treat like a Tier None pitcher. There’s just no room in Toronto’s rotation until we see injuries hit, and Bloss does need to find that strikeout magic he had in the lower minors to force his way onto the Blue Jays major league roster.
Orelvis Martinez, 23, 2B
The questions with Martinez are always going to start and end with the hit tool. His contact rates and swing and miss numbers are pretty bad and that comes with him swinging over half the time, which can exacerbate that issue. Somehow he’s been able to keep the K rate at acceptable numbers more often than not, especially for a plus power bat. In Triple-A in 2024, that number was a perfectly fine 24%, even if the walk rate was a bit lower than usual at just under 9%. As a defender, he’s fine at second or even third base, but he’s not going to push anyone off of those positions with his play on the field. His calling card, and how he’ll make his money, is the potential for 30+ home runs with full playing time. And that is what makes it an easy call for Tier 3 with Tier 2 upside. Absent that, Martinez is likely someone we can ignore. He’s a high risk, high reward player, and we have to take that same approach with his cards. If you like gambling, this is one of the players to do that with for this release. If you don’t have that appetite, I’d recommend spending money elsewhere.
Leo Jiménez*, 23, SS/2B
A super solid player, but unspectacular. Love his plate approach and contact skills. He’s got a really good eye, won’t swing outside of the zone, and makes a ton of in zone contact. Now, that wasn’t necessarily the case in his 63 MLB game debut in 2024, but all those ingredients have been there in the minors. As he gets used to MLB pitching, I expect to see those talents show back up, as those types of skills are pretty sticky. Defensively he can play shortstop but is a better option at second base if a talented defender lands on the Blue Jays roster post-Bo Bichette and pre-Arjun Nimmala. The power and speed elements are the missing pieces here to any sort of Hobby goodness. He’s an everyday player that could easily hit .280 with a high OBP, but it’s probably a 10/10 home runs/stolen base statline. That’s enough for some Tier 3 love, but not much more than that. I wouldn’t go out of my way for his cards.
Will Wagner*, 26, 2B
A plus hit tool and a legacy player is what drives Wagner’s Hobby value into Tier 3. Everything else is average at best - his swing is not geared to hit the ball over the fence, he’s getting a few chip-in steals at best, and he’s going to have to be hid on defense, most likely at second base. This is a backup infielder/utility player profile that with a different last name (he’s the son of 2025 Hall of Famer Billy) may be more of a Tier None player even with an outstanding approach and strong contact skills. On a second division team, Wagner is probably a starter. In Toronto, at least for the short term, he’s a strong side platoon bat, and that lack of an everyday role is a cautionary warning for his Hobby prospects.
Tier None
Luis De Los Santos, 26, 3B
Who? Another guy totally off my radar, De Los Santos got a brief taste of MLB run, mostly in September, and unsurprisingly didn’t do much with it. He was waived during the 40 man roster shuffle in November, and the Mets picked him up as infield depth. I wouldn’t be shocked that by the time this is published, he isn’t on the Mets roster. ***Literally two days after writing this blurb, he gets DFA’d by the Mets, and then was eventually outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate. He will mostly be an upper minors org depth player that can backup multiple positions in injury situations. There’s no tool that even looks to be above average and as such, an easy avoid for the Hobby.
Steward Berroa*, 25, OF
Defense and speed in centerfield that can hit a few more home runs than the typical punch and judy, but not enough for it to register for Hobby purposes. The hit tool is average-ish with a patient approach to hopefully take as many walks as possible. He’s almost never posted less than a 12% walk rate, and had an 18% walk rate in his 28 MLB games in 2024 (although it came with a 31% K rate). This approach leads to being able to put his speed to good use on the basepaths, and he should easily get into the 20 stolen base range even as a bench outfielder. If he gets full time reps because of injury or Toronto descending into a second division team or him ending up on one via trade or free agency, this is easily a 40-50 stolen base guy. That isn’t the highest of likelihoods as he really is an obvious 5th outfielder type that can be a pinch runner or late inning defensive sub, and that is a Tier None type of profile. An easy one to not spend money on in the Hobby.
Washington Nationals
Tier 1
Dylan Crews, 22, OF
Crews is one of those classic 5 tool guys who can do everything well with no real weaknesses in his game. He can hit for average and get on base, he can hit for power, he can steal bases, and he’s a plus defender at any spot in the outfield. Like many rookie hitters when they debuted, he didn’t exactly crush it, and a lot of that was the usual story of being challenged by MLB-level breakers and off-speed pitches. The only pitch types he had positive success against were the fastball and cutter in his 31 game MLB sample. I expect as time goes on that this will normalize as Crews gets accustomed to advanced pitching and how he’s being attacked at the plate. At his peak, he should be a perennial All-Star with a high batting average, a bunch of steals, and enough home runs for it not to be a negative. I’m not sure he’ll regularly hit much more than 25 in a season, but I don’t think we’ll see too many years where that total doesn’t start with a “2”. Given his draft pedigree (2nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft) and a fair bit of Hobby hype, he’s an easy decision to include in Tier 1 with one of the highest floors in the product.
James Wood, 22, OF
While teammate and fellow 2025 Topps Series 1 rookie Dylan Crews has the highest floor in the product, James Wood has the highest Ceiling in the product and I don’t think it’s particularly close. At his peak, he could be flirting with the 3/4/5 ratios - a .300+ batting average, .400+ OBP, and a .500+ slugging. Add in 30+ home runs and 20+ steals and you’ve got the potential for a top 10 player in the game. All of my exuberance does come with a couple notes of caution around his hit tool. In his 79 game debut, mostly as a 21 year old, he was way too passive (38% swing rate), he went opposite field rather than pulling the ball way too much, his contact rates were subpar, his K rate was close to 30% (28.9% to be exact), and his ground ball rate and associated launch angle were really bad. Those are all things that I think are fixable with time and development, and he’s got the foundation to work with to make those improvements. It may not happen overnight, and if it doesn’t, I’d be happy to buy low on any of his cards whenever they dip.
Tier 2
None
Tier 3
Andrés Chaparro, 25, 1B/DH
Chaparro is one I sort of scratch my head when it comes to where I should rank him, and what I see his outlook going forward as. He’s a two tool player (hit and power) now on his third team in just two years, and that third team, who should be giving time to all of their young players, went out this off-season and essentially blocked both of his potential full-time spots with veteran bats. It makes me question if there is a long term everyday role in Chaparro’s future, and why he was given up for free by the Yankees and then traded for a reliever by the Diamondbacks. If he’s more of a bench bat or weak-side platoon, he won’t have enough volume to hit 30 home runs. If he’s an everyday starter at first base, or slightly less exciting, designated hitter, there is the potential for .260+ with a good OBP and 30 home runs at peak. That peak is perhaps only going to run a year or two because first base and designated hitter positions are always going to have the most pressure for losing playing time. I think we hope for a sort of Carlos Santana type of career, which is a good result from a real baseball perspective, but not so much from a Hobby one. His pull-side power upside is Hobby friendly, and because of that, I’ll rank him in Tier 3. But if I did end up with his cards, I would be selling into any hot streaks he gets on.
DJ Herz, 24, P
If you just look at the top line results for Herz in his 2024 debut, you’d be right to tag him as a back-end starter and rank him in the Tier None bucket. He had 4 wins to 9 losses with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. All stuff that you would find in the Tier None back-end starter bucket. On the other hand, even though his fastball sits 91-94, it plays up literally, showing good vertical break characteristics, jumping on hitters. He throws that pitch over 50% of the time and it produced top 20 type of results for all four seamers in baseball with a 15% swinging strike rate and 32% CSW. His change-up is almost as effective, and pairs well off of the fastball. His third pitch is a slider that is promising but needs some work. Furthermore, while the ERA was 4.16, the xERA was almost a full run lower at 3.26. The main thing that’s plagued Herz, at least in the minors, was a really bad walk rate never below 14% outside of one 16 inning stop in High in 2021, resulting from poor control of his pitches. Interestingly, he dropped his walk rate all the way down to 9% at the MLB level in 2024 while still maintaining a strong K rate at 28%. This is what we want to watch moving forward - if he can maintain those walk rate gains, he’s a high upside strikeout pitcher on a young, up and coming team. If you can’t tell, I’m believing in the upside of Herz at the moment. I would be more than happy with buying his cards on the cheap, assuming all the caveats of spending money on a pitcher in the Hobby.
Tier None
Darren Baker*, 26, 2B
Best known as the son of Dusty and even more so as the three year old bat boy that had his life practically saved by J.T. Snow in the 2002 World Series as young Darren ran out onto the field of an active play to retrieve Kenny Lofton’s bat. He’s matured into a speedy slap hitter with a weak arm that limits him to second base or left field. There’s no power to speak of, and that slap hitter ground ball-heavy approach is rarely if ever gaining an everyday starter role. At best he’s a pinch runner that serves as org depth for a few years before heading overseas, jumping into coaching, or going back to his roots as a bat boy. As much as I like the legacy aspect and the Giants connection, even I would have a hard time justifying spending any Hobby dollars on Baker. This is an easy pass.