As the crisp air of spring invites a new baseball season, fans and collectors alike find themselves poised with sharpened pencils and value guides, ready to cast their nets into the sometimes murky waters of card trading. With the glitter of well-touted rookies and perennial stars often overshadowing the less heralded, there’s a shimmery pile of treasure just waiting to be discovered, much like unearthing a diamond from Ash’s coal. With an eye toward the 2025 MLB season, I’ve rounded up four potential breakout stars whose cards could very well grow into the mesmeric assets of legend for the savvy investor. Grab your magnifying glass and your fiscal caution (or throw that to the wind if you’re feeling friskier than the April breeze), because here comes the lineup.
Brandon Pfaadt: Arizona Diamondbacks’ Secret Weapon
First on the roster, we have the Arizona Diamondbacks’ promising pitcher, Brandon Pfaadt. His stats might not suggest a cheetah bursting through the pack, more like a friendly golden retriever that’s just waiting for his chance to chase down the neighborhood squirrels. Across a career lengthened into 277.2 innings, Pfaadt holds a 5.06 ERA. Yet 2024 painted quite a different canvas, with his 4.71 ERA being illuminated by a promising 3.78 xERA and 3.61 FIP. If numbers speak the truth, his 9.04 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 stats hint that he’s a congenial kid who knows how to shake hands with dominance.
His rookie cards are currently dangling from the ventilators of affordability, ripe for the plucking by investors with foresight. With stalwarts like Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly right there in his corner, the pressure is off, allowing Pfaadt the space to glide into his potential without tripping over undue expectations.
Cards to Watch:
– 2023 Topps Chrome – Rookie Card
– 2023 Topps Chrome Update – Rookie Card
– 2020 Bowman Draft – 1st Bowman Card
Jared Jones: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Under-the-Radar Rocket
Next up is Jared Jones with an arsenal powerful enough to make a pirate proud. Sailing under the banner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jared put up solid numbers in 2024, all while adding a two-seamer to his already dangerous pitch repertoire. With a 4.14 ERA that dances with a 4.05 xERA, and a 4.00 FIP plus 9.7 K/9—impressive digits that reflect a young pitcher with more upside than grandma’s hot apple pie.
His Topps Chrome Rookie Auto /499 currently floats at a mere $30. That’s the kind of deal that when you find it at a garage sale, you gleefully drive home with it in your passenger seat, cranking the stereo even higher than your exuberance.
Cards to Watch:
– 2024 Topps Chrome – Rookie Card
– 2024 Topps Chrome Update Series – Rookie Card
– 2020 Bowman Draft – 1st Bowman Card
Heston Kjerstad: Baltimore Orioles’ Burgeoning Beast
In the Orioles’ player buffet, Heston Kjerstad is the crab cake everyone’s ignoring in favor of the lobster—rich in flavor and ready to take center stage once given a chance. Despite limited MLB opportunities, he dominated the minors, serving up a creamy .303/.401/.584 slash line, with 16 home runs staining across its length in 2024.
While he may be biding his time in a talent-laden Baltimore lineup, his card potential is like a bubbling soup, just a bit of heat away from fulfilling its aromatic destiny. At just $150 for the Bowman Chrome Rookie Gold Refractor Auto /50 PSA 10, it’s a buy-in that has a buffet-goer thinking it’s too good a deal to pass up.
Cards to Watch:
– 2024 Topps Chrome – Rookie Card
– 2024 Topps Chrome Update Series – Rookie Card
– 2020 Bowman Draft – 1st Bowman Card
Kerry Carpenter: Detroit Tigers’ Hidden Powerhouse
Last is Kerry Carpenter with a swing powerful enough to knock some sense into the universe. As one of the league’s underrated power hitters who shines brighter than a freshly cleaned pair of Sunday shoes, he already has 44 home runs decorating his Major League shelf.
His presence in the heart of Detroit’s lineup, paired with solid names like Gleyber Torres, just increases his potential. Despite battling back issues in 2024, his scoring power remained formidable. Carpenter’s cards may be cheap as tortilla chips right now, but with his breakout potential and a penchant for home runs, you couldn’t possibly hold up your chip bag to catch all the broken shards of opportunity slipping through your fingers.
Cards to Watch:
– 2023 Topps Chrome – Rookie Card
– 2023 Topps Chrome Purple Auto /250 (recent sale: $49)
– 2023 Topps Chrome Aqua Wave Auto /199 PSA-graded (recent sale: $150)
Before every home run is a calculated swing, and before every great investment is the clever insight. These players—a quartet of underestimated stalwarts waiting eagerly on the sidelines—offer a promise of reward that any trader pining for the unseen spectacular would be wise to consider. As the chapters of the MLB season begin to unfold, these cards, perfectly placed, could bring forth the delightful intrigue of turning pages yet unwritten. Your investments might just discover the singing treasures in the folds of these shining cardboard tales.