Show Notes
Baseball cards are the heart of any great sports card collection – and we’re looking at about a dozen great rookie cards with upside to spare.
If you want to find all the great rookie cards over the past 70-plus years, check out our article here, listing the Best MLB Rookie Cards From Every Year!
Counting Down the 11 Best MLB Rookie Cards To Own Since 2020!
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Just Missed the Top 11!
* 21. Cam Schlittler, SP, N.Y. Yankees (Age 25) – 2026 Topps Card No. 111
* 20. Jacob Misiorowski, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (Age 24) – 2026 Topps Card No. 10
* 19. Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle Mariners (Age 29) – 2022 Topps Card No. 277
* 18. Michael Harris II, OF, Atlanta Braves (Age 25) – 2023 Topps Card No. 226
* 17. Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres (Age 23) – 2024 Topps Update Card No. US210
* 16. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Chicago Cubs (Age 24) – 2024 Topps Card No. 407
* 15. Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers (Age 24) – 2024 Topps Update Card No. US151
* 14. Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers (Age 25) – 2023 Topps Card No. 31
* 13. Jackson Chourio, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (Age 22) – 2024 Topps Update Card No. US240
* 12. Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers (Age 29) – 2021 Topps Card No. 92
11 Best Baseball Rookie Cards To Own Since 2020!
The teams listed are their CURRENT MLB teams.
11. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics (Age 23)
* 2025 Topps Update No. US201 - View current prices on eBay!
Kurtz took the American League by storm in his rookie year, batting .290 with 36 home runs, 86 RBI, and a 1.002 OPS in just 117 games. The A’s scouting director compared him to Matt Olson even before the draft, and scouts envision a Jim Thome-type ceiling if he reaches his peak. At only 23 and coming off a unanimous AL Rookie of the Year award, a parallel of Kurtz’s RC is a legitimate highlight for any collection on the rise.
10. James Wood, OF, Nationals (23)
* 2025 Topps No. 181 - View current prices on eBay!
At just 22, Wood set a new Nationals/Expos franchise record for a rookie with 31 home runs, drove in 94 runs, and swiped 15 bases across 157 games, earning his first All-Star selection. He could go down as the best player Washington received in the Juan Soto trade, and with his massive 6-foot-7 frame still filling out, the power ceiling on his rookie card is enormous.
9. Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros (28)
* 2020 Topps No. 276 - View current prices on eBay!
Since his debut, Alvarez has posted the second-highest wRC+ (164) of any hitter in baseball, trailing only Aaron Judge. He’s a career .297 hitter with 185 home runs, 532 RBI, and a .578 slugging percentage. His 2020 Topps rookie card was printed in the early days of what’s looking more and more like a Hall-of-Fame career, and it only gets more valuable with time.
8. Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays (22)
* 2024 Topps No. 628 - View current prices on eBay!
No one could have predicted Caminero clubbing 45 homers in 2025 during his first full MLB campaign. Baseball America rated his raw power at 80, making him the only player in the minors at the time to receive the top-level power grade. At just 22 years old with that kind of pop already on display, this rookie card is getting hotter by the month.
7. C.J. Abrams, SS, Nationals (25)
* 2022 Topps Update No. US34 - View current prices on eBay!
Abrams slashed .257/.315/.433 with 19 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 2025, his second consecutive near-20/30 season, and remains under team control through 2028. Alongside James Wood in Washington’s young core, he represents one of the most exciting power-speed combinations in the National League. He’s exactly the kind of player whose card collectors love to hold onto for the long haul.
6. Corbin Carroll, OF, Diamondbacks (25)
* 2023 Topps No. 401 - View current prices on eBay!
Carroll had a breakout 2025, hitting .259 with 31 homers, 17 triples, and 32 stolen bases, becoming just the 10th player in MLB history to reach 30+ doubles, 15+ triples, and 30+ home runs in a single season (the third player to do it since 1947 — Jimmy Rollins and Stan Musial).
With Carroll’s barrel rate doubling to 14.5% and his hard-hit rate jumping nine points, the power surge appears to be here to stay. This card belongs in the conversation with any young superstar in the hobby right now.
5. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds (24)
* 2024 Topps No. 141 - View current prices on eBay!
De La Cruz hit .264 with 22 homers, 86 RBI, and 37 steals across a full 162-game season in 2025. Still just 24 years old, the potential for a true 30/50 season someday is very much alive, and collectors who believe in that upside have every reason to hold. He’s a blast to watch play, which helps his cardboard upside, too!
4. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Orioles (24)
* 2023 Topps No. 206 - View current prices on eBay!
Henderson’s MVP-caliber 2024 saw him bat .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs, 118 runs scored, and 92 RBI, finishing fourth in AL MVP voting. While 2025 was a step back, he still posted a 121 OPS+, stole 30 bases, and was worth 5.3 bWAR, numbers that only feel disappointing against the sky-high standard he set himself. At 24, with his best years clearly ahead, this rookie card is a long-term hold.
3. Julio Rodriguez, OF, Mariners (25)
* 2022 Topps Update No. US44 - View current prices on eBay!
J-Rod hit .267 with 32 home runs, 95 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in 2025, led all center fielders with 6.8 bWAR, and earned a third All-Star selection, all while helping Seattle win its first AL West title since 2001. He’s locked in through at least 2029 on a club-friendly deal, with player options potentially keeping him a Mariner through 2034. That kind of stability makes this card easy to hold with confidence.
2. Paul Skenes, SP, Pirates (24)
* 2024 Topps Update No. US100 - View current prices on eBay!
Skenes posted a 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 216 strikeouts across 32 starts in 2025, leading the NL in ERA and winning the Cy Young Award unanimously. He became only the second pitcher ever to win Rookie of the Year one year and Cy Young the next, duplicating Dwight Gooden’s 1984-85 feat. Through just 55 career starts, he owns a 1.96 ERA. The player makes parallels of this rookie card one to chase, but the photo and card design make it a modern classic.
1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals (25)
* 2022 Topps Update No. US100 - View current prices on eBay!
Witt has won back-to-back Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, been named to the All-MLB First Team twice, and is a career .290 hitter with 107 home runs and 158 stolen bases through age 25. He led the league in hits (184) and doubles (47) in 2025 and has finished in the top seven of AL MVP voting in three straight seasons.
The scary part for those not collecting BWJ? The best of Bobby Witt Jr. may genuinely still be ahead of us.
We want to hear from you — which great baseball player’s rookie card (from 2020 on) should’ve been on this list?
If you enjoyed this post about great baseball rookie cards, check out these posts you might have missed:
🏆 BEST ROOKIE CARDS FROM EVERY YEAR! 🏆
We list the best rookie cards from each flagship release in all four major sports since the 1950s.
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