As the first warm breezes of spring start swirling around the ballparks, the baseball cards nuzzle their way into the spotlight and pose a tantalizing question. Who holds the promise of skyrocketing value just at the cusp of the 2025 MLB season? A pristine card today might just be the shiny golden ticket tomorrow.
Imagine it’s opening day; the crisp crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and above all, the silent victory as you glance at your collection, knowing you bought into these potentially undervalued gems when the stakes were low. The following players—Brandon Pfaadt, Jared Jones, Heston Kjerstad, and Kerry Carpenter—are four individuals whose stories in the MLB are just starting to gain traction, much like the modestly-priced baseball cards adorning their names.
First on our list is Brandon Pfaadt of the Arizona Diamondbacks. When baseball fans sift through player stats like prospectors panning for gold, Pfaadt’s nuggets might seem elusive at first glance. With a career ERA standing at 5.06 across 277.2 innings, he’s the classic case of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Dive deeper into his 2024 numbers, and you’ll find a treasure trove of promise: a 4.71 ERA that masks a more enticing 3.78 xERA and 3.61 FIP. With an impressive 9.04 K/9 and a disciplined 2.2 BB/9, Pfaadt is not just pounding the zone; he’s courting strikeouts with diligence.
Nestled comfortably in the middle of a formidable rotation, Pfaadt has the rare luxury of developing without the pressure-cooker expectation of being the Diamondbacks’ ace, thanks to pitchers like Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly taking up the top spots. His cards, especially the 2023 Topps Chrome Rookie Card and the 2020 Bowman Draft 1st Bowman Card, are priced as affordably as a minor-league ticket. Snap them up before Pfaadt shows that talents are like his, often found dwelling beneath modest statistics.
Enter Jared Jones, the untamed flame of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overshadowed perhaps by the flashier monikers in the Pirates’ rotation, Jones is quietly sculpting his path to stardom. With a 2024 ERA of 4.14 that’s escorted by a tighter 4.05 xERA and a 4.00 FIP, plus a striking 9.7 K/9, Jones is the steady undercurrent critics and collectors alike will notice. His recent addition of a devious two-seamer to complement his fastball and slider during Spring Training is a subtle hint at the evolution of a future ace.
Currently, his Topps Chrome Rookie Auto /499 is undervalued at just $30—a price as tasty as a ballpark hot dog for what might mature into a David Ortiz-sized legacy. With a bit of polish in his command game, his cards might soon require price tags that reflect the stories yet to be written.
Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad is a testament to what simmering potential logs in the Orioles’ farm system. Just imagine battering the minor leagues with a .303/.401/.584 slash line in 2024, accented by 16 home runs and 61 RBIs, and you’ll begin to understand why Kjerstad might just erupt in the big leagues. Though buried in a talent-packed lineup, securing regular playing time, perhaps as a designated hitter, could spell a card collecting frenzy, hoisting the values of his Topps Chrome Rookie Card dramatically higher, not to mention the 2024 Bowman Chrome Rookie Gold Refractor Auto /50 PSA 10 that recently went for a song at $150.
Finally, we come to Kerry Carpenter, a Detroit Tigers powerhouse with a gift for the long ball. His 44 home runs across 236 MLB games give a hint of his potential to become a household name. Even sidelined by back issues in 2024, Carpenter clubbed 18 homers and put up 57 RBIs in only 87 games. There’s magic in his bat, as evidenced by improved power metrics: hard-hit rate, HR/FB ratio, and exit velocity all present an ascending trajectory.
Now, nestled comfortably in the heart of Detroit’s batting lineup, flanked by players like Gleyber Torres, Parker Meadows, and Riley Greene, Carpenter is poised to rack up RBIs as delightfully as runners in scoring position. When his Topps Chrome Rookie Card is available, it’s almost a dare not to pluck it from obscurity before his talents become too dazzling to ignore.
These four unassuming players hold within their grasps the potential to transform the fate of your baseball card collection. Whether you’re adding a cornerstone to your personal hoard or eyeing up a fresh opportunity to turn a tidy profit, these might just be the hidden gems you’ve been waiting for in anticipation of the 2025 craze. Why wait for the buzzworthy labeling when the signal’s already clear to savvy collectors? Invest now in these budding stars and tip your cap early to their success stories.
