Discover the top rookies in 2025 Topps Series One Baseball! Read below for a detailed breakdown of the most sought-after young stars and what makes their cards a must-have for collectors.
Written by: Jay Grusznski
Note: Players are listed in no particular order.
James Wood – OF – Nationals
The Padres were not dissuaded by a less-than-stellar high school senior season and drafted James Wood in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft then signed him for twice his slot amount. Teams immediately regretted passing on the 6’7” lefty-swinging outfielder after he hit .372 in his 26 game pro debut. He showed it was no fluke by moving up to Single A in 2022 and hitting .337 with 10 homers before moving to the Nationals as a key piece in the Juan Soto trade. He started the 2024 season hot at Triple A Rochester, hitting .353, and then the 21-year-old got the call to the bigs, going 1 for 4 in his debut on July 1st. Wood hit .264 with 13 2B and 9 HR the rest of the way, cementing his place as a building block for the rebuilding Nationals. Expect Wood to be one of the top rookie chases in 2025 Topps Series 1.
Dylan Crews – OF – Nationals
Graded as a potential 2020 1st round pick out of high school in Florida, Dylan Crews withdrew from the draft to honor his commitment to LSU. The Bayou Bengals were glad he did, as Crews was twice named SEC Player of the Year, won the Golden Spikes Award, and led LSU to a National Championship in 2023. The Nationals chose him with the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, right behind college teammate Paul Skenes. A polished hitter with an advanced approach and plus power, Dylan cruised through the minors in just 135 games, hitting .275 with 18 homers and made his MLB debut on August 26th. Crews showed the Nats his superstar potential over the next four games, getting 6 hits with 2 doubles and 2 homers. Already one of the top betting favorites to win 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, it’s going to be fun watching Dylan Crews through the course of a full MLB season.
Coby Mayo – 3B – Orioles
A 4th round pick by the Orioles in 2020, Coby Mayo moved up the prospect charts the next year by hitting .319 with 9 homers in 53 games at two levels. The 6’5” righty broke out in a major way in 2023, slugging 29 homers while advancing to Triple A as a 21-year-old and becoming one of the top power prospects in all of baseball. He struggled in his first taste of the Majors, but his improved plate discipline and massive power should earn him a spot among the exciting young position player group Baltimore has amassed. Mayo is the #1 prospect in a loaded Orioles farm system for a reason.
Rhett Lowder – P – Reds
When the Reds picked Rhett Lowder with the 7th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, he was viewed as having an advanced feel for pitching and was close to the Majors. He proved that scouting report correct by making his MLB debut on August 30th after just 22 starts in the Minors, and then struk out six Brewers in four innings. The 6’2” righty pitched to a 1.17 ERA over 30.2 innings in six starts to end the season for Cincinnati, showing he’s ready for a rotation spot in 2025.
Jacob Wilson – SS – Athletics
The son of 12-year MLB vet Jack Wilson, Jacob Wilson was selected by the Athletics 6th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft following a stellar career at Grand Canyon University which included a .412 batting average as a junior. The 6’2” shortstop has elite bat-to-ball skills, he’s a career .401 hitter in the Minors over 307 at bats, and he rarely strikes out. Wilson made his Major League debut on July 19th and singled in his first at bat, but unfortunately was injured running the bases and missed over a month. He’ll be a fixture at short for the Athletics for a long time, and is in the conversation for 2025 AL Rookie of the Year.
Brooks Lee – SS/2B – Twins
After a decorated career at Cal Poly playing for his father, the Twins made Brooks Lee the 8th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. The 6’1” switch hitter cruised through the Minors, hitting for both average and power on his way to his first big league call up on July 3rd against Detroit where he went 2 for 4 with an RBI and started a streak of four games with an RBI to start his career. Lee has primarily played SS in his career, but he’s good defensively at second and third also, making it easier to find a spot for his bat, which looks to be ready for a full time MLB gig.
Orelvis Martinez – 2B – Blue Jays
An extremely hyped international prospect in 2018, the Blue Jays signed Orelvis Martinez for $3.5 million out of the Dominican Republic. The powerful righty showed prodigious power in the Minors, hitting 86 homers over the 2021-23 seasons, adding 66 doubles for good measure, all while being young for the levels he was playing. When Bo Bichette went down in late June, Martinez was tapped to make his Major League debut, picking up a base hit against the Guardians in game one. His time in the bigs would be short lived, as he was suspended for 80 games just two days later. The 22-year-old returned to action at Triple A Buffalo in September, hitting over .300 and showing Toronto he’ll be ready to compete for a big league job in spring.
Jhonkensy Noel – OF – Guardians
Jhonkensy Noel had one of the most memorable moments of the 2024 MLB Playoffs, hitting a two out, two-run, game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning off Yankees’ closer Luke Weaver. The 6”5”, 250-pound Noel, nicknamed Big Christmas, was an international signing by Cleveland in 2017 out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old. The big righty has struggled to make consistent contact at the upper levels of the Minors, but when he hits a ball, it stays hit, slugging 59 homers over the 2022-23 seasons. Promoted to the Majors this past June, Noel immediately showed the Guardians what he was there to do, hitting a 413-foot homer in his first at bat.
Jace Jung – 3B/2B – Tigers
Just three years after his brother Josh went 8th overall to the Rangers, Jace Jung was selected 12th overall by the Tigers in the 2022 MLB Draft. The Texas Tech product has natural lift in his swing and combined with his strength, has helped him hit 43 home runs over the last two seasons in the Minors. Following a hitless MLB debut on August 16th against the Yankees, Jung went 2 for 4 in his second game and ended the season hitting .241. Whether he sticks at 2B or eventually moves to 3B, the 6’0” lefty’s impressive offensive profile plays anywhere.
Adael Amador – 2B/SS – Rockies
After signing with Colorado for $1.5 million as a 16-year-old in 2019, it would take until the 2021 season for Adael Amador to make his professional debut. He would hit .299 that year and after adding some strength, knocked 15 homers in 2022 to go with a .292 batting average. The switch-hitting infielder makes solid contact and great swing decisions, walking nearly as many times as striking out in his career. The 21-year-old Amador got the call to the bigs on June 9th, collecting a base hit in his first at bat. Primarily a shortstop in the Minors until this past year, Amador has moved over to second base, ready to form the Rockies dangerous middle infield duo with Ezequiel Tovar for many years to come.
Spencer Schwellenbach – RHP – Braves
The starting shortstop for three seasons at Nebraska, Spencer Schwellenbach also became the closer for the Cornhuskers as a junior. The Braves were impressed with his three pitch mix and drafted him as a pitcher in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft, but he needed Tommy John surgery before ever throwing a pitch in the organization, forcing him to miss all of the 2022 season. Starting for the first time since high school, the 6’1” righty made 16 starts in the Braves organization in 2023, pitching to a 2.49 ERA at two levels. After eight starts in the Minors to begin 2024, Schwellenbach was called up on May 29th to face the Nationals, and he would go on to make 21 starts for Atlanta, walking just 23 while striking out 127 in 123 innings with a 3.35 ERA while winning 8 games.
Drew Thorpe – RHP – White Sox
Drew Thorpe went 10-1 his junior year at Cal Poly and the Yankees selected him in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He continued his winning ways in the Minors, going 14-2 over two levels and flying up the prospect lists. The Padres took note and he was a key piece in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal, but he didn’t stay in San Diego too long, as just three months later, he was dealt to the White Sox for Dylan Cease. The 6’4” righty was dominant at Double-A Birmingham in 2024, going 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA, earning a June call up to the big leagues and staying in the Sox rotation until an injury ended his season early. His excellent offspeed offerings help his low 90’s fastball play up, which should lead to a prominent spot on the Chicago staff.
Hurston Waldrep – RHP – Braves
Following two seasons at Southern Miss, Hurston Waldrep transferred to the SEC and won 10 games for Florida propelling him into the 1st round of the 2023 MLB Draft where he went 24th overall to the Braves. The 6’2” righty was dominant upon turning pro, starting 8 games over four different levels with a 1.53 ERA. His go to pitch is a devastating splitter, which he backs up with an upper 90’s fastball, racking up strikeouts as he goes. He struggled in two starts following a mid-season callup to Atlanta when injuries took their toll on the rotation, but it won’t be long before he’s a permanent fixture in the Braves rotation.
Zach Dezenzo – 3B/1B – Astros
Despite hitting 19 homers for Ohio State as a senior in 2022, Zach Dezenzo lasted until the 12 round of the MLB Draft, where the Astros grabbed him. Some thought he would struggle to hit for average, but the righty hitting Dezenzo batted .304 and .299 the last two seasons, while still showing power to all fields, including 18 homers in 2023. The 6’5”, 220-pounder made his Major League debut on August 6th, seeing action in 19 games with Houston, hitting 2 home runs. A shortstop in college, his best defense position in the pros has yet to be determined after seeing time at 3B, 1B, and the outfield, but if he keeps hitting, the Astros will find a place for him.
Rece Hinds – OF – Reds
A raw high school prospect when the Reds picked him in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Rece Hinds’ development was slowed by both injuries and Covid. It was 2023 before he was first able to play 100 games in a season and the 6’4” righty was then finally able to show off his power, hitting 23 homers and adding 29 doubles. Hinds proved his power works on the big stage in 2024, homering in each of his first two MLB games after getting the call to Cincinnati in July, to go along with two doubles and a triple. The strong-armed corner outfielder needs to limit his strikeouts, but if he keeps hitting dingers, he’ll have a shot to contribute for the Reds.
Yilber Diaz – RHP – Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks found a diamond in the rough when they signed Yilber Diaz for $10,000 as a 20-year-old out of Venezuela in 2021. His mid to upper 90’s fastball combined with his low 80’s slider and knuckle curve have led to high strikeout totals in the minors, racking up 140 K’s in each of the last two seasons. He made his MLB debut on July 8th, allowing 1 run over 6 innings against the Braves. He earned his first big league win in his next outing, again allowing just 1 run over 6 innings in defeating the Blue Jays. With a loaded Arizona MLB rotation, Diaz will probably get some more time to refine his stuff in Triple A to start 2025, but his time is coming.
Connor Norby – 3B – Marlins
Despite not having the typical power-hitter frame, the 5’10”, 180-pound Connor Norby has packed a punch in his professional career, with 67 homers over the last three years in the Minors. A second round pick by Baltimore in 2021 out of East Carolina, he hit 29 homers in his first full season as a pro, climbing the ladder all the way to Triple A in the process. Blocked by a glut of infield prospects in the Orioles organization, Norby got a new opportunity when he was dealt to Miami at the trade deadline. Mainly a second baseman, the righty saw action at third for the Marlins and the corner outfield in the Minors, so if he keeps hitting like he did after the trade, seven home runs in 36 games, they’ll find a spot for his bat.
Jackson Jobe – RHP – Tigers
The third overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft from an Oklahoma City high school, Jackson Jobe has established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. He was dominant at Double A in 2024, with a 1.95 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 73.2 innings. The 6’2” righty has a mid 90’s fastball and a developing cutter, but his high spin rate slider is his money pitch. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut for Detroit on September 25th, throwing a scoreless inning against Tampa Bay. He’s proven he isn’t too far away from being the ace the Tigers imagined when he was drafted.
Ben Rice – 1B/C – Yankees
Despite only playing in 30 games during his time at Dartmouth, Ben Rice made enough of an impression during collegiate summer leagues to be selected in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Yankees. The lefty slugger busted out in 2023, hitting 20 homers over three levels while hitting .324 despite missing the first half of the season with injury. Mainly a catcher in the Minors, the Yankees called up Rice on June 18th to fill in at first base after multiple injuries and struggles by other options, going 1 for 4. He would get into 50 games for New York, including a memorable game on July 7th in which he homered three times at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox.
Adrian Del Castillo – C – Diamondbacks
Following a standout three-year career at the University of Miami, Adrian Del Castillo was selected in the 2nd round of the 2021 MLB Draft. After a couple solid seasons in the Minors, Del Castillo showed some promise in 2023 and fully broke out in 2024. The 5’10” backstop hit .312 with 26 homers for the Triple A Reno Aces, earning his first callup to the Majors, collecting an RBI double in his first big league plate appearance on August 7th. The lefty batting slugger showed his Minors numbers were no fluke by hitting .313 with 4 homers over 80 at bats to end the year, showing he’s ready for a roster spot to open 2025.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. – IF – Braves
An under-the-radar prospect at Riverside City College in California, the Braves took Ignacio “Nacho” Alvarez Jr. in the 5th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. His top skill is his eye at the plate, leading to a high walk rate and good swing choices with a .284 career average in the Minors to go along with a .399 on base percentage. With multiple injuries on the infield in 2024, Atlanta called on Alvarez to make his MLB debut on July 22nd against the Reds and picked up his first hit in game #2 with a hit off Frankie Montas. A third baseman in college, the 5’11” righty moved to shortstop in the pros and proved up to the challenge, while being able to handle both second and third during his MLB call up.