While most of the northeast has mounds of snow on the ground, the baseball calendar tells us that spring is actually right around the corner. Pitchers and catchers are days away from reporting at their respective complexes in Arizona and Florida, which means preparations for the 2026 season will officially be underway.
A big focus will be on baseball cards set to be released this year, but looking for older cards of players who either broke out last season or are breakout candidates in 2026 is also a worthwhile exercise.
Sports Illustrated’s David Solow recently highlighted cards of five potential rising stars with the regular season on the horizon. You’ll see the full list below before I go into detail on a couple that caught my eye for different reasons.
Editor’s Note: Looking to Sell Sports Cards? Here’s How to Do It Quickly & Easily
5 Baseball Cards of Rising Stars to Hunt for in 2026
According to Solow, the following five players are worth hunting for in the hobby, along with notable sales for the featured cards:
Roman Anthony (Boston Red Sox, OF): Anthony’s 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto PSA 10 sold in October for $1,200, and he seemingly has a bright future in Boston.
Trey Yesavage (Toronto Blue Jays, P): Yesavage’s rise through the Blue Jays’ system certainly helped his card market. The hurler’s 2024 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto PSA 10 fetched $713 in early November.
Samuel Basallo (Baltimore Orioles, C/1B): Although he only has 109 big-league at-bats under his belt, Basallo is entrenched in Baltimore after signing an eight-year, $67 million deal. His 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto PSA 10 sold in October for just $158.
Walker Jenkins (Minnesota Twins, OF): Jenkins’ 2024 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto PSA 10 traded for $246 in October.
Cam Schlittler (New York Yankees, P): Despite his big-time performance in October for the Yankees, Schlittler’s 2025 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto Refractor raw card sold for $171.39 in November.
Trey Yesavage: From Four Minor League Levels to the World Series
Yesavage’s card stands out to me because of the incredible trajectory his career took in 2025. The right-hander didn’t just climb through Toronto’s system. He impressed at every stop.
He pitched across five different levels during his age-21 campaign (from Low-A all the way to the majors), and his year ended with making three appearances against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Yesavage went 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 98 minor-league innings before going 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA through his first 14 big-league innings. The hurler then experienced October baseball for the first time. He went 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 27.2 postseason innings.
The challenge for collectors is timing. Yesavage’s cards are already trading at premium levels for a rookie pitcher, and they’re likely to spike even higher. Smart money might wait for potential regression during his first full big-league campaign.
Roman Anthony’s Path to Stardom in Boston
I’m a little extra invested in Anthony’s development at the big-league level because I have the above card of him in my collection (it’s not an auto, but still).
When it comes to the outfielder’s potential, all we have to do is point to his 2025 performance. As a rookie for the Red Sox, the left-handed hitter immediately made an impact upon getting promoted. He slashed .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs, 18 doubles, 32 RBI, and 48 runs scored through 303 plate appearances.
It was also enough to convince Boston to lock him up for the long haul. They signed Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million extension last August, which will keep him with the organization until 2033 (it could extend to 2034 if his team option gets exercised).
That deal is exciting for Red Sox fans, as a top prospect made his way through the system and is already going to stick around for the long haul. It’s also exciting for collectors because the soon-to-be 22-year-old will likely be a crucial piece of the puzzle to a team in a major media market.
That $1,200 price tag on his PSA 10 Bowman Chrome auto reflects those high expectations. He’ll need to exceed his already impressive 2025 numbers to justify these valuations.
The First Bowman Chase Continues
The rise of First Bowman cards has fundamentally changed how collectors approach prospect speculation. They’re the entry point for an entire generation of collectors who want to own a piece of a player’s story from the very beginning.
What makes this group of players appealing as we head toward the 2026 season is the variety. You’ve got two potential franchise cornerstones in Anthony and Basallo, an intriguing hurler in Yesavage who just pitched in the World Series, a toolsy outfielder in Jenkins who could become an All-Star, and a Yankees pitcher in Schlittler who set a postseason strikeout record despite having just 73 big-league innings under his belt in the regular season.
However, the key to success is the same as it’s always been: don’t bet more than you can afford to lose, diversify across more than one prospect, and remember that most rookie cards end up being worth less than their initial prices. But for those willing to take calculated risks, this incoming class offers an exciting variety of options.
Love home runs? Sign up for my Substack today and start getting interesting home run-related observations straight to your inbox! And if you’re new to MLB Daily Dingers, it’s probably best to start here.
