In case you’ve somehow missed it in the headlines, Topps kicked off celebrations for the company’s 75th anniversary of making baseball cards with their Series 1 release, which dropped on February 11. There’s a lot to like (and chase) within this release, but which Topps Series 1 rookie baseball cards are you going after?
Baseball America’s Seth Mates pointed out that this year’s rookie class might not be as jaw-dropping as others recently, but there’s still plenty to get excited about. He put the spotlight on 11 specific rookies, so let’s take a closer look at their cards.
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11 Topps Series 1 Rookie Baseball Cards to Chase
Below are the cards of 11 rookies that Mates singled out within this release. It’s also worth noting that each player will appear in a special 1952 variation insert, which is a nod to the famous 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.
Roman Anthony (Red Sox)
Payton Tolle (Red Sox)
Samuel Basallo (Orioles)
Nolan McLean (Mets)
Jac Caglianone (Royals)
Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers)
Bubba Chandler (Pirates)
Jonah Tong (Mets)
Colson Montgomery (White Sox)
Chase Burns (Reds)
Cam Schlittler (Yankees)
The Mets Duo: Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong
As a Mets fan, I’m naturally excited to see McLean and Tong make their cardboard debuts. But even if you don’t root for the Mets, cards featuring these two dudes are still worth keeping your eyes peeled for.
McLean is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher who was drafted in 2022 out of Oklahoma State University. At 6’3 with a fastball that regularly touches the upper 90s, he’s the kind of arm that can change a game in a hurry. His debut down the stretch in 2025 will also have collectors seeking him out. McLean went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 48 innings.
Then there’s Tong, another Mets arm who brings a different profile but just as much intrigue. His first taste of big-league action didn’t go as well as McLean, evidenced by a 7.71 ERA across 18.2 innings. However, he did show flashes of brilliance during his cup of coffee, and New York is hoping the former seventh-round pick can be a productive member of the pitching staff.
Roman Anthony: Boston’s Future Is Already Here
If there’s one name on this rookie list that the broader collecting community is going to be chasing hardest, it’s probably Roman Anthony. The Boston Red Sox outfielder isn’t just another promising prospect. He’s already locked into a long-term deal, which tells you everything you need to know about how the organization views his ceiling.
Anthony’s 2025 debut only added fuel to the fire for fans and collectors alike. A second-round pick out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2022, Anthony made landfall in the majors as a 21-year-old. His first 303 big-league plate appearances produced a .292/.396/.463 line with eight home runs, 18 doubles, 32 RBI, and 48 runs scored.
Signed through at least 2033 under a $130.46 million deal, Anthony is a potential franchise cornerstone in one of baseball’s most passionate markets. His autograph variations in this set will be some of the most sought-after pulls of the entire release.
Jac Caglianone: High Ceiling, Lower Entry Point?
Caglianone is a fascinating case. Mates acknowledged that the Kansas City Royals’ slugger had a bumpy start to his MLB career, and that’s fair. However, we can’t discount the fact that he was a consensus top-100 prospect heading into his debut, and he only played in 95 minor league games after getting drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
While it’s sub-optimal to have early struggles as a big leaguer — especially with the hype surrounding his debut — it’s common as prospects adjust to the highest level of play. I mean, we can’t all hit the ground running like Anthony. Caglianone’s first 232 plate appearances with the Royals led to a .157/.237/.295 slash with seven homers, six doubles, 18 RBI, and 19 runs scored. But in those 95 MiLB games, he posted a .924 OPS with 22 homers and 86 RBI.
That context matters for collectors. A Caglianone rookie card at more of a modest entry price than one might expect could be a high-upside opportunity. If he breaks out in 2026 and lives up to that top-prospect pedigree, you’ll wish you’d grabbed a few extra copies. I feel like that’s exactly what makes rookie collecting so fun in the first place.
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