As the fresh scent of spring brings baseball back to life, avid collectors and investors find themselves caught in the fever—known in some trading circles as “card fever.” It’s that tantalizing period when the potential of the next MLB season beckons, and with it, the opportunity to identify and own small rectangles of cardboard that the right players turn into precious assets. Welcome to the fray, where undervalued baseball cards await discovery, promising both emotional and financial returns if you’re lucky enough to predict tomorrow’s superstars.
If you’ve ever seen an old family treasure show and thought, “I wish my baseball cards were worth that much,” then you’d know the artful dance between speculation and gut instinct compelling collectors to scour the present for future legends. The 2025 MLB season looks promising for surfacing mid-season miracles, and who are we to leave you unequipped? I’ve scoured the dusty corners of the card universe to uncover four promising candidates whose memorabilia might be resting at a humble price today but could soar tomorrow.
First up in the lineup is Brandon Pfaadt of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pfaadt comes with a curiously average ERA of 5.06 over 277.2 career innings—exuding the nonchalance of a pitcher who knows potential when others see mediocrity. Look closer, and his 2024 figures surface a hidden gem: a 4.71 ERA offset by a 3.78 xERA, and a 3.61 FIP. Talk about seeming mediocre but pitching like a sage! His strikeout and walk ratios (9.04 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9) showcase an ability to stimulate swings and command the strike zone with the precision of a maestro.
Not burdened by the need to ace the deck—thanks to teammates like Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen—Pfaadt’s potential transformation from stealth to spotlight could leave those holding his rookie cards in a profitable place. Cards that might evolve in value include his 2023 Topps Chrome and 2020 Bowman Draft, both waiting to be uncovered from overlooked card binders.
Next on the scouting docket is Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Often living under the shadowy radar of a team bursting with promising young pitchers, it’s his quintessential underdog status that marks his cards as attainable yet rich with latent value. In 2024, the unfiltered view of Jones showed a 4.14 ERA, a 4.00 FIP, alongside sprightly K/9 and BB/9 numbers (9.7 and 2.88, respectively).
Adding a two-seamer to his naturally hypnotic fastball and slider, Jones spices up his pitch repertoire like a culinary artist upgrading a recipe. Ceasing this opportunity at his current card prices, particularly the 2024 Topps Chrome Rookie Auto, might just let investors feel like they’ve pinched the golden ticket out from under overly content sleeves.
Then there’s Heston Kjerstad from the Baltimore Orioles—a batter-turned-commodity obscured by a star-studded farm system. With batting stats across minor leagues reading like an ideal dating profile (.303/.401/.584), he’s managed to entice with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in a single season. May other batters drool and wish! His rookie cards, subtly alluring like an artful painting, hover as sleepers on dealer shelves.
The bet here lies in his playtime potential. Should Kjerstad crack through the tightly packed Baltimore lineup—potentially swinging regularly—his memorabilia has the potential to be the T-Rex of card growth. Movements in the price of a 2024 Bowman Chrome Rookie Gold Refractor Auto suggest that becoming a Kjerstad collector isn’t so much a gamble as it is a preemptive decision against post-success regrets.
Last, don’t let Kerry Carpenter’s unassuming demeanor as one of baseball’s understated sluggers fool you. Representing the Detroit Tigers, he’s an antidote to the back issues that tried (and failed) to halt his 30-homer hegemony. Over 236 games, Carpenter’s neighborhood has evolved with 44 home runs and 131 RBIs, letting us gather splits of brilliance while sipping refreshments and watching outfielders chase futility.
Carpenter’s adeptness, coupled with a core lineup offering prime RBI chances, sets his Topps Chrome Rookie Cards on the springboard of rise—you may want to leap while they’re still approachable. His signature purple and aqua wave autos have tantalized collectors eager for Detroit thunder, pricing them within reach of the everyman and women out there.
The chess game of card investing is riddled with more passion and strategy than a rom-com marriage proposal scene in the rain. As the 2025 season stands ready to upend the jumbled world of collectors, consider these four players as strategic acquisitions in a game decided by both serendipity and sagacity.
With these underappreciated cards, you might just become an accidental Nostradamus of baseball card investing. Now is the moment, should you choose to pounce, before the market catches on and you’re left reminiscing about the one card display you almost called yours. Whether you’re a passionate collector, a hopeful flipper, or somewhere in between, these hidden gems could be your ticket to a mentally stimulating game well played—both on the field and in the card shop.
