Top 25 Sports Cards of 2025
So many things can make a sports card great. Factors like scarcity, value, photography, and aesthetics can all contribute to a card’s popularity and its place in history. During the calendar year of 2025, manufacturers released hundreds of thousands of new sports cards, and now that the year has come to a close, we are taking a look back at the top sports cards of 2025.
What follows is a list of the sports cards that made headlines or made collectors do a double-take throughout the year.
Top 25 Sports Cards of 2025
A countdown of the top 25 sports cards released during the 2025 calendar year.
25. 2025 Bowman Chrome Bowman GPK Autographs #BGP3 Nick Kurtz
In a perfect blend of nostalgia meets the current, Kurtz helped headline the 2025 Bowman Chrome Garbage Pail Kids Autographs as “A-Mazing Nick.” Depicted as a student with straight A’s in baseball categories, it’s a fitting imagination of the power-packed 2025 American League Rookie of the Year, who hand-wrote his character’s name onto the card.
- Shop for 2025 Bowman Chrome Garbage Pail Kids Autographs on eBay
24. 2024-25 Panini Mosaic Scripts #79 Percy Miller
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, entertainment mogul Master P made a serious attempt to make the NBA. Going by his actual name of Percy Miller, the multi-millionaire nearly walked-on to the Toronto Raptors as one of the final roster cuts before the 1999-00 season. In a throwback to that time, Panini brought Miller’s NBA attempt to life in several autograph sets this year — the first of which came out in 2024-25 Panini Mosaic.
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23. 2024-25 Topps Definitive UEFA Club Competitions Made Of Gold Autographs Superfractor Jude Bellingham
After winning the Golden Boy trophy in 2023, Topps gave Jude Bellingham a special Made of Gold insert in 2024-25 Topps Definitive UEFA Club Competitions, and the young talent inscribed his 1/1 Superfractor parallel with a “Golden Boy 2023” notation.
- Shop for Bellingham’s 2024-25 Topps Definitive cards on eBay
22. 2025 Topps Now Opal Chrome #884 Shohei Ohtani
After striking out 10 batters as a pitcher and slugging three home runs as a batter in the NLCS, everyone wanted a piece of Shohei Ohtani. His Topps Now card from the game sold 253,309 copies, which meant his became the first card ever to have Opal Chrome parallels.
- Shop for Ohtani’s Topps Now cards on eBay
21. 2024 Topps Chrome Ring Generals Autographs #RGAMT Mike Tyson
Topps broke some ground in 2025 by releasing 2024 Topps Chrome Boxing, the company’s first boxing set since 1951. Featured prominently among the signers for the set was Mike Tyson, who appeared in the Ring Generals insert set.
- Shop for Tyson’s 2024 Topps Chrome cards on eBay
20. 2025 Leaf Lumber 3,000-Hit Club Booklet
One of Leaf’s hallmarks as a manufacturer is multi-signed cards and cards with an abundance of relic pieces. But the company essentially outdid itself in the 2025 Leaf Lumber Baseball set. Included on the checklist is a 1/1 booklet that features bat chips from 28 of the 33 members of Major League Baseball’s 3,000-hit club. Another massive booklet also has bat relics from 27 of the 28 members of the 500-home run club.
- Shop for 2025 Leaf Lumber cards on eBay
19. 2025 Absolute Kaboom Horizontal #34 Jaxson Dart
Dart had a quick start to his NFL career with the New York Giants, making his 2025 Panini Absolute Kaboom SSP insert a fan-favorite among collectors. Kabooms always thrill, and that’s doubly true for a hot-shot rookie.
- Shop for Dart’s 2025 Kaboom cards on eBay
18. 2025 Topps ’90 Topps Autographs #90ABBO Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds returned as an autograph signer in Topps products released early in 2025. With a place in the 1990 Topps Autographs in the flagship 2025 Topps Series 1 set, his signature became accessible to everyday collectors for the first time since 2017. Many other players returned to Topps after long hiatuses — some notables include Chan Ho Park, Hideo Nomo, and Orel Hershiser.
- Shop for 2025 Topps Barry Bonds autographs on eBay
17. 2024 Metal Universe Champions #1 Michael Jordan SP (Jumpman)
Michael Jordan’s Jumpman logo is one of the most iconic images in sports, and Upper Deck revitalized the photo used to make it on a short-printed Jordan card in 2024 SkyBox Metal Universe Champions. Originally used on oversized Nike marketing materials in 1985, the image became the inspiration for Jordan’s signature logo. The new card also has Red (/90) and Green (/10) Precious Metal Gems parallels, giving some extra excitement to the chase.
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16. 2025 National Treasures NASCAR Racing Dual Jumbo Patch Autograph Booklet Jeff Gordon
One NASCAR collector will get a thrill if they receive the redemption card for a special Jeff Gordon booklet card from the 2025 Panini National Treasures NASCAR Racing set. The 1/1 booklet includes a piece of the fire suit Gordon wore during his 93rd and final NASCAR victory at Martinsville Speedway in 2015. Panini has worked out a deal with Hendrick Motorsports and Gordon where the legendary driver will hand deliver the card to the collector who turns in the redemption for it.
- Shop for 2025 Panini National Treasures NASCAR Racing boxes on eBay
15. 2025-26 Upper Deck #205 Ivan Demidov YG RC
Hockey collectors have gone crazy for Young Guns rookie cards for decades, and the hype continues every time a new rookie crop gets printed onto cardboard. Ivan Demidov has the most popular Young Guns card in the 2025-26 Upper Deck set, and as the phenom continues to develop, the love for this card could further develop, too.
- Shop for Demidov’s 2025-26 Upper Deck Young Guns RC on eBay
14. 2025 Topps Chrome Update Series Alter Egos #AE-3 Ozzie Smith
Topps debuted a new insert in 2025 Topps Chrome Update Series Baseball. The SSP Alter Egos inserts feature original art from Michael Blaskewicz and a vibrant Refractor shine as players turn into their superhero alter ego. Arguably the most interesting card from the collection is Ozzie Smith’s depiction as a flipping wizard, which has him upside down when the card is right side up.
- Shop for Smith’s 2025 Topps Chrome Update Alter Egos on eBay
13. 2025 Topps F1 Eccellenza Only1 Autographed Relic Booklet Max Verstappen
Verstappen’s Only1 booklet from 2025 Topps F1 Eccellenza commemorates his qualifying lap at Monza at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, which is the fastest lap time recorded in F1 history. In addition to Verstappen’s hard-signed signature, the card includes a jumbo patch from the fire suit he wore during that qualifying run. This is the only card from the Only1 series Verstappen will ever have.
- Shop for 2025 Topps F1 Eccellenza boxes on eBay
12. 2025 Bowman Chrome Retrofractors #BCP253 Shoeless Joe Jackson
Because Shoeless Joe Jackson was banned from baseball in 1920, Topps had never made one of his cards. Other manufacturers had done so, but Topps had not followed suit. But after Jackson’s ban was overturned in 2025, Topps finally produced a Jackson card — a 2025 Bowman Chome Retrofractor. Retrofractors allow Topps to retroactively give players a “1st Bowman” card, and Jackson seemed like an obvious player to include after he returned to the “good graces” of baseball.
- Shop for Jackson’s 2025 Bowman Chrome Retrofractor on eBay
11. 2024 Clearly Donruss Downtown #13 Drake Maye
Maye took huge steps forward in his progression during his second NFL season in 2025, making his top cards from the tail end of the 2024 trading card year popular sellers. His acetate 2024 Clearly Donruss Downtown insert showcases him in front of a New England-esque beach landscape, but there’s no relaxing for Maye, who has the Patriots back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
- Shop for Maye’s 2024 Clearly Donruss Downtown insert on eBay
10. 2024-25 Panini Instant Rookie Royalty WNBA Kaboom #1 Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark burst onto the scene with the Iowa Hawkeyes and kept the momentum going after the Indiana Fever made her a top overall WNBA draft pick. Simultaneously, Panini has upped the ante on WNBA trading cards, introducing 2024 Panini WNBA Rookie Royalty, a collection of high-end concepts in one product. This resulted in Clark’s first Kaboom insert, as well as high-selling RPAs from brands like National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate Collection.
- Shop for Clark’s 2024 Panini Kaboom insert on eBay
9. 2025-26 Topps #201 Cooper Flagg RC
Topps made its return as a licensed basketball manufacturer for the 2025-26 trading card year, and it has coincided with what appears will be a star-studded rookie class. Leading the charge is top overall pick Cooper Flagg, and while his Topps flagship rookie card may not become the most valuable among his rookies in the long run, it will forever be the first one collectors could collect.
- Shop for Flagg’s 2025-26 Topps rookie card on eBay
8. 2024-25 Upper Deck UD Canvas #C360 Macklin Celebrini YG
When a star player’s card combines with unique photography, it quickly becomes a collector favorite. That’s exactly what happened once collectors saw Macklin Celebrini’s 2024-25 Upper Deck UD Canvas Young Guns card, which shows him skating out of the San Jose Shark during introductions.
- Shop for Celebrini’s 2024-25 Upper Deck Canvas card on eBay
7. 2025 Topps Chrome WWE Autographs #10 The Rock
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had pack-pulled licensed WWE autographs for the first time since 1998 this year as part of the 2025 Topps Chrome WWE product. Topps Chrome WWE was the first mainstream WWE set Topps had released since winning back the organization’s licensing rights after losing them to Panini in 2021, and The Rock’s autographs gives the set staying power in wrestling card history.
- Shop for The Rock’s 2025 Topps Chrome cards on eBay
6. 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA #22 Caitlin Clark RC
Caitlin Clark does not have very many rookie cards. And while her Panini Prizm RC isn’t the most valuable — Panini Origins takes that title with its limited production of /75 — the Prizm name alone makes this a popular card. Clark lines up for a 3-pointer on her rookie, which comes in a variety of parallels.
- Shop for Clark’s 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA rookie on eBay
5. 2024-25 Panini Prizm Black Manga Stephen Curry
Ever since their introduction several years ago, Panini’s Manga inserts have been collector favorites. But in the last NBA edition before the company lost licensing rights, Panini took the cards to a new level. In the 2024-25 Panini Prizm Black set, Manga inserts experienced a jump in image quality across the board. But one card stands as arguably the most popular with collectors — “Chef Curry.” Taking an alternate look at Stephen Curry, the card features him in a chef’s hat cooking up a stir fry, just likes how he cooks up 3-pointers on the court.
- Shop for Curry’s Panini Prizm Black Manga insert on eBay
4. 2024 Topps Definitive Collection Framed Autographs Red #DCFASO Shohei Ohtani
Finding a Shohei Ohtani autograph card in Japanese Kanji characters has always been a thrill for collectors. But how about an autographed card that has Ohtani’s autograph in both English and Kanji? One lucky collector got to experience that thrill as part of 2024 Topps Definitive Collection, which included a 1/1 Red Framed Autograph of Ohtani signed in both languages, marking the first time Ohtani has done so.
- Shop for Ohtani’s 2024 Topps Definitive Collection cards on eBay
3. 2025-26 Topps Chrome Autographed Gold Logoman GLM-1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
As part of an agreement between Fanatics and the NBA, major award winners from the 2024-25 season will wear gold NBA Logoman patches in 2025-26, some of which will be used for 2025-26 Topps Chrome Gold Logoman Patch and Autographed Patch cards. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the checklist, which also includes Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley.
- Shop for 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball boxes on eBay
2. 2025-26 Topps Chrome Autographs Superfractor #TCA-LBJ LeBron James
LeBron had several licensed Topps Chrome Superfractors before Panini took over exclusive NBA licensing rights in 2009, but he never had a licensed Superfractor Autograph. That all changed in 2025-26 with the new release of a licensed Topps Chrome product, and from the moment boxes hit shelves, collectors went in search of the card. Dave & Adams put a $500,000 bounty on the autograph, which was pulled during a box break a few days after the December 18 product release. As for what will happen to the card, that remains unknown, but one thing is certain — it’s a historic card no matter where it ends up.
- Shop for James’ 2025-26 Topps Chrome cards on eBay
1. 2025 Topps Chrome Autographed Dual Gold Logoman Patch Shohei Ohtani/Aaron Judge
Major League Baseball and Fanatics reached an agreement to have the 2024 MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, and Rookie of the Year winners wear Gold Logoman patches the next season. Some of those patches later went into 2025 Topps Chrome Gold Logoman Relic and Autographed Relic cards — both single and dual versions. The biggest hit from all of them is the Shohei Ohtani/Aaron Judge Autographed Dual Gold Logoman card, which was recently found in Japan, according to social media reports. Ohtani’s individual Autographed Gold Logoman card sold for $3 million during a Fanatic Collect auction, and the industry will wait with bated breath to see what happens with this dual autographed version.
- Shop for 2025 Topps Chrome Baseball boxes on eBay
