Chase This Year’s Breakout Stars
When it comes to sports and The Hobby, there’s nothing quite like a breakout star. Whether it’s a talented rookie who bursts onto the scene, or a fan favorite who puts together a career year, collecting a player who makes the leap is one of the most enjoyable parts of The Hobby.
When it comes to breakout athletes, 2025 was no slouch. From a record-breaking catcher to a history-making NBA rookie, the year was full of players on the rise. Let’s take a look at five of the breakout stars in The Hobby this year.
Five of the biggest breakout Hobby stars of 2025 were Cal Raleigh, Lamine Yamal, Cooper Flagg, Roman Anthony, and Shohei Ohtani. Historic on-field performances, premium Topps releases, and major chase cards helped them shine bright this year.
The Biggest Hobby Breakout Stars of 2025
Cal Raleigh
Cal Raleigh took the baseball world by storm in 2025, captivating players, fans, and collectors alike in a staggering breakout campaign in which he rewrote the MLB record book. Raleigh shattered the record for home runs by a catcher with 60 dingers. Perhaps more impressively, he sailed by Mickey Mantle on his way to setting a new mark for homers by a switch hitter. He even threw in a Home Run Derby title for good measure.
Raleigh deservedly went off in The Hobby as well. At writing, since January 1, 2025, Raleigh’s Card Ladder Rate of Growth comes in at an incredible +846%. A PSA 10 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto Red Refractor numbered to five sold for $22,800 in late July of this year. Two months later, a PSA 9 version went for $22,265.
The MVP runner-up has a tough act to follow, but we’re excited to see what he can do for an encore.
Lamine Yamal
While Lamine Yamal announced himself to the world in 2024, punctuated by a series of breathtaking performances in UEFA Euro 2024, in which he led Spain to the title, the teenager has gone from strength to strength in 2025. It seems there’s plenty more to come from a player many believe will become the best in the world, if he’s not already.
When it comes to The Hobby, the excitement of 2024 gave way to the feeling of inevitability in Yamal’s talent, profile, and potential in 2025. He’s no longer just the Next Big Thing; He’s already arrived. Yamal’s 2024 Topps Chrome UEFA Euro Auto Superfractor 1/1 sold for $396,500 in June, establishing himself as perhaps the biggest chase in the soccer collecting world, outside of GOATs Messi and Ronaldo.
Cooper Flagg
Flagg began 2025 with the Duke Blue Devils, putting up a historic freshman campaign, in which he led the team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. With a quick stop at the 2025 NBA Draft to celebrate his top overall selection, Flagg now ends the year having stepped up his Rookie of the Year campaign, recently becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in a game. Topps NOW commemorated the achievement with a release, which included this auto relic offering.
Flagg has been a major force in The Hobby for a while now, with top-ticket chases such as his McDonald’s All-American, Bowman Chrome, and Bowman U NOW cards being highly sought after. The leap came quickly, as Flagg was named cover athlete for 2025-26 Topps Basketball, emerging as the leading rookie to chase. On December 19, a Flagg Superfractor Auto from Topps Basketball sold for $180,000, making it the most expensive Flagg card to date.
Roman Anthony
At only 21 years old, Roman Anthony has already set about building the Roman Empire in Beantown. An instant fan favorite in Boston and potential franchise player, he had an excellent start to life in the majors before injury ended his season. Already a cornerstone of the next Red Sox team, collectors are rightfully intrigued by Anthony’s undoubted potential, while expanding his role on one of the league’s most popular franchises.
Since January 1, Card Ladder registers Anthony’s Rate of Growth at over 200%. On June 27, a BGS 9.5 version of his 2023 1st Bowman Red Refractor auto numbered to five sold for $24,900 through Fanatics Collect. Only six months earlier, the same card at the same grade fetched $14,580. On September 9, a PSA 10 version of the card went for $69,000.
Shohei Ohtani
Of course, Shohei Ohtani did not truly breakout in 2025. But he’s still a necessary addition on this list. Not only did he win his second MLB title and fourth MVP trophy, he took his legend to unprecedented heights through a combination of clutch power hitting and fantastic efforts on the mound.
His ‘game for the ages,’ in which he struck out 10 batters and hit three home runs to send the Dodgers back to the World Series, was commemorated by this wildly popular Topps NOW release. How popular was it? A print run of over 250,000 triggered the first-ever release of Topps NOW’s Opal Chrome parallel. Yes, not only is Ohtani singular in the sport, he’s managed to create a brand new card in the process.
When it comes to present-day players, Ohtani stands alone at the top of The Hobby. Even with his previous successes, he still registered a Card Ladder Rate of Growth of over 200% this year. Eight of the nine biggest Ohtani card sales ever, per Card Ladder, have come in 2025. This includes the new record sale of $3,000,000 on December 19 through Fanatics Collect, for his 2025 Topps Chrome MVP Award Gold MLB Logoman Patch Auto 1/1.
2025 Breakout Hobby Stars FAQs
- Is a breakout Hobby star always a rookie?
- Not necessarily. While rookies often drive excitement, established players can also experience Hobby breakouts when they reach new levels, accomplish historic feats, or create moments never before seen in the sport.
- How do Topps releases capture breakout moments?
- Topps uses real-time products like Topps NOW and premium flagship sets to document milestone achievements, ensuring that key moments from breakout seasons are preserved in card form.
- What makes 1/1 cards so desirable to collectors?
- They represent absolute scarcity — only one exists — making them instant trophies when tied to elite players.
- Why do collectors care about early-career cards during a breakout year?
- Early-career cards act as visual timestamps. They represent the player before the world fully caught on, giving collectors a tangible connection to the beginning of a historic run.
Key Facts
- Multi-Sport Impact: Breakout Hobby stars emerged across baseball, basketball, and soccer
- Historic Performances: Record seasons, championship runs, and age-defying achievements fueled demand
- Topps Influence: Topps NOW, Bowman Chrome, and Topps Chrome releases captured defining moments in real time
- Storytelling Value: Breakout cards capture the moment a player’s career changes, making them especially meaningful to collectors.
