Ohtani, Munson, Skenes and Topps All-Star Rookie Cards
While the importance placed on player rookie cards is common knowledge in The Hobby, it's always interesting to see how a player's second-year cards are received, particularly after a breakthrough rookie season. The most recent example, of course, is flamethrowing Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who morphed from top prospect to Hobby superstar in the blink of an eye.
One long-standing Hobby tradition is the All-Star Rookie Team. Selected by Topps since 1959, the company chooses its top rookies from the previous season, and awards the winners with the placement of the Rookie Cup on their cards.
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Depending on when a player gets his card debut, the Rookie Cup can also appear in a Rookie Card year. Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox, was awarded a Rookie Cup for his 2017 performance, so some of his Rookie Cards also display the Rookie Cup. Let's take a look at some of our favorite Topps Rookie All-Star Trophy and Rookie Cup Cards that helped build the tradition and some that have taken the torch.
Paul Skenes 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 No Name Variation /35
As mentioned above, Skenes took the sport and The Hobby by storm, becoming the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star game since Hideo Nomo in 1995. His cards remain some of the most sought-after and valuable since last year. This particular Skenes card is a fun entry among his Rookie Cup cards. Part of the popular 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 No Name Variation, this homage to Frank Thomas' famous rookie error card, short-printed to 35, sold on March 18 for $1,800.
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Pete Rose 1964 Topps All-Star Rookie
"Charlie Hustle" broke onto the scene with a 170-hit campaign in his 1963 Rookie of the Year winning season. His style of play endeared him to fans in this fantastic rookie campaign, in which he also scored 101 runs. This is not the most iconic design of the era, but Rose's second-year card is one of the most valuable to feature the Topps All-Star Rookie trophy. The card sold for $42,000 in October 2024, and Card Ladder lists ten sales of over $20,000.
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Shohei Ohtani 2021 Topps All-Star Rookie Cup Baseball Foilfractor 1/1
For Topps' 70th Anniversary in 2021, the company released a 2021 Topps All-Star Rookie Cup Baseball set, which featured a 100-card base set featuring players who had earned the honor. While the cards do not reach the top-tier in terms of the secondary market, they can be a fun trip down memory lane, and feature fun vintage designs. This Ohtani image variation card from the set pops out of the hand, and includes the Topps All-Star Rookie trophy instead of the Rookie Cup. The card sold for $1,320 in April 2022.
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Ken Griffey 1990 Topps Baseball
One of the iconic Griffey cards from the early years when The Kid took baseball, The Hobby, and the entire sports world by storm. Recording 16 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 61 RBI, while entertaining fans with his picture-perfect swing and effortless grace in the outfield, Griffey Jr. would follow up his rookie season with 10 straight Gold Gloves, and 11 straight All-Star games. By his second season, this Rookie Cup card was one of the most popular in 1990 Topps Baseball, a sign of how quickly the young star had become one baseball's brightest lights.
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Aaron Judge 2018 Topps Heritage Error Card
Another fun modern-day entry, Aaron Judge's 2018 Topps Heritage card also features the Topps All-Star Trophy instead of the Rookie Cup, but the vintage design is a cool throwback to the era when the trophy was the norm. This Judge card also featured an error run, in which the Topps All-Star Rookie trophy itself listed the year Judge achieved the accomplishment as 1969 instead of 2017. Per Card Ladder, a PSA 10 version last sold in October 2024 for $187.50. A quirky budget-friendly early Judge (compared to his others) to chase.
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Thurman Munson 1971 Topps
Maybe my favorite All-Star Rookie card ever, featuring the hard-nosed, hard-playing Yankee catcher who would eventually become team captain in 1976. The AL Rookie of the Year in 1970, Munson had a WAR of 5.3 in his first season, batting .302, with 137 hits in 132 games. This card is nothing short of a classic, complete with a fantastic, iconic image of Munson in action. A PSA 9 is the top sale, per Card Ladder, at $199,999 in May 2022. Who will make the Topps All-Star Rookie team this season, and keep the tradition going?
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.