MLB Trading Card Bat Knobs Bring the Hobby to the Batter's Box

Apr 29, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) doubles during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, Topps gave collectors a first look at a new development in The Hobby. Some MLB players have been using bats that are custom-fitted with bat knobs based on their Topps card design. It was announced that these bat knobs will be used in 1/1 relic auto cards.

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FIRST LOOK: Various MLB players have been using their own trading card design on their custom bat knobs.

These game-used bat knobs are then going into signed 1/1 trading cards. pic.twitter.com/28mtp8KkBF

— Topps (@Topps) April 30, 2025

The cards are scheduled to be part of 2025 Topps Tier One Baseball, which is set to be released in July. Pictured above are 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich, and Tampa Bay's young phenom Junior Caminero.

The move is the latest in the evolution of relic and patch cards that have sought to bring collectors closer to the action.

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2024 Topps Chrome Update Junior Caminero ROOKIE MLB DEBUT PATCH AUTO 1/1 | Card Ladder

Topps Rookie Debut Patch Autos have become some of the most sought-after cards in the entire hobby, capturing the moment that a player became a Major Leaguer. Paul Skenes' RDPA famously sold for over $1 milion. Junior Caminero's sold for $66,000 in December of last year.

Of course, this is something different entirely. As opposed to using a piece of memorabilia to add value and desirability to a card, the new card-design bat knob relics bring the trading card design itself onto the field of play.

Bobby Witt Jr. | The Athletic

Of course, this isn't the first time a trading card has found its way into a Major League game. Last year, Hobby stars Bobby Witt Jr. and Corbin Carroll both kept their own trading cards in their pockets during a game, taking the idea of a game-worn card to a whole new level, giving it a whole new meaning.

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2020 Bowman Baseball Game-Worn Bobby Witt | Topps RIPPED

It will be interesting to see the demand these unique card-design bat knob relic cards create, as they are another tip of the cap to the huge role that The Hobby plays in the sport of baseball.

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