Follow These Cards With New Prospect Rankings
Baseball America released its newest Top 100 Prospect rankings yesterday. Rankings like this and MLB Pipeline's can have a substantial impact on the prospecting card market.
The new list is well-timed considering that 2025 Bowman Baseball, which features a new slate of prospect cards, also came out on Wednesday. Let's take a look at some of the top risers on the most recent list and where their cards stand.
RELATED: George Lombard Jr. Cards Continue to Rise with Judge Approval
George Lombard Jr., New York Yankees
Lombard's rise really began with a hot start to Spring Training, as the Yankees prospect got hot in The Hobby through March. There's always a premium on Yankees prospects, but the climb could continue, as Lombard rose all the way to #23 on the most recent ranking.
A PSA 10 Lombard 1st Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto /250 sold for $625 on May 8. In March, PSA 10's card sales of the /250 went from $200 up to $480.
And it's not just Baseball America who's giving Lombard Jr. a promotion, as the shortstop was called up to Double-A Somerset on May 6.
RELATED: Brewers Phenom Jesus Made Could be the Best Chase in Bowman Baseball 2025
Jesus Made, Milwaukee Brewers
Jesus Made is taking off. Climbing all the way to #6 in Baseball America's Top 100, and that he may still just be getting started. Per Baseball America, "After running roughshod over the Dominican Summer League in 2024, Made jumped straight to Low-A as a 17 year-old and burst out of the gates with a set of tools rarely seen on a player so young. There’s little Made can’t do on a baseball diamond, and he’s a prime contender to be the No. 1 prospect in the sport once the more veteran players at the top take their final bows.
Made's cards are rising right along with his reputation. A $2,000 sale of his Red Lava Refractor 1st Bowman Chrome /5 is the top 2025 Bowman Baseball sale at the time of writing.
Leo De Vries, San Diego Padres
Don't sleep on Leo De Vries. We've already seen some huge De Vries sales, including $26,099 for a 1st Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Auto /5 at the end of March. De Vries rose 11 spots and now sits at #7 on Baseball America's Top 100. Like Made, De Vries is a 17-year shortstop off to a fantastic start to his pro career. In 91 AB's so far this year, he's got 4 home runs, 21 RBI, 28 hits and an OPS of .962. A PSA 10 1st Bowman Chrome Auto /99 sold for $1,000 today, and a /499 went for $786. A PSA 10 /99 sold for $465 last October.
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Sebastian Walcott, Texas Rangers
The Rangers phenom has landed at #8 in Baseball America's new rankings. Walcott had a great spring. At the time Texas Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young said of Walcott: "I think he’s hit the hardest ball in camp, if I'm not mistaken. The growth he's made in a year, the strides he's taken, it's so impressive to see. It's not normal. You don't see 18 year olds have that ability to perform at this level like he has, and make the progress that he's made, with his aptitude and his willingness to learn. It's just so impressive."
Walcott has continued to impress in the minors to kick off the 2025 season. A PSA 10 2024 Bowman Chrome Speckle Refractor Auto /299 sold for $425 today. Card Ladder has registered 73 Walcott sales since yesterday.
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Nick Kurtz, Athletics
The 22-year old Athletics slugger's incredible start to the season at AAA helped propel Kurtz to the #18 ranking on Baseball America's new list. His recent callup to the Athletics also got its share of attention, as he looks to be a potential franchise cornerstone along with fellow top prospect Jacob Wilson.
Kurtz's 2024 Bowman Draft Chrome Superfractor 1/1 became the top Nick Kurtz sale of all-time on April 21, going for $20,000 on Ebay. Kurtz has been better of late, with his OPS of .806 in 6 May games, a nice improvement from his first seven big league games, in April, when he posted an OPS of .490. If Kurtz continues to improve, his card market will follow.
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.