"Hobby Good" going in to 2025

[BabaORiley]

Originally Posted by dodgerfanjohn

You'd think the 5.4 WAR guy that had this slash line in his first full ML season along with 24 home runs would be on one of these lists.

.262/.348/.479/.827

Also don't see Sasaki anywhere....

I included him with Skenes and co in Tier 2. Base '21 NPB chrome were selling for $65-75 for months. Easy Tier 2 at this moment.

[PoPCulture]

Originally Posted by BabaORiley

Only including guys who debuted 2016 or later because your surefire HOFers (Trout, Harper, Mookie, Kershaw, et al) aren't quite as subject to market fluctuations based on "hot weeks" or whatever...

Tier 1:
Shohei

Tier 2:
Skenes
Soto
Judge
Bobby Baseball
Roki Sasaki
Elly
Chourio
Acuna (when he returns)

Tier 2b:
J-Rod
Gunnar
Vladito
Yamamoto
Jasson
Crews
James Wood (he needs a nickname)
Merrill

Tier 3:
Holliday
PCA - I've sold some cards that would indicate he's at least "hobby good" right now and he's on virtually every "breakout players" list
Yordan
Carroll - easy riser on this list with a quick start
Tatis - needs an MVP type year

Tier Pitcher:
Skubal
Strider
Greene

Dang…Wyatt doesn’t make the list through 5 tiers. I sure wish his current prices reflected that.

[BabaORiley]

Originally Posted by PoPCulture

Dang…Wyatt doesn’t make the list through 5 tiers. I sure wish his current prices reflected that.

He was a guy I waffled on for Tier 3. If he comes out hot, he jumps to Tier 2. I've bought a ton of his stuff over the past 6-8 months so I'm a believer. I like Langford and Caminero more than Jasson/Holliday/PCA for 2025-2026 at least.

[marl1220]

Originally Posted by JRX

Bonds has 7 MVPs. CY Young doesn't sound feasible given they're going to use 6 man rotation unless he becomes a closer. He would have to be better than before to compete for a CY Young and Skenes is in the NL.

Oh, if there's a way the voters will find it. Regardless of past voting.

[Archangel1775]

Hobby Good

Ohtani
Witt Jr
Elly
Judge
Soto

Next Level Down for now
Mike Trout
Bryce Harper
Mookie Betts


Could go another level
Vlad Jr
Tatis Jr
Luis Robert
Yordan Alvarez
Julio Rodriguez
Gunnar Henderson

[marl1220]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

Hobby Good

Ohtani
Witt Jr
Elly
Judge
Soto

Next Level Down for now
Mike Trout
Bryce Harper
Mookie Betts


Could go another level
Vlad Jr
Tatis Jr
Luis Robert
Yordan Alvarez
Julio Rodriguez
Gunnar Henderson

Like that list. people keep saying Ohtani is in a level of his own. If that's true, you have to say the same about Judge.

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by NYBBFAN

Sigh, I know.

I am ready for 40/40

[MyckKabongo]

Mid Career Guys, it's

1. Ohtani
2. Witt
3. Judge

Witt passed Judge. It happened in the past few months due to Witt having an insane offseason uptick in demand.

Soto has killed his value with team switching but could get back into it with a great year in NY causing a pump on his first year Mets cards.

Gunnar is most likely to break into this elite tier with an MVP caliber season.

To me being hobby good is about breadth of demand by collectors, not speculators. Will a guy's cards sell at any show? Critically, do people collect their non RC, non Bowman 1st stuff enough to support robust prices? Shohei random /299 can sell for $30 meanwhile for the Mookies and Freddie Freemans those are in the $3 box. Being a hobby darling means robust demand for ALL your cards, not just your best cards.

[Archangel1775]

Man, Acuna's been hurt so much I forgot to add him to the list with Trout on it.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

Man, Acuna's been hurt so much I forgot to add him to the list with Trout on it.

i saw that haha

[jjcan]

I think 2025 Hype will be

Tier 1:
1. Ohtani

Tier 1a:

• Judge
• Anything Dodger Superstar will be Hyped: Betts, Freeman, Roki, etc (already is with Topps Japan)
• Witt

Tier 2:
Gunnar
Skenes
Soto
Trout
Harper

Tier 3:

Oriole Superstars: Holliday, Adley, Rest
Carroll
Acuna
Julio
Anything Dodger non superstar: 2025 Topps Cash cow team,
Vlad

[jduds]

I teach and when I have to proctor ACTs or other tests I rank the top 50 players in the hobby (no prospects). Yamamoto belongs on this list somewhere, but I have no clear where so I keep ignoring him. This is the list from the last time I did that (a few weeks ago).

1. Shohei Ohtani
2. Aaron Judge
3. Bobby Witt Jr.
4. Paul Skenes
5. Mookie Betts
6. Mike Trout
7. Juan Soto
8. Freddie Freeman
9. Bryce Harper
10. Gunnar Henderson
11. Ronald Acuna Jr.
12. Clayton Kershaw
13. Elly De La Cruz
14. Jackson Merrill
15. Wyatt Langford
16. Julio Rodriguez
17. Jackson Chourio
18. Yordan Alvarez
19. Justin Verlander
20. Max Scherzer
21. Francisco Lindor
22. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
23. Jose Ramirez
24. Raphael Devers
25. Jose Altuve
26. Corbin Carroll
27. Chis Sale
28. Gerrit Cole
29. Jacob deGrom
30. Paul Goldschmidt
31. Nolan Arenado
32. Manny Machado
33. Kyle Tucker
34. Austin Riley
35. Spencer Strider
36. Jackson Holliday
37. Pete Alonso
38. Tarik Skubal
39. Corey Seager
40. Riley Greene
41. Michael Harris
42. William Contreras
43. Max Fried
44. Matt Olson
45. Adley Rutschman
46. Luis Arraez
47. Fernando Tatis Jr.
48. Ezequiel Tovar
49. Matt Chapman
50. J.T. Realmuto

Just missed: Volpe, Albies

[jacksonjj]

Mike Trout's best cards still sell for 40-80k even though he's WaShEd AnD oLd

Those prices are the definition of hobby good and his prices are actually the standard when comparing the new young guns.

[ThoseBackPages]

the list should always be small for sure

[BigL7370]

Is Adley Rutschman ever going to be hobby good again? Feels like a couple of years ago when he was relevant and hot, but he is a catcher, got hurt in 2024 and had a down year.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

No. Ohtani can (not saying will, just can) surpass baseball studs and start completing with all the other sports’ upper level modern studs: Mahomes, LeBron, McDavid, etc…

Ohtani was just featured in Fortnite. He has another level or two in him.

Or he blows out his arm again and misses the rest of the season.

He's intent on being a starting pitcher again, which comes with risk.

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I agree with everyone here except Soto.

He’s still tier two, probably because he has switched teams so many times. If he has a mediocre year with the Mets, he’ll be cemented in tier two for a long time.

I think Bryce Harper takes it up a notch.

I feel like if Acuna doesn't get injured last year, he takes my fifth spot over Soto. Acuna still seems pretty popular.

I've really come around to liking Harper, though for a time I did not. He's been hovering just outside my top five for the past few years. I'd love to see him get another MVP and/or a World Series.

[discodanman45]

As Altuve, Freeman, and Goldschmidt are winding down their careers, I have been buying a bunch of their rookie cards. They might not be hobby great, but hobby good with a great chance to make the HOF and be hobby good for generations.

[LVDan]

Although the mention a few times above of "team hopping" dilluting Soto's interest was touched on some it bears repeating-Every year a player stays on his original 1st BC/RC logo cards really improves their standing in the hobby a ton. Being able to go back and grab prospect or rookie cards n parallels of "the face of the franchise" pictured in their still current uni is a huge factor for guys like Judge, Witt (and even Ronnie)IMO.

[Rage]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Or he blows out his arm again and misses the rest of the season.

He's intent on being a starting pitcher again, which comes with risk.

I see you missed the 2024 season.
0 MLB pitches thrown by Shohei while rehabbing from TJ and still unanimous MVP as DH, leading his team to the playoffs and they win the WS.
Ok now you are caught up.


Also what you say applies to every pitcher in baseball, except the one you singled out.

[SaveMeTheGum]

My current holds!

[onenineeightsix]

Originally Posted by ObanMontecristo

I think your list of Tier 1 players is right as of this moment.

Tier 2 (any of these guys could potentially jump into, or back into, Tier 1 with an outstanding full season):
Vlad Jr
Elly
Julio
Trout
Harper
Betts
Acuna
Carroll
Chourio
Gunnar

Great list. Think Bryce is in Tier 1 though honestly. His stuff is higher than you think. May be because he’s got fewer autos than he used to, especially compared to the rest of the list save for Mookie. His stuff was cheaper 2018-2021 than any of it is now.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by jduds

I teach and when I have to proctor ACTs or other tests I rank the top 50 players in the hobby (no prospects). Yamamoto belongs on this list somewhere, but I have no clear where so I keep ignoring him. This is the list from the last time I did that (a few weeks ago).

1. Shohei Ohtani
2. Aaron Judge
3. Bobby Witt Jr.
4. Paul Skenes
5. Mookie Betts
6. Mike Trout
7. Juan Soto
8. Freddie Freeman
9. Bryce Harper
10. Gunnar Henderson
11. Ronald Acuna Jr.
12. Clayton Kershaw
13. Elly De La Cruz
14. Jackson Merrill
15. Wyatt Langford
16. Julio Rodriguez
17. Jackson Chourio
18. Yordan Alvarez
19. Justin Verlander
20. Max Scherzer
21. Francisco Lindor
22. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
23. Jose Ramirez
24. Raphael Devers
25. Jose Altuve
26. Corbin Carroll
27. Chis Sale
28. Gerrit Cole
29. Jacob deGrom
30. Paul Goldschmidt
31. Nolan Arenado
32. Manny Machado
33. Kyle Tucker
34. Austin Riley
35. Spencer Strider
36. Jackson Holliday
37. Pete Alonso
38. Tarik Skubal
39. Corey Seager
40. Riley Greene
41. Michael Harris
42. William Contreras
43. Max Fried
44. Matt Olson
45. Adley Rutschman
46. Luis Arraez
47. Fernando Tatis Jr.
48. Ezequiel Tovar
49. Matt Chapman
50. J.T. Realmuto

Just missed: Volpe, Albies

I know I’m a homer, but Jazz gets more hobby love than: Realmuto, Arraez, Chapman, Tovar, and Fried.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

As Altuve, Freeman, and Goldschmidt are winding down their careers, I have been buying a bunch of their rookie cards. They might not be hobby great, but hobby good with a great chance to make the HOF and be hobby good for generations.

There’s a bunch of players out there that a lot of fun to collect. Some people here make it sound like only 3 players are worth collecting at any given time and that sounds boring to me.

[SaveMeTheGum]

Originally Posted by jduds

I teach and when I have to proctor ACTs or other tests I rank the top 50 players in the hobby (no prospects). Yamamoto belongs on this list somewhere, but I have no clear where so I keep ignoring him. This is the list from the last time I did that (a few weeks ago).

1. Shohei Ohtani
2. Aaron Judge
3. Bobby Witt Jr.
4. Paul Skenes
5. Mookie Betts
6. Mike Trout
7. Juan Soto
8. Freddie Freeman
9. Bryce Harper
10. Gunnar Henderson
11. Ronald Acuna Jr.
12. Clayton Kershaw
13. Elly De La Cruz
14. Jackson Merrill
15. Wyatt Langford
16. Julio Rodriguez
17. Jackson Chourio
18. Yordan Alvarez
19. Justin Verlander
20. Max Scherzer
21. Francisco Lindor
22. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
23. Jose Ramirez
24. Raphael Devers
25. Jose Altuve
26. Corbin Carroll
27. Chis Sale
28. Gerrit Cole
29. Jacob deGrom
30. Paul Goldschmidt
31. Nolan Arenado
32. Manny Machado
33. Kyle Tucker
34. Austin Riley
35. Spencer Strider
36. Jackson Holliday
37. Pete Alonso
38. Tarik Skubal
39. Corey Seager
40. Riley Greene
41. Michael Harris
42. William Contreras
43. Max Fried
44. Matt Olson
45. Adley Rutschman
46. Luis Arraez
47. Fernando Tatis Jr.
48. Ezequiel Tovar
49. Matt Chapman
50. J.T. Realmuto

Just missed: Volpe, Albies

Next year your list will have Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer.