Baseball cards featuring potential future stars that are just starting their careers in Major League Baseball have been popular among collectors for decades. Known as “rising stars” or “prospect” cards, these allow fans to potentially get cards of players early in their careers before they become well-known stars.
One of the main companies that issues rising star or prospect baseball cards annually is Score Trading Cards. Since the late 1980s, Score has produced rookie and prospect sets that focus on players who have shone in the minor leagues but are new to the majors. Some of these players go on to have great careers, while others fade away, adding intrigue to chasing and collecting these types of cards.
Finding and acquiring the cards of players before they become superstars is part of the excitement for many collectors. Some of the biggest names in baseball today like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, and Ronald Acuña Jr. all had their first major league cards as rising stars or rookies included in Score sets in recent years before their stardom. Holding an early card of a player who goes on to greatness adds cache and value to a collection long-term.
While there is obviously no surefire way to predict future Hall of Famers or MVPs based on minor league performance, Score and other companies do extensive research on prospects coming up through team farms systems. Scouts and analysts rank and rate talents, tools, and potentials. They try to select the most likely candidates to get cards made of them in rising star sets before they debut in the majors.
Some of the standout Score prospect and rising star sets over the decades that featured many future stars include “Score Board Greats” from 1987-1989, “American League Prospects” and “National League Prospects” from 1992-1995, “Score Rookies & Traded” from 1996-2004, and more recently “Score Baseball” from 2005 to present. These sets often included over 100 or more rookie cards per year ranging from top prospects to deeper pool players.
One of the landmark Score rising star releases was the 1988 version of “Score Board Greats”. It had rookie cards for the likes of Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Mark McGwire amongst over 150 total cards. Many consider it one of the greatest and most valuable vintage prospect sets ever made in terms of the sheer number of Hall of Fame caliber players it featured early in their careers.
Other memorable Score rising star releases down the decades included the 1992 set that debuted the rookie cards of Derek Jeter, Todd Helton, and Jason Giambi before they were household names. The 1996 “Score Rookies & Traded” set had the rookie introductions of Chipper Jones, Nomar Garciaparra, Johnny Damon, and others. In more modern years, the 2005 “Score Baseball” release heralded the first MLB cards of Alex Gordon, Ryan Braun, Jay Bruce, and others who went on to stardom.
When collecting and enjoying these Score rising star and prospect baseball cards, there are a few things to keep in mind to better understand and appreciate them. Having reasonable and realistic expectations about prediction success rates is important. Not every top prospect pans out or becomes a superstar, injuries and other factors often intervene. It’s more about enjoying the chase of the unknown potential of the players.
Another aspect is that while the biggest stars from these sets gain high value as their careers progress, most cards in the sets will have relatively affordable prices. Part of the fun is acquiring cards of talented players who may break out, even if they are commons in the set at the time. It’s a form of value speculation in cards. Patience is also recommended, as it can take years for prospects to develop fully or change teams/situations.
Score remains committed to producing quality annual rising star and prospect baseball cards for collectors looking to track the future of MLB. With thorough scouting and selection, their sets give fans an early opportunity to add the next generation of baseball greats to their collections before most others. For many, acquiring and holding the early career cardboard of a player who goes on to superstardom is one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby.
