Ladies and gentlemen, sports card aficionados and diamond devotees, gather ’round, pinpoint your focus, and behold the latest spectacle in the collectible card cosmos. Topps, the card-making juggernaut that continually balmoralizes our nostalgia, has bestowed upon us yet another reason to detach ourselves from reality and plunge into a world where glossy cardboard reigns supreme. They’ve rolled out the ‘All Kings’ insert as part of the 2025 Topps Baseball Series 2, and it’s practically shimmering with baseball royalty.
If the All Aces insert had you swooning over pitchers in Series 1, prepare to have your breath taken away by the titans tasked with taming those fastballs and foolers. All Kings is more than just a ceremonial coronation; it’s a parade of the game’s most resplendent wielders of the bat.
Taking the spotlight among these modern monarchs are none other than Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, whose plate performances regularly defy physics and have Sluggerdom quaking in awe. There’s something utterly enthralling about cards paying homage to contemporaries before our very eyes, and Topps ensures that collectors have a front-row seat to the court of baseball’s brightest.
This assemblage isn’t confined to mere numbers, though a hearty list of 25 sluggers graces the pages. Each name is synonymous with power: Juan Soto, with his masterful eye and mouth-watering swing; Elly De La Cruz, a rising superstar weaving his tapestry in real-time; Bryce Harper, the perennial MVP contender lending his gravitas; and Bobby Witt Jr., whose promising proclivities don’t go unnoticed by bat scouts.
Daring to make waves is James Wood, the lone rookie gracing this royal pantheon. In an age where the rookies’ hyped value could power a small city, Wood’s inclusion isn’t mere decoration. The Nationals’ breakout star is racking up achievements—and runs batted in—with a charisma that’s hard to ignore. His current standing in the home run leaderboard is arguably precognitive of greatness to come, and we wouldn’t blame collectors for keeping tabs on those potential numbered or autographed variants.
Topps however, isn’t just content to revere the present. They’ve woven in a historical perspective deeper than a Ken Burns documentary binge, with legends whose names echo through the ages. The irreplaceable Mickey Mantle, the incomparable Willie Mays, the indefatigable Jackie Robinson, the charismatic Derek Jeter, and the unfathomably talented Ken Griffey Jr. all getter a place. Can you imagine the value these cards will hold, adorned with the faces of our past heroes, the architects of the game we cherish?
Talking market value, All Kings isn’t just riding on coattails—it’s seated in a gold-plated royal carriage. The All Aces insert already splashed headlines: Shohei Ohtani’s autograph fetched over $6,500, and base insert prices soared to dizzying heights. Even pitching prospect Paul Skenes saw his profile elevated thanks to a PSA 10 selling at a staggering $1,800. Here’s the kicker though: hitter cards tend to cash in at even higher stakes, and with the reels of baseball’s grandest sluggers lining the checklist, the sky’s the limit.
With the seductive allure of position players and these hallowed names, All Kings is poised to be the crowning jewel of Series 2. Be it rookies, legends, or a lust for more Judge and Ohtani, there’s a glittering chance to bolster your collection amidst this cardboard nobility.
Topps has become something of a maestro in blending artful design and popular themes like peanut butter and jelly. With All Aces already thriving in the collector’s hearts, All Kings is preparing to storm the scene with greater bravado—a parade of boldness and intrinsic value all its own. For the aficionados of stellar swings and epoch-defining moments, this is one card concoction that you’ll not want to overlook.
Collect your thoughts, collect the cards, and if you must, collect yourself; the All Kings insert is here to declare its reign. Prepare to be captivated or commence your chase; either way, Topps has dealt its hand, and it looks like a royal flush.
