In the world of collecting, where baseball cards are a canvas for sporting excellence and nostalgia, Topps Inc. has once again shot for the stars with its exhilarating new release: the ‘All Kings’ insert in the 2025 Topps Baseball Series 2. If the ‘All Aces’ insert from Series 1 was an ode to the fearsome craftsmen of the mound, ‘All Kings’ is a 21-gun salute to the sultans of the swing, perched high on the throne of offensive power.
Picture a checklist that reads like a Who’s Who of modern baseball, front-and-center in this exclusive collection are Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Judge, whose moonshots threaten to pierce the stratosphere, and Ohtani, a transcendent two-way phenomenon, are the heart and soul of this homage to heavy hitters—a regal assembly of batters celebrated for their hard-earned mastery of the plate.
The ‘All Kings’ roster is a who’s who of today’s most electrifying sluggers, a dizzying 25 names deep. The young and relentless Juan Soto, the power-packed Elly De La Cruz, the tenacious Bryce Harper, and the dynamic Bobby Witt Jr. all make the cut, painting a picture of 2025’s upper echelon as a spectacular fireworks display of talent and tenacity. Each one continues to mesmerize with performances that leave opposing pitchers questioning their sanity and fans clamoring for more cardboard.
Adding a dash of youthful exuberance to the mix is James Wood, the lone rookie invitation holder of the ‘All Kings’. Wood, whose stat line garners beauty and the promise of more, is swiftly earning his reputation in the sport. As he takes his initial steps in Major League Baseball with the Nationals, his early career highlights, including his 11 home runs and 25 RBIs, scream with the potential of a modern slugging prodigy. For rookie collectors and hopeful chasers, Topps may yet offer filament-fine threads of gold in the form of serial-numbered, or even autographed options, later in the release—an enticement too tantalizing to resist.
Yet, the ‘All Kings’ insert does not merely ride the vibrancy of modern talent. It lets its tentacles reach back through the history of America’s pastime, pulling on heartstrings with a bouquet of legends that transcend the boundaries of time. Imagine drawing from a pack and encountering the timeless majesty of Mickey Mantle, the enduring greatness of Willie Mays, the trailblazing valor of Jackie Robinson, the pristine elegance of Derek Jeter, or the ageless excitement of Ken Griffey Jr. With every card, you step onto a diamond where every era’s giant looms large, forever enshrined.
Such a lineup commands power and nostalgia—a siren song that draws both seasoned collectors and nascent enthusiasts with the numbers to back up the desire. Imagine the allure of a Derek Jeter-represented ‘All Kings’ card snapped alongside the latest exploits of Elly De La Cruz—a coalescence of eras that tantalizes and transcends generational lines.
Should you wonder if ‘All Kings’ will measure up to its Series 1 counterpart in market stature, consider it a contest not easily contested. The probabilistic allure in ‘All Aces’ has sent collectors on a feverish hunt, evidenced by auction wins such as a Shohei Ohtani’s All Aces autograph /10 commandeering $6,500, or a PSA 10 base insert scaling a mountainside price of $1,775. Even the emergent Paul Skenes saw his All Aces PSA 10 fetch an awe-striking $1,800 in April. All this, despite pitching cards often playing second fiddle to their hitting counterparts at card shows and beyond.
With the unveiled names on this checklist and an apparent penchant for position players among collectors, ‘All Kings’ is poised to be not merely a feature, but the defining crown jewel of Series 2. There’s something for everyone here—rookie seekers, legendary curators, and devotees of the Judge and Ohtani realm alike.
The charmed existence of Topps, thriving on gorgeous insert designs coupled with everlasting themes that resonate deeply with the fanhearted, finds its next act in ‘All Kings’. A following act to ‘All Aces’—bolder, more resonant, with a heart astoundingly louder. Fans of the sport’s magnificent hitting history and monumentally poignant moments will find themselves irresistibly drawn to this collection—a royal gathering that defies you to look away.
