11 Best 2026 Topps Series 1 Rookie Cards!

What’s better than pulling several of the 11 best 2026 Topps Series 1 Rookie Cards!?! That’s what we’re trying to do, right? Get all the goodies! We want autographs! We want numbered parallels! We want relics! We want team color parallel matches!

This Topps Series 1 rookie crop is expected to be one of the better ones over the past few years, possibly better than last year and 2024.

We love rookie cards here — which is why we created articles that reveal the best baseball rookie cards to get from every single year! (We also did the same for the best basketball rookie cards, the best hockey rookie cards and the best football rookie cards!)

We just got done with our 2025 Rookie Card Power Rankings for all three Topps flagship series, but those guys are sophomores now! Old news! We’re turning our attention to this year’s crop!

• 2026 Topps Series 1 Jumbo Box (1 auto and 1 relic guaranteed) – View on eBay!
• 2026 Topps Series 1 Hobby Box (1 auto or 1 relic guaranteed) – View on eBay!
• 2026 Topps Series 1 Mega Box – View on eBay!
• 2026 Topps Series 1 Blaster Box – View on eBay!

We originally started with a list of 11 — but we felt too strongly about the 12th rookie card on this list to leave him off!

12 Best 2026 Topps Series 1 Rookie Cards

There were an astounding 71 rookie cards produced in 2026 Topps Series 1, which is up six from 2025 Topps Series 1, but down from the crazy 153 rookie cards produced in 2025 Topps Update! We whittled our list down to the Top 12 rookie cards you want to target out of these products going forward!

1. Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox (Age 21)

• 2026 Topps Roman Anthony #189 – Link coming soon!

Anthony is THE big rookie card to get in this series — hands down. He sits alongside James Wood from last year, Elly De La Cruz in 2024 and Gunnar Henderson in 2023. He’s going to bat leadoff for Boston, and he’s going to be a huge fan favorite in a big baseball town, with a great combination of power/hit potential.

Heck, ESPN ranked Anthony as the best 21-year-old player in the game, just ahead of Milwaukee’s superstar OF Jackson Chourio!

2. Jac Caglianone, 1B, Kansas City Royals (Age 22)

• 2026 Topps Jac Caglianone #138 – Link coming soon!

Cags struggled after his KC call-up last season, slashing a dismal .157/.237/.295 in 62 games. Not great. But his power is notable, and many are calling him a great breakout candidate for 2026. He compares favorably to fellow former Florida Gators stud, Pete Alonso. Cags was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

3. Jacob Misiorowski, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (Age 23)

• 2026 Topps Jacob Misiorowski #10 – Link coming soon!

The Miz had an up-and-down rookie season in 2025, coming off an unbelievable All-Star Game selection. He fizzled as the year went on, finishing in Milwaukee’s bullpen, but he did strike out 83 batters in just 67 innings pitched. He just slowed down with the long season — everyone can relax. But, I do wonder if that 6-foot-7 frame, coupled with a violent delivery, is going to someday send him to the doctor’s office for Tommy John surgery.

4. Samuel Basallo, C, Baltimore Orioles (Age 21)

• 2026 Topps Samuel Basallo #104 – Link coming soon!

Sure, Basallo is a catcher, but he’s also a big bat that is just 21 years old! He’s the youngest player on this list, and that bodes well for his counting stats if he ever gets close to having a Hall of Fame career. He’ll be batting near the middle of a great lineup, and the Orioles already signed him to an 8-year/$67 million deal! If they believe — we believe!

5. Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Age 23)

• 2026 Topps Bubba Chandler #283 – Link coming soon!

Another excellent young pitcher who can touch 100 on the radar, Chandler could be in the mix for becoming the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year. He has multiple plus-pitches, and he gets to be Robin to Paul Skenes’ Batman, which means he’ll have less heat on him than many of the other pitchers on this list.

6. Chase Burns, SP, Cincinnati Reds (Age 23)

• 2026 Topps Chase Burns #312 – Link coming soon!

Mr. Burns turned 23 years old in January, but the No. 2 overall pick in 2024 (just behind Travis Bazzana) looks like a potential future ace! He posted more than 1K-per-inning last year, and he should start in back of the Reds’ rotation in ’26.

7. Cam Schlittler, SP, New York Yankees (Age 24)

• 2026 Topps Cam Schlittler #111 – Link coming soon!

Showed great promise late last year with the Yankees, which started a Bowman pickup frenzy, but he needs more consistency. For 2026, Schlittler will likely be an SP2 behind Max Fried, but he’ll be the top right-handed pitcher in the Bronx right now. He’ll be 25 before the season starts.

(Note that this is the fourth starting pitcher listed among our best 2026 Topps Series 1 rookie cards! That’s because this pitcher rookie class is phenomenal — and we’re not done yet!)

8. Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (Age 22)

• 2026 Topps Carson Williams #25 – Link coming soon!

This kid has a great glove, with nice pop at the plate — but he just swings and misses too much! The Rays should start him at Opening Day, but they aren’t afraid to be patient with a player they expect to be a cornerstone for years.

Note that ESPN ranked Williams as the 1oth-best 22-year-old in baseball!

9. Jhostynxon Garcia, OF, Boston Red Sox (Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026) (Age 23)

• 2026 Topps Jhostynxon Garcia #316 – Link coming soon!

Traded to Pittsburgh from Boston in December of 2025, “The Password” gets great power from a slight frame. The good news is he’s young and he can fill out — which means that power can get even better. He can also play all three outfield spots, so that versatility could earn him a Opening Day nod.

10. Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox (Age 23)

• 2026 Topps Kyle Teel #201 – Link coming soon!

Turning 24 in late January, Teel is expected to battle with Edgar Quero for the starting backstop gig. The good news is — the loser could still end up being the team’s designated hitter in 2026! Teel came to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade with Boston. Teel is better than Quero, though, and he has more upside.

11. Cole Young, 2B, Seattle Mariners (Age 22)

• 2026 Topps Cole Young #129 – Link coming soon!

Good things are expected from Young, but he didn’t have a great first year in Seattle. We think he’ll develop more pop, but even if he doesn’t, he’s already a pretty good hitter.

12. Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox (Age 23)

• 2026 Topps Payton Tolle #15 – Link coming soon!

We couldn’t just keep our Top 11 Best 2026 Topps Series 1 Rookie Cards list to just 11! Let’s make it an even dozen!

Tolle (pronounced “TOLE-ee”) was Boston’s second-best prospect when he got called up last year. He’s a massive human being, standing at 6-foot-6, and this left-hander can touch 100mph at times. He might start teh season in the bullpen or in the minors, but as soon as they Red Sox need a lefty in the rotation, he’s their guy.

• Check out the Best Baseball Rookie Cards From Every Year here!
• Check out the 2025 Rookie Card Power Rankings here!

Those are our picks for the 12 best 2026 Topps Series 1 Rookie Cards for the upcoming season. Where do we differ? Who do you like better? Whose rookie cards are you tossing in the common bins? Let us know in the comments – and have a Happy Hobby!