In a home-run move that’s set to keep sports memorabilia fans buzzing like bees around the bullpen, Panini America and USA Baseball are embarking on yet another exciting extension of their celebrated collaboration. This latest inning of their licensing partnership swings into action with invigorated energy, enhanced access, and a promise of scores more collectibles from the world of America’s baseball diamonds.
Since their first intertwining swing back in 2012, Panini and USA Baseball have hit some impressive milestones, creating a tapestry of collectible memories and capturing the dreams of young stars coming up through the ranks. Now, nearly a decade into this fruitful relationship, they’ve penned what’s become the third chapter in their narrative of teamwork and collector community-building. So, grab your peanuts and crackerjack, because this renewed deal is about to take fans out to the ball game and beyond with delightful zeal.
This contract renewal extends Panini’s treasure trove of privileges, ensuring their continued carte blanche to craft trading cards for all USA Baseball teams. And it doesn’t stop there—more teams, more athletes, and more historical moments are on the way, like a grand slam over a night sky, painting the canvas of baseball fandom with vibrant new additions. The rulebook has been rewritten to open the door for trading cards from the 12U National Team, a rookie lineup where emerging stars have already tipped their caps to the spotlight. Names like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Paul Skenes, and Anthony Volpe, who have skittered across the diamond from this crew, stand as glittering gems of what’s to come.
But Panini and USA Baseball aren’t just rewriting contracts—they’re cultivating inclusivity. For the first time ever, the Women’s National Team will bat in Panini’s lineup, their stats and stories at the ready to inspire as much as delight. These trading cards mark a substantial pivot, moving toward a future brimming with inclusive representation and broader storytelling. So whether it’s a curveball or a cannon-laced fastball, Panini’s ready to catch it all and share it with the world through their cards.
And if real-time excitement is your middle name, then brace yourself for the breakthrough that is Panini Instant. Previously leaving the national teams in the dugout, Panini’s real-time card release platform now eagerly ushers these squads to the forefront. The highlight plays, game-changing performances, and milestone moments will step off home plate and onto collectors’ photo-quality cards almost instantaneously. This print-on-demand gem offers a limited window of release, making each card a keepsake of a split-second sports miracle immortalized for fans.
Panini’s involvement in the annual Golden Spikes Award isn’t batting out just yet, either. Following a successful return to the College World Series, they’ll once more hand out exclusive trading card packs in Omaha as a lead-up to the 2025 Golden Spikes Award presentation. Mark your calendars, because June 21 promises more than just the smell of fresh cut grass and the crack of baseball bats—it’ll carry the vibrant aroma of exclusive memorabilia.
And lest you think new collectible prospects have dried up, prepare for a storm off the pitch. In a brand-first, fans venturing to national team games this summer will find Panini-branded on-deck circles ushering in players at the National Training Complex. Far from merely decorative, these field-used goodies will step off the field to become cleverly repurposed items within Panini’s collectible sets. Imagine, the very circles that huddled beneath the cleats of tomorrow’s stars will find a second life as coveted pieces in your collection.
Throughout their enduring alliance, Panini and USA Baseball have thrown their support behind hundreds of top-tier prospects, helping open doors to the major leagues for many a player donning red, white, and blue. To date, 212 USA Baseball alumni have been claimed in the first round of the MLB Draft, with a shimmering 10 having been first picked. It’s a legacy of high spirits and fierce competitiveness that has now charted the paths of 586 first-round picks, including 36 who claimed the number one spot inception in historical MLB record books.
As the Panini and USA Baseball partnership rolls on, the outfield of the future stands yawning wide open, ready to welcome fresh, cutting-edge designs intertwined with pieces that pay homage to the heritage of baseball. Collectors can expect more products that bridge the gap between past and present, crafting a new era of memorabilia that honors every run, every slide, and every dive into home plate with an air of cool sophistication and vibrant celebration. In a word: it’s more than just game on—it’s game magnificently, magically, unmissably on!
