Baseball card collecting exploded in popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Interest started to wane in the late 90s as kids became more interested in digital games and cell phones rather than cardboard collectibles. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the baseball card market was relatively tame with mainly die-hard collectors still actively seeking out and trading cards. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the hobby, especially fueled by the rise of online auction sites like eBay that have made collecting more accessible. This has led to renewed interest and higher prices being paid for the most coveted vintage and modern-era cards.
The 2017 season saw some truly talented rookies make their debut, which has sparked interest in their rookie cards. Players like Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Rhys Hoskins have already established themselves as stars in their early careers. Their rookie cards from 2017 Bowman, Topps, and other sets have greatly increased in value since being pulled from packs just a few short years ago. These rookies could potentially have Hall of Fame careers which would make their earliest cards that much more desirable in the future. Of course, careers can also fizzle out quickly in baseball so there is inherent risk in speculating on young talents.
Some 2017 cards that have shown tremendous growth in secondary prices include the Cody Bellinger Topps Series 1 Orange Parallel (#153) rookie card. Fresh off winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2017, Bellinger looked like a superstar in the making. His Topps rookie orange parallels, which were numbered to only 50 copies, have sold for over $1,000 each on auction sites. In the long run, if Bellinger becomes a perennial MVP candidate these could potentially be $10,000+ cards. Aaron Judge also had an electric rookie year in 2017. His Topps Opening Day Gold parallel (#85) is also limited to only 50 printed and has sold for around $700-900 each over the past year. If Judge maintains his superstar level of production, these coveted parallels could eventually fetch well over $5,000 per card.
Beyond the obvious stars though, collectors are also seeking out more obscure rookie cards and parallels of players who broke out in 2017 or have had promising early careers. A card that fits this mould is Rhys Hoskins’ 2017 Bowman Chrome Green Parallel Auto (#76) rookie card. These parallels were limited to only 25 copies each and Hoskins was somewhat under the radar in his brief 2017 debut. But he’s emerged as a star power hitter for the Phillies the last two years. His low-numbered Bowman Chrome autos quickly rose from a $100-200 card in 2018 to consistently selling in the $500-800 range today. If Hoskins continues improving and makes an All-Star team or two, these exclusive parallels could escalate further to the $2,000-5,000 level over the ensuing years.
While star rookies dominate 2017 attention, veterans can also have valuable and sought-after cards from that season. Injuries limited him to just 82 games in 2017, but when healthy Wade Davis was still one of the top closers in baseball. His 2017 Topps Finest Orange Refractor parallel (/5) shows him as a Cub and is an extremely rare parallel limited to a print run of only 5 copies in existence. One of these sold on eBay last year for nearly $4,000, which is an astronomical price for a single modern-era card. Health surely plays a big factor, but if Davis does keep pitching effectively into his mid-30s, one could picture that card potentially reaching a lofty $10,000 price point down the road as a true Holy Grail for superstar closer collectors from that era.
Autograph cards also retain tremendous long-term potential value appreciation for the right players. Consider Gleyber Torres’ 2017 Topps Museum Collection Auto card (/50). Acquired by the Yankees in the 2016 Aroldis Chapman trade, Torres had a solid 2017 debut and looks like a future All-Star. Back in 2017, his Topps Museum autos were selling in the $100-200 range. Now, just a few years later, they commonly bring $400-600 on auction sites. If Torres continues developing into a perennial All-Star for the Yankees, it’s quite possible these autos could rocket up to the multi-thousand dollar range within 5-10 years. Getting an on-card auto of a player pre-fame for a couple hundred bucks and then seeing it appreciate over 1000% would make for an incredible long-term investment for any collector.
Two Japanese starters who made waves in 2017 and could have big future value are Shohei Ohtani and Tomoyuki Sugano. Ohtani’s prolific two-way talents were just starting to be unveiled in 2017 before injuries limited him. Sugano was posting video game numbers in Nippon Professional Baseball. Both had interesting 2017 BBM batting practice sticker auto Parallel cards issued in Japanese. Ohtani’s Lucky Seven parallel (/7) and Sugano’s Light Blue parallel (/10) have already 4x’d in price since 2017 as both started to generate more attention internationally. If either becomes a star internationally over the long run, any coveted early Ohtani or Sugano cards from before their MLB days could really explode in secondary value amongst international collectors.
The 2017 season saw the arrival of some truly special talents at the MLB level. While the careers of players like Judge and Bellinger are still a work in progress, their earliest cards are already extremely valuable and could retain tremendous long-term potential if they keep producing at superstar levels deep into this decade and beyond. Meanwhile, more off the beaten path rookie cards and parallels of breakout players like Rhys Hoskins may have been procured for bargain prices in the past but could escalate rapidly as those players ascend higher on the national stage. Autographs, short prints, and parallel cards of these players in particular will likely remain in the sharpest focus for savvy collectors moving forward. Overall, 2017 holds potential as a golden year of MLB rookie cards that maintain allure, demand, and appreciation for years to come if the careers pan out accordingly.
