The 2018 baseball season saw some tremendous individual and team performances that translated to many star players and standout rookie cards being highly coveted by collectors in the current trading card market. With huge stars changing teams, rookies making immediate impacts, milestones being reached, and another World Series winner, there was no shortage of excitement and collectibles to chase down.
Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most popular and valuable 2018 baseball trading cards that collectors sought after and speculate how certain cards may hold up in future years. One of the biggest storylines of the 2018 season was Manny Machado being traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline. Having established himself as one of baseball’s premier power hitters and defensive stars, Machado was playing the final few months of his contract before hitting free agency.
Cards featuring Machado as a Dodger, such as his base Topps flagship rookie card or specific Dodgers parallels and autographs from 2018 Topps products, skyrocketed in demand and price after the blockbuster July trade. Machado mania continued into the offseason as he signed a record $300 million free agent contract with the San Diego Padres, leading to even more desire for his 2018 Dodgers cards. Many feel Machado remains in his prime at just 26 years old and could continue putting up huge offensive numbers for the next decade, lending strong long term potential to his 2018 update cards in new Padres uniforms.
Another coveted 2018 rookie card was that of super prospect Ronald Acuña Jr, who burst onto the MLB scene with the Atlanta Braves. Acuña amazed with tape measure home runs, stellar defense, and electric baserunning ability from day one. The Venezuelan outfielder won NL Rookie of the Year honors and seems destined for superstardom. His 2018 Topps Chrome Auto refractor rookie remains one of the most expensive modern rookie cards on the secondary market, often commanding four figures or more for a single copy in near mint condition. With tremendous upside still ahead as he enters only his age 21 season, Acuña’s 2018 rookie cards could end up being all-time valuable in the long run.
A pair of American League East rivals experienced huge roster shakeups that made certain 2018 cards quite collectible. The New York Yankees acquired NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins in a blockbuster 2017-18 offseason deal. Stanton immediately proved worthy in pinstripes with monster home run totals to join Aaron Judge in one of MLB’s most feared lineups. Cards from 2018 Topps Series 2 onward featuring Stanton in Yankeesuniform, as well as premium parallels and autographs, took off in demand.Over in Boston, the Red Soxadded perennial All-Star J.D. Martinezvia free agency. Martinez enjoyed acareer year by slamming 43 home runs and leading the powerful BoSox offense. His 2018 Topps Chrome Refractor rookie card as a member of the Detroit Tigers remains a popular bargain for savvy collectors.
Two longtime Dodgers franchise cornerstones cemented their statuses as modern legends by reaching historic milestones in 2018. Clayton Kershaw captured his third NL Cy Young award by age 30 while racking up his 2500th strikeout. The lefty ace remains one of the best pitchers of his generation and his 2018 Topps Update Silver Pack parallels gained value after another stellar seasonal performance. Around the same time, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez blasted his 500th career home run before retiring, making 2018 Topps Update cards featuring this achievement quite collectible for AGon fans and Dodger adherents. Both Kershaw and Gonzalez helped push LA to their sixth straight NL West title and second World Series in three years that October.
The dominant Houston Astros pitching staff carried the team to their best record in franchise history and first-ever World Series win over the Dodgers. Top rookie cards from 2018 included Justin Verlander, who was acquired in a 2017 trade and led the ‘Stros rotation to their title. Gerrit Cole also had a breakout campaign to finish second in AL Cy Young voting. While the core position player stars like Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa remain sought after as well, the emerging arms from Houston’s strong 2018 squad saw rising secondary market values.
Rookie sensation Juan Soto made an instant impact for the Washington Nationals in his age 19 season. Soto won NL Rookie of the Year while showing veteran plate discipline and hitting skills at such a young age. The Dominican outfielder became a fan favorite in DC and his 2018 Topps Chrome Autograph Refractor remains one of the priciest modern rookie autographs available. There is universal belief in the hobby that Soto will win MVP awards and put together a Hall of Fame career if he stays healthy. As such, early Soto cards are excellent long term investments.
Collectors were also high on Mike Trout, who cemented himself as the greatest active player with another MVP-caliber campaign for the Los Angeles Angels. The unsigned 2012 Topps Update Trout rookie remains one of the “holy grails” of the modern era alongside cards like Mickey Mantle’s ’52 Topps.Trout also reached new heights with his 2018 Bowman Chrome Draft auto refractor rookie, which graded gem mint PSA 10 frequently changes hands for sums in the six-figure range. Simply put, any signed Trout cards from the early 2010s are worthwhile keepsakes given his seemingly unlimited upside.
Two milestones were reached in Cooperstown during midsummer 2018 induction festivities. Chipper Jones, Larry Walker, and Jim Thome all saw long awaited enshrinements into the Hall of Fame. Cards from the players’ heydays spiked in price amongst collectors wanting a tangible piece of baseball immortality. Vintage 1990s Chipper, Walker from his 1997 NL MVP season with the Rockies, and tough pulling autographs of Thome’s impressive 612 career home runs all gained new collectors. Their inductions served as a reminder for fans and investors on the enduring allure of accomplishment and tradition within the game.
The 2018 MLB season contained innumerable storylines that translated to strong demand for certain star players’ modern issue cards and memorabilia, as well as renewed appreciation for retired greats who were immortalized in Cooperstown. Manny Machado, Ronald Acuña Jr, Giancarlo Stanton, J.D. Martinez and more enjoyed breakout campaigns or volume offensive seasons that spikes collector interest in accurate representations of their accomplishments at baseball’s highest level. Meanwhile, icons like Trout, Kershaw, Soto and rookie phenoms like Acuña and Soto retain amazing long term potential that serves collectors well for portfoliobuilding. With exciting futures still ahead, many 2018 cards profiled here should retain and grow in value, being worth holding onto as prized keepsakes of the year that was.
