The 2020 baseball season may have been delayed and shortened due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop Topps from releasing another exciting crop of rookie baseball cards for collectors to chase. Featuring many of the up-and-coming young stars who made their MLB debuts in 2020 or 2019, the 2020 Topps rookie class includes players who will likely be cornerstones of their franchises for years to come.
Some of the most sought-after rookies in 2020 Topps include Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic, San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brendan McKay, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Chicago Cubs third baseman Nico Hoerner. Tatis quickly emerged as one of the best and most exciting players in baseball in 2019, slugging 22 home runs in just 84 games and finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He’s off to an even hotter start in 2020. Kelenic is considered one of the top prospects in baseball and was one of the key pieces acquired by the Mariners in the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz trade. McKay was a two-way standout in college who has impressed on the mound in his first season in the majors.
Other notable rookies include Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jo Adell, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Spencer Howard, Kansas City Royals catcher MJ Melendez, Boston Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec, Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, Miami Marlins outfielder Monte Harrison, San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tony Santillan, New York Mets pitcher David Peterson, and Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. All of these players have the talent and upside to potentially become impact big leaguers and all-star caliber players. Their rookie cards are ones collectors want to snag before their values potentially skyrocket if they live up to expectations.
In terms of specific cards, some of the most coveted include Tatis Jr.’s base rookie card, Fernando Tatis Jr. RC #150, Kelenic’s blue parallel #156 card, Vladimir Guerrero Jr RC #249, Brendan McKay’s base #250 card, Casey Mize’s green refractor #311 card, Nico Hoerner’s yellow refractor #446 card, and Jo Adell’s purple refractor #499 card. Other “short prints” like variations, autographed cards, and numbered parallels can often be even more valuable depending on the specific player and parallel. As seasons progress and careers take shape, demand and prices for these highly-touted rookies will fluctuate greatly based on their performance in upcoming years.
Collectors are also keeping a close eye on rookie cards for breakout players from 2020 who exceeded expectations in their debut seasons. Players like Miami Marlins outfielder Monte Harrison, Cincinnati Reds third baseman/pitcher Aristides Aquino, Chicago White Sox pitcher Dane Dunning, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams, and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Nate Pearson all had outstanding rookie campaigns after debuting in 2020. While they aren’t considered the same “elite” prospect status as Tatis Jr. or Kelenic, strong follow-up seasons could turn their rookie cards into excellent long-term investments as well.
Topps Chrome and Topps Chrome Update Series also offer some of the flashiest rookie cards in the shiny, refracted chrome designs collectors love. Topps Chrome is one of the most popular modern card products overall due to the attraction of “hits” like autographed cards, memorabilia cards, and short printed parallel refractors. Rarest of the rare would be a prizm refractor rookie card, which combines the scarcity of a prizm treatment with the high-demand rookie. Of course, the cardboard kings like Tatis Jr. and Guerrero Jr. command the biggest prices at the top end for their premium rookie chromes and parallels as well.
With the disruption to the 2020 minor league season, not every elite prospect had a chance debut in the shortened MLB campaign.Topps wisely held back rookie cards for can’t-miss talents like Detroit Tigers pitcher Matt Manning, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz, Miami Marlins pitcher Max Meyer, San Diego Padres shortstop CJ Abrams, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson, and Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck that collectors are eager to start tracking in 2021 if and when they do make the jump to the bigs. These could end up being gems in the long run.
The 2020 Topps rookie class offers a dazzling array of future stars, breakout players, and can’t-miss prospects for collectors to track through their early career milestones. Boasting both mainstream names and deep sleepers, this rookie crop is loaded with potential and will be one that baseball card investors look back on as a gold mine for years to come if the players live up to expectations on the field. The finest of the finest examples like Tatis Jr.’s and Kelenic’s most sought-after rookies will likely retain value, appreciation over time as collecting interest increases the farther we get from 2020.