The 2018 baseball card season was another exciting year in the hobby, with several major releases from top issuers like Topps, Panini, and Bowman. With a variety of parallels, autographs, and rookie cards across all the major sets, collectors had plenty of options to chase their favorite players. Here’s a look at some of the standout cards collectors were buzzing about in 2018.
A major storyline in 2018 was the continued emergence of Shohei Ohtani, who made history as the first player in decades to pitch and hit as a regular position player. His rookie cards were hot commodities all year from Bowman, Topps, and Panini. One of the most coveted was considered to be his autographed refractor parallel from Bowman Sterling, which was serial numbered to just 10 copies. These ultra-rare Ohtani autographs fetched prices well over $1,000 each online.
Another rookie who took the baseball world by storm was Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. While his 2017 rookie cards were out of most collector’s price ranges, 2018 saw plenty of affordable parallels and inserts featuring the towering slugger. Topps Chrome Blue Refractors and Topps Fire parallels of Judge rookies were popular chase cards. Additionally, Judge’s Topps Opening Day auto parallel /99 and Topps Holiday auto /50 inserts provided affordable autographed options for fans.
For collectors chasing the game’s biggest stars, 2018 Topps Archives offered retro-styled cards that captured the nostalgia of the hobby. A Mike Trout autograph parallel from the set numbered to just 10 copies sold for over $3,000. Also coveted were autographs from the set’s “Hall of Fame” subset, including a rare /5 Babe Ruth that traded hands for close to $4,000 online. Topps Tribute also paid homage to baseball legends with its “Then and Now” parallels, which paired a current star like Mookie Betts alongside an icon from the past like Ted Williams.
While the MLB rookies and stars garnered much attention, collectors also had fun hunting vintage-style throwbacks. Topps Heritage featured its popular “Minors” subset highlighting prospects, while Topps Allen & Ginter offered esoteric player cards mixed with characters from pop culture in its trademark style. Heritage’s “Record Breakers” insert set paid tribute to milestones in baseball history. Additionally, Heritage’s “Rookie Cup” parallel autos including Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña Jr. were hotly pursued.
For those seeking autographs and memorabilia cards, 2018 Bowman Sterling and Bowman’s Best delievered the goods. A Ronald Acuña Jr. Sterling auto refractor numbered to just 5 copies traded hands for over $2,000. Bowman’s Best featured impressive patches and autographs of stars like Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger. Additionally, Topps Finest Autograph parallels offered on-card autos of rising talents like Gleyber Torres and Walker Buehler.
When it came to international prospects, 2018 Bowman Draft proved to be the premier release. Cards of top international signees like Wander Franco from the Dominican Republic and Shun Yamaguchi from Japan found an eager collector audience. Additionally, Bowman International highlighted prospects from all over the globe. The release also allowed collectors to invest relatively inexpensively in the next generation of MLB stars from abroad.
In the vintage market, collectors continued to pay top dollar for iconic cards from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. A near-mint 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle sold for over $100,000. Also achieving six figures was a gem mint 1966 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie card. A rare 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner realized a hammer price of over $350,000 at auction. While these vintage behemoths were out of reach for most, affordable vintage options could be found in sets like Topps 1969, Topps 1973 and Topps 1976.
In summary, 2018 was another banner year for the baseball card collecting community, with exciting rookies, stars, parallels, and vintage offerings across all the major releases. With new young talents emerging each season and the never-ending nostalgia of the hobby, the future remains bright for baseball cards. As collectors look ahead to the 2019 season, they can anticipate another great year of chasing their favorite players both present and past through the cardboard culture of the MLB.
