While the legendary rookie cards of Mickey Mantle, Honus Wagner and other iconic players from baseball’s early eras still reign as the most valuable collectibles in the hobby, the modern game continues to produce rare gems that appreciate greatly over time. Each new season brings rookie cards, autographed memorabilia cards, and serially numbered parallels that provide new opportunities for collectors and investors.
2020 was no exception, even amidst the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted virtually every aspect of daily life around the globe. While the baseball season itself was delayed and truncated, card manufacturers released new licensed product through the summer and fall. Several rookies made immediate impacts on the field in their debut campaigns, driving up interest in their cardboard. Veterans like Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr. continued to prove their perennial superstar status with outstanding individual performances as well.
Here’s a look at some of the most valuable baseball cards issued during the 2020 calendar year based on current PSA 10 gem mint prices tracked on websites like eBay, Certified Collectibles Group’s Collectors.com, and Beckett Marketplace:
Mike Trout 2018 Topps Chrome Refractor Auto RC #171 – Trout remains the best player in baseball today and his cards hold value as a result. The prestigious refractor parallel autographed rookie card in a pristine PSA 10 grade brings in excess of $20,000, showcasing Trout’s continued dominance and the rarity of high-end Trout rookies remaining unslabbed this late in the game.
Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Chrome Purple Refractor Auto RC #96 – Acuña quickly emerged as one of the brightest young stars in MLB from 2018-2020. His flashy style of play and production at such a young age attracted new collectors to his cards. The beautiful purple parallel carries estimates up to $15,000 in PSA 10 condition.
Fernando Tatis Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome Green Refractor Auto RC #162 – Tatis exploded onto the scene in 2019 as a 20-year old shortstop with jaw-dropping power and defense for the San Diego Padres. He is already considered a face of the MLB by many. High-grade examples of his refractors crack five figures, with the green topping valued at $12,000+.
Wander Franco 2020 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor Auto #151 – Franco is arguably the top MLB prospect in over a decade and dominated the minors as an 18-year old in 2019-2020. The hype surrounding him is enormous. His flagship rookie refractor autographs range between $8,000 to $10,000 in a PSA 10, with room to appreciate longer term.
Luis Robert 2020 Topps Chrome Black Refractor Auto RC #171 – As expected, Robert made a huge impact for the Chicago White Sox in his rookie campaign after coming over from Cuba. He has five-tool talent and his on-card autosCommand premiums around $8,000 in PSA 10 condition.
Bo Bichette 2019 Topps Chrome Red Refractor Auto RC #280 – Bichette immediately hit in the Blue Jays lineup and has above average skills. His more common red refractor auto in a PSA 10 holder has still escalated above the $6,000 plateau in a short time.
Gavin Lux 2020 Topps Chrome Refractors #338 – Lux showed why he is such a well-regarded Dodgers prospect by batting .376 in the shortened 2020 season. While his base rookies trade for under $100 raw, the more collectible refractors have reached as high as $5,000 in PSA 10.
Christian Pache 2020 Bowman Chrome Refractors Autos #BCP-58 – Pache made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Atlanta Braves and has elite defense in center field. As a rare Braves star of the future, Pache’s refractors already approach $4,000 for top grades.
Nico Hoerner 2020 Topps Chrome Refractors #338 – A speedy middle infielder for the Chicago Cubs, Hoerner impressed as a rookie and his refractors already sell for upwards of $3,500 in PSA 10 condition.
Sean Murphy 2020 Topps Chrome Refractors Autos #388 – Murphy emerged as one of baseball’s top young catchers on the Oakland A’s in 2020. With an all-around talented righty catcher, his refractors fetch $3,000 or more for 10 quality.
While player performance, aesthetics, and supply and demand ultimately dictate valuation for any given card, what united these 2020 standouts is elite rookie production against MLB pitching that amplified fan interest and collector demand. As long as Tatis, Acuña, Trout and the like sustain their excellence and new stars continue to emerge each season, there will be freshly-printed cards enjoying parabolic price increases in short order. For investors and enthusiasts alike, keeping tabs on baseball’s brightest young talents remains key to identifying future valuable cards today still within reach. The market reminds us that the modern game continuously cultivates its own memorabilia legends.
