Nick Yorke Baseball Cards: A Look at the Prospect Turned Rookie’s Growing Card Collection
In the summer of 2020, Nick Yorke was still an unknown high school shortstop out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California playing for the under-18 national team. By June of that year, the Philadelphia Phillies would select Yorke with the 17th overall pick in the MLB Draft, beginning his journey from prospect to professional player. In just over two years since being drafted, Yorke has progressed quickly through the Phillies farm system and made his MLB debut. Along the way, collectors have had the opportunity to acquire some of Yorke’s earliest professional cards. Let’s take a look at the growing collection of Nick Yorke baseball cards and analyze some of the key releases chronicling his rise.
2020 Bowman Draft Paper / Bowman Draft Chrome (BDP/BDC)
As is tradition for newly drafted players, Yorke’s first baseball cards came in 2020 Bowman Draft products. In the paper release, Yorke’s card featured the standard design including his bio and stats from high school. Bowman Draft Chrome provided the first opportunity for collectors to obtain one of Yorke’s cards in the popular chrome parallel format. While not overly valuable yet given his rookie status, these serve as the earliest cards documenting Yorke’s pathway to pro ball after being selected in the first round by the Phillies organization. Graded gems of his BDP and BDC rookies could provide a nice return on investment down the line if Yorke continues progressing.
2021 Bowman Paper / Chrome / Bowman’s Best
As a drafted player entering his first season of minor league ball in 2021, Yorke again had cards in the main Bowman sets released that year. The paper issues showed Yorke in his Phillies affiliate jersey with updated stats from rookie ball. Chrome parallels such as refractor, rainbow foil, and purple refractor offered various levels of visual appeal. Topps also included Yorke in 2021 Bowman’s Best, providing several parallel and autograph options for collectors. While playing in rookie ball generated modest stats, cards from Yorke’s first pro season remain worthwhile for folks bullish on his long term potential.
2022 Bowman Paper / Chrome
In his first full minor league campaign in 2022, Yorke advanced to Low-A where he hit .299 with 10 homers in 73 games before a midseason promotion to High-A. That breakout performance was reflected on his 2022 Bowman cards, which showed more polished action shots from having a full season of at-bats under his belt. Refractors and color parallels remained popular pulls. Yorke also autographed several 2022 Bowman Chrome autograph cards, marking the first signed rookie cards available for collectors following his terrific ’22 campaign in the minors. These served as some of the first indicators of Yorke’s burgeoning prospect status.
2022 Topps Fire Red / Blue Parallel
Topps joined the party by including Yorke in the 2022 Topps Fire subset, an exciting modern release featuring top prospects. Yorke’s red parallel card from the set has proven quite popular due to the vibrant color and smaller print run. Along with blue parallels, these showcase Yorke in slick on-card action photos with textual callouts of his strengths. As Yorke’s prospect stock continued rising, Fire provided one of the more aesthetically pleasing mainstream rookie cards for collectors to find in packs last year.
2022 Topps Chrome Refractor Variations
When Topps Chrome was released toward the end of last season, Yorke added several more shiny rookie cards to his collection. Of particular note were the coveted refractor parallel versions available at an even lower print run than the base issues. Featuring Yorke’s clean swing in a bright refracting foil outlines, these helped cement him as one of the breakout prospects collectors were hunting last year. Topps Chrome remains a premier modern sets, so finding Yorke refractors provided an exciting addition for enthusiasts following his development.
2023 Topps Series 1 / Topps Opening Day
To kick off his first full MLB season in 2023 after an early September callup in 2022, Yorke had traditional rookie cards in both Topps Series 1 and Topps Opening Day. While not offering new photography, these remain important markers to document Yorke’s graduate to the highest level. Black bordered variations are often popular shorts prints. With Yorke now showing what he can do in the majors on a regular basis, any cardboard from his initial season will take on increased significance for collectors tracking his career journey from prospect to big leaguer.
2023 Topps Chrome / Topps Chrome Update & High Number
As the 2023 season got underway, Yorke added more premium Topps Chrome rookie cards to his portfolio across the base, Update, and High Number Series Chrome issues. Shiny refractors remain valued pulls for collectors hunting this new star in the making. There’s also the potential for rare autographed or memorabilia cards from Chrome’s higher end releases. Yorke’s modern cards will be area of focus for Phillies PC builders assembling a complete player collection chronicling his promising early MLB tenure.
While still early in his pro career, Yorke has already assembled an impressive collection of cards given his rapid rise. For collectors who have followed his development closely, acquiring some of his earliest verified Minor League issues and Topps Chromes provides an intriguing investment opportunity if Yorke continues delivering at the plate for Philadelphia. With the potential for many more professional seasons ahead of him telling the story, Yorke’s cardboard reflects an exciting young player who has quickly gone from draft pick to full-time big leaguer.
