Hunter Greene is one of the most hyped pitching prospects in baseball and as a result, his baseball cards have gained significant interest from collectors in recent years. Signed by the Cincinnati Reds with the second overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, Greene is considered a true five-tool player on the mound with an electric fastball that has been clocked over 100 MPH. His potential and baseball card rarity has made him a coveted commodity for investors seeking the next big star.
Greene made his professional debut in 2018 playing for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League, pitching 11 innings over 5 games with a 2.45 ERA. His first baseball cards started to hit the market that year. One of his more prominent rookie cards is the 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto #BCPA card. These autographed prospect cards were hotly sought after by collectors given Greene’s hype coming out of high school. PSA 10 gem mint versions of this card currently sell for over $1000 given his potential. Other notable cards from his debut 2018 season include issues from Topps Chrome, Stadium Club and Allen & Ginter.
In 2019, Greene split time between the Daytona Tortugas of the Florida State League and the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League. He solidified his status with an impressive 2.15 ERA over 58 innings pitched across 12 starts. His prospect status grew and so did card values from his 2019 sets like Bowman, Chrome, Topps Series 1 and 2. Around this time, “Greene auto” searches started trending on bidding sites as the scarcity and talent recognition increased card desirability. PSA 10 versions of some of these parallel and refractors now sell for $500-1000 depending on parallel and auto/patch/relic variation.
Unfortunately, Greene suffered a UCL injury in 2020 that required Tommy John surgery and kept him sidelined for over a year. While devastating for his development, this created an interesting phenomenon for card collectors. Since Greene was still thought of very highly, cards produced during his injury year held and even gained value due to the uncertainty around his recovery. Cards like 2020 Donruss, Stadium Club and Topps series insert parallel autos stayed relatively scarce on the secondary market. Even with the injury news, PSA 10 and BGS 9.5 versions held $400-700 values given his hype.
In 2022, Greene is finally fully healthy and attempting his comeback. He began the year with the Chattanooga Lookouts in the Double-A South Atlantic League. In his first 5 starts spanning 19 innings, he showed dominant glimpses of his talent with a 1.42 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 32 strikeouts. Command issues led to 11 walks in that span as well. This performance intrigued card collectors as Greene “re-emergence” parallels and high-numbered parallels spiked on eBay. Recent sales of 35-50 copies were bringing $150-300 due to the excitement of his return potential.
Looking forward, if Greene can continue to improve his command and pitch effectively at higher levels in 2023, his cards could see another valuation leap. Many believe he has the arsenal to be a true ace if he reaches his ceiling. Short print parallels and 1/1 prints from his current and past year prospect sets are highly sought by those gambling on his stardom. Rare patch or auto cards number to 10 or less have brought over $1000 already. But there is still risk given his injury history. Overall, Hunter Greene cards provide a high upside investment for collectors betting on one of baseball’s brightest pitching talents fully realizing his potential. Only time will tell if he becomes the next generational arm that propels his early cards to be worth over $10,000 each.
In summary, Hunter Greene’s electric stuff, high draft status out of high school, and status as a potential ace make him one of the most compelling prospects to collect for in modern baseball card history. While injuries slowed his development timeline, the potential reward of owning a star’s early cards continues to drive speculation on Greene’s available rookie issues. As his career plays out, his cards from his debut in 2018 through his 2022 comeback attempt hold significant intrigue and volatility based on whether he rises to the expectations of being a true ace or faces further setbacks. For those who have stomached the risk thus far, a Greene superstar campaign could make his early autographed and short printed cards priceless in the long run.
