Aaron Judge has become one of the most iconic players in Major League Baseball today. The 6-foot-7 outfielder for the New York Yankees has terrorized pitchers with his towering home runs and provided some of the most memorable moments in recent MLB history. With his breakout 2017 season and continued dominance, Judge has also become one of the hottest commodities in the baseball card collecting hobby. Here is an in-depth look at some of Aaron Judge’s most notable and valuable Topps baseball cards from his young but already impressive career.
2017 Topps Aaron Judge Rookie Card: Considered one of the finest rookie cards ever produced by Topps, the 2017 Topps Aaron Judge rookie is hugely popular with collectors. In 2017, Judge blasted 52 home runs to break the rookie record, winning the American League Rookie of the Year award and finishing second in AL MVP voting in the process. With such a monster rookie campaign, demand for his first Topps card skyrocketed. The base version can be found for $10-15 in gem mint condition, but low serial number parallels and autographed or memorabilia versions fetch thousands. The Topps Chrome Aaron Judge rookie refractor Parallel /99 sells for well over $1000. Needless to say, the 2017 Topps Aaron Judge rookie will be a classic for decades and is a must-have for any serious baseball card collection.
2018 Topps Aaron Judge Update Series Home Run Challenge Card: Topps paid tribute to Judge’s historic 2017 season with this special insert card from the 2018 Update Series. The “Home Run Challenge” card features an action photo of Judge with his season total of 52 home runs prominently displayed behind him. Only /99 copies of this parallel were produced, making it an extremely scarce and desirable issue. In top grades, raw examples can sell for $500-800, showing just how coveted any rare Judge parallel from Topps flagship sets have become. This is undoubtedly one of the coolest Judge “hits” collectors seek out from modern Topps products.
2018 Topps Allen & Ginter Aaron Judge Mini Card: For the very first time in 2018, Topps included miniature “Mini Cards” featuring today’s MLB stars in their annual Allen & Ginter set. Measuring only about 1.5 inches tall, the mini cards quickly became a fan favorite subset. The Aaron Judge mini is particularly collectible since it was during his breakout 2017 campaign that cemented his superstardom. Pristine mint examples will set you back $40-60, emphasizing how inserts and parallels from even the Allen & Ginter set gain value when featuring Aaron Judge.
2017 Topps Chrome Aaron Judge Refractor Parallel /50: For collectors seeking the ultimate rarity, Topps Chrome inserts provide some of the most exclusive numbered parallels around. Pulled from just one pack per box on average, the Chrome refractor parallelsnumber to astonishingly low print runs. The /50 green refractor parallel from Judge’s true rookie season is among the most important modern parallels in existence. In gem mint condition, CGC-graded examples have sold at auction for over $5,000, a true trophy card that few ultra-high-end collections will be without. Finding even a low-grade example of this elusive parallel would be a massive prize pull.
2019 Topps Designs Aaron Judge Mini Bat Card: Topps found another fun way to include Judge in their 2019 flagship set through an innovative mini relic subset. The “Designs” insert featured swatches of game-used bats, jerseys or other memorabilia. Judge’s mini bat card carried a prestigious piece of lumber used during the slugger’s 2018 All-Star campaign. Despite some condition issues being inherent to these types of inserts, high-grade examples still fetch $150-250 due to their creative concept. Any Topps product that integrates unique Aaron Judge game-used pieces is sure to stir collector interest.
2020 Topps Chrome X-fractor Aaron Judge Parallel /25: While Aaron Judge was limited to just 28 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season due to injury, Topps still showed him love with scarce parallels. Perhaps the most elusive was the /25 purple X-fractor variation from Topps Chrome. Like the iconic /50 from years before, these parallel to microscopic print runs. Despite the on-field setback, exemplary mints of this /25 parallel still brought $2000-3000 at auction. No parallel underscores Judge’s star power and collecting popularity more than his finest Topps Chrome RCs.
2021 Topps Gypsy Queen Aaron Judge Mini Silk Baseball Jersey Relic /99: In 2021, Topps Gypsy Queen paid homage to the vintage design aesthetic while debuting innovative memorabilia cards. The mini silk jersey swatch parallel featuring Judge became hugely sought after by both Yankees and Jersey collectors. Numbered to just 99 copies, clean examples command $300-400 on the secondary market. It’s clear Topps will continue experimenting with new kinds of authentic game-used Aaron Judge relics that spark frenzied bidding from adherents.
In summary, Aaron Judge has cemented himself not just as a true superstar on the baseball diamond but also in the hobby of sports card collecting. Every Topps product featuring Judge, from flagships to Allen & Ginter to Chrome, spawns collector demand for his cards. Rare parallel versions or those integrated with authentic memorabilia take on tremendous added value. The 2017 Topps rookie remains the most important modern baseball card, but Judge’s entire collection of Topps issues over the years makes for an enviable full set for any Yankee or baseball fan. As his career progresses, only more historic and valuable Topps cards are sure to be produced commemorating Aaron Judge’s outstanding MLB tenure.
