The baseball card market continues to heat up as interest in the hobby grows. With prices reaching new highs, many collectors are looking to the future and considering what cards may be solid long-term investments. While there is always risk involved, here are some baseball cards that analysts predict have strong potential to appreciate in value in 2023 and beyond.
Rookie Cards of Emerging Stars: Many of the biggest risers in the hobby in recent years have been the rookie cards of players who went on to stardom in their early careers. Names like Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. immediately come to mind. Looking ahead to 2023, cards of emerging young talents like Wander Franco, Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. could be primed for gains if those players continue on an upward trajectory. Franco in particular has already shown he may be a true superstar in the making.
Historic Rookie Cards: While they come with a much higher price tag, some of the most coveted and valuable baseball cards ever made are the true vintage rookie cards from the 1950s and 1960s. Cards like the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, 1957 Topps Willie Mays, and 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan are icons of the hobby that are only going to become more and more scarce over time as fewer high-grade examples remain. Even a small rise in a card’s population can cause a big spike in value for the elite examples that survive. These ultra-premium rookie cards should hold and increase their luster for serious long-term collectors.
Modern Stars’ Early Issues: For collectors looking to invest in the current generation of stars but not quite break the bank like the vintage rookies, consider chasing some of the early flagship (Topps, Bowman, etc.) issues of modern greats before they reached their prime. Examples include Mike Trout’s 2009 Topps rookie and 2011 Topps Update RC, Christian Yelich’s 2012 Bowman Chrome RC, and Cody Bellinger’s 2016 Topps Series 1 RC. If those players stay near the top of the game into their 30s, the values of their earliest accessible issues could multiply substantially from today’s prices.
Autograph Cards of Franchise Players: In the autograph market, cards signed by the faces of MLB franchises tend to hold steady value and appreciate over the long haul. Examples include cards signed by Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout and others who spent their entire careers with one team and attained iconic status there. As long as the player remains popular after retirement, their autograph cards from their playing days should be a fairly safe collectible to own long-term.
Stars of the Past Decade: While they may not carry the same long-term potential as true vintage cards, the rookie cards and early issues of superstars who dominated from the late 2000s through today still have room to rise in value as they move further into retirement. Think cards of players like Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria, Buster Posey, Andrew McCutchen, Paul Goldschmidt and others who were the faces of their franchises for near their entire careers in recent memory. As long as they are remembered fondly, their early collectibles could see steady gains.
Top Prospects: Investing in the top-rated amateur prospects before they ever play a game in the majors carries huge risk but also big reward potential if the player pans out. The best example in recent years is cards of Wander Franco from 2018-2019, which absolutely exploded in value in 2021 after his stellar MLB debut. Looking ahead, cards to watch could include Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday and some of the elite international prospects in the 2023 class like Victor Victor Mesa if they sign. Due diligence is a must, but a big prospect hit could pay off immensely.
Parallels and Serial Numbered Cards: For collectors who enjoy the chase of limited print runs, cards that are serially numbered to specific amounts or inserted as parallels in sets have historically held their premiums well long-term. Examples include Topps Chrome refractors, Bowman Chrome colored parallels, Topps Finest autographs and more. As long as the player featured gains stardom, these scarcer versions can really take off in value compared to the base issues. They may require a bigger initial investment but offer high upside.
While past performance is no guarantee of future results, focusing investment dollars on the rookie cards and early issues of young stars, proven franchise icons, and the scarcest parallel versions of their cards seems to be a strategy that weathered collectors have found success with. Due diligence on any individual player is crucial. But for those willing to adopt more of a long-term outlook, the baseball card market continues to reward patience.
