Chance Adams Baseball Cards: Tracking the Rise of the Yankees Pitching Prospect
Chance Adams has long been considered one of the top pitching prospects in the loaded New York Yankees farm system. Since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Dallas Baptist University, Adams has steadily climbed the minor league ranks while tantalizing scouts with a mid-90s fastball and sharp curveball. His success on the mound has translated to increased attention from baseball card collectors looking to add the talented right-hander to their collections. Let’s take an in-depth look at Chance Adams’ baseball card history to track his development both on the field and in the collectibles marketplace.
Adams made his cardboard debut in 2016 Topps Series 1, appearing as a rookie card insert in the set. Standing out with his bright red uniform on a sea of blue Yankees cards, the #175 RC card marked Adams’ entrance onto the baseball card scene. At the time, he was pitching for Low-A Charleston and had yet to rise above A-ball. Accordingly, his 2016 Topps rookie remained relatively inexpensive, available for just a few dollars in mint condition.
Adams took a step forward in 2017 by reaching Double-A Trenton, where he posted a stellar 2.89 ERA over 101.1 innings. His success translated to increased exposure and demand for his cards. His flagship 2017 Topps Series 1 base card became a hot ticket among Yankees collectors, routinely fetching $10-15 each. Adams also received prestigious prospect treatment with inserts in 2017 Topps Chrome Update and 2017 Topps Heritage High Number. As one of the organization’s brightest young arms, Adams was generating buzz that drove up interest in his growing collection of cards.
The 2018 season saw Adams make the jump to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he continued honing his craft against advanced competition. His on-field advancement was again reflected in the baseball card market. Adams’ 2018 Topps Series 1 base card maintained strong secondary market prices around $10-12 each. More significantly, collectors began to seek out and acquire his earlier 2016-2017 rookie cards at a brisker pace, sending the values of those seminal issues upwards of $15-20 per copy. It was clear that Adams had arrived among the elite Yankees prospects, as evidenced by robust demand for all of his available cardboard.
Adams received his biggest baseball card exposure yet in 2018 with inclusion in the prestigious Topps Chrome Prospects set. Highlighting 60 of the top minor leaguers, the Prospects parallels gained immediate cachet upon release. Adams’ blue refractor parallel /60 became a true collector’s item, with examples trading hands for $100-150 online. Even his base Topps Chrome Prospects parallel commanded $30-40. Adams had inarguably reached superstar prospect status, with his cards appreciating to match.
The 2019 season saw Adams make his long-awaited MLB debut with the Yankees in July. Though he struggled with a 6.27 ERA over 12.1 innings, simply reaching the majors was a milestone that excited collectors. His 2019 Topps Series 1 base card sold for $15-20, while his 2016-2018 rookie issues jumped to $25-35 each. Adams also appeared for the first time in the prestigious Topps Finest and Topps Chrome Update sets upon his call-up. As a new rookie cup eligible player, interest was high in acquiring his initial “true” rookie cards from 2019.
While Adams spent most of 2020 at the Yankees’ alternate site, he continued gaining traction as a prospect. His cards held steady values in the $15-25 range. In 2021, Adams earned a longer look in the Bronx and showed improved results, with a 4.47 ERA over 51.2 innings. The experience seems to have helped refine his game. Looking ahead to the 2022 season, Adams will vie for a permanent spot in the Yankees’ rotation. If he succeeds, interest and prices for his entire baseball card collection will likely reach new heights. For now, Chance Adams remains one of the most closely watched young hurlers in the game, as collectors and clubs alike await his next steps forward.
In summary, Chance Adams’ baseball cards provide a tangible way to track his rise from raw draft pick to top Yankees pitching prospect to initial MLB action. As his on-field performance has developed incrementally each season in the minors and majors, so too have the values of his growing number of cardboard issues. For dedicated Yankees collectors and prospect hounds, few players’ collections offer as compelling a story as that of Chance Adams’ still-unfolding career. His future success or setbacks on the mound are sure to be reflected in the baseball card market for years to come.
