Gunnar Henderson is a rising star in Major League Baseball who has taken the sport by storm in 2022 with his impressive play for the Baltimore Orioles as a 21-year old rookie. While still early in his career, Henderson has proven to be one of the most exciting young talents in baseball and his rookie cards have become some of the hottest and most sought after on the current trading card market.
Henderson was drafted by the Orioles in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of high school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 200 pounds, Henderson started his professional career in the Gulf Coast League that same year as an 18-year old. He impressed right away by slashing .288/.398/.396 with 11 RBs and 18 runs scored in just 34 games. Henderson’s combination of patience, power potential and defensive versatility made him an intriguing prospect right from the start of his career.
In 2020, Henderson started to play full season ball for the first time with the Delmarva Shorebirds in Single-A. His season was cut short to just 26 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the minor league season that year. He still managed to flash his talents by hitting .282 with 5 doubles, 2 home runs and 10 RBIs in limited action. Though the lost development time of 2020 set Henderson back a bit, he bounced back strong the next year by dominating the Single-A level in 2021.
Playing for Delmarva again in 2021, the then 20-year old Henderson slashed a blistering .318/.437/.496 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs and 76 runs scored over 108 games. He was named a South Atlantic League All-Star and Florida State League Postseason All-Star as he made the jump to High-A for the last month of the season. Henderson continued to show off his advanced hit tool, patience and emerging raw power that was starting to translate in games much better. His breakout 2021 campaign cemented him as one of the top overall prospects in all of baseball heading into 2022.
While Henderson spent much of the 2022 season continuing to develop at Double-A Bowie, he got the call up to the majors in August due to injuries in the Orioles infield. This is where Henderson truly announced his arrival, playing spectacularly upon joining Baltimore’s lineup. In just 33 games, Henderson slashed .288/.392/.505 with 5 home runs and 20 RBIs over 124 plate appearances in his rookie season. He showcased excellent plate discipline, hitting ability from both sides of the plate and the ability to play with Gold Glove caliber defense at both second base and third base.
Henderson’s combination of five-tool potential and immediate impact as a 21-year old rookie has marked him as one of the most exciting young stars in all of baseball. His play in 2022 led to him finishing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting despite playing just over a month’s worth of games in the majors. Baseball executives, scouts and analysts alike are raving about Henderson’s future and see superstardom ahead if he continues progressing. This prospect pedigree and early MLB success have also translated to big demand for Henderson’s rookie cards on the trading card market.
Some of Henderson’s most sought after and valuable cards currently include his 2021 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Auto parallel card, which is numbered to just 99 copies. This rare insert card has sold for around $600 in near mint condition. His standard 2021 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto card also carries significant value at around $200-$300 in top shape due to Henderson’s breakout campaign that year raising his stock. Both of these cards were issued during Henderson’s breakout 2021 minor league season and hold value as his top early release prospect cards.
Of course, Henderson’s true rookie cards issued after his 2022 MLB debut have become the hottest items for collectors. His standard 2022 Topps Series 2 card sells for around $30-40 each, reflecting how accessible and desired a true Henderson rookie is. It’s his parallels and autograph cards where the real scarcity and value lies currently. The prized card is undoubtedly his 2022 Topps Chrome Sapphire Refractor Auto parallel, which is around a 1 in 10,000 odds card. Graded gem mint copies have reached over $2,000 each and raw versions still pull in $800-1,000 based on Henderson’s immense rookie success so far.
Among the other top Henderson rookies are his 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospects auto ($200+), 2022 Bowman Chrome Rainbow Foil Refractor auto (around $300), 2022 Topps Finest Sapphire /10 auto (over $1,000), 2022 Topps Series 2 Green Parallel /99 (#/250), 2022 Allen & Ginter Mini Pink Auto /25 and 2022 Topps Chrome Refractors /99 and /256. All carry significant value befitting one of the sport’s most exciting young sluggers based on early returns. Collectors who invested in Henderson as a prospect and now own his certified rookie cards stand to potentially reap immense long term rewards if he continues panning out.
While still very early in his career, Gunnar Henderson has cemented himself as one of baseball’s brightest young stars and biggest names. His impressive MLB debut added legitimacy to the longtime prospect hype that surrounded him. This success combined with Henderson still being just 21 years old leave loads of room for continued growth and stardom at the game’s highest level. As a result, collectors have taken notice and his cards, especially prized rookie issues, hold immense value already. If Henderson continues ascending, those who invested in his cardboard could have baseball memorabilia treasures on their hands for decades to come. Though risky with any prospect, Henderson’s early returns make him one of the safest young bets in the hobby today.
