The Major League Baseball season is underway, and as always, that means new rookie players are making their debuts and attempting to carve out careers in The Show. With every newly drafted or signed prospect comes the potential for their rookie baseball cards to take off in value. Some rookies will struggle and fade into obscurity, but history tells us a select few are poised to become stars and in turn, possess rookie cards that escalate rapidly in the marketplace. Let’s take a look at some of the hottest rookie cards on investors’ radars right now based on a player’s talent and hype.
Starting in 2021, the card that already saw a meteoric price rise shortly after its release is Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Topps Chrome Refractor rookie from 2019. While Vladdy endured an up-and-down debut MLB season in 2019, he proved in 2021 he is a true superstar in the making by winning the AL batting title with a robust .311 average to go along with 48 home runs. With his 5-tool talent now fully tapped into, his rookie cards have followed suit value-wise. Near-mint PSA 10 copies of his Topps Chrome Refractor were recently selling for over $3,000, a massive surge from just a year ago when they traded hands in the $300 range. All of Guerrero’s rookies from 2019 Bowman, Topps, etc. have rocketed along with this surge.
Another player who had a breakout 2021 campaign and gave investors a massive return on their rookie card purchases is Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. After an injury plagued 2020, Ohtani reminded the world in 2021 just how special and truly unique a player he is by dominating at the plate with 46 homers and on the mound with a sub-3 ERA over 130 innings pitched. His 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autograph RC has led the charge, skyrocketing from just under $1,000 last year to a recent comp of a PSA 10 selling for a staggering $12,000. All of Shohei’s 2018 Chrome, Bowman, Topps, and Topps Chrome rookies have followed suit and multiplied in value many times over as well.
Moving to prospects expected to make their MLB debuts in 2022, the biggest excitement and hype surrounds 2020 first overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers. Torkelson wasted no time in the minor leagues by hitting his way through every level and even earning a promotion to AAA last season as a 21-year old. With his left-handed power bat and pedigree, he is expected to lead off for the Tigers on opening day in 2022. Investors have flocked to acquire his 2020 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto Refractor RC in anticipation, driving prices on a PSA 10 gem as high as $750 currently. As with Ohtani and Guerrero, maintaining that production in the bigs could see Torkelson’s already valuable rookie card stock skyrocket even further.
Another top hitting prospect to keep a close eye on and accrue their rookies of is Marlins first baseman/outfielder JJ Bleday, the 4th overall pick in 2019 out of Vanderbilt University. Bleday slugged his way through the minors in 2021 to earn a late season call up and showed off his advanced hit tool paired with flashy defense in Miami. His 2019 Bowman Chrome Auto Refractor PSA 10 has nearly doubled from a year ago to a recent average of $400. With Bleday likely to stake his claim to everyday at-bats in the Marlins outfield or at first base this season, his cards could explode if he flashes the star potential many forecast.
On the pitching side, the two hurlers who have collectors and investors the most energized about their rookie cards are Tigers flamethrower Matt Manning and Mariners upstart Logan Gilbert. Manning, Detroit’s 1st round pick in 2016, missed time with injuries but proved he belonged when making his debut in 2021 with a mid-3 ERA over 6 starts. At just 23 years old standing 6’6 with a electric fastball, he looks primed for a rotation role in 2022. His 2017 Bowman Chrome Auto Refractor currently sells for around $300 in a PSA 10 case, a nice flip from a $100 price tag a year ago. Gilbert, the 14th overall pick in 2018 by Seattle, was impressive over 29 starts in 2021 with a 7-5 record and 4.68 ERA while missing bats. As he continues developing, the 24-year old is projected to be the Mariners ace going forward. His 2018 Bowman Chrome Auto Refractor also fetches close to $300 in Gem Mint condition compared to under $200 in early 2021. If Manning and Gilbert cement themselves as frontline starters this coming season, their rookie cards could be primed for a boost to $500-1000 range apiece by year’s end.
Any time there are burgeoning young superstars arising in Major League Baseball like Guerrero Jr., Ohtani, and ultimately Mike Trout before them, their rare rookie cards allow avid collectors and investors an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. This upcoming season, names like Torkelson, Bleday, Manning, and Gilbert might just emerge as the next wave of impact talents that could carry their inaugural baseball cards to unprecedented heights. Doing the research on prospects, monitoring minor league stats, and getting in early on rookie cards before they explode appears to remain a lucrative strategy for building a portfolio of future valuable pieces within the constantly evolving sports memorabilia market. The potential for monumental long term returns will keep prospects and their elusive first season cards one of the most compelling speculative frontiers for years to come.
