The 2021 Prizm Baseball card set was highly anticipated by collectors due to baseball cards experiencing skyrocketing popularity and increasing values in recent years. Prizm is one of the flagship brands from Panini America known for its innovative design and popularity among investors. Let’s take a look at some of the most valuable rookie and star player cards from the 2021 Prizm Baseball release that are commanding huge prices in today’s red hot trading card market.
Perhaps the single most coveted card from the 2021 Prizm set is the prizm red refractors parallel of rookie phenom Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani has cemented himself as one of the game’s brightest young stars and greatest two-way talents in recent memory as both a dominant pitcher and powerful slugger for the Los Angeles Angels. His rare dual threat abilities have captured the imagination of fans and driven interest in his rookie cards through the roof. The prizm red parallel is the scarcest printing of Ohtani’s base rookie card, with estimates putting the print run at around 10 copies or less. Several ungraded PSA 10 gem mint examples have fetched bids north of $15,000 on eBay and auction sites like Goldin over the past year, with the record sale being a PSA 10 that sold for $22,500. In PSA 9 near mint-mint condition, red prizm Ohtani rookies have sold for $8,000-$12,000, showing little sign of their value dipping any time soon.
Another massive hitter in the 2021 rookie class was Yankees slugger Anthony Volpe. While he has yet to make his MLB debut, Volpe’s prowess in the minors as one of the top shortstop prospects in baseball has turned his prizm rookies into a hot commodity. His prizm silver prizms parallel checks in as the second rarest printing behind red, with an estimated print run around 1 per case. High-grade PSA 10 examples have brought top bids reaching $6,000, with PSA 9 copies around the $3,000-$4,000 range. Even in a PSA 8 grade which is still gem mint, Volpe’s silver prizm rookies can pull in $1,500-$2,000. With his star continuing to rise as he advances up New York’s loaded farm system, the prizm silvers stand to appreciate significantly if Volpe lives up to the hype at the major league level.
While the biggest prices are commanded by crowning rookie phenoms, stars cards of established MLB superstars in Prizm also hold tremendous value. One of the most iconic MLB players of the last decade is Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Widely regarded as the best all-around player of his generation and a surefire Hall of Famer someday, Trout prizm base cards remain a sought-after collectible for all teams. Among the most valuable Trout cards from the 2021 Prizm set are the prizm refractors and prizm ruby parallels, both numbering around 50 copies or less in a true gem mint PSA 10 grade. Recently, a PSA 10 Trout prizm ruby sold for a staggering $8,000, while PSA 10 prizm refractors have traded hands in the $4,000 range. Even a PSA 9 ruby can pull in $3,000-$4,000 and establish Troot as an investment destined to retain and grow in worth for dedicated PC collectors.
The sheer dominance and star power of unanimous NL MVP Bryce Harper also translates to big card values. While with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, Harper put on an absolute clinic with a monster .309 batting average, 35 home runs and 84 RBIs to lead his team to the World Series. Among the most expensive Harper cards from the set is the prizm ruby parallel, with a PSA 10 condition example crossing the $3,000 mark in recent sales. The standard base prizm refractors in a true gem PSA 10 grade have moved for $1,500-2,000 as well. Harper has sustained superstardom for a decade now and shows no signs of slowing, ensuring his top 2021 prizm parallels hold blue chip status for years ahead.
Of course, no article on valuable 2021 prizm baseball cards would be complete without mention of perhaps the biggest star and record breaker of all – New York Yankee slugger Aaron Judge. After putting up a historically prolific .311/.425/.686 slash line with 62 home runs in 2022 to break the AL single season home run record, Judge prizm cards gained immense additional desirability. Already prized before the season for his superstar caliber play, Judge’s prizm base refractors in a PSA 10 grade were selling in the $750 range last year. But after the 2022 offensive explosion, the same gem mint refractors have more recently commanded $3,000 and up at auction. Even PSA 9 refractors now pull in $1,500. With Judge entering free agency as one of the most coveted players on the market, his prospects for remaining an all-time Yankee great make these prizm rookies and stars a can’t-miss long term addition to any collection.
While the 2021 Prizm Baseball set overall remains reasonably affordable outside of the true superstars and rookies, the cards highlighted here represent some of the safest long term investments available in the current trading card market. Anchored by the set’s biggest young talents like Ohtani, Volpe and top MLB performers such as Trout, Harper and Judge, these select prizm parallels offer a mix of surging rookie values and established icons that can be counted on to retain and build wealth over decades. In today’s high flying card market, none of these prized 2021 prizm cards appear at risk of dropping off substantially any time soon. For discerning collectors, strategically acquiring championship-caliber gems like these prizm hits represents an opportunity to develop a true blue chip portfolio of card investments primed for appreciation.
