Ramon Urias Baseball Cards: A Look at One of Baseball’s Rising Stars
Ramon Antonio Urias is a 26-year-old infielder for the Baltimore Orioles who has quickly emerged as one of baseball’s most promising young talents. While still relatively new to Major League Baseball, Urias has already shown eye-catching skills at the plate and outstanding defense that has analysts excited about his future. As a result, Ramon Urias baseball cards have become hot commodities for collectors looking to invest in a player poised for stardom. Let’s take a deeper look at Urias’ career so far and analyze the value and potential of his growing collection of baseball cards.
Urias was signed by the San Diego Padres as an international free agent out of Mexico in 2012. He spent several years developing in the Padres’ farm system, showing impressive patience and contact skills at every minor league stop. In 2019, Urias finally got his first extended look in the big leagues, batting .223 in 53 games for San Diego. While he struggled to find his footing initially, Urias displayed the type of advanced approach and defensive versatility that had made him a top prospect.
Heading into 2020, Urias looked primed for a larger role with the rebuilding Padres. He was traded that offseason to the Baltimore Orioles along with Taylor Trammell in the three-team deal that sent Tommy Pham to San Diego. Since joining the Orioles, Urias has taken his game to new heights. In 2021, he slashed .2796/.336/.422 in 65 games, establishing himself as Baltimore’s everyday third baseman down the stretch. Urias continued building on that success in 2022, batting .249 with 7 home runs and career-highs in runs (51) and RBI (40) through 108 games.
While Urias’ offensive stats may not jump off the page, advanced metrics tell a different story. He owns a career .351 on-base percentage due in large part to an extraordinary 123-39 K:BB ratio over his first 251 MLB plate appearances. Urias also makes outstanding contact, routinely ranking within the top 5% of the league in both hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Defensively, he has proven versatile enough to play anywhere on the infield while maintaining Gold Glove caliber skills wherever he lines up.
Perhaps most impressive is Urias’ incredible baseball IQ and awareness in high-leverage situations. Already a star during clutch moments, he boasts an .895 OPS with runners in scoring position throughout his career. Urias consistently comes through when his team needs it most, a trait that cannot be overlooked when evaluating future stardom. At just 26 years old and still improving rapidly, Urias’ all-around abilities have positioned him as a franchise cornerstone for the rebuilding Orioles.
Given Urias’ breakout 2021 campaign and continued growth in 2022, it should come as no surprise that his burgeoning fan collection has taken off. Let’s examine some of his most notable baseball cards and analyze their current values:
2021 Topps Opening Day Green Shimmer Refractor #133 – Urias’ rookie card exploded in popularity last year after his debut. This rare parallel prints between 1/100-1/250 packs and regularly sells for $300-500 graded Mint 9 or higher.
2022 Topps Base #212 – As his standard rookie issue, this affordable $10-20 raw card remains one of Urias’ most obtainable for collectors. Prospective grades of Gem Mint 10 could see value zoom to $100+ within a few years.
2022 Topps All-Star #176 – Foil parallels like Gold /2021 are hot at $50-75 due to Urias’ breakout ’22 campaign validating his talent. An auto would easily crack $1000 given his rising star power.
2022 Topps Chrome Refractor Auto Patch #137 – Urias’ prized rookie auto patch pulled rare 1/1. Last sighting was a $2500+ online auction, but such a one-of-a-kind card could net five figures from serious Orioles PC collectors.
2020 Topps Chrome Prospects #P2 – As Urias’ first flagship prospect issue before joining Baltimore, this holds extra significance. Higher grades command $150-250 based on optimism for further success.
2022 Bowman Draft Purple Refractor Auto /150 – Purple parallels of Urias’ earliest Bowman paper as a prospect hover $400-600 and could 2-3x within next 5 years if he becomes an All-Star.
At only 26 with his best years ahead, Urias’ cards remain relatively affordable for most collectors compared to established stars. Savvy investors see the long-term upside if he continues refining his all-around talents in Charm City. With solid play likely to garner Urias larger national recognition, his cardboard could exponentially rise in the years to come. For patient collectors betting on Urias to fulfill his promise as a franchise cornerstone, now is the time to accrue his rookie issues and colorful parallels at reasonable prices before he potentially breaks out as a household name. Few current players offer as much hope and two-way potential as Ramon Urias, making his growing collection of baseball cards ones to watch in the years ahead.