Anthony Volpe is one of the top prospects in the New York Yankees organization and his baseball cards have been highly sought after by collectors in recent years. The 21-year old shortstop was selected by the Yankees with the 30th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Delbarton School in New Jersey. Volpe made his professional debut that same year and has quickly risen up prospect rankings with his impressive play and potential. Let’s take a deeper look at Anthony Volpe’s baseball cards and examine what collectors should know.
Volpe made his professional debut in 2019 after being drafted and his first baseball cards began appearing in sets that same year. One of the first widely available cards of Volpe was in 2019 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects. This set is released annually and features the freshly drafted players and highest regarded prospects. Volpe’s card in this set carries a moderate value today in the $10-15 range. Another early Volpe card came in 2019 Topps High Tek. This set had a short print run and higher end production values which makes Volpe’s rookie card in it a bit more valuable to collectors, trading typically between $20-30.
In 2020, Volpe’s prospect stock continued rising and his cards saw increased demand. His base rookie card in 2020 Bowman Draft is still among one of the more affordable options for collectors to add, valued around $5-10. Topps Chrome also featured Volpe that year and his refractor parallel versions of that card hold additional appeal. Perhaps the biggest card from 2020 was Volpe’s autograph card in Topps Chrome Update. As an on-card autograph of a top Yankees prospect, PSA 10 gem mint examples of this rare hit regularly sell for $200-300. Autograph cards remain some of the most sought after pieces in any player’s collection.
The 2021 season saw Volpe’s true breakout on the field as he dominated High-A and Double-A pitching. This success translated to surging values of his cards on the secondary market. Base rookies from 2021 Bowman and Topps Series 1 can be found in the $15-25 range. Parallels and short prints carry higher premiums. But one of the real standouts from ’21 was Volpe’s Topps Chrome Update autograph. With his increased prospect status and performance, PSA 10 examples of this coveted hit card now sell for $500-800. Volpe also received nice prospect coverage in high end sets like Topps Finest and Bowman Sterling, with autographed and memorabilia cards reaching well into the thousands.
Heading into 2022, Volpe looks primed to start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he pushes for a future big league call up. His sustained success and proximity to the Majors makes his modern rookie cards the most invested in by collectors today. Base rookies from 2022 Topps Series 1, Bowman, Chrome, and Heritage are steady bets around $20-30 per card. Short prints, parallels, and autographed variations carry premiums above that baseline. But one of the most anticipated Volpe releases is sure to be 2022 Topps Chrome Update, due out in August/September. If Volpe keeps developing as hoped, his on-card autograph from that set could rival or surpass the value of his 2021 Update auto.
Long term, if Volpe is able to cement himself as the Yankees shortstop of the future, his rookie cards stand to appreciate substantially. Legendary Yankees like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and others have cards valued well into the thousands due to sustained success at the game’s highest level. Getting in early on top prospects like Volpe allows collectors to acquire seminal rookie cards at reasonable prices before potential stardom drives values up exponentially. Condition and serial number will also play a major role, with PSA/BGS 10 Gem Mint examples typically commanding the strongest premiums. Overall, Anthony Volpe’s cards provide an exciting investment opportunity for collectors tracking one of baseball’s brightest young talents.
In summary, Anthony Volpe has quickly emerged as a must-own prospect for collectors since being drafted in 2019. His early release cards remain affordable while modern rookies have seen rising values. Autograph cards stand out as key chase pieces, especially if Volpe’s on-field development continues apace. With his future potential in pinstripes and the card market’s history of rewarding Yankee greats, Volpe’s rookie collection looks primed to appreciate substantially should he deliver on expectations at the game’s highest level. For collectors, adding quality Volpe cards now allows acquiring his seminal rookies before increased prospect status and performance drive values up in the years ahead.