Wander Franco is widely considered the top prospect in all of baseball and one of the most highly anticipated young stars to make his major league debut in years. As such, Franco’s baseball cards have generated immense interest from collectors even before his first MLB at-bat. Franco signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2017 out of the Dominican Republic. Since then, his baseball cards have soared in value and interest as Franco has obliterated expectations and records at every minor league level.
Some of Franco’s earliest and most sought after cards come from his days in the Rays farm system before his MLB debut in 2021. Franco’s 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto Refractor card, from his first full season of pro ball at age 17, has become one of the key early Wander Franco cards for collectors. With its on-card autograph and Franco’s extreme hype at the time as one of baseball’s best international prospects, PSA 10 gem mint examples of this card now sell for upwards of $1,000. Another notable early Franco card is his 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto card from his breakout season split between Low-A and High-A ball. Continuing to showcase his explosive talent at just 18-19 years old, this autograph card also reaches over $1,000 PSA 10.
Franco’s true astronomical rise amongst collectors came during his dominant 2020 season, where he torched pitching at both Double-A and Triple-A as a 19 year old. This season is best chronicled through cards from GQ, Bowman Chrome, Bowman Sapphire, and Topps Chrome. The most valuable of these is generally considered to be Franco’s 2020 Topps Chrome Yellow Refractor Auto Parallel card, limited to just 10 copies. High grades of this ultra-rare card have sold for over $20,000, well before Franco’s MLB debut. Other top 2020 Franco cards seeing 4-figure prices include his Bowman Chrome Sapphire Auto, Bowman Chrome Refractor Auto, and GQ Rated Rookie Auto, the latter of which features one of Franco’s iconic smiling on-card photos.
While demand was sky high for Franco cards pre-debut, his first ever MLB cards from 2021 took collecting fervor to a whole new level. Franco’s MLB debut was on June 22nd, 2021 against the Boston Red Sox. Within days, Franco mania was in full effect as collectors scrambled to obtain any and all cards featuring his first Major League Uniform. Top hits from these initial Franco MLB card releases include his 2021 Topps Chrome Red Refractor Auto parallel, limited to /25 copies, andBowman Chrome Sapphire Auto Refractor, limited to /10. Sales data shows PSA 10 gems of the Topps Chrome parallel routinely sell for $5,000-10,000, while the ultra-rare Bowman Sapphire has reached astronomical prices upwards of $30,000. Franco’s base rookie cards from Topps Series 1 and Heritage also saw immense immediate popularity, with PSA 10 examples of each card reaching $500-1,000 soon after release.
As Franco’s sensational rookie season continued, he became just the third player ever to hit safely in his first 16 games, joining legendary company in Shoeless Joe Jackson and Wade Boggs. He finished 2021 hitting .288 with a .345 OBP over 70 games, showcasing his advanced plate approach against MLB pitching at age 20. This on-field dominance further fueled interest in his 2021 Topps Update rookie card and Chrome Update rookie parallel cards, which had newly updated photos in a Rays uniform. PSA 10 red refractor parallels of the Update Chrome card have since sold for $7,500-15,000 as one of Franco’s rarest rookie variations. His classic ‘Update’ paper rookie has also risen to over $400 PSA 10 through 2022 as one of the premier Wander Franco rookie options alongside his flagship Topps and Heritage cards.
As Franco transitions fully to 2022, collectors are eager to see what new achievements and accolades may bring to the value of his sophomore season cards. One of the first major releases was Franco’s 2022 Topps Series 1 card, which has already become a hot ticket for rookie card collectors at ~$150 PSA 10. His flagship Topps Chrome rookie autos from 2021 also remain some of the most in-demand Franco cards long-term, as graded 10 examples have steadily climbed towards $2,000-3,000 a card. With Franco sure to be among the favorites for AL Rookie of the Year honors after his stellar 2021, collectors anticipate any special parallel inserts or award winners from sets like Topps Chrome and Bowman to exponentially rise in price. Only time will tell how high the cards of this budding superstar may climb as his career potentially hits unprecedented heights. Regardless, Wander Franco’s meteoric rise to being one of baseball’s brightest young talents is perfectly documented through his astonishing collecting journey thus far.
In just a few short years, Wander Franco has emerged as one of the most coveted players in modern baseball collecting. His acclaimed minor league career bursting onto the scene in 2018 generated considerable hype, but Franco fully lived up to and exceeded all expectations during his electric rookie season in 2021 at age 20. Despite his young age, Franco’s accomplishments and talent have translated to already being one the game’s most complete hitters. With limitless superstar potential ahead of him, the cards of Wander Franco will surely remain some of the most sought after investments in the hobby for years to come. For armchair collectors and investors alike, staying up to date on the rapidly evolving prices and demand for Franco’s unprecedented rookie output has become a hobby all its own.
