One of the most valuable 2020 rookie cards is that of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. Betts was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Dodgers in 2020 after winning the 2018 American League MVP award and helping lead Boston to a World Series title. The hype surrounding one of the game’s best all-around players joining a perennial contender like Los Angeles drove interest and demand for Betts’ rookie cards. His flagship Topps Chrome rookie refractor autograph card is one of the most sought-after cards from 2020 and can sell for thousands of dollars. Other Betts rookies, like his Topps Project 70 card featuring meticulously crafted artwork, garner big prices on the collector market as well.
Another coveted rookie is San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr, who burst onto the scene in 2019 and established himself as one of baseball’s brightest young stars. Especially sought after are Tatis’ Topps Chrome and Bowman Chrome autograph rookie cards from 2019, his first eligible year. With his elite talent, charisma, and status as the face of baseball in San Diego, Tatis’ cards hold significant value and collector interest. His autograph cards typically sell in the four-figure range. Top rookies from the 2020 MLB draft like Austin Martin and Spencer Torkelson also have cards that increase in value as they debut and perform in the pros.
Among veteran players, cards of Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout remain immensely popular and hold steady high values. The reigning three-time American League MVP has been considered by many as the best baseball player of his generation. Trout’s Topps rookie cards from 2009 are exceptionally rare and can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Even his recent flagship rookie cards still command prices well above $100 due to his status as a perennial superstar and the collecting demand. Other elite veterans whose modern issues retain and increase in cost include Clayton Kershaw, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, Jacob deGrom and likely Hall of Famers including Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre and Chipper Jones among their final season and rookie year cards.
Unique parallel and autograph cards from these stars are often the most costly. For example, Trout’s Topps Chrome refractors and prismsparallel cards sell in the thousands. His Topps Chrome autograph cards and particularly serially numbered versions are incredibly valuable, routinely hitting five-figures or higher at auction. The same premium collecting interest extends to 1/1 parallel cards, which feature singular serial numbers making each card one-of-a-kind. These rare parallel hits could include color swatches, autographed memorabilia cards, special foil patterns, and more. Cognizant collectors pursue them vigorously, knowing such scarce parallels represent the pinnacle premium versions for desired players and are prized possessions in collections.
Rookie cards of ascending young talent that breaks out during their first season also see price bumps. Players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Pete Alonso, Lucas Giolito, Jack Flaherty, Juan Soto and others experienced spikes in demand and cost for their cards during and after superb 2019 campaigns. Soto’s Topps products became much more widely purchased, including his readily identifiable smiling “National Treasure” card from 2020 Topps Series 2. While rising stars have volatile values depending on future career arcs and sustained production, their initial season cards in which they announce their arrival tend to be some of the most important and monetarily valued in collector portfolios.
Special edition releases and parallel sets tailored to the high-end also make certain 2020 cards enormously expensive. Topps’ ongoing ‘Allen & Ginter’ series regularly features novel designs and unparalleled autographed memorabilia cards. One such card may include swatches of the actual jersey from a walk-off game-winning home run. These exclusive pieces are truly one-of-a-kind and elicit immense bidding wars as a result of their uniqueness and direct connection to historical MLB moments. Luxury sets like Topps Chrome HTA, which utilizes cutting-edge ‘hyper steel technology’ to create virtually flawless visuals on cards, contain cards of generational talents Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr. numbered to an ultra-limited quantities, often just 10 copies each. Such rarity combined with the inclusion of elite stars all but guarantees individual cards from high-focused sets like those sell for prices over $10,000, sometimes much higher depending on the player and exact parallel.
With all that in mind, the 2020 season in particular produced many cards that hold robust value and collector demand. Prices fluctuate constantly and are influenced heavily by circumstances like player performance and injury status as well as the economic landscape. While this overview examined many cards with sustained value connections, the overall collectibles market remains volatile. Consistent monitoring is required for those either maintaining investments or seeking to enter the rewarding, yet unpredictable, hobby of baseball card collecting.
