At long last, MLB opening day is here!
It’s been a frustrating road, given all the tumultuous labor negotiations, but all of that is finally behind us.
Today and tomorrow, all across America, Major League Baseball games will be played for first time since the Atlanta Braves captured their 4th World Series Championship back in November.
With baseball starting back up, and with the baseball card hobby in full swing as well, here’s a look at three modern cards to watch closely this season.
2017 Bowman Chrome #56 Aaron Judge Batting
The New York Yankees had a disappointing season in 2021 to say the least. Despite a heavy hitting lineup, and despite some serious star power acquired at the trade deadline, the Yankees lost the Wild Card playoff game to their rival, the Boston Red Sox.
Any season that doesn’t end in a championship for the Yankees feels like a disappointment for their fans, but to not even win one playoff game? And to lose to the Red Sox, no less? That’s true despair.
Inconsistent pitching, poor defense, and untimely hitting were all root causes of the Yankees’ Wild Card exit last Fall.
But one player on the Yankees that did not struggle was Aaron Judge.
Judge put up 39 home runs for New York, a stat which ranked 6th in the majors. His .916 OPS was slightly down from his career average (.940) but his 6.0 WAR was his highest since his breakout season in 2017.
Speaking of 2017, Judge’s rookie card is from that year’s Topps Chrome set. Recent values are holding steady at around $70-80 for a PSA 10 copy. Considering that Judge could seriously contend for this year’s home run title, and maybe even AL MVP, that price seems like a bargain.
Keep your eye on Judge’s 2017 Topps Chrome as well as his other rookie and prospect cards here:
- 2017 Bowman Chrome #56 Aaron Judge Batting PSA 10
- 2017 Bowman Chrome #287 Aaron Judge Catching PSA 9
- 2017 Topps Update #US166 Aaron Judge Throwing Gold /2017 PSA 10
- 2014 Bowman Draft Chrome Aaron Judge #CTP39 PSA 10
2018 Topps Chrome Ronald Acuna #193
Ronald Acuna had a bittersweet season for the Atlanta Braves. After suffering a season ending injury in mid-July, his team rallied and won the World Series over the Houston Astros in November.
Despite the win, this must have been difficult for Acuna to watch, with him not being able to contribute to the victory. Acuna contributed greatly in the first half of the season, putting up 24 home runs and a .990 OPS in 82 games, but he didn’t play a single game after July 10th. He could only watch and root them on from the sideline.
No matter what, earning a World Series ring at 24 years old is an accomplishment. But you have to imagine Acuna will be out to prove that he can win another one this year.
Prices on Acuna rookie and prospect cards have come down considerably since hitting a peak early last year. One such card is his 2018 Topps Chrome rookie #193.
In April 2021, a PSA 10 copy of Acuna’s 2018 Topps Chrome was selling for north of $350. But in the last 30 days, that average sale has dropped to around $150.
With Acuna poised to return to action sometime in May, and with the Braves poised to make another run at a championship, that card has a chance to climb back up close to where it peaked last year.
GMC has an Xfractor version of the card up for sale at a fixed price.
2020 Bowman Draft Spencer Torkelson #BD121
Who doesn’t love baseball prospect hunting?
The chase to find a hidden elite player, the allure of that next super star lurking in a stack of rookie and prospect cards. Though it can take years for the hunt to finally pay off, when it does, the reward can be very satisfying.
Well, here’s one prospect that you won’t have to wait very long to see: Spencer Torkelson.
It’s been a true rebuild over the last several years in Detroit. The Tigers have been amassing a wealth of baseball prospects in their minors through the draft and trades. Draft pick upon draft pick has been spent collecting potential talent to transform the Tigers into a competitive team again.
One of those is Spencer Torkelson, a hard hitting third baseman, whom the Tigers drafted first overall in 2020.
A top prospect out of Arizona State, Torkelson quickly showed his talent in the minor leagues. He hit 30 home runs and put up a .930 OPS in one season of minor league ball in 2021, which was all the Detroit Tigers needed to see. This week they announced that Torkelson will make the opening day roster and play at third base.
Torkelson’s prospect card from 2020 Bowman Draft has recently seen an uptick in value. PSA 10 copies were selling for around $50-60 over the winter, but have already climbed to around the $100 mark.
Definitely keep your eye on this 2020 Bowman Draft Spencer Torkelson, as it seems to be rising fast.