Baseball Cards: The 2023 MLB Rookie of the Year frontrunners and their must-have cards

Baseball Cards: 2023 MLB Rookie of the Year frontrunners and their must-have cards

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Gunnar Henderson Beauty Associated Press Photo/Jess Rapfogel The start of the new MLB season means that a crop of rookies will start collecting baseball cards. Last year, players like Julio Rodríguez, Bobby Witt Jr., Jeremy Peña, Michael Harris II and Adley Rutschman From prospect to performer, they’re all hot commodities in the hobby. So, who’s next? First, a tribute to Andrew Painter (PHI), Hunter Brown (HOU), Grayson Rodriguez (BAL) and others at The big leagues pay homage to big-name pitchers on the cusp, but the amateur market has always given the vast majority of its attention to position players. It’s also worth noting that you won’t find Kodai Senga (NYM) imported from Japan or on this list Masataka Yoshida (BOS), as their first card is not yet available, except for some international releases. That leaves us with 10 position players who are on the rise and have the potential to be future stars. The first Bowman card—specifically his first Bowman Chrome autograph—has become The most sought after early cards by most players. It usually represents the first card they’ve ever released, usually a few years before their rookie card. As such, most of the prices quoted in this article will reflect the first generation Bowman Chrome Autograph.

C Franciso Álvarez, New York Mets

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Elsa /Getty Images

First Archer: 2020 Bowman Chrome Outlook

Special Buy: 2020 Topps Pro Debut Franciso Álvarez is expected to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse while he continues to work on the defensive end of the game while Omar Narváez and Tomás Nido take care of New York in the interim The Mets’ catch assignment. That doesn’t mean he still can’t win Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old power hitter is .260/.374/.511 in 112 games .260/.374/.511 homers and 78 RBIs. He has a legitimate 30-homer advantage in his next game vel. His first Bowman Chrome autograph in PSA 10 condition is selling for $350-$400 this offseason, once he makes his MLB debut, this Numbers can climb quickly.

Corbin Carroll from Arizona Diamondbacks

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AP Photo/Matt York

First Archer:
2019 Bowman Chrome Draft

special purchase:

2020 Topps Pro debut August 29 last year D-backs have seen enough from Corbin Carroll since his MLB debut that even before he exhausted his rookie status, the front office was discussing a potential long-term extension. The 2019 first-round pick posted 133 OPS+, 15 RPGs in his first MLB action With extra hits and 1.2 WAR, he’s projected to break camp as the starting left fielder and potential starting hitter in 2023. His power up in the minors came to a very hitter-friendly environment, so How many home runs he can hit remains to be seen, but he’s been considered one of the best pure hitters in the minors. PSA 10 copies of his first Bowman Chrome car were last sold on March 1st, Priced at $435, the strong start could make him the hottest name on the market to start the season.

1B Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox

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Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images First Archer:

2018 Bowman Chrome Draft

special purchase:
2023 Topps

Triston Casas is finally in the MBA after playing . The league debuts with a September call-up.

The 23-year-old is shooting just .197 in 95 games, but he has Base skills (.358 OBP, 19 BB, 20.0 BB%) and excellent production (.211 ISO, 5 HR), still posting 113 OPS+. He should start camp as a daily first baseman as one of the frontrunners for AL Rookie of the Year, even There was talk of possibly starting him. His first Bowman Chrome car sold for $250 in PSA 10 condition despite Red Sox players often face an uphill battle to establish value as New York’s large collection base ignores Boston players.

Oscar Colas, Chicago White Sox

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Norm Hall/Getty Images

First Archer: 2022 Bowman Chrome Foreground Special Purchase:
2022 Topps Pro Debut Oscar Colas will win Chicago White Sox starting rights ? 24-year-old finished with 24 doubles, 23 in 117 games in the upper minors last year Hitting .314/.371/.524 with home runs and 79 RBIs, manager Pedro Grifor made it clear he would have a chance to start with Gavin Sheets. White Sox give Colas $2.7M bonus during 2022 international signing as 2022 Bowman One of the headlines was the release of Chrome Prospects. That said, his first card is actually in his 2019 BBM series in Japan Emerging Softbank Hawks spent part of three seasons as a developmental player while also playing professionally in Cuba. His first Bowman Chrome auto was inserted into the pack as a redemption, so relative to this Some of the others on the list, the options available in the secondary market are still a bit thin. A pair of ungraded copies sold on March 1 for $118.50 and $119.

SS/3B Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles

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AP Photo/Galburton

First Archer:

2019 Bowman Chrome Draft

special purchase:
2023 Topps

Gunnar Henderson hit . 297/. The season after the wild card contender.

The 21-year-old continues to impress in the majors with 34 games 123 OPS+ in .259/.348/.440 with 12 extra-base hits and 0.9 WAR while starting at second, shortstop and third. Last three deals on PSA, 10 copies of his 1st Bowman Chrome car It’s $938, $999, and $919, so it’s clearly one of the most popular brands on the market right now. His Topps flagship rookie card is also included in the 2023 Topps Series 1, although the 1st Bowman car is in the hobby field Dominating, but many collectors still have a place in the collection of Topps’ flagship rookie.

3B Josh Jung, Texas Rangers

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Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/Getty Images 1st Bowman: 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft

Special Buy: 2020 Topps Pro Debut Josh Jung hasn’t been making as much buzz as some of the other top rookies entering the 2023 season, but he has a path to starting third base after finally faltering of road injury errors. The 25-year-old has played just 179 career games since being ranked No. 8 in 2019. He sat out the draft with a stress fracture in his left foot and a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He made his MLB debut last September and won in 26 games Hitting five homers and 14 RBIs solidified his status as the third baseman of the future for a Texas Rangers team on the rise with legitimate playoff aspirations. Unrated versions of his first Bowman Chrome car have been going for $80-100 this offseason The range sells, and if he can pull it off, he has more room to grow than some of the others on this list to earn Rookie of the Year.

SS Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies

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Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

1st Bowman: 2021 Bowman Chrome Outlook Special Buy: 2022 Topps Pro Debut

Ezequiel Tovar, long viewed as one of the best defensive shortstops in the minors, soared to .319/.387/.540 last year in double There were 15 doubles, 14 home runs and 17 steals in 71 games between the A’s and Triple-A.

With veteran shortstop Jose Iglesias a free agent and no outside additions to come Replacing him, all signs point to Tovar being the present and future shortstop for the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies have been a hobby blind spot for years, Todd Helton, Nolan Arenal Dow, Troy Tulowitzki, Trevor Story and others failed to get the attention they deserved relative to their production. Turns out, his top card is still relatively affordable, the latest PSA 10 sale for his first Bowman Chrome car The price is $189.99 on February 28th.

IF/OF Miguel Vargas, Los Angeles Dodgers

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Miguel Vargas AP Agency photo/Jeff Chiu

1st Bowman:

2020 Bowman Chrome Outlook

special purchase: 2023 Topps With Trea Turner and Justin Turner out of free agency, Gavin Lux’s absence for the season with a torn ACL appears to pave the way for a young infield rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers to earn a job this spring. Miguel Vargas recorded 32 doubles and 17 nets in 113 Triple-A games last season. .304/.404/.511 in hits and 82 RBIs to be the leader with the ability to line up at second or third. The 23-year-old will compete with fellow top forward Michael Busch, who is also knocking, and Chris Taylor could also see time at second base, but Vargas There is a good opportunity to play a big part in the contenders. PSA 10 version of his first Bowman Chrome car is on sale March 1st for $330 That said, his value could climb dramatically if he becomes the Dodgers’ next homegrown star.

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2B/ SS Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees

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New York Yankees Team/Getty Images

1st Bowman: 2020 Bowman Chrome Outlook

Special Buy: 2020 Topps Pro Debut

Anthony Volpe has had a breakthrough 2021 season as one of the top prospects in baseball after finishing last season with . The 802 mark solidified itself as a potential future star with 35 doubles, 21 homers, 65 RBIs and 50 steals in 132 games in the upper tier of the minors. Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu both expected to play at second base, rookie Oswald Peraza pushes Isiah Kiner-Falefa Towards the shortstop position, the Yankees have no shortage of middle infield options. That said, Volpe is the kind of player whose all-around game and invisibility once he’s ready Asset has already received rave reviews in spring training. Market driven by Yankees, PSA 10 copies of his first Bowman Chrome car for sale this spring Priced over $1,000.

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OF Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals

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Benjamin Rusnak/Getty Images

1st Bowman: 2020 Bowman Chrome Draft

special purchase:
2021 Topps Pro Debut Jordan Walker is 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, has legitimate five-dagger potential, has as high a ceiling as any rookie in the league in the minors, and is the kind of talent who can force his way onto an MLB roster. 20-year-old hit .306/.388/.306/.388/. 510, hitting 31 doubles, 19 homers and 68 RBIs while grabbing 22 steals in 27 attempts and also showing surprising athleticism for a player his size. drafted seman as the third ba transitioning to the outfield for the final two months of the 2022 season, he Can seriously play a starting right field role in a strong spring. The hobby has taken notice of him to great advantage, with a PSA 10 copy of his first Bowman Chrome car at Sold for $1,475 on February 22.
All stats are provided by Baseball Reference, while price data is from recent eBay sales.