It wasn't long ago when Shohei Ohtani was the hottest name in the MLB card market and the Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series. But during the offseason, things were a little quiet in this part of the hobby. The thing is, the new season is just around the corner and the hype for baseball cards is starting to pick up. Of course, there's no better time than now to plan your options around guys who have proven themselves during the last season.
Rather than aim blind in the hobby, it's best to take a look at who rose above the crowd last season to see which stock can potentially do well in the upcoming one. We take a look below at Ohtani and other promising MLB stars to invest in the baseball card market.
Juan Soto
If you're looking for the best hitter in the league, you're bound to end up with Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals. The 23-year old took the league by storm last season with a list of accomplishments that no one in his age has ever done before.
Juan Soto became the first 19 year-old player to score at least 60 runs in a season since teammate Bryce Harper did it in 2012. #OnePursuit
📊 https://t.co/FWIgEurgcb pic.twitter.com/ulfsefvpeU
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 26, 2018
For starters, Soto finished second in the National League MVP voting, just behind Bryce Harper, his former teammate who's now playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also bagged the Silver Slugger award while leading the majors in walks (145) and on-base percentage (.465). Plus, his second-half numbers looked like they jumped straight out of a video game itself.
Over the course of 72 games, Soto was slashing .348/.525/.639 with 87 walks, 53 RBIs, and 18 home runs. All things considered, those numbers aren't bad at all. In fact, Soto's accomplishments last season reinforce the value of his PSA 10 2017 Topps Update rookie card, which was last sold at $157.
Bryce Harper
Speaking of Harper, it can't be denied that the Phillies' right fielder just had an unbelievable campaign last season, which resulted in his second NL MVP award. But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Harper's 2021 campaign. He also had an MLB-best 42 doubles, a 1.044 OPS, and a .615 slugging rate while finishing first in Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) and Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA).
While all of those numbers look terrific on paper, it can't be denied that Harper's offense is key to his success. The same can be said too about his card value in the market. Those looking for his 2012 Topps Chrome rookie card encased in a PSA 10 slab should be prepared to invest $425 on it. If Harper manages to play better than how he did last season, that price will certainly shoot up.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
If it was any other year, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would have won the American League MVP based on how he played last season instead of Shohei Ohtani. The Toronto Blue Jays' first baseman led the AL in runs, on-base-percentage, slugging percentage, total bases, OPS, and homers, of which he is tied with the Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez. Plus, he also posted a 12.3% walk rate, the best of his career, while winning the All-Star MVP.
With the new season about to start soon, the Blue Jays are looking to dominate the AL and they're counting on Guerrero to make that possible. In the event he does, while smashing countless stats along the way, his PSA 10 2019 Topps Chrome rookie card will see its present value of $138 become a steal in the market.
Corbin Burnes
It has been an incredible run for Corbin Burnes last year. The Milwaukee Brewers's star managed to win the Cy Young award after posting numbers of 2.43 ERA, 1.63 FIP, and 12.6 K/9. His use of a cutter for more than 52% of the time led to 117 punchouts and improved performance of his curveball. Furthermore, Burnes was able to allow just seven homers in 167 innings this season, which is a great improvement after he gave up twice as many over 49 frames the year before.
While he doesn't have the value of other stars in the MLB, Burnes is riding high on what he can potentially accomplish this coming season. If he surpasses what he did last year, his PSA 10 2019 Topps Chrome rookie card will definitely get a good boost up from its current value of $100 in the market.
Shohei Ohtani
While all the other guys on this list deserve to be recognized, there's no better or hotter name in the baseball card market than Shohei Ohtani himself. The Los Angeles Angels' star can definitely do it all, which was seen during his 2021 campaign. In that season, he was named as the unanimous AL MVP after making 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, 26 steals, 8 triples, and attained a .965 OPS rating as a hitter.
Ohtani as a pitcher worked too. In 130 1/3 innings he played last year, the Angels' star notched a 9-2 record with 156 strikeouts, 1.09 WHIP, and 3.18 ERA. And the cherry on top of the sundae here is that his combined fWAR as a hitter and pitcher was an insane 8.1%. Without a doubt, the guy to chase in the market is no other than this two-way sensation. Collectors should be prepared, though, because his PSA 10 Bowman Chrome batting rookie card is worth $585 in the market right now.
With less than a month before the MLB starts again, there's little time to hit the market and score rookie cards of these stars. In any case, getting stocks of these guys is a safe bet that can potentially help collectors make a killing in the market sometime down the road.
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