The hobby’s most hard-core collectors love to chase the next big prospect, and the All-Star Futures Game offers a chance to see some of the best baseball players in the world a little early.
The Futures Game, which airs at 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday on MLB Network, is completely packed with talent and hobbyists should keep an eye on many of these players for future reference.
Far from an exhaustive list, here are five players cllct believes are worth watching with key cards that are already available to collect.
1. Ethan Salas, San Diego Padres
MLB Pipeline rank: No. 6
There are few prospects collectors are excited about more than Salas — though they might prefer he move from behind the plate to first base for longevity purposes. The No. 6 overall prospect in the MLB Pipeline, Salas is in his second season in the Padres farm system despite just turning 18 in June.
Though his defense has been a major selling point for the Padres, collectors are likely more interested in his 60-grade power tool that scouts believe can produce 25-homer seasons. Salas is still very young, but could hit the majors as soon as 2025.
So far, key cards for Salas come from 2023 Bowman Chrome and 2023 Bowman Chrome Sapphire Edition. According to Market Movers, his 2023 Bowman Chrome 1st Prospects Auto PSA 10 hit a $600 mark back in March, but is down over 60 percent to a recent sale of $220.
Key cards:
- 2023 Bowman Chrome 1st Prospects PSA 10 (~$32)
- 2023 Bowman Chrome 1st Prospects Auto PSA 10 (~$220)
- 2023 Bowman Chrome Sapphire Editions 1st Prospects PSA 10 (~$60)
2. Marcelo Mayer, Boston Red Sox
MLB Pipeline rank: No. 7
Right behind Salas in the MLB Pipeline rankings is Mayer, a shortstop in the Red Sox system. The No. 4 overall pick in 2021, Mayer is still just 21, but he has been slashing .301/.367/.470 for Double-A Portland and could be called up soon.
The path forward for Mayer is something Red Sox fans and collectors should be monitoring closely. Though Boston could use an upgrade at shortstop, not everyone is sold on him sticking there. A natural move could be to third, but that’s currently occupied by Rafael Devers.
Collectors will want to dive into the 2021 Bowman Draft set to find Mayer’s 1st Bowman cards. Mostly under $50, many of Mayer’s non-autographs are easily achievable for most collectors in high grades.
Key cards:
- 2021 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st PSA 10 (~$26)
- 2021 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st Refractor PSA 10 (~$37)
- 2021 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st DP Auto (~$218)
3. Max Clark, Detroit Tigers
MLB Pipeline rank: No. 10
Clark has been a player prospectors have been on early: Market Movers has tracked nearly 600 combined sales across his key 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st PSA 10 and 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st Refractor PSA 10 over the last year.
An athletic outfielder with four plus tools, the main question currently is whether Clark will ever hit for power. Tigers fans might love the plus defense and base-running, but collectors beyond Detroit might want to see a little more pop in his bat before committing.
Key cards:
- 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st PSA 10 (~$45)
- 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st Refractor PSA (~$55)
- 2023 Bowman Draft Sapphire Edition Chrome 1st PSA 10 (~$100)
- 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome DP Auto 1st PSA 10 (~$383)
4. Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
MLB Pipeline rank: No. 16
Expected to be an MLB All-Star at some point in his career, scouts aren’t super concerned about Montgomery’s slow start in 2024 — he’s slashing just .215/.331/.379 through 77 games. And with the White Sox currently among the worst teams in baseball, Montgomery could land in the majors this season despite his struggles at the plate.
Not unlike Mayer, Montgomery might not stick at shortstop long-term, but that probably doesn’t matter for a Chicago team that needs talent everywhere.
Montgomery’s most popular card among collectors has been his 2022 1st Bowman. Key cards such as the 2022 Bowman Mega Box Chrome Prospects 1st Mojo Refractor PSA 10 and 2022 Bowman Sapphire Edition Chrome Prospects 1st PSA 10 can be snagged for under $40.
Key cards:
- 2022 Bowman Mega Box Chrome Prospects Mojo Refractor PSA 10 (~$20)
- 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospects 1st PSA 10 (~$20)
- 2022 Bowman Sapphire Edition Chrome Prospects 1st PSA 10 (~$35)
- 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto 1st PSA 10 (~$130)
5. Druw Jones, Arizona Diamondbacks
MLB Pipeline rank: No. 79
No prospect was more hyped by collectors in the 2022 draft than Jones. The son of former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones, Druw has similar defensive tools as his father, but the bat hasn’t caught up quite yet.
Jones battled multiple injuries in 2023 but has played fine so far in 2024. Still just 20, Jones has a ways to go before he hits the majors, and scouts believe he’ll be at least an average player even if his defense and base-running are the only things that pan out.
At one time, Dave and Adam’s Card World placed a $1 million bounty on Jones’ 1/1 2023 Bowman Superfractor Autograph. A variety of his key cards now sell for less than $30 in high grades, but he has plenty of time to figure things out.
Key cards:
- 2023 Bowman Mega Box Chrome Prospects Mojo Refractor 1st PSA 10 (~$26)
- 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospects 1st PSA 10 (~$11)
- 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto 1st PSA 10 (~$140)
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.