Both led by heavy MVP favorites, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will square off in the 2024 World Series, starting Friday night.
For collectors, there’s more to the rosters than just Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, however, with a number of key players on each team among the most popular players in the hobby.
Here’s a look at the top-selling card for every player in the projected World Series starting lineups.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani, DH
No baseball player has been more popular among collectors — or casual fans, really — this year than Ohtani. Despite skepticism from collectors early, Ohtani has become one of the most transacted players on the secondary market and is already the fifth most-graded athlete of all time among the four major services.
Ohtani’s record arrived in September, when his 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Rookie Autograph Superfractor 1/1 BGS 9.5/10 sold for $338,000 at the “Holy Grails” auction.
Mookie Betts, RF
Despite Betts’ on-field success, which includes two World Series rings and an MVP, collectors were a little slow to come around.
The current record for any Betts card is the $123,220 paid for his 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Red Refractor /5 PSA 10 in September.
Prior to that sale, the most paid for a Betts card was $79,200 for his 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autograph Superfractor 1/1 in 2019.
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Freeman’s popularity took a hit when he moved on from the Atlanta Braves to join the Dodgers, but he was never uber-popular among collectors to begin with.
Freeman’s highest public sale is the $39,600 paid for his 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractor 1/1 PSA 9 at Goldin in 2021.
According to Card Ladder, the highest sale for a Freeman card in 2024 is the $16,800 paid for his 2011 Finest Superfractor 1/1 PSA 10.
Max Muncy, 3B
Muncy has yet to have a robust card market develop, with his 2022 1st Bowman Chrome Autograph Orange Refractor /25 PSA 10 ranking as his top sale at $7,600.
Teoscar Hernandez, LF
Though Hernandez has become a fan favorite since moving to L.A. in the offseason, his card market hasn’t developed at all. To date, the highest public sale for Hernandez is $900 for a Topps Project 70 card featuring Hernandez and Ronald Acuna Jr.
That card was designed by popular Project 70 artist Alex Pardee.
Gavin Lux, 2B
When healthy, Lux has had his low-end market move with solid volume, thanks to a large number of low-dollar graded cards. According to GemRate, PSA has graded more than 70,000 Lux cards with his 2020 Topps Base nearing a PSA 10 pop of 18,000.
To date the highest sale for Lux is the $9.999.99 paid for his 2016 Bowman Chrome Green Refractor BGS 9.5/10 on eBay in 2021. Lux’s highest sale in 2024 is about $1,200.
Will Smith, C
He’s not that Will Smith, though that Will Smith does have a high sale of $3,000 for a 1991 NBA Hoops card.
This Will Smith’s highest sale arrived at Heritage in 2021, when one buyer paid $4,801 for his 2016 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Autographs Red Refractor /5 BGS 9.5/10.
Tommy Edman, SS
Edman was named the 2024 NLCS MVP, but that hasn’t moved his market much quite yet. To date, Edman’s highest card sale is the $500 paid for his 2020 Topps Chrome Superfractor 1/1 last week.
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Hernandez is another fan favorite who hasn’t gained much traction among collectors. So far, his high sale is $205, which was paid for his 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Superfractor 1/1 in 2022.
Jack Flaherty, P
Pitchers don’t move the needle much for collectors, though Flaherty has had solid stretches, especially during his run with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The top public sale for any Flaherty card is the $3,100 paid for his 2014 1st Bowman Chrome Superfractor 1/1 BGS 9.5/10 earlier this month on eBay.
New York Yankees
Gleyber Torres, 2B
Torres gained traction from collectors early simply because he played for the Yankees, though the hobby has mostly punted on him lately.
To date, the highest public sale for Torres came when one buyer paid $13,899.99 for his 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Orange Refractor /25 BGS 10/10.
So far in 2024, the highest sale for a Torres card is $2,175.
Juan Soto, RF
Among the best hitters in baseball, Soto has been ultra-popular among collectors since breaking into the league with the Washington Nationals in 2018.
The public record for any Soto card is the $273,080 paid for his 2016 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Red Refractor /5 PSA 7 in 2021.
One private sale for Soto’s 2016 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Orange Refractor /25 BGS 9.5/10 fetched $300,000 in 2022.
Aaron Judge, CF
On the verge of winning his second AL MVP award, Judge has become a hobby favorite following some skepticism early in his career.
The public record for any Judge card belongs to his 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Autographs Superfractor 1/1 BGs 9.5 which fetched $324,000 at PWCC in 2022.
Giancarlo Stanton, DH
Despite an overall fantastic body of work, casual fans seem to be mixed on Stanton, and collectors have felt the same way for a long time.
To date, the highest public sale for any Stanton card is the $16,200 paid for his 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Prospect Autographs Red Refractor /5 PSA 9 in 2023.
Jazz Chisholm, 3B
Chisholm is ultra-exciting, but years of withering away in Miami has left his card market wanting. The most paid for a Chisholm card to date is $3,950 for a 2017 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Autograph BGS 10/10 Black Label in 2021.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
Most associated with his time with the Chicago Cubs, the most paid for a Rizzo card publicly is $19,200 for the 2016 Topps NOW “World Series - Game 7” Gold 1/1 Kris Bryant/Anthony Rizzo Dual-Signed Relic Auto BGS 10 Pristine in 2020.
The top-selling solo Rizzo card is a 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Superfractor 1/1 BGS 9, which sold for $6,100 at PWCC in 2017.
Anthony Volpe, SS
Among the top Yankees prospects in recent years, Volpe gained extreme interest when it was clear he might be a better prospect than hobby favorite Jasson Dominguez.
Volpe's 2020 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Red Refractor /5 PSA 10 ranks as his highest public sale after hitting $150,000 in 2022.
Austin Wells, C
Yet to develop a strong following, Wells’ top public sale to date is the $2,500 paid for his 2020 Bowman Chrome Draft Autographs Red Refractor /5 BGS 8.5/10 in 2022.
Alex Verdugo, LF
Fans have been frustrated by Verdugo’s presence in the Yankees outfield (while blocking Dominguez), and collectors have felt the same way.
Verdugo’s highest public sale to date is the $2,000 paid for his 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft Pick Autographs Red Refractor /5 BGS 9.5/10 in 2021.
Gerrit Cole, P
As expected, the market hasn’t moved much for Cole despite his excellence on the mound. Cole’s highest public sale to date is the $4,620 paid for his 2012 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Red Refractor /5 BGS 8.5/10 at Memory Lane in 2021.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.