3 2026 MLB Top Prospects & Cards to Buy Before They Debut
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With Spring Training kicking off in less than two weeks, plenty of top prospects across the sport will report to their respective camps hoping for a shot at making the Major League Opening Day roster come late-March.
While several players will enter the spring with buzz around possible call-ups, their card markets have reflected the same across the hobby. All sold card information is according to Card Ladder data.
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JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals SS
After the Cardinals parted ways with Nolan Arenado and may trade away Brendan Donovan before the beginning of the season, it seems clear that Wetherholt will get an opportunity somewhere on the infield. The former 1st round pick dazzled in his first full pro season in 2025, hitting .306 with 17 home runs, 59 RBIs and 23 stolen bases while making it to Triple-A.
Wetherholt was one of the top chases upon the release of 2025 Bowman that came out last spring. In just a short amount of time, his card market has seen some large prices. His most expensive card to date is a Red Refractor autograph numbered to five selling in September for $13,000, with a pair of Black Refractor autographs selling for $8,600 and $8,000 respectively.
Walker Jenkins, Twins OF
While it looks like the Twins are prepared to enter into a rebuild, Jenkins offers a bright spot for the future of the franchise as a likely soon-to-be big leaguer. Jenkins hit .286 with ten home runs across four Minor League levels, reaching Triple-A to end the season as a 20-year-old. Although he may not start the season in Minnesota due to just 23 games at Triple-A last season, it may not be soon after Opening Day where the Twins promote the 2023 1st round pick to bring some excitement around the club.
Jenkins owns the most expensive card between the three players in this story as his 1st Bowman Superfractor 1/1 autograph sold for a staggering $44,286 in June of 2024, two months after the release of 2024 Bowman. After that, a pair of Red Refractor autographs numbered to five each sold for north of $10,000.
Travis Bazzana, Guardians 2B
Bazzana has gotten lost in the shuffle from the 2024 MLB Draft class due to the meteoric rise of reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and current top prospect in baseball in Konnor Griffin. Bazzana, the first overall pick in the 2024 draft battled some injuries but produced an .813 OPS in 84 games including a .389 on-base percentage.
Coming off of a season where the Guardians' offense was among the worst in all of baseball, Bazzana may be a quick call-up if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster. Last season, the club called up other top prospect Chase DeLauter in the American League Wild Card round.
Bazzana's top card sold to date is actually a triple autograph from 2024 Bowman's Best. The Superfractor 1/1 that also features Kurtz and Jac Caglianone sold for just shy of $11,000 in March of 2025. The most expensive solo Bazzana card is a Red X-Fractor 1st Bowman autograph that sold for $10,370 in April of 2025.
Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.
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