Home Run Derby Champion Cal Raleigh's Top Cards
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Lately, it feels as though a day can't go by without Seattle Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh making history. Heading into the All-Star break with 38 home runs, the most-ever for a catcher and the second-most in MLB history, the Big Dumpster kept the good times rolling, capturing the Home Run Derby title in his first try. Now, as he gets ready to make his debut as an All-Star starter, Raleigh's card market is going strong. Let's take a look at some of Raleigh's top cards, and just how much The Hobby has taken to this new star over the summer.
CAL RALEIGH IS YOUR 2025 @TMOBILE #HRDERBY CHAMPION 🍑 pic.twitter.com/jHHDU5GWeW
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025
There are plenty ways to talk about just how many levels Cal Raleigh has raised his Hobby profile this season. But let's start here: Last year, from July 1 to July 14, Card Ladder registered 519 sales of Cal Raleigh cards. This year, over those same dates, that number sits at 6,286. Last year, the top Raleigh sale in that timeframe? $603. This time around? Try $15,000.
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That top sale of $15,000 is, at writing, the largest Raleigh sale ever recorded by Card Ladder, and it came for this 2019 1st Bowman Auto numbered to 5. To give a sense of just how big a jump this is, the sale took place on July 2. The second biggest sale of a Raleigh Card? June 20, for a Topps Dynasty 1/1 Patch Auto card that sold for $5,000. The $15,000 card was a PSA 9 version of the 1st Bowman Auto. The same card sold for $2,300 in late May of last year.
The Green Refractor Auto version of the 1st Bowman, numbered to 99, paints a good picture of Raleigh's rise. PSA 10's of the card have gone for as much as $3,250, and have sold for $2,500 - $3,250 four times since June 8. The previous sale recorded for this card and grade, per Card Ladder, came in November 2025. It sold for $400.
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Same sort of thing goes for his 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball RC. The Red Refractor RC numbered to 5 sold June 25 for $3,250 after selling for $1,275 as recently as mid-April.
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This vintage-forward 2022 Heritage card is vintage Raleigh. A great player image of Raleigh's powerful swing, showing off a player who is somehow a leap forward when it comes to power hitting catchers, while still feeling like something of a throwback. Since June 2, the real One Red Ink RC Auto numbered to 73 has sold 6 times for $750 or more.
Now, Raleigh takes the big stage at the Midsummer Classic, one night removed from winning the Derby crown. It's an unprecedented season for Raleigh, and in some ways, baseball's never seen anything quite like it. The incredible start to Raleigh's year sets up a fascinating watch down the stretch, both on the field and in The Hobby. Could Raleigh really take a run at Bonds and 73? And if he's at least able to make it ingteresting, how will collectors be reacting along the way. It's certainly a story to keep an eye on.
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.
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