Five 2024 Young Star Cards to Buy In Spring Training

It’s only a few short weeks until the 2025 season kicks off with spring training. Presumably now is the right time to buy for an opening day (or later) baseball card flip.
Sep 4, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Orioles second base Jackson Holliday (7) reacts while on the filed before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan - Imagn Images
Sep 4, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second base Jackson Holliday (7) reacts while on the filed before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan - Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

While many rookies made a splash during their freshman campaign, I’ve highlighted five to think about when you’re making your purchasing decisions.


5. Colt Keith

Colt Keith Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers second base Colt Keith (33) scores a run against Cleveland Guardians during the second inning at Game 4 of ALDS at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After finishing the 2023 season as the No. 2 Tigers prospect, the Detroit brass saw enough to sign the then 22 year-old to a six-year contract worth north of $28 million. He had a modest season, hitting .260 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI. And even though he finished the season slow, there were stretches where he was hitting well over .300. Keith is young too, having turned 23 late in the season on August 14th.

Currently Keith’s base chrome autos are as low as $25, with the most recent sale occurring on January 18th, according to 130point.com. For just another $14 a refractor numbered to 499 was sold on January 8th, according to eBay’s sold listings.

Along with youth, performance, and a low dollar threshold, Keith is also in a great baseball situation. The Tigers, much to the surprise of pretty much the whole baseball community (except perhaps to the Tigers organization and Tigers fans), slipped into the third wildcard spot for the 2024 MLB postseason. Not only that, they made a healthy run, coming as close as one win away from the ALCS.

4. Jordan Lawlar

Jordan Lawlar Arizona Diamondbacks
Oct 15, 2022; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Salt River Rafters infielder Jordan Lawlar (1) sits with his teammates in the dugout ahead of their game against the Surprise Saguaros at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gould-Arizona Republic / Alex Gould / USA TODAY NETWORK

It doesn’t seem that far away that Jordan Lawlar was a top chase, but in reality it’s been over three years. A star in 2021 Bowman Draft, Lawlar was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 draft and was immediately a top prospect in Arizona’s farm system. While Lawlar made his professional debut in 2021 he only played in two games. In the minor leagues from 2022 to 2024 he batted .299, hit 49 RBI, and 12 home runs. Lawlar got his first taste of the show in 2023 with just 14 games and hit a pedestrian .129. Optioned to Triple-A in 2024 Lawlar spent the first few months rehabbing a thumb injury, and wasn’t promoted before the end of the season.

If you’re looking for a bargain flyer, Jordan Lawlar is your man. Three weeks ago his base chrome autograph sold on eBay for a measly $20.53. And fell even further when a sale on January 12th of his refractor numbered to 499 was had for just $15.

His track record in the minor leagues certainly bodes well for him. He’s shown he can hit in the higher levels and perhaps not for that thumb injury he would have made an impact with the big league club. He’s still considered a prospect due to his limited MLB playing time, in fact MLB.com’s Jim Callis ranks him the second best shortstop prospect behind Tampa Bay’s Carson Williams. For a team that missed the playoffs on a tie breaker, the Diamondbacks will be looking for anything to give them an edge in the vaunted NL West. Even if he starts in AAA, assuming he keeps up his minor league track record, it shouldn’t be long into the 2025 season before Lawlar is in the show again.

3. Junior Caminero

Junior Caminero Tampa Bay Rays
Sep 2, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) hits an rbi double against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Rays power hitting prospect had an odd path the last couple of years. Tampa Bay made a surprising promotion of Caminero to the majors from AA in 2023 with under two weeks left in the regular season. He had hit 30 home runs and the Rays were probably hoping his power would give them a spark in the playoffs. In the end the Rays only scored one run in two games and lost in the wild card round to the eventual world champs Texas Rangers. Not surprisingly he was optioned to AAA to begin the 2024 campaign. Unfortunately he suffered two quad injuries and didn’t make his 2024 debut until mid August.

Speaking of odd paths to the majors, it almost certainly had an odd effect on his cards. Usually a player gets a boost when he gets called up. His peak value came about six weeks before his call-up, when according to Card Ladder his PSA 10 Bowman Chrome 1st auto hit $650. But it was such odd timing that it almost felt like sellers didn’t know what to do. He played in a whole seven games and then the Rays puttered out of the playoffs. By the time 2024 came around he had already had the ‘call-up boon’ opportunity and then he got injured. Currently that price sits at about $250, while his base Chrome rookie auto can be had for right around $50.

That power potential doesn’t grow on trees and chicks dig the long ball. He has legit 40 home run potential. The photos on his cards don’t do his real-life stature justice. He’s a large human being and the sound he makes when he connects would be a 70 grade on the bat crack if they made that a category.

2. Jasson Dominguez

Jasson Dominguez New York Yankees
Sep 22, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics in the second inning at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Dubbed the Martian, Jasson Dominguez has probably the most hype out of everyone in this list. Talks of even the next Mickey Mantle made it around the hobby hypers way back when his Bowman 1st dropped in 2020. It’s tough to gauge Dominguez’s card prices, since his peak happened at the height of the COVID boom, with his PSA 10 Bowman Chrome 1st autograph hitting an astonishing $3,500 in February 2021. He’s shown flashes of his ability, albeit in small sample sizes, he’s only had 26 games at the major league level.

Dominguez falls into that category of potential, youth, and a good baseball situation. He plays on a Yankee team with Aaron Judge that went to the World Series last year. He doesn’t need to be the cog in the lineup. The loss of Juan Soto to the crosstown Mets hurts, but they can put him down the lineup while he gets his bearings down.

While it’s highly unlikely Dominguez’s PSA 10 Chrome auto won’t hit over $3,000 again, right now you can get his base Chrome auto for around $100, a number that certainly has room to grow if the Martian takes off in 2025.

1. Jackson Holliday

Jackson Holliday Baltimore Orioles
Aug 31, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles second base Jackson Holliday (7) at bat in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There hasn’t been a player who came in with so much hype since the number two player on this list. He has the potential to be a great player. Speed, power, hit for average. And he has the pedigree as the son of a former big league All-Star in Matt Holliday. A 2022 Bowman Draft guy his PSA 10 Bowman Draft Chrome autograph peaked around $700 but currently sits at around $250. The $250 is a good mark considering his lackluster major league performance that included being sent down to AAA for a brief period of time.

This may be a surprise choice at No. 1, but I believe that out of all of the names on this list he has the potential for a meteoric rise in value. Holliday just turned 21 in December, so many look at his age as the reason why he didn’t impress at the major league level, believing he just needs more time to cook before unleashing his true potential. All he needs is a few weeks of high caliber play on the field for collectors and investors to dive right back into the Holliday craze.

He’s also in a really good situation. He’s surrounded by All-stars Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschmann, not to mention other young players with potential like Coby Mayo, so hopefully the pressure won’t be so tight to begin the season. Currently you can get his raw base Chrome auto for around $150, according to eBay sold listings. The hype is still there, people want him to be great, now he just needs to show collectors and investors he can get the job done on the field.


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Cole Benz
COLE BENZ

After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz