Judge, Ohtani and The World Baseball Classic's Best Cards
In this story:
Baseball is almost back! Pitchers and Catchers have already reported and the hype is building for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The global tournament will start in March and fans around the world will be tuning in to see if Japan and Shohei Ohtani can repeat as world champs or if the USA or another country can take home the title this time. It's going to be a great time, and also the perfect chance to take a deeper look at some of the best cards of the stars who have signed on to play. There are four countries who are well positioned to win it all- the U.S., Japan, The Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
RELATED: World Baseball Classic stars and their top cards
TOPPS CHROME AUTOGRAPH 2017 AARON JUDGE
Judge's Topps Chrome rookie will be worth keeping an eye on as Team USA makes their way through the tournament. As he is the Captain of the U.S. team, his chrome base card would be one collectors have in mind to add to their collections. How about an autographed version? That's just plain awesome, and one reason collectors keep coming back to Topps Chrome.
TOPPS FINEST 2019 VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.
RELATED: These classic baseball cards came back after 15 years only to disappear forever
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be joining a solid Dominican line-up to battle the top teams in the tournament. Guerrero Jr.'s Topps Finest rookie isn't his most iconic card, but it does have a good story and it's also not the easiest to find due to being short printed. This card was his first MLB rookie to be pulled from packs - several years after his 2016 Bowman cards.
TOPPS ARCHIVES POSTCARD AUTO 2022 SHOHEI OHTANI
Shohei Ohtani is widely recognized as the best baseball player in the world, so Team Japan should have a fighting chance this spring. Ohtani will only be batting, not pitching. This autograph card from 2022 is from his days with the Angels and there's a lot to like - the palm trees of California, two shots of Ohtani both batting and pitching and enough space on the card for a clean signature.
TOPPS CHROME COSMIC AUTOGRAPH 2024 RONALD ACUNA JR.
Ronald Acuna Jr. has been a major bright spot for the Atlanta Braves for a while now, and he'll try to transfer that magic to Team Venezuela soon. With his defense in left field and his offensive skill at the plate, Acuna could very well help his countrymen to the top. This autograph from Topps Chrome Cosmic in 2024 shows off a great swing by Acuna Jr.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.