Junior Caminero's cards rising because of this
In his first full season at the Major League level, Junior Caminero is putting the league on notice as potentially one of the future stars in the league.
With two home runs on Monday night, Caminero sits at 39 home runs on the season. With one more big fly, he would become just the second player in Tampa Bay Rays history to hit 40 home runs in a single season. At just 22 years old, the third baseman's pure power could be a fixture in baseball for the next decade.
Caminero's card market has been somewhat of a strange one as he made his way to the Major Leagues at the end of the 2023 season. With his "1st Bowman" autograph coming in 2023 Bowman, Caminero's "1st Bowman" base autograph in a PSA 10 sold in the range of $300-400 in early 2024.
As the infielder spent most of the 2024 season in the Minor Leagues as well as battling injuries, those same cards dipped closer to $300 despite being one of the top prospects in baseball still. Once 2025 rolled around and Caminero was given a full-time starting role, he, like his cards began to take off.
On his way to his first career All-Star game this season, Caminero's "1st Bowman" base autograph PSA 10s have risen back to previous ranges, with a blue refractor autograph numbered to 150 in a PSA 10 selling for over $1,500 on June 21.
With 2024 Topps Chrome marking Caminero's rookie autograph, another crop of sought after cards hit the market last summer and have continued to rise similar to his "1st Bowman" autographs. Base chrome rookie autographs of the third baseman sell between $80-100, but an orange wave numbered to 25 in a PSA 9 sold for $540 on August 17.
Along with the rising prices, Caminero has become a hot name in volume as well, with over 160 different sold listings already completed in the month of August alone according to sold listings. As is the case with sports cards, hype and present day notoriety are king when it comes to pricing. Between Caminero's raw power and gaudy stats this season as well as his recency as a rookie in Topps products, he has been a popular name to collect in the hobby.
As prospects progress through the Minor League systems and reach the MLB, hype often drives the market for a short time. In Caminero's rare case, as he became a pure power hitter at the MLB level, many debated if his market had not yet caught up to match his production on the field. Now with a season of nearly 40 home runs, not many collectors are unaware of the 22-year-old now.
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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