MLB Playoff stars and their PSA 10 rookie cards
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With the MLB playoffs kicking off on Tuesday, one of the prime months of the baseball calendar where stars show up begins. While the best players in baseball are hoping to rise to the occasion, their rookie cards can grab the spotlight in the baseball card community.
Here are a few of baseball's best and where there rookie cards sit entering October according to Card Ladder data.
Bryce Harper, Phillies 1B
Now an elder statesman in the league, Harper takes collectors back to 2012 to find his rookie card. Back at the time of the release of 2012 Topps products, Harper was the top chase as the can't-miss prospect that debuted at the age of 19. Now more than a decade late, Harper's rookie cards are still standing strong in the market as he eyes his first World Series title.
His most recent base rookie card in a PSA 10 from 2012 Topps Chrome sold on September 23 for $182.50, with an X-fractor parallel in a PSA 10 selling for $425 two days later. His market has been sitting between $150-250, but with another deep playoff run, those numbers could rise quickly.
Aaron Judge, Yankees OF
One of the most complete hitters in baseball, Judge hopes to have a signature postseason run to cap off a season in which he slugged over 50 home runs in a season for the fourth time in his career. Judge has arguably been one of the best "buy and holds" across the baseball card hobby given his prolific power and consistency on the field. His last rookie card in a PSA 10 from 2017 Topps Chrome sold for $310 on September 30, with other sales ranging between $250-350.
Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres OF
Tatis Jr. may be one of the more underrated markets in the hobby. With his PSA 10 2019 Topps Chrome rookie cards sitting at just $20-30 and a PSA 10 autographed rookie card ranging near $300, Tatis Jr.'s market could benefit from more big moments from the Padres' star. While Tatis Jr.'s reputation was stained with a PED suspension a few years ago, the outfielder enters this postseason with a career 1.328 OPS in 13 playoff games.
Cal Raleigh, Mariners C
Raleigh was the biggest market riser in baseball in 2025 on his way to belting a career-high 60 homers along with setting the single-season record for home runs by a catcher. While some of his most valuable cards hit the market this summer, his PSA 10 base rookie cards from 2022 Topps Chrome climbed as well. The most recent sale came on September 26, where a PSA 10 rookie card sold for $263.
After a historic regular season, a run in the playoffs for a team like the Mariners which is starved for postseason success could send the catcher's market to even higher levels.
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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