James Wood a top rookie card chase
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Step aside Aaron Judge and Elly De La Cruz, there is another tall, lumbering slugger making a name for himself.
After making his MLB debut last summer and turning in a .781 OPS in 79 games, Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood has taken his play to the next level at just 22 years old. Through 68 games this season, Wood is hitting .281 with 16 home runs and a .905 OPS. Similar to Judge and De La Cruz, Wood is putting up jaw-dropping numbers in a six-foot-seven frame which has coincided with immense power and above-average speed.
While he has played like someone bound for his first career all-star appearance later this summer, his card market has exploded with his first rookie cards having released across Topps' 2025 products.
Prior to his first rookie card this year, Wood was a player many collectors bought and held as he rose through the minor leagues along with being known as one of the prospects traded from the Padres to the Nationals in the blockbuster trade for Juan Soto. Immediately following the trade in 2022, a PSA 10 1st Bowman autograph of Wood numbered to 100 sold for just over $1,600.
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Between a variety of factors such as a weaker than usual rookie class and sustained success, Wood's rookie cards that first appeared in 2025 Topps Series 1 have become a must-have for collectors. As recent as late-April, one of Wood's ungraded rookie autographs in Series 1 sold for $165 and have floated between $150-200 as the season has progressed.
The only other rookie in the current class to come near Wood's sales numbers is the Athletics' shortstop Jacob Wilson, who is hitting north of .350 this season. Wilson's last base rookie autograph sold $100 according to eBay sales.
Wood was also a chase in the recently released Bowman. While he is ineligible for the product's Red Rookie Redemption program, Wood has redemptions for chrome rookie autographs. According to sale data, a Bowman refractor autograph numbered to 499 sold on June 11 for $299.
As the year continues on, more rookies get added into products ending with Topps Update featuring many more rookies than the first release of the yearly cycle. Regardless of who is added down the road, Wood's overall popularity among rookies may dwindle slightly, but it has become clear it is a two-horse race for the top spot among baseball's first year players.
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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