New MLB Top Prospect List and The Cards to Get
Major League Baseball has updated their top 100 prospect list, and there's a new top five, except for one.
Bowman is the gold standard for prospect cards. It's the first in a pro uniform and for many it's the first time they have an autographed licensed card. Here are the cards to have of the top five players from the latest baseball prospect list.
#5 (Previous #4)- Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies
Andrew Painter was drafted No. 13 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. While he pitched a meager four innings in 2021, Painter got his feet wet in 2022 when he went 6-2 with a 1.56 ERA over 103.2 innings. But until this year he hadn't pitched since the end of the 2022 season. In March 2023 he was sidelined with a UCL sprain and ended up opting for Tommy John surgery in July of that year, ending his 2023 season without throwing a pitch. He was out all of 2024 rehabbing.
One of Painter's best cards is his 2021 Bowman Draft Red Wave Chrome Refractor Autograph. It's a numbered to just five and is a color match to his Phillies team. Sales of this card were not easily found, however the above one is listed on eBay currently for $25,000.
#4 (Previous #7) - Jordan Lawlar, INF, Diamondbacks
The recently-promoted Jordan Lawlar has a stellar record in the minor leagues. Since being drafted No. 6 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Lawlar has produced a .300 average, and an OPS over .900 over the course of six minor league seasons.
Lawlar's first chrome autograph comes out of 2021 Bowman Draft. Bowman 1st cards are the prospect collector's bread and butter. According to eBay sold listings this card goes for around $150. According to those sold listings, his cards have gotten a bump lately. This card, raw, sold for over $200 on May 9th, just before his call-up.
#3 (Previously #14) Leo De Vries, SS, Padres
Leo De Vries made the biggest jump in rankings into the top 5. He is very young, both in age and in his professional baseball career. Signed as an international free agent in January 2024, De Vries was just 17 when he signed with the Padres for $4.2 milllion. In just 103 minor league games, De Vries has hit a respectable .251. He's hitting .287 with four home runs this year.
The card companies really hit the ground running with De Vries. His cards can be found in Bowman, Bowman's Best, and some Panini products. The gold standard for prospect collectors is the player's Bowman 1st autograph. As young talented prospect, who has shown the ability to hit professional pitching at 18 years old, his cards can come with a heft price tag. His Bowman Chrome PSA 10 speckled autograph sold for $800 on May 12th according to eBay sold listings.
#2 (Previously #11) - Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates
Bubba Chandler came into professional baseball as a two-way player. After being drafted in 2021in the third round of the MLB draft that year he continued pitching and hitting. This lasted until just before the 2023 season when he decided to solely focus on pitching. In 33 innings this year he has a 1.91 ERA with 49 strikeouts in eight games started.
Chandler's first Bowman comes out of 2021 Bowman Draft. The photo is of him as a pitcher, and he's also labeled as a pitcher. This card, even for the base is a higher value. According to eBay sold listings, it last sold for $350 on May 13th. A raw version went for $175 the day before on May 12th.
#1 (Previously #1) - Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox
Roman Anthony was previously ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, and the powers that be still believed he deserved that spot. Anthony was drafted No. 79 overall by the Red Sox in the 2022 MLB Draft and over the course of three-plus seasons in the minors he's hit .286 and accumulated 158 RBI. He's currently hitting .298 with five home runs and 17 RBI.
Anthony cards bring a premium, as with other No. 1 prospects. According to eBay sold listings, his PSA 10 autographed refractor, graded PSA 10, is valued close to $1,000. The above card sold for $899 on May 10th, according to eBay sold listings. And it just goes to show you what the value of No. 1 prospects can carry, a base PSA 9 of this card went for $500 on May 8th.
It will be interesting to see how many of these five prospects go on to All-star, high caliber players. Prospecting is always a gamble.
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