One Player From Each American League Playoff Team to Buy

Major League Baseball always has a playoff hero. The postseason, and October, are when legends are made, and hobby stardom can follow. Some recent names include Trey Yesavage and Jeremy Pena.

Here is one player from each American League team whose card market could see a jump with a deep playoff run.

Houston Astros | Jeremy Pena

Jeremy Pena has already had a meteoric rise, starting with an outstanding playoff performance. In 2022, as a rookie, Pena hit .345, with 4 home runs and 8 RBI in the 2022 playoffs. His performance earned him the American League Championship Series MVP and the World Series MVP after the Astros beat the Phillies to win the championship.

While Pena has had a modest, yet servicable career since his 2022 campaign (which also saw him win a Gold Glove ), he had good year in 2026. While he played a career low 112 games, he did match his career home run mark with 22. He also batted .277 and had 56 RBI.

Pena made this list because he has seen a rise during playoff runs. When you have a good run and slow down, another big run will reignite memories of the past and make for a good, quick market rise. And combine that with how inexpensive some of his rookies are, and his market has potential to jump quickly.

He was a rookie in 2022 products, and according to eBay sold listings, a PSA 10 of his Chrome Sapphire rookie went for just $19 on auction.

Chicago White Sox | Munetaka Murakami

The White Sox could have the next Japanese power hitter on their hands. Munetaka Murakami had a horrible batting average this year, his rookie campaign. But he did hit 35 home runs and knocked in 77 runs in just 127 games.

Murakami makes this list because he had a brief moment this summer, before his injury, where he was the hottest player on the market. Chicks dig the long ball, right? Well, all Murakami needs to do to jump-start his market during the playoffs is hit a few big home runs.

His parallels still bring a good return, but his base rookie refractor is still incredibly inexpensive. According to Card Ladder, his latest sale of his rookie Topps Chrome refractor went for just under $10.

Cleveland Guardians | Travis Bazzana

Travis Bazzana, the former No. 1 overall pick and hot rookie for the Cleveland Guardians, is gearing up for his first postseason after his first Major League season. The Australian native played to a .245 average, with 15 home runs and 57 RBI this year, but it's his past 30-day statline that puts him on this list.

His previous 30-day stat line, according to MLB.com, shows him batting .288 with six home runs and 21 RBI. Combine that with the fact that everyone loves a rising-rookie story in the playoffs, and Bazzana's market could see a sharp rise in a short amount of time.

Bazzana's cards are relatively inexpensive still, compared to some other rookies, like JJ Wetherholt. According to Card Ladder, the latest sale of his PSA 10, 2024 Bowman Draft Chrome 1st, was $140.

Boston Red Sox | Roman Anthony

Roman Anthony has been a hobby darling since he was drafted in 2022. And that market grew when he batted .292 with eight home runs and 32 RBI in just 71 games in his rookie year in 2025. But collectors saw his market drop remarkably in 2026 after a poor performance to start the year.

However, Anthony makes this list based on past markets and his recent performance. After an extended injury absence from May 7 to August 30, he has seen a resurgence. In the last 30 games, Anthony has hit .273 with four home runs and 10 RBI. And a big performance in his first postseason trip could get collectors remembering why he has been so popular since he was drafted.

Some of Anthony's parallel Bowman Chrome 1st cards and rookie cards do still carry a premium. But if you're looking for a cheap way to enter his market before the playoffs, you can buy his base Topps Chrome rookie refractor for around $10.

New York Yankees | Cam Schlittler

Cam Schlittler makes this list not because he's cheap, but because he has been on the big stage before, and his performance carried his market up, and he followed it up with a great 2026 regular season. And a good performance in the postseason this year could see it rise like the tide once again.

Schlittler made a name for himself when, as a rookie, he pitched to a 1.26 earned run average (ERA) and a stellar 12-strikeout game against the Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Series.

Schlittler's market is already hot. His Topps Chrome rookie aqua refractor, numbered to 199, last sold for more than $500, according to Card Ladder. But you can buy his base refractor for pennies on the dollar. According to Card Ladder, the last base refractor to sell for Schlittler was $6.75. While that is a low, inexpensive card, if his market goes up, so could that card. A rising tide lifts all ships, right?

Tampa Bay Rays | Junior Caminero

Junior Caminero had a career year. After hitting .276 with 42 home runs and 101 RBI, he'll probably garner some first-place MVP votes. His market is hot right now, so logically, a collector or flipper would wait for it to cool down. However, postseasons are where stars are born.

Technically, this will be his second postseason after getting into two games in his rookie year in 2023. But making the postseason for the first time in three years, Caminero has a chance to mash some bombs into the history books.

Another inexpensive entry into the Caminero market comes from Bowman's Best. Not considered a high-end product, Bowman's Best is a great way to get into a player's market at a lower cost than the flagship Topps Chrome. But they spare no expense when it comes to design. Bowman's Best and Finest are two flashy products with a ton of upside.

According to Card Ladder, Caminero's base refractor from Bowman's Best last sold for under $7.

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