Stars of the National League Championship Series and their cards
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The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers battle for a trip to the World Series.
Following the Milwaukee Brewers' victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 5 of the National League Division Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers' walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the other matchup, the pair of teams will fight for the National League title.
With plenty of star power featured on both teams, here are where some of the player's card markets lie ahead of Game 1 on Monday night. All info is according to Card Ladder data.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers SP
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After a rookie season in which Yamamoto was limited to just 90 innings due to injury in 2024, Yamamoto took over the role of the ace for the Dodgers this season. While traditionally pitchers do not maintain as much card value as position players, Yamamoto serves as an exception.
Ahead of the NLCS, a 2024 Topps Chrome rookie refractor autograph of Yamamoto numbered to 499 in a PSA 10 sold on October 11 for $610, while a PSA 10 purple refractor numbered to 250 sold for $764 on October 9.
Yamamoto has already made a pair of starts this postseason and has pitched to a 2.53 ERA in 10.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. After making four starts last October en route to a World Series title, the right-hander's chase for a repeat could result in large rises in his cards.
Mookie Betts, Dodgers OF
Although it was considered a down year compared to a typical season for Betts, the Dodgers' outfielder's card market is among one of the higher end ones. The reason for the high-standing value of his cards is due to a mix of lack of volume along with putting together a Hall-of-Fame-caliber career thus far.
Betts' most valuable set of cards is his 1st Bowman autograph from 2014 Bowman Chrome. While they do not sell frequently, they sell for big numbers. Since the start of September, three PSA 10 1st Bowman base autographs of Betts sold, ranging between $1,700-2,000. His most recent sale came on October 11 when an ungraded blue refractor autograph numbered to 150 sold for $1,950.
Since the start of September and through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Betts has looked like his normal self at the plate. Similar to his teammate Yamamoto, a deep run with another possible title added to Betts' accolades can keep his market at unique levels.
Jackson Chourio, Brewers OF
As covered last week, Chourio's card market has rebounded since he returned from a hamstring injury in late August and was a major contributor in Milwaukee's NLDS victory over the Chicago Cubs. Since the clinching victory on Saturday, a single 1st Bowman autograph has sold. An ungraded refractor autograph numbered to 499 sold on October 11 for $388.
Through his first eight career postseason games, Chourio is hitting .414 with three home runs and nine runs batted in. If the Brewers can take down the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, the young outfielder will likely have a large part in it.
Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers SP
Misiorowski has had quite the year after starting in AAA, now finding himself pitching in big moments in the postseason. The 23-year-old earned the win in Game 5 of the National League Division Series with four innings of one-run ball to send the Brewers to the next round. Back before the start of the season, collectors could have bought a PSA 10 1st Bowman Gold Wave autograph numbered to 50 of Misiorowski for $230. Fast forward to October, a PSA 10 base autograph that is unnumbered sold on October 12 for $605.
Misiorowski's fastball wows fans as it touched 104 MPH during the division series and will likely be used in a similar role to slow down the Dodgers bats. In a year where his cards have had so much helium, a trip to the World Series could be the cherry on top for collectors.
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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