The Top 3 American League Rookie of the Year Contenders and Their Top Cards
The American League's Central Division is full of rookie talent this year and includes the three top candidates for AL ROY honors: Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers; Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox; and the Kansas City Royals' rookie sensation, Carter Jensen. We take a moment here to look at their top cards so far in their young careers.
The NL Rookie of the Year race is also chock-full of exciting young talent, with their cards living up to the hype as well. Those players include the likes of frontrunner JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals, Sal Stewart from the Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets pitcher Nolan McClean.
1) The Front Runner: Detroit Tigers IF Kevin McGonigle
It is likely fair to say, even with a relatively short look-back window, that the Detroit Tigers made a fantastic draft pick when they selected Kevin McGonigle with the 37th pick of the 2023 MLB draft. When you take a look at the start of his young career, it is impressive stuff. He made his MLB debut in 2026 and was selected to his first All-Star Game that same year. All of this before his 22nd birthday, which will happen on August 18, 2026.
Like his on-field play, many of his baseball cards are worth a look, including his biggest selling card to-date, which is shown below and was sold on April 30, 2026 for $48,000 per Card Ladder.
2) Next Up: Chicago White Sox IF Munetaka Murakami
The 26 year-old Murakami, has been playing professional in Japan in the Nippon Professional Baseball league since the age of 19 until moving on to the MLB with the Chicago White Sox this year. He started his MLB career with three consecutive games with a home run. Like, McGonigle, he was able to represent the American League in the All-Star game in his first season.
According to Card Ladder, his top sale came on June 4th, 2026, for $74,420.
Because it isn't as fun to view the redemption card itself, we now bring you another top sale for Munetaka Murakami cards. This one was listed as a redemption card as well, but we have a picture of the card that will eventually make its way to a collector.
According to Card Ladder information, this Topps Now 1-of-1 card sold for $24,095 through Goldin Auctions on July 11, 2026.
Another AL ROY Candidate: Kansas City Royals C/DH Carter Jensen
Carter Jensen started his MLB career on the first day of September 2025 and, with over 5 dozen at-bats, hit .300 with 3 HRs. He then started the 2026 season with the Royals team, and, as of mid-July, has 17 HR and is closing in on 70 RBIs while playing DH and one of the most grueling and demanding positions on the field- catcher. His highest card sales aren't in the same range as the others on this list but are still worth a look.
While not as highly sought-after as the first two, his top sale is $3,800 through an eBay auction on April 27, 2026, according to Card Ladder.
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D. Allen Thompson is a contributing collectibles writer with eclectic tastes. He provides enthusiastic commentary on the ever-evolving world of trading cards against the backdrop of the broader historical, economic, and societal contexts in which they exist. He is on a journey to find fascinating stories and meet interesting people while using trading cards as the guideposts to lead the way to the American Dream.