Top RCs for Kent, Beltran, Jones, and Utley on Baseball Hall of Fame Day
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Hall of Fame announcement day is career changing for former players waiting for that important phone call to tell them good news. It can also be a big day for collectors, as rookie cards of new Hall of Famers are all but certain to see a substantial jump.
Jeff Kent was already chosen by the Contemporary Era Committee and will become a Hall of Famer in 2026. But the regular voting totals will be announced today. Per Ryan Thibodaux and his super-useful Hall of Fame Tracker, two players look like the best bets to join Kent in the 2026 Hall of Famer list with one more longshot.
Former New York Met Carlos Beltran seems to have the best case with former Atlanta Brave Andruw Jones running a closer, but still plausible shot at joining the Hall of Fame. Phillies standout Chase Utley seems destined to come up short this season, but the third year on the ballot leaves him plenty of time. Here's a top rookie for each of the four.
Jeff Kent
A career .290 hitter with 377 homers, Kent but up good numbers, but rarely drew a ton of acclaim. Accordingly, his rookies are often surprisingly affordable. In part, it's also due to Kent coming up in the era of junk wax.
For instance, the Score Traded rookie above just sold for $25 in a PSA 10. While Score isn't exactly a marquee pick, that's a price that's hard to touch, even for a player who lacked a ton of flash with his Hall of Fame production.
Carlos Beltran
Beltran was exceptional in an impressive career, racking up 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, 312 stolen bases, and 1,587 RBIs. The nine-time All-Star also won three Gold Gloves. If not for his role in the 2017 Astros' sign-stealing scandal, Beltran probably would already be in the Hall of Fame.
With many of his prime years coming in New York, Beltran's sales tend to run high. His 1995 Topps Traded card with him as a young Kansas City Royals draft pick is selling for around $300 already. If he makes the grade (as the Hall of Fame tracker suggests he will), it'll only climb higher. It's also worth noting that the card is an uncorrected error, as it's not Beltran, but rather Juan Lebron picture on the card.
Andruw Jones
Jones was a teenaged star, but his golden years ended early. He still hit 434 home runs and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves. If Jones's career totals were a bit sharper, he'd be a slam-dunk Hall of Fame pick. As it is, he's probably the player to watch on this year's vote. He has another year on the regular ballot if he comes up short, and the final run looks to be very close.
Jones's cards are still relatively cheap. His Bowman rookie sells for around $150, and can even be nabbed signed for a relatively small premium, as he seems to have been a very willing autograph signer over the years.
Chase Utley
Utley probably is on the outside of the voting numbers this year. This six-time All-Star with 259 career homers was very good, but was he great? Recent performance suggests that sooner or later, he's going in. His cards are rising accordingly. For instance, his 2001 Bowman Heritage rookie in a PSA 10 has jumped from $147 in July to $205 in December to $237 today. That rise will continue if he surprises in the voting.
Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.