Why are we looking back at 2023 Topps rookie cards?
With the focus on the new crop of 2024 Topps Baseball rookies to collect, from both Series 1 and Series 2, I thought it would be worth checking in on some of the 2023 Topps rookie cards and the players who were overlooked by collectors in the wake of the Rookie-of-the-Year campaigns by Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll.
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Here are five guys playing well this year and have 2023 Topps rookie cards selling for very reasonable prices.
Brice Turang, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers (24 years old): Currently batting .303 with 3 HR and 19 RBI with a 2.1 WAR.
Patrick Bailey, C, San Francisco Giants (24 years old): Currently batting .297 with 4 HR and 18 RBI with a 1.5 WAR.
Zach Neto, SS, L.A. Angels (23 years old): Currently batting .254 with 6 HR and 18 RBI with a 1.2 WAR.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (22 years old): Currently batting .288 with 7 HR and 23 RBI with a 1.5 WAR.
Brett Baty, 3B, N.Y. Mets (23 years old): Currently batting .231 with 4 HR and 16 RBI with a 0.4 WAR.
Francisco Alvarez, C, N.Y. Mets (22 years old): He has only played 16 games this year due to an injury, but he is batting .236 with 1 HR and 8 RBI and a 0.2 WAR. Alvarez has some serious power and is still very young. For that reason, his cards sell higher than the rest with an average price of $25-30 for his 2023 Topps RC gold parallel #’d /2023.
I like all the guys above because of a combination of age, position, or the market they play in. Turang is a bit unknown being 24 and playing in Milwaukee, but you cannot ignore a 1.7 WAR this early in the season.
Catchers are also not the most popular to collect, but it is hard to ignore what Bailey is doing and the power potential that Alvarez has. Neto and Tovar are highest on my list based on playing shortstop and being younger, and Baty is worth watching mainly because he plays in New York.
While we are on the topic of overlooked rookies, I thought I would add in two more for consideration, a 2022 and a 2024 pick:
2022 Topps Rookie Card To Watch: Oneil Cruz, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (25 years old): Currently batting .265 with 7 HR and 17 RBI with a 0.6 WAR.
Why is he overlooked? Cruz missed almost the entire 2023 season due to injury and got off to a slow start this year. Despite his freak size and power combination (the tallest player ever to play shortstop!), he is overlooked in the NL Central because of Elly De La Cruz and Jackson Chourio. Cruz’s power alone is worth keeping an eye on, as he looks to complete his first ever full season in 2024.
2024 Topps Rookie Card To Watch: Jordan Westburg, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles (25 years old): Currently batting .304 with 6 HR and 27 RBI with a 1.8 WAR.
Why is he overlooked? Most fans and analysts view him as just a placeholder for the better prospects coming up in the Orioles system. They already have ROY Gunnar Henderson playing SS and both Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo (20 and 22 respectively) penciled in to play 2B and 3B. With all that said, Westburg continues to deliver and his stats cannot be ignored. He will have a spot either with Baltimore or with another team if they trade him.
Don’t forget to take a look at the top-10 rookie cards we want in 2024 Topps Series 2!
Let me know in the comments who I missed or who you are watching as 2023 Topps rookie cards on the rise, and as always, have a #HappyHobby!
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